Epcot is often thought of as an “adult” park, and while that might have been the case in the past, Disney has made a lot of effort to bring in some more rides and attractions that are great for the entire family.
But even with the additions, you’ll notice there just aren’t as many options for little ones here as there is at Magic Kingdom. But, with a little creativity, we think you can still find a lot to keep everyone in your group (no matter the age or size) entertained.
Here are the best rides for babies and toddlers at Epcot.
Important note: This post is just one piece of a group of resources geared towards helping families with babies and toddlers traveling to Walt Disney World. Make sure you check out our Complete Guide to traveling to Disney World with Babies and Toddlers for even more information to help you plan your dream vacation.
What makes a ride good for babies and toddlers?
Not every attraction without a height requirement is one you should take your baby or toddler on. Some attractions may look fun, but can actually be a little scary.
In Epcot, that is really apparent on a couple of different rides, including Journey into Imagination with Figment.
Yes, Figment is an adorable annoying purple dragon, and he looks safe (and he usually is!), but there is a brief section (1-2 seconds) at the end of the attraction where the room goes totally dark and air is blown at your face. It can catch both kids and adults off guard.
But, if you know it is coming ahead of time, you can likely keep your little one distracted enough to keep them from being too scared.
The first section below is the list of attractions at Epcot that we think are definitely worth a try with a toddler.
Then, we have a batch of other attractions and activities that are good time fillers if you are just needing something to do.
We have posts that cover the best rides for toddlers at the other 3 parks, so make sure you check those out, too:
- Best rides for babies and toddlers at Magic Kingdom
- Best rides for babies and toddlers at Hollywood Studios
- Best rides for babies and toddlers at Animal Kingdom
Want to ride some of the bigger attractions too? Disney has a free service called Rider Swtich that makes it easier for 2 adults to ride the thrill rides without having to wait in a long line twice.
Top 9 Best Rides for Toddlers at Epcot
- Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival (World Celebration)
- Journey into Imagination with Figment (World Celebration)
- Spaceship Earth (World Celebration)
- Living with the Land (World Nature)
- The Seas with Nemo and Friends (World Nature)
- Turtle Talk with Crush (World Nature)
- Frozen Ever After (World Showcase)
- Gran Fiesta Tour (World Showcase)
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (World Showcase)
World Celebration
There are several attractions here that are baby and toddler friendly. Two of the attractions (Journey into Imagination and Spaceship Earth) have elements that might scare your little one. We still think these rides are good options for babies and toddlers, just make sure you read over the tips below so you can be prepared.
Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
Located inside the Magic Eye Theater, this 4D movie experience includes 3 animated shorts from both Disney and Pixar Studios.
Journey into Imagination
Located in the sensory labs of the Imagination Institute, this ride takes you through an exploration of your senses. The exit area is a fun play area for little ones.
Spaceship Earth
Located inside the golf ball, this attraction is a gentle ride through time to see how far we’ve come. Using a picture that is taken at the beginning of the ride, on the decent your head is added to interactive illustrations about the future. The picture is also used in the exit area up on the large screens.
World Nature
Living with the Land
This gentle boat ride takes you on a tour of some of the greenhouses to see how things are grown at Disney World.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
The Seas with Nemo and Friends is an attraction that brings the animated characters from Finding Nemo and the real aquatic life inside the aquarium of The Living Seas together.
Turtle Talk with Crush
Turtle Talk uses the same technology that is used at Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in Magic Kingdom which includes an actor voicing the character while also controlling the live animation on the screen. This fun show includes many of your favorite characters from Finding Nemo and Finding Dory. The technology always amazes me.
World Showcase
World Showcase is now home to several “real” attractions, including these 3 that are great for babies and toddlers.
One caution: Frozen Ever After does have a couple of small drops (we hate using the word drop, it is more of a slide). If you think there could be an issue, make sure you give your little one a heads-up.
Frozen Ever After
A beautiful & gentle boat ride with all your favorite Frozen characters. While the World Showcase as a whole opens at 11, this attraction is available for guests to ride at park opening.
Gran Fiesta Tour
A cute, gentle boat ride that is sort of like “it’s a small world”, but instead of being the world it is only focused on Mexico.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is the new attraction in the France pavilion at Epcot.
Modeled after Ratatouille: The Adventure in Disneyland Paris, this trackless 4D family-friendly ride shrinks guests down to the size of a rat as they go on an exciting journey through Gusteau’s kitchen.
Other attractions for toddlers
While these aren’t “must-do” attractions, they don’t have height requirements and both are at the back of the World Showcase which is often a place where people are finding themselves hot, tired, and ready for a break.
If you find yourself in that position, give these a try, if for nothing else than the padded seats and air conditioning.
Beauty and the Beast Singalong
A video sing along version of the popular Disney classic Beauty and the Beast.
The American Adventure
A dramatic re-telling of the American story, featuring 35 animatronics and a 72-foot screen.
Other things for toddlers to do at Epcot
Aside from the attractions, Epcot has a lot of other things that can be fun for little ones. Here are some activities that we think are worth checking out:
Meet some characters
Epcot has a TON of characters, so if your little one is into meeting them, this is a great park to do that.
Check out the Seas Pavilion
If you visit The Seas with Nemo and Friends or Turtle Talk with Crush, you’ll be smack dab in the middle of the Seas pavilion. Kids of all ages love it here because there are so many fun fish and other sea life to look at.
Plus, it is all indoors and out of the heat and sun.
Visit one of the play areas
While the adults and big kids are busy riding Test Track, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Soarin’, and Mission: SPACE, there are several play areas nearby where little ones can do some exploring.
- Advanced Training Lab (at the exit of Mission: SPACE)
- ImageWorks (at the exit of Journey into Imagination)
- Project Tomorrow (at the exit of Spaceship Earth)
- Outdoor playground (near Test Track and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind)
Using Genie+ at Epcot with Toddlers
If you plan to only ride the non-headliners, Genie+ is not as good of a value at Epcot as it is at Magic Kingdom simply because there aren’t as many rides here.
And, with a little planning, most of the attractions that are baby and child-friendly aren’t that difficult to ride without long lines.
If you do plan to ride some of the headliners (like Cosmic Rewind, Soarin’, or Test Track), Genie+ might make more sense.
The entire Genie+ system can be confusing, but we’ve put together some guides that should help.
If you’re considering purchasing Genie+, make sure you check them out. The one linked directly below this is a good one to start with: