Things to Do at Epcot with Toddlers & Preschoolers

Looking for things to do at Epcot with toddlers and preschoolers? You’ve come to the right place. Below you’ll find all our favorite things for toddlers at Epcot.

Epcot often gets a bad rap as a Disney park for adults but there is actually so much to do with little kids there. There are many low wait time rides and activities with no lines which are perfect for impatient toddlers.

I’m an annual passholder and go to Disney  World alone with our 2-year-old and 4-year-old all the time. Plus, my parent was a former cast member so I have decades of experience at the parks (it was literally the only place my family ever went growing up).

Neither of my kids are good at waiting in line yet and our youngest is too short for most rides with height limits. We spend our Epcot days doing these toddler-friendly activities.

Let’s dive in!

1. Low wait time rides

Epcot has a number of rides that adults and older kids may find boring but are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. As long as you’re not visiting during a busy season (looking at you, Christmas & Spring breaks), you can usually basically walk on to these rides:

• Spaceship Earth: my kids love “the big ball” ride and I like that it’s a longer rest for me.
• Nemo: very little kid-friendly and leads into the aquarium 
• Living on the Land: you’d think they’d be bored on this one but there are some cool fish farming tanks that my kids love
• Figment: a pretty perfect little kid ride. Note at the end there is one startling part where there is a pop to reveal Figment’s imagination 
• Mexico ride: this is an easy boat ride that they made more dynamic for kids by adding Donald and his friends. 

Note: we always talk about rides before we go on them and remind the kids they’re pretend. We didn’t do that before the first time we went on a ride with them and our then 3-year-old thought it was real and was terrified (he still won’t go back on that ride but is totally fine with all the other ones and talks about how they’re pretend now).

2. Figment play area

I remember the Figment play area from when I was a kid and thinking it was so cool. It feels a lot more scaled back now but there is one feature that could occupy a toddler all day: the musical floor.

There are lights shining on the floor and if you jump on those spots, a musical note is played. Kids can run around making music and parents can sit on a much appreciated, well-positioned bench watching. 

3. Dancing fountains

Right outside and up the stairs from the Figment exit are dancing fountains. They seem simple but they’re a toddler delight. It’s usually pretty empty up there too so it’s a nice place to take a crowd break.

4. SeaBase

SeaBase is a huge aquarium located at the end of the Nemo ride. You can also enter directly into SeaBase if you don’t want to ride through the gift shop (we do this on the rare day Nemo has a long line). 

You could spend hours in SeaBase – there are lots of big aquarium windows, cool smaller aquariums, and interactive kids stuff like an area themed around the Nemo sharks. SeaBase is actually the second largest aquarium in the country by tank volume! Plus, it’s a good place to take a break from the Florida heat.

5. Turtle Talk with Crush

Turtle Talk with Crush is an interactive kids show located inside SeaBase. You watch on an animated screen but Crush is able to talk to and interact with the kids in the audience. 

6. Moana Journey of Water

Moana’s water area recently opened in Epcot and my kids give it two huge thumbs up. I could barely drag them out of there, especially the fountains that shoot up to meet your hand wherever it is. 

I really enjoy the Moana area too. They’ve done cool things with the interactive water elements so it’s fun for all ages. A lot of things are at toddler-level and you can walk in. We went once where there was seemingly a huge line but we were still in within 5 minutes and could still interact with all the water play (tip: this isn’t a line area so if there’s a back up, you can simply walk around it or skip that part). 

TIP: bring a change of clothes and shoes for your kids. Mine came out soaked. 

7. Coca-Cola Cool Club

The Coca-Cola Cool Club is a bit tucked away in the corner on the passageway towards Test Track (across from the Starbucks location and by the Creations Shop). At the Cool Club, you can get free samples of sodas from around the world.

I really miss the old Coca-Cola exhibit where you’d walk through an icy path before getting to the soda samples, but this is still worth a stop. My kids love trying the different samples and the small cup sizes are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

8. Outdoor play area

There is a outdoor play area located in the World Celebration area between the Creations Shop and Test Track area. It is a nice outdoor playground with lots of space to run around (and bring in your stroller). It also has fencing around it so kids can’t run off into the main crowds easily.

9. Small splash pad

Near the outdoor playground by the Mission Space ride is a small splash pad. This is a nice stop to cool off if your toddler may be overwhelmed by the Moana water area. It’s small and usually not crowded so great for the toddler age group.

10. Mission Space play area

Also at Mission Space, you’ll find an indoor play area. To get to it, you walk through the exit gift shop of Mission Space towards the right (it kind of seems like you’re not supposed to go that way because everyone else is exiting but you can).

It is a little dark in the play area and my kids weren’t feeling it, but it is a good place for times when you want to be inside, such as very hot days or during a Florida thunderstorm.

11. Character visits

Epcot is great for character visits because many of them are tucked away throughout the park. Sometimes this makes for shorter wait times. For example, Pooh moved to a very out of the way location in the back of the U.K. pavilion and we often have little to no waits when we visit.

Other tucked away characters include Mickey in what looks like the Pixar theater, Donald to the side of the Mexico pavilion and Alice in Wonderland on the side of the U.K. pavilion.

12. Hedge maze at U.K

While you’re at the U.K. pavilion visiting Pooh, don’t miss the hedge maze there. My kids love a corn maze and the hedge maze is a small in size for kids.

13. Model trains

I have a love hate relationship with the model train area outside of the Germany pavilion. I love how much it occupies my kids without waiting in a line, but I hate having to fight to get them to actually leave.

My toddler is so obsessed with these trains that he would basically stay and watch them all day if I let him. This is a must-see attraction for the toddler crowd.

14. Boat ride across the park

Never underestimate the simplicity of a boat ride. There is a boat that goes across the pond at Epcot, taking you from the entrance across the World Showcase. It run continuously so this is a fun thing to do if you’re walking by as a boat is coming up (otherwise it can be a bit of a wait if you just missed a boat).

15. Kidcot fun stops

Each country around the World Showcase has a Kidcot fun stop where you can pick up a postcard from that country. The cards have information about the country and little activities. Personally, I’ve found the Kidcost stops to be pretty tucked away so it is also like a bit of a scavenger hunt to find them.

16. Drums at the Africa outpost

In the Africa outpost, there is a drum set that is a fun toddler stop. It’s simple fun but my kids love banging on the drums (they have similar drums out in Animal Kingdom too). Plus there’s also an old-fashion car which is the highlight for our vehicle-loving preschooler.

17. Project Tomorrow

Project Tomorrow is an interactive attraction at the exit of Spaceship Earth. You don’t have to ride the ride to play in Project Tomorrow, there are side doors where you can enter the space.

The area has stations of different technologies you can play with. It usually isn’t very crowded and is a good indoor stop if you need to a heat break.

18. Festival hunts

Epcot holds a lot of festivals over the course of the year, like the Food and Wine Festival and the Festival of the Arts. During festivals, they often have scavenger hunts or strolls where you get a playing card and find items throughout the park.

We recently did the cookie stroll during the Festival of the Holidays and my kids were delighted by it. We had a passport that got stamped each time we tried a different cookie and then we got a prize at the end for finishing.

19. Night lights

Epcot recently reopened World Celebration Garden, which is located in the path between the ball and the lake. At night, there are lights in the sidewalk through the garden that are a big hit with my toddler and preschooler.

Also at night, the ball gets lit up. When we walked out of a ride for the first time when it had gotten dark, my kids were in awe of the dancing lights on the ball. It is worth staying one night until dusk if you visit when it gets dark early enough for toddler bedtime.

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