Are These EPCOT Attractions Good for Small Children?
As the parent of a young child, you know the deal. Getting your child from one place to another is an ordeal that non-parents could never understand.
You don’t want to be wasting time and energy on anything that your child will hate. That’s a defeatist strategy.
At Walt Disney World, many attractions don’t come with height restrictions. So, your kids can ride them…but should they?
Are these EPCOT attractions good for small children? Let’s decide!
Frozen Ever After
Some of the choices are easy, while others come with more nuance.
For example, I heartily recommend Frozen Ever After to everyone, at least in theory.
However, the ride also requires an average wait of 60 minutes or more on many days.
When you’re not using Disney Genie+, waiting 60 minutes in line sometimes feels overwhelming.
Still, I can say with confidence that your child will love this ride.
It brings the make-believe world of Arendelle to life. Even better, kids will light up as they watch trolls, snowballs, Sven, and Olaf.
This attraction is magical, which is the whole point of a Disney vacation.
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
This one’s an easy yes. Imagine a little boat ride akin to It’s a Small World. Now, think about it in a setting full of cartoon animations!
That’s the core concept of Gran Fiesta Tour at the Mexico pavilion. The Three Caballeros randomly appear on (old school) digital displays.
However, most of the ride features puppets akin to the ones at It’s a Small World.
So, kids ADORE this ride! It doesn’t matter how old they are. They’ll laugh uproariously whenever Donald takes a beating or gets humiliated.
Plus, the various colorful set pieces will captivate kids. As a parent, you’ll enjoy this one as well since it gets you off your feet for a few minutes.
Journey Into Imagination With Figment
EPCOT and Figment are virtually synonymous. That’s because a Figment attraction has anchored the Imagination! pavilion since March 1983.
That’s right! Figment turns 40 soon! And while it hasn’t stayed the same for those 40 years, it’s still charming to children.
The current version of the attraction explores the creative process in a genuinely inventive way.
A boring scientist tries to teach, but Figment keeps appearing to disrupt the lectures. And Figment is a lot more fun!
Journey into Imagination’s first version was its best, but the current one is still one of the best three EPCOT attractions overall for small children.
Living with the Land
I go back and forth on this one. On one hand, any child would find the message of Living with the Land deadly dull. It’s basically like doing your homework at Disney. Who wants that???
However, you do find some unusual stuff on the ride. For example, kids will like the puppy dog on the porch, the views of the rotating restaurant, and some parts of the agricultural lessons.
Specifically, I could see them taking an interest in the electric eels and other fish tanks.
Still, I suspect you as a parent will like the ride more since you’re sitting down for a while. For your kid, this ride is just a nap during a boring adult thing.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Sometimes, I do double-takes as I research various Disney attractions. For example, I really would have thought Ratatouille came with a height requirement.
I cannot explain exactly why. It just…seems like a ride that would. Thankfully, Imagineers developed rat-based ride carts that are safe for small children, though.
I say this because I’m 100 percent certain that your child will love everything about Ratatouille. It’s a cartoonish experience brimming with kinetic energy.
You drop through the roof into a kitchen and then suffer through a series of near-fatal mishaps.
The over-the-top nature of each one will thrill kids, as will the kitchen pursuit and the rat antics afterward.
Stating the obvious, anything Pixar will do well with small children.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
What did I just say? Kids love all things Pixar, and this ride is arguably the best one for them.
On The Seas with Nemo & Friends, guests relive the story of Finding Nemo. The visuals of the fish playing in the water will charm any child.
They’ll particularly admire the East Australian Current sequence that creates the illusion of swimming downstream in the ocean.
Also, the music during this attraction will have even the youngest kids humming along and singing to their heart’s content. This one’s perfect for children!
Spaceship Earth
As with Living with the Land, I have conflicted feelings about this ride.
On the one hand, Spaceship Earth plays out as one prolonged history lesson. No small child wants to hear about stuff that happened before they were born.
Then again, the Audio-Animatronics and detailed set pieces on the ride are impressive.
So, the first half of the ride may prove a struggle at times for your youngster. But I’m confident they will love the second half.
That’s when Spaceship Earth allows guests to play a kind of Choose Your Own Adventure with the future.
This game includes adorable animations and a healthy dose of Disney magic. It can and does entertain kids.
Honestly, if you must pick only one of Spaceship Earth or Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth is the clear call.
Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
Here’s your secret salvation during an EPCOT visit. This spot near Figment at the Imagination! pavilion hosts three animated shorts.
Currently, the lineup includes Feast, Get a Horse!, and Piper, all of which are thoroughly entertaining.
More importantly, you’re distracting your child with cartoons while you take a break.
During this bit of escapism, Disney rewards you with Feast, which I believe is the best animated short in the company’s history. It’s this:
Turtle Talk with Crush
Of course, you can watch those animated shorts at home. So, you may prefer a different kind of distraction at the parks.
That’s where Turtle Talk with Crush comes into play. This attraction sticks children in a theater and allows them to interact with the character on the screen.
Frankly, adults take this technology for granted, but kids innately understand how magical it is.
A talking turtle named Crush imparts a century’s worth of wisdom on the quizzes of the audience, some of whom get to ask him questions.
The children’s curiosity leads to some hilarious off-the-cuff jokes, which means every Turtle Talk show plays out a bit differently.
Here’s one really good Turtle Talk from three years ago:
Your kid will adore this, and you don’t need to worry! The cast members won’t push shy kids to talk!
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Feature Photo: Disney