As the author of the WALT DISNEY WORLD WITH KIDS guidebook, I've been to the Orlando park more than two dozen times with my children Leigh, 12, and Jordan, 8. One of our favorite places in the World is Epcot; I love the way it encourages families to pick up the chopsticks, the paintbrush or the laser gun and to actually do things together.
The idea of touring Epcot with kids intimidates some parents. It's too big. It's too adult. It's too--drum roll--educational. Some even think you can't get a true taste of all that this sprawling park has to offer in a single day. But, as they say in the France pavilion, au contraire. Jordan's favorite Epcot attraction is Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. Appropriate, I think, because the key to touring this monster park is to shrink it, to present it to your kids in easily digestible bites. Though Epcot dazzles you with big stuff, the true magic begins when you savor the details, like meeting Pooh in a perfect English garden or watching your 10-year-old master her first virtual-reality ski jump.
The park is composed of two sections: the nine pavilions of Future World and the 11 nations of World Showcase. The hip and high-tech Future World pavilions have names like Wonders of Life and The Land, and are full of hands-on exhibits, rides, films and shows. World Showcase lets you stroll from Mexico to China in minutes, and the best restaurants and shops are there. As Jordan says, "Future World is more like science, and World Showcase is geography." Close enough.
While it might be tempting to view attractions in the order you encounter them, I don't advise it. Better to mix it up a bit, alternating the pizzazz of Future World with the laid-back charm of World Showcase. You may do less, but you'll enjoy more. Here are the best Epcot attractions by age group.
ATTRACTIONS BY AGE
KIDS 3 TO 7• Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, in the Journey Into Imagination pavilion
• The Journey Into Imagination ride (and the Image Works exhibit next door)
• Meeting the characters at World Showcase
• Kidcot Fun Stops at World Showcase
KIDS 7 TO 11
• Body Wars, in the Wonders of Life pavilion
• Test Track
• Innoventions
• Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, in the Journey Into Imagination pavilion
• Cranium Command, in the Wonders of Life pavilion
KIDS 11 TO 16
• Test Track
• Innoventions
• The American Adventure, at World Showcase
• Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, in the Journey Into Imagination pavilion
• Body Wars, in the Wonders of Life pavilion
Click on the following links for a detailed one-day Epcot itinerary for seeing most everything and essential tips for touring Epcot.
DISNEY MAGAZINE contributing editor Kim Wright Wiley is the author of the annual guidebook WALT DISNEY WORLD WITH KIDS and is FamilyFun's new Theme Park Expert.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated June 2005.
