Disney’s Epcot with Tweens (Disney World)

Disney’s Epcot with Tweens

I think traveling with tweens is a lot of fun (and Disney’s Epcot with tweens was a blast). They are at a magical age where they can bathe, dress, and feed themselves, but they also still have that childlike wonder. And, Disney World is a great place to visit with tweens!

The thing that I liked about Epcot is that they intertwine fun with education. The kids became mini engineers as they designed (and tested) their own race car at Test Track. They took a trip around the world on Soarin’ learning about famous landmarks. Living with the Land taught them all about agriculture ( I was surprised at how much they enjoyed this ride!). We all learned a lot about the evolution of human communication on Spaceship Earth. Ok, you get the idea – fun and educational.

*Disney generously provided us with tickets to Disney World. As always, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re heading to Epcot with your tweenagers:

Rides & Attractions

Epcot is divided into two sections – Future World and the World Showcase. Future World is located in the front of the park, opens earlier than the World Showcase, and is home to most of the rides. There are currently (2019) only 9 rides at Epcot. They are all but one (Test Track) indoor/dark rides so they are all open on rainy days.

• Spaceship Earth – Future World (inside the “big golf ball”)
• Test Track – Future World
• Soarin’ – Future World
• Turtle Talk with Crush – Future World
• Mission: Space – Future World
• Frozen – World Showcase/Norway
• Living with the Land – Future World
• Journey into Imagination with Figment – Future World
• Gran Fiesta Tour featuring the Three Caballeros – World Showcase/Mexico

Ride inside “The Giant Golfball” in Spaceship Earth

Design, Create and Test Your Own Car at Test Track

My kiddos LOVED creating and designing their own race car. They tricked that thing out! I loved that they got the chance to be little engineers for this ride.

After finalizing their design, we headed to our car. The race cars don’t look like the ones we created, but they handle the road conditions according to the way they were designed. After each test (weather, traffic, etc.), we were able to see how our car did during the tests. Then, we took the car around the race track for a speedy ride – this was the kids’ favorite part!

Take a Trip Around the World on Soarin’

Frozen: Ever After

Journey into Imagination with Figment

My kiddos love fast/thrill rides so these were their favorite:

• Soarin’
• Test Track

We also really liked Frozen but it was so SHORT – we wanted more! Mission: Space is cool, but I don’t recommend it for anyone who is claustrophobic.

If it is your very first trip to Epcot with the kids, I recommend riding everything and then letting the kids decide which rides were their favorites. I thought my kids would think Living with the Land would be boring – but they loved it. They found it fascinating.

Meet Characters

Some tween-agers love to meet Disney characters, and some feel like they are too old and “cool” to do that any more. My kids think they are too cool to meet characters…until they see the characters they really like – then they are excited. So, you may also get mixed reactions from tweens and teenagers when it comes to the character meet-and-greets.

Where to Meet Epcot Characters:

• Anna & Elsa – Royal Sommerhaus building in NORWAY
• Alice in Wonderland (or other Wonderland Characters – UNITED KINGDOM
• Belle (sometimes Aurora) – FRANCE
• Daisy – near WORLD SHOWCASE PLAZA
• Mickey Mouse & Disney Pals – CHARACTER SPOT
• Donald Duck – MEXICO
• Mulan – CHINA
• Pluto – LEGACY PLAZA WEST
• Jasmine – MORROCCO
• Snow White – GERMANY
• Wreck-It Ralph & Venellope – IMAGEWORKS

Joy & Sadness and Baymax will be leaving at the end of 2019.

Countries and Activities at The World Showcase

There so many things to see, characters to meet, and food to eat in the countries inside World Showcase.

Activities at the Epcot World Showcase Countries:

• Mexico – Folk Art Gallery, Gran Fiesta Tour Ride, Meet Donald Duck EAT TACOS!!!!
• Norway– Ride Frozen Ever After, Meet Anna & Elsa at Royal Sommerhaus, Try School Bread with Viking Coffee at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe, Have Breakfast at Akerhaus, Take an Instagram Shot in front of the Waterfall next to the Frozen ride, Shop at Puffins Roost, and see historic Viking artifacts at Stave Church Gallery.
• China – If you love tea (and eggrolls!) stop by Joy of Tea, Meet Mulan, See a performance by The Jeweled Dragon Acrobats, Watch Reflections of China at the Theater inside the replica Temple of Heaven,  Grab some Chinese food at Nine Dragons Restaurant.
• Germany– Try some German caramels, chocolates, and sweets at Karamelle Kuche, Meet Snow White, Eat at Sommerfest or Biergarten, and shop for toys at Der Teddybear.
• Italy – Shop at La Bottega Italiana, Watch a performance by flag throwers, and eat at Via Napoli Ristorante Pizzeria and Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar, and get Gelato and other Italian desserts at Gelati.
• The American Adventure – Get yourself a funnel cake, watch The American Adventure historical show, listen and watch The Voices of Liberty, Walk through the American Heritage Gallery, Watch a Concert at the American Gardens Theatre.

Countries and Activities at The World Showcase (Continued)

• Japan -Kids, Teens, Adults love spending time at the Mitsukoshi Department Store, Visit the Bitjutsu Kan Gallery, Enjoy a hibachi-style meal at Teppan Edo, watch traditional Japanese drumming on the pagoda.
• Morocco – Meet Jasmine and/or Aladdin, Eat at Restaurant Marrakesh or Spice Road Table, See the Gallery of Arts and History in the Morocco pavilion.
• France – Meet Belle, Watch the short film Impressions De France, See an Acrobatic performance at Le Serveur, Eat at Chefs de France or Monsieur Paul and get an ice cream dessert at L’artisan des Glaces.
• The United Kingdom – Meet Alice in Wonderland, Eat at Yorkshire Fish & Chips, Shop at Lords & Ladies.
• Canada – Watch the short film O! Canada, Try some Maple popcorn, Eat at Le Cellier Steakhouse, and Visit Victoria Gardens.

Enjoy all of the Great Food

If your kids are foodies (or they are just like mine and want to eat ALL THE TIME!), then they will love Epcot. We had so much fun trying foods from all over the world. Our visit was actually during the 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival so there were 100’s of options for us!

Snacks and Meals You’ll Want to Try at Epcot:

• Guacamole with Totopos from La Cantina de San Angel – Mexico
• Churros with Caramel Sauce from La Cantina de San Angel – Mexico
• Fish and Chips from Rose & Crown Dining Room – United Kingdom
• Bratwurst from Sommerfest – Germany
• Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce from Sommerfest – Germany
• School Bread with Viking Coffee at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe – Norway
• Anna’s Chocolate Birthday Cupcake at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe – Norway
• Troll Horn from Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe – Norway
• Pork and Vegetable Egg Rolls from Joy of Tea – China
• Chocolate Crépe from Crêpes de Chefs de France – France
• Macarons from Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie – France
• Honey Chocolate Baklava from Tangierine Cafe – Morrocco
• Rainbow Kakigōri with Sweet Milk Topping from Kabuki Cafe – Japan
• Tonkotsu Ramen from Katsura Grill – Japan
• Funnel Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream from Funnel Cake – United States
• Wood-fired Pizza Napoletana from Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria – Italy
• Le Cellier Filet Mignon from Le Cellier Steakhouse – Canada

New Attractions Coming to Epcot

There are many new things coming to Epcot in the next few years, many of which tweens will enjoy. I wanted to include these for those planning a future Disney World trip with their tweenagers:

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Ride – Coming to Future World in 2021 just in time for the 50th Anniversary of Disney World. This attraction will be the longest enclosed roller coaster in the world.
• Canada’s new movie Canada Far and Wide in Circlevision 360 (early 2020)
• China’s new movie Wondrous China (early 2020)
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in France (summer 2020)
• Beauty and The Beast Singalong in France (January 2020)
• Mary Poppin’s Ride, Cherry Tree Lane, and Bank’s home in UK pavilion (no specific date yet)

See more of our visit to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival HERE.

Have you been to Epcot with your kiddos lately? What were your favorite things to do as a family in this park? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!

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