Kidcot Fun Stops are a free extra in World Showcase. Supposedly many families avoided Epcot because there wasn’t enough for the children to do. Hence, Kidcot Fun Stops were born. They’re craft centers where kids can sit down and color. They can also talk to a Cast Member from the home country. The stations are both educational and fun at the same time. Parents can browse in the shop nearby, while still being able to keep an eye on their children.
For years children were given a cardboard cutout of Duffy the Disney Bear at each stop. While the cutouts were cute (I miss the Duffy meet and greet!) they were a bit on the bulky side. Since Duffy was on a stick kids would hit each other with them. Often by the end of the evening Duffy had been lost or was being carried by a miserable parent.
All that has now changed. Duffy has taken off for parts unknown, and been replaced by a Ziploc bag. The new treat is a bag that is shaped like a suitcase. In each country children can collect a cardboard card. On one side there are facts about the country. Flip it over and it’s for coloring. A Cast Member from the country is still there to assist and to make friends. There is one Kidcot Fun Stop in each World Showcase country, so there are 11 cards to collect. It’s a fun, free way to keep young children entertained.