Toddler Hits-Epcot, Sharpie Look Out!

Epcot is the "educational" park. Most of this is lost on the toddlers and preschoolers. It also has very few rides that a toddler can go on. In fact, the one thing that toddlers like the most about Epcot won't happen until night when they are too tired to take advantage of it and those are the light-up sparkley sidewalks.

Still, it's possible to have fun here with a little one. This is one of the best places to meet characters without a long line. Characters always pop out unexpectedly in the World Showcase, related to the countries. Belle is in France, Snow White is in Germany, Mulan is in China, Donald is in Mexico. If you are looking for Mickey, you can find him in America and sometimes dressed as a Musketeer in France.

Disney does try to help out with the lack of small child friendly activities with their Kidcot stations. I discovered, though, that these are all sponsored by Sharpie. You know, the permanent-never coming out of clothes or off the skin for weeks-marker. You can always spot a Kidcot station by the number of nervous parents hovering over their kids trying to keep the Sharpie tips a safe distance from the clothes of the kids and others.

So many times you find yourself with a problem. Maelstrom? Has scary trolls. Journey into Imagination? Scary invisible train noises and that loud boom and rush of air at the end. The stores? So many breakable objects they can't touch! But then there is Epcot during the Flower and Garden Festival in May with the Neverland Playground and Minnie's Butterfly Garden, which Disney should consider having year-round.

You may just decide that Epcot isn't worth going to at all until...

Nemo. Nemo, that ever popular little clownfish who has taken over what used to be called just The Living Seas. From the moment you pass the seagull animatronics shouting, "Mine, mine mine!" you realize you may be there for quite some time. There is not one thing in the building that does not appeal to toddlers from the aquarium of dolphins to the extremely popular Turtle Talk with Crush. Next door is the Imagination Pavilion with it's impossible reversed fountains and the Imageworks play area, all taking up time until the World Showcase is open and you can try out El Gran Fiesta at Mexico. (Careful, though, most of the merchandise sold in Mexico is breakable and at toddler level.)

The Newly redone Spaceship Earth is not as toddler friendly as it once was. A section of the ride at the end is devoted to the touch screen in the car with you. While it may help to let the toddler do all the touching to distract them from the fact that they are moving backwards at a sort of scary angle, they won't get much out of it. It is air conditioned though, and that may be reason enough to go on the ride!

Should you skip Epcot with a toddler? It depends on your toddler. The Living Seas really makes it worth while to go and may just make your child more manageable for the rest of the park. Even if they do say "dude" the rest of the day as Crush will instruct them to do.