KidCot

The World Showcase in Epcot is probably the most adult orientated place in the Parks other than Pleasure Island. Not only does every country pavilion serve alcohol sampled from each country, the Showcase is mostly shopping and culture with rides being scarce and mild. That doesn't mean that taking kids there is a wasted effort.

There are live performances such as the Chinese acrobats, which kids enjoy. If your little one wants to meet princesses this is the place I'd recommend. Even Mickey and Co can be found in different costumes with shorter lines than anywhere else in the Parks. There's a model railroad in Germany and a pond of koi in Japan. Still, a very small child or toddler will quickly get bored with the World Showcase once you've hit all of these things.

That's where the Kidcot stations come in handy. There is a station at every country were kids are given masks on a stick, a stamp and something representative of the country to hang off the mask. The kids can color the masks themselves. This is not a babysitting service, though. An older person is expected to be with the child while they are at the station. Usually the stations are located in such a place that after making a stop, parents can have a look around a store while the child is still preoccupied with the mask they just made.

It's cheap, free and could be done at home without the $60 admission price, so of course this makes it one of the most popular activities for the little kids. However, I'm going to give my readers a piece of advice I wish I had known before approaching a table. The Kidcot stations are sponsored by Sharpie. Therefore those aren't washable Crayolas in the marker baskets, but very permanent marker. It may not matter if the clothes they are wearing are just your typical vacation and living out of a suitcase sort. But if your child is wearing that $14.99 Mickey shirt purchased at a gift shop yesterday, you may want to detour around the station before the markers are spotted or stand over the child like a domineering and micro-managing overlord.