Is Epcot Fun for Kids?

Is Epcot fun for kids? While it is a great park for adults, this DISNEY WORLD! Of course Epcot is fun for kids! In fact, Epcot is the second most kid friendly park at Walt Disney World, after Magic Kingdom.

In this guide I’ll share why Epcot is totally worth a visit with kids and review the most popular rides and attractions.

A great feature about Walt Disney World is that most rides and attractions are designed to have either no minimum height requirement or one that’s around 40 inches. Many kids that around 4 and 5 years old can meet a 40 inch height requirement - which is what Disney is aiming for.

The Best Rides and attractions for kids at Epcot

Let’s start with Spaceship Earth.

This is the icon of Epcot and yes, you can actually go inside the giant “Epcot ball.”

Spaceship Earth is among the last of the opening day attractions at Epcot and that means it has stood the test of time at this park.

It’s a slow moving dark ride that takes you on journey through time - starting with the dawn of man and going well into the future.

Along the way you’ll pass through vivid vignettes of important moments in human communication with animatronics, beautiful music and a kid-friendly narration.

There’s a great interactive play area after the ride too.

Next let’s head over to The Seas with Nemo and Friends. In this attraction you’ll go under the sea, without getting wet, in slow moving “clamobile.”

The Seas with Nemo and Friends at Epcot - for kids — The Seas with Nemo and Friends | Epcot

You immediately enter Nemo’s underwater world with brightly colored coral reefs and a few familiar friends.

Of course, Nemo gets lost pretty early on so you set out on a journey to find him, passing through jellyfish, a shark infested ship wreck, and you’ll meet up with Crush the infamous sea turtle as he travels the East Australian Current.

Inside The Seas with Nemo and Friends - Epcot - for kids — The Seas with Nemo and Friends | Epcot

There is no minimum height requirement for The Seas with Nemo and Friends.

After you locate Nemo and your journey comes to end, you can get up close to some sea life in one of the largest salt water aquariums in the country - a massive 5.7 million-gallon, multi-level underwater habitat known as Sea Base.

The Seas - Sea Base at Epcot — Sea Base - Inside the Seas with Nemo and Friends | Epcot

The Seas with Nemo and and Friends Pavilion is also a walk through aquarium where you can observe over 2,000 animals including sharks, manatees, clown fish, and eels.

Sea Base - Inside the Seas with Nemo and Friends | Epcot

Here’s a secret: Ask for the complimentary scavenger hunt at the gift shop located near the exit.

Turtle Talk with Crush is a 15 minute interactive show unlike any other you’ve seen. He’s animated, yes, but he interacts live with the audience using improvisational humor. Kids and adults will find him to be hilarious.

Crush takes questions from the audience using his “hydrophone” so encourage your little one to ask him about his favorite food or his favorite activity.

He will also introduce to you a few of his pals, like Dory and Squirt.

The show runs every 15 minutes, so feel free to explore the aquarium for a bit.

But you should be in line for the next show about 10 minutes prior so you get a good spot.

After exiting the Sea Base, head next door to The Land Pavilion.

Now just like the Seas Pavilion, there are a number of attractions inside, including The Garden Grill character restaurant. (Reservations are highly recommended).

Living with The Land Boat Ride takes you on a cruise through Disney World’s innovative green houses where you can see some futuristic farming techniques like plants growing without soil and a record breaking tomato tree, yes a TREE, that produces over 30,000 tomatoes a year.

There is no minimum height requirement for Living with the Land and the wait is usually less than 20 minutes.

Soarin’ is one of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World because it’s technically one of the big rides, but most people can do it - the young and the young at heart alike.

This gentle ride simulates flight, as if you were in a hang glider, flying over some of the world’s most recognizable landmarks like the Mount Kilimanjaro of China, the Great Pyramids of Egypt and the Eiffel Tower.

Soarin Around the World - at Epcot - For kids — Soarin’ Around the World | Epcot

The 80-foot IMAX digital projection screen creates a soothing sensation of flight combined with an uplifting musical score.

Nothing too wild or crazy happens on this ride, its a more graceful experience with beautiful imagery and music. There are no big thrills here.

Soarin’ has a minimum height requirement of 40 inches.

Next, we’re off to the Imagination Pavilion, home to the kid-friendly dark ride, Journey Into Imagination with Figment.

Journey into Imagination - Epcot - For Kids

Here you’ll board a slow moving ride vehicle and take a tour of the Imagination Institute hosted by Figment, a little purple dragon, and Dr Nigel Channing.

Figment gets a little too enthusiastic so we end up on a detour.

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Along the way you’ll learn about the 5 senses as Figment turns the lab upside down and causes quite a stink in the Smell Lab.

Inside Journey Into Imagination with Figment - Epcot - For Kids — Journey Into Imagination (Figment) | Epcot

After the Journey Into Imagination there are a number of interactive exhibits designed just for little ones in the exit area.

Also in the Imagination Pavilion, you’ll find the Disney-Pixar Short Film Festival in 4D.

Here you’ll don 3-D Glasses and watch 3 cartoon shorts, taking about 18 minutes in all. The floor of the theater reacts to key moments in the films by gently moving up and down.

Disney Pixar Film Festival at Epcot - for kids — Disney - Pixar Short Film Festival | Epcot

These film shorts are heartwarming and funny for all ages.

There’s usually no line to get in but I recommend being at the theater at least 10 minutes prior to the next show.

Oh, and it’s a great place to rest and enjoy some air conditioning.

Test Track, located on the opposite side of the park, is the fastest ride in Walt Disney World. This one has a minimum height requirement of 40 inches.

Test Track at Epcot for Kids — Test Track | Epcot

Inside you’ll buckle up in a 6 passenger sedan and head out on a futurist test track to see how your car holds up to different conditions like weather, speed and maneuvering around objects.

The road test culminates with a high speed around the building’s exterior at 65 mph.

Inside Test Track at Epcot (ride vehicle) SimCar — Inside Test Track (SimCar) | Epcot

The wait can be long for Test Track but there are a number of interactive elements in the queue to keep kids engaged.

Next to Test Track you’ll find Mission Space.

Misson Space at Epcot - for kids — Mission Space | Epcot

This motion simulator takes you through a realistic rocket launch into space.

Each member of your crew will assume an important role to fly the rocket. During your flight, you will be instructed to initiate a sequence which means pushing a few buttons on command.

Don’t worry, if you don’t push the buttons, the ride still continues as planned.

There are two teams Orange and Green.

Orange Team is an intense experience with significant spinning to create g-forces during the launch.

The minimum height for Orange is 44 inches.

Inside Mission Space at Epcot - for kids — Inside Mission Space | Epcot

Personally I don’t recommend it. I think it’s much too intense.

Fortunately the Green Team is basically the same ride but with light movement and no spinning! Green has a minimum high requirement of 42 inches.

Heading out to World Showcase, one of the first countries you’ll come to, if going clockwise, is Mexico. Go inside! There’s a super kid-friendly boat ride in there.

Gran Fiesta Tour Boat Ride at Epcot Mexico for kids

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros takes you on a cruise down the Rio Grande on a musical boat ride through some of the most famous sights and cities in Mexico.

There is no minimum height requirement for Gran Fiesta Tour.

Continuing clockwise in World Showcase, you’ll come to the Norway pavilion, home to one of the most popular attractions in the park: Frozen Ever After.

This boat ride attraction is a musical journey through scenes from the film Frozen with Anna, Elsa and their fellow frozen friends.

The line for this ride can get ridiculously long, often 80+ minutes so you’ll want to ride it first thing in the morning.

There is no minimum height requirement for Frozen Ever After.

Meet Anna and Elsa at Royal Sommerhus | Epcot

After riding Frozen, be sure to visit Anna and Elsa at Royal Sommerhus, one of the most popular character meet and greet locations at Walt Disney World.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is another ultra-popular ride at Epcot, one that you should consider doing early in the morning before the crowds arrive for the day.

Inside Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure | Epcot — Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure | Epcot

On this dark ride attraction you’ll join Chef Remy on an adventure though his kitchen, and then scurry along with him as he tries to escape from Chef Skinner.

You can definitely spend en entire day or 2 at Epcot even with little ones. And I didn’t even cover things likes Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (minimum height 42”), the circle vision films in China and Canada, the food, shops like the Mitsukoshi Department Store in the Japan pavilion, the KidCot Fun Stops, the Coke Store where you can sample Coke products from around the world, the Beauty and Beast Sing a Long show and more. Oh and the nighttime fireworks spectacular which runs nightly.