Traveling the World Showcase with Kid - 8 Kid-Approved Activities to Enjoy

People often think that Epcot, especially the World Showcase half of the park, is not the most kid-friendly place.  The World Showcase is home to many festivals, most of which emphasize delicious and unique food and drinks.  While it’s true that the World Showcase may not rank as a favorite for children when competing against rides in the Magic Kingdom, kids can have an absolute blast exploring the World Showcase.  Here’s how!  

Seasonal Scavenger Hunts

Festivals run nearly year-round at Epcot these days, and if you’re visiting during one of them you’ll notice that they offer scavenger hunts for kids (or adults, for that matter).  Just visit one of the participating shops at the entrance to the World Showcase or at the International Gateway entrance to the park and purchase a scavenger hunt map.  Whether you complete the map by finding the hidden items throughout the park or not, you can redeem it for a small prize.  For instance, this year’s Festival of the Arts map had us searching for famous paintings throughout the World Showcase (each with Figment in them) and affixing the included stickers to the map.  The prize was a small Figment jigsaw puzzle.  Look for this fun activity around Easter and during Flower & Garden Festival, Food & Wine Festival, and Festival of the Arts.

Kidcot Fun Stops & Passports

In each World Showcase Pavilion, you’ll find a KidCot Fun Stop.  You may have to look deeper into the pavilion to find it.  This small station usually hosts a craft project that children can complete.  If your child has an Epcot Passport (purchase one at a gift shop), they can have it stamped at this location as well.  Even if your child is not collecting passport stamps or interested in the craft projects, talking with the cultural host of the station is a valuable experience.  The Cast Member may help your child learn to say “Hello” in his or her native language and share some interesting facts.  This is a great opportunity to teach children about other cultures and bolster social skills in a safe and fun way!

Attractions

The World Showcase has never been full of attractions geared to children, but we’re seeing more and more character tie-ins as the park continues to evolve.  Be sure to visit the Mexico Pavilion and ride the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros.  This ride is every bit as fun as It’s a Small World, but it rarely has much of a wait!  Next up, don’t miss Frozen Ever After in Norway.  This attraction is wildly popular, so you’ll want to prioritize this as a FastPass selection, or visit it early in the morning or later at night.  Soon, the World Showcase will be home to another family-friendly attraction: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in the France Pavilion.  

Shopping

Shopping isn’t always the most interesting activity for children (especially if it’s not time to pick out a toy or souvenir), but even the World Showcase has a few stops that are sure to interest children.  In the United Kingdom Pavilion, the toy shop has some fun finds.  Your young prince might delight in a sword and shield set (made of sturdy foam, of course), which you can usually find here.  The Mitsukoshi Department Store in the Japan Pavilion is another spot not to miss. This shop features not only sake sampling for adults, but lots of Japanese merchandise featuring very popular characters like Pokemon and Sanrio (Hello Kitty) friends.  The shop also features the pick-a-pearl experience, where you can choose your own oyster and keep the enclosed pearl.