Introduction
It’s a little controversial, but EPCOT is actually our favorite park. Sure, we love the magic of the fireworks show over Cinderella’s castle, but there’s just something about EPCOT that brings us both a LOT of joy. And this has always been the case. EPCOT isn’t a just-for-adults park. Between the aquarium, character meet-and-greets, interactive play areas, AND rides, it’s actually a toddler wonderland. Check out our 1-day itinerary for EPCOT with a toddler. It prioritizes flexibility and air-conditioned breaks. As always when we suggest things regarding littles, you know your little ones best!
Pre-Park Day Prep & Toddler Logistics
There are a couple of housekeeping notes to take into account before diving into a park day with a toddler. First, remember that every Disney park has a Baby Care center. Feel free to check out our guide on Disney World Baby Care Centers. The EPCOT Baby Care Center is located in the Odyssey Pavilion closer to the entrance of the World Showcase – near Mexico. This is arguably one of the most conveniently situated baby care centers as it is close to the middle of the park. Baby Centers provide dedicated quite, air-conditioned spaces for little disengage from some of the over-stimulation. Keep this location in mind for your park day.
Regardless of how many people you’re traveling with, remember that you can use the Rider Switch option on the rides that have height restrictions. Just because you’re visiting EPCOT with a toddler doesn’t mean you have miss out on riding Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or Test Track.
Morning Itinerary
Rope Drop with a Toddler in EPCOT
For rope drop, there are some benefits to catering to your toddler. Most folks who don’t have to worry about height requirements will be rope-dropping Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or Test Track. Depending on the interests of your family, you’re going to want to choose either Frozen Ever After (for the princess lovers) OR Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (for everyone else).
There are a couple of caveats to this suggestion. If you are staying at a Skyliner resort (i.e. Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, or the Riviera) or at any of the Crescent Lake resorts (i.e. Board Inn, Beach & Yacht Club, or Swan & Dolphin) where you can walk to EPCOT we STRONGLY recommend rope-dropping Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. This is true even if you’ve got some princess-loving littles. The reason for this is because the Skyliner drops park guests off on the World Showcase side of EPCOT – literally right next to the France Pavilion. This is the same for folks walking from the Crescent Lake loop. You would save a ton of steps and start the day of with basically walking right on a ride that gets to be easily an hour + wait later in the day.
If you’re not staying at any of the above resorts and are entering EPCOT from the front of the park, choose your own adventure. Both Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure require a bit of a hike, with Frozen being closer. If it’s a toss-up as to which ride to rope-drop, we suggest Frozen purely for the reason it’s closer to the front entrance.
Morning Fuel
If you chose the Frozen Ever After option, breakfast at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe is a must. This where you’ll find the infamous school bread. They’ve got delicious baked goods – something for everyone. They also have coffee, and if you’re a caffeine drinker, you’re going to need it.
If you’ve chosen Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie is the best. This is actually our go-to for breakfast. They’ve got breakfast sandwiches, quiche, and pastries galore.
Photo Ops & Thank the Phoenicians
Once everyone’s fueled up, it’s time to head to the front of the park. Here, you can let your littles wander around the front of the park and have the opportunity to get some photos in front of the iconic EPCOT ball. Then, hop in line to do Spaceship Earth. We feel strongly that it’s mandatory to thank the Phoenicians at every visit to EPCOT.
Mid-Day Itinerary
Our mid-day suggestions are geared toward allowing your toddler to get some energy out, while maximizing your time on this side of the park (i.e. everywhere but the World Showcase). Let your toddler explore the The Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana. This is a walkthrough, water-centered experience that’s all kinds of magical. When their legs get tired, head over to Journey into Imagination with Figment. They can catch a quick ride and sing along with Figment before running around the ImageWorks digital playground at the end.
Then, head over to the Land Pavilion. Hop on the Living with the Land boat ride. You might be surprised at how much littles love this one! After learning about all the fun things that Disney grows, check out Sunshine Seasons if the group’s needing a pick-me-up. This is a food court with a ton of options. It also has an AMAZING amount of indoor seating. It’s one of the few places in EPCOT where you don’t need to find a trash can to camp around.
Afternoon Itinerary
If your toddler is amenable, now would be the time to settle them into their stroller for a nap. If your toddler is a good stroller napper, this is a great opportunity to either take advantage of a rider switch for one of the rides with height requirements (i.e. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or Test Track), or start strolling around the World Showcase. One of our favorites is to snack around the world!
It your toddler is not amenable (Skippy has NEVER been a great napper), we suggest taking them over to the play area next to Mission Space – The Mission: SPACE Advanced Training Lab. This a vibrant, indoor playground where littles can run around to their heart’s content. While they run around, one of the adults can keep an eye on the toddler while the others go ride one of the rides with height requirements.
Once your toddler wakes up (or is spent from the play space), you can see if their interested in doing Kidcot. At each of the 11 pavilions in the World Showcase, kids can learn about the countries they reflect. This was a little too advanced for Skippy when we last went (they were 13 months old), but they did really like seeing all of the countries and exploring the shops in the World Showcase.
Evening Itinerary
With everyone’s energy winding down, both adults and toddlers alike, we recommend doing some character meet-and-greets, taking in a low-key ride, and, if budget allows, enjoying a Table Service meal.
Use the My Disney Experience App to see who, when, and where characters are popping up. We were lucky enough to catch Snow White in the Germany Pavilion during our last visit. She was so sweet and told everyone she was waiting for her pie in the oven to finish baking.
To catch a late-day break, head over to the Mexico Pavilion and ride the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros. There’s rarely a long wait, and the whole queue is inside the air-conditioned building.
For dinner, our top suggestion would be Garden Grill. This is an adorable character meal where Farmer Mickey and friends come around to your tables while you enjoy food made from the ingredients you watched growing on Living with the Land!
Deciding Whether to Stay for the Fireworks
Finally, and if there’s enough energy to do so, there’s the end of night fireworks show. As a gentle reminder, as with any fireworks show, there are explosion sounds throughout the show. In all honesty, we feel that EPCOT’s fireworks show Luminous is very underwhelming. We tried to prioritize one night for fireworks for Skippy. And if we’re prioritizing a show – it’s going to be the one in Magic Kingdom.
If you do stay for the fireworks, we recommend watching near the International Gateway exit if you’re taking the Skyliner out of the park. This will make for a quicker exit once the show is over.
Conclusion
While EPCOT doesn’t have Cinderella’s Castle, that doesn’t mean that kids can’t enjoy it. There’s a ton to do in EPCOT with a toddler. You might just need to slow your pace a little bit and follow their lead. Want to run around the indoor playground for an hour? Cool. Want to stare at the Monorail as it flies the park? Also amazing.
Have you taken a toddler to EPCOT? What did they like the most? Let us know in the comments!
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