Diana:
Our family always carves out time to make the VIP Character Meet & Greet at Epcot for Disney Visa cardholders! Although the characters "are subject to change," Mickey and Minnie along with Goofy were there on our last visit.
Why do we make time for it? Two reasons:
- A free 5 x 7 photo of the family! You'll receive a photopass card with your photo on it and all you have to do to redeem your free photo is to go to the Photopass Shop near the entrance/exit of Epcot (on your left as you leave the park) and print it! You can even add cute custom borders!
- A Short Wait time. If you've ever stood in line at the Judges Tent, you can appreciate the fact that a photo with Mickey outside of Character Dining can require patience. There's rarely longer than a 10-minute wait for the VIP photo shoot. (Although I guess if I talk it up too much on the panel, the wait time might get longer, huh?)
With just one day at Epcot, you'll be movin'. With your youngsters, don't miss taking them on the boat rides inside Mexico and Norway and check the times for the Chinese acrobats and the Japanese candy lady. I'm also a sucker for the 360 degree show at Canada--but let me warn you, you'll be singing "Canada, my Canada" for days!
Back in Future World, I'd suggest skipping Energy and using the time to enjoy two lesser known activities for the kiddos: 1) Coke's Cool Zone for all-you-can-drink sodas from around the world and 2) the interactive games at the end of Spaceship Earth sponsored by Siemens. My 4-year-old loves the "shuffleboard" game.
Wishing y'all a magical vacation!
Whitney