EPCOT or Not?

[kbehm29]

We are only going to be at the parks in Disney World for four days in early May. I am 30 and have never been to the Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, or MGM.

I am traveling with my family. My boyfriend is 38, and our kids are 11, 9, 9, 4, and 2.5. The Magic Kingdom is very special to me, and I'm not sure I'm willing to give up only ONE day to see it. Three of my kids have never been to Disney at all. My plan right now is to go to MK 2 days, MGM 1, and AK 1, skipping EPCOT. But my dilemma is I WANT to see EPCOT too!

Do I cheap out on MK and EPCOT and only go one day each? Or do I save EPCOT for another trip and see MK two days?

FYI - I've already bought the tickets and they are not park-hopper.

HELP!

[Jeffel]

Epcot's not great for the younger kids to be honest, they may find it a bit dull, but you have to visit it really. You need more than 4 days! 7 at the absolute minimum.

[goofystitch]

Epcot is my personal favorite park. I loved it as a kid, too. I would say that Epcot is even more kid friendly now that they have added the Nemo ride. I highly suggest you upgrade 1 days worth of passes to park hoppers and here is why: Animal Kingdom usually closes at 6 p.m. and there really isn't as many attractions there as in the other parks. My family typically only needs 4 hours in Animal Kingdom to do everything we want to do. We don't have kids as young as yours in our party, so I would estimate that you will need around 6 hours in Animal Kingdom to do everything you would like to do. Unless you plan on taking a lot of time to see every animal there, I really don't see you needing more time than that. Epcot, on the other hand, is generally open until around 9 or 10. That means that even if you stay at Animal Kingdom until close, you still have around 3-4 hours to explore Epcot. There are so many great things to see and do there. I'm not sure about the cost of turning a ticket into a park hopper, but I think it's somewhere between $10-15 and it's something that you can do at a park entrance, so you aren't set in stone with your non-hopper tickets. With the large number of people in your party and the large age gaps, I'm guessing you will NEED 2 days in the Magic Kingdom to satisfy everyone's choice in rides. Deffinatley don't sacrafice one of those days.

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

If your kids were a little older, I'd say skip Animal Kingdom, because as a zoo, chances are your local zoo is MUCH better quality, and as a theme park, there's not enough to do, but considering there are quite a lot of attractions friendly for kids(and your kids most likely don't have a critical eye to compare it to other zoos), you'd want to do that.

In your situation, I say it's a toss up between Epcot or MGM, so I say skip MGM, because your little ones won't be able to go on TOT, Rockin' Roller Coaster or Star Tours, the three highlights of the park, and if they get scared of dark rides/shows, you'd have to cancel GMR, Fantasmic and Sounds Dangerous: Starring Drew Carey. That leaves us with Playhouse Disney, MuppetVision 3D, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, The Little Mermaid/Beauty and the Beast shows(which could be questionable for younglings, at least TLM), that car stunt show, the Backlot Tour and the HISTA playground.

Overall, your family will probably have more fun at Epcot.

[Escapay]

The two days at MK is good, since that park is packed with too many things. But make it a nice treat for the kids and have the first and last day be Magic Kingdom. That way they can build up anticipation for their last day and also start the vacation with the best park (IMO).

For the remaining two days, I'd definitely devote one day to Epcot, as it has a fair amount of activities for both ends of the age spectrum. There's plenty of nice Kidcot stations, and while the rides/shows probably wouldn't be as stimulating for the kids as they would be for you, it's not just their vacation and you should be allowed to have some fun.

If you still want to do both MGM and Animal Kingdom, I recommend making one day a park-hopping day (you can add an upgrade to the tickets), and starting Animal Kingdom as early as possible, leaving around 1 or 2 pm (say after lunch), and finishing up at MGM, which closes later. The safaris at DAK are best in the mornings and should not be missed. Also, Festival of the Lion King is a pretty good show (this coming from a Lion King anti-fan).

At MGM, just make sure to catch Great Movie Ride (regardless your children's age, and if it frightens them, calm them down with Playhouse Disney's show nearby), Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage, and the second showing for Fantasmic (if there's two shows that night, as the second is less crowded). That park is more shows-focused than attraction focused, so make sure to choose ahead of time which shows to see and when, and schedule the half-day around that.

Escapay

[brownie]

I did two days at Magical Kingdom during my last trip (which was a week long), but I didn't spend two WHOLE days there, so you could possibly go on one of those days. I would recommend going to Epcot after Animal Kingdom, which is one of my favorite parks but will probably only keep you busy until 3 or 4. Definitely spend an entire day at MGM.

[Big Disney Fan]

I'd say skip either Studios or Animal Kingdom, preferably Animal, since it's more or less zoo-style. You've GOT to see Epcot, no questions asked!

[crunkcourt]

While I think you and your boyfriend would absolutely love Epcot; and possibly your 11 and 9 year old kids; the younger ones would most likely prefer the other parks to Epcot. Since the children have never been to Disney, it is important that they spend ample time in the Magic Kingdom as well. So perhaps save Epcot for when your children are older, or if you ever get a chance to spend a day there without them.

[kbehm29]

I really appreciate all of your feedback! I am so excited for this trip - I wish we had more time to devote to the parks, but unfortunately my boyfriend could care less about Disney and I'm amazed I got him to agree to this trip in the first place. He wants to go to Universal Studios though, and so we need a day for that too. He's never been to Florida, but he went with me to Disneyland once a long time ago.

I like the idea of upgrading one day to a park-hopper, and going to EPCOT after AK. That way we can at least see the Nemo thing, and maybe a few other things. Then we can really do the whole EPCOT experience on a later trip when everybody's older.

My four year old is pretty brave - I think if I start him out on a tame ride he'll be fine for anything and everything the entire trip (not sure about It's Tough to be a Bug - my older kids were terrified of that at California Adventure Park when they were seven and nine!). He's been to Great America in Illinois and didn't have any issues with being scared. He wanted to go on everything, and that was last year when he was three. Then again - there are no "dark rides" there. My two year old is very laid back. I can't see him having issues at all.

My two older boys are wimps, and my nine-year-old son still isn't sure if he wants to go back into the Haunted Mansion. We've been to Disneyland quite often....at least every year and a half, just me and them - leaving the little ones and Dad at home. I have family out there. I think my 11-year old is over any sort of fear, though.

My 9-year old step daughter is going to have problems. She's never been to any amusement park at all in her life. We went to a 'Fun World' Chuck E Cheese type place and she made them stop the indoor Ferris Wheel so she could get off. I'm a little worried about her. She's been let down so many times in her life that she doesn't believe me that we're going to Disney World. She refuses to get excited about it. Isn't that sad? Her mom has never followed through on any promises or done anything special for her. We're trying to get full custody.

Anyway, thanks again for all the advice. This board is great!

[QueenRahel]

i believe AK is wayyyyy better than epcot! the only cool things at epcot is the free sodas from other countries in base station cool...and the living seas with great aquariums and sealife and test track which may be too intense for younger kids...so i say go to the others and make time for it on the next trip if you dont want to skip out on MK ... which is better for kids that age anyways...

[slave2moonlight]

Well, if it's not too late, here's my point of view.

First, I think it should be a law that Disney fanatics have to date Disney fanatics, and there should be a free place provided where they can meet each other. I'm tired of both the difficulty of finding a gal who is into Disney, and hearing females mention how their men don't care for Disney. Oy.

Anywho, the ideal bare minimum for a Disney World parks visit is 5 days, one day in each park, two for Magic Kingdom, though an extra day is recommended for relaxing and shopping in Downtown Disney. I've made the trip out there many times, and yet I know how important it is to hit the best stuff, because it's a long trip for us that we always take by car and aren't able to hit every single year. Of course, Park Hopper passes are always recommended also, but when you're traveling with someone not too into Disney, it sometimes is better to buy that person their ticket one day at a time, like my dad, who only went with us to EPCOT on our last visit (and didn't even want to do that, since he has a once is enough attitude about almost everything). Anyway, in your situation, though in my quick reading of previous posts it seems you've already decided against it, I would suggest hitting all four parks, one for each day, mainly because you've never been to them before and also because they are all fantastic. However, ever since they started tampering with FutureWorld (one half of EPCOT) years ago, most of it is not as good as it once was, so I'd want to hit EPCOT before they take out anything else that is great. EPCOT is an amazing park if you have any interest in learning while being entertained, and I don't know if I would say the changes to the Futureworld half have made it more "kid friendly," but it definitely has been dumbed-down somewhat, which I guess is what "kid friendly" basically means. Believe me though, there are much cooler things at EPCOT than the free sodas section and the Living Seas exhibit. Plus, Test Track just stinks, but I suppose kids might love that one. The real highlight is the OTHER half, World Showcase, which might be less interesting for kids, but then it really depends on the kids. All of us loved it when we were kids. The different cultures are fascinating, as are the street performers. The boat rides in Mexico and Norway are great fun, especially with Norway's trolls. The American Adventure is a fantastic show, though probably more appealing to older kids and adults, but maybe mentioning to little ones that the people on stage are robots will help... And, of course, in the FutureWorld half you have the great Imagination pavilion, with Honey, We Shrunk the Audience and the Imagination ride, both of which should entertain little kids quite well. The new Nemo ride sounds awesome and like something kids would love too, and some might like the other new stuff in that side of the park as well (Test Track, Mission Space). EPCOT really is a MUST DO, in my opinion.

Animal Kingdom is also fantastic, but really, all the 4 Disney parks are. Animal Kingdom is so much more than just a zoo (a point they have always tried to make). It really is an experience. Some of the rides, like "Dinosaur," are outstanding. I LOVED the Safari when I went on it as well. And they have that new thrill ride now, which sounds very cool, and the raft is fun too, though the line was murder on my last visit. I also loved It's Tough to be a Bug. Plus, the shows in Animal Kingdom are both VERY good and Very kid friendly.

Of course, you seem to know that Magic Kingdom is awesome. My faves are Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan's Flight, WDW Railroad, Splash Mountain, the Jungle Cruise and Tiki Room, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Carousel of Progress (probably gone now), and just exploring Main St. (though that was once MUCH more of an experience). And, being a film fanatic, I absolutely LOVE Disney MGM Studios. Especially since, after Disney, I'm waaaay into Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the Muppets! And the Little Mermaid, for which they have that great live show! I'd love Tower of Terror too, if it weren't for the drop. I've been on it a few times, amazingly, but I will probably avoid it as much as possible from now on.

I think with little kids it's best to prep them before a Disney World trip by showing them films and stuff they will experience when they get there. I even have made Amazon.com lists on the subject of DVDs to watch before going to the Disney theme parks. This is probably most helpful with EPCOT. For example, being able to relate the China area to the movie "Mulan" would probably help kids get interested in the pavilion. The Three Caballeros can help a kid relate to the Mexico pavilion, etc... So, you can actually help get your kids interested in the more educational theme park with a little research and preperation.

[Just Myself]

you'd have to cancel GMR, Fantasmic and Sounds Dangerous: Starring Drew Carey.

I'd skip that no matter the age. It's kind of a letdown.

I'd say squeeze in some time to see EPCOT, but I don't know how. Sorry.

Cheers,
JM

[crunkcourt]

I like the idea of upgrading one day to a park-hopper, and going to EPCOT after AK. That way we can at least see the Nemo thing, and maybe a few other things.

If you do upgrade to a park-hopper then it won't be for just one day, it will be for your whole time there; so that could be even more useful for trying to squeeze Epcot in. Also AK usually closes earlier than the other parks, so even if you wanted to get a full day in there you could go to another park after that. If you do decide to go to Epcot definately make sure you see IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth (Epcot's fireworks/night entertainment); and I'm not sure of the height requirement, but another must see attraction is Soarin'. Epcot is also a great place to do character meet and greets. Last time I was there I got to meet Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Chip and Dale with almost no wait. Also since the monorail connects the MK and Epcot; it might be easy to sneak over to Epcot for a couple hours during one of your days there.

[kbehm29]

Of course, you seem to know that Magic Kingdom is awesome. My faves are Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan's Flight, WDW Railroad, Splash Mountain, the Jungle Cruise and Tiki Room, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Carousel of Progress (probably gone now), and just exploring Main St. (though that was once MUCH more of an experience). And, being a film fanatic, I absolutely LOVE Disney MGM Studios. Especially since, after Disney, I'm waaaay into Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the Muppets! And the Little Mermaid, for which they have that great live show! I'd love Tower of Terror too, if it weren't for the drop. I've been on it a few times, amazingly, but I will probably avoid it as much as possible from now on.

I think with little kids it's best to prep them before a Disney World trip by showing them films and stuff they will experience when they get there. I even have made Amazon.com lists on the subject of DVDs to watch before going to the Disney theme parks. This is probably most helpful with EPCOT. For example, being able to relate the China area to the movie "Mulan" would probably help kids get interested in the pavilion. The Three Caballeros can help a kid relate to the Mexico pavilion, etc... So, you can actually help get your kids interested in the more educational theme park with a little research and preperation.

Thanks for the well-thought-out reply. FYI - I do have a day planned out for Downtown Disney / Lunch / Shopping only, and then that's the night we're going to the Hoop Dee Doo Revue at the late show too. I thought about giving that day up for EPCOT, but then realized that day is important also because I've never seen Downtown Disney either.

My favorite rides at MK (which is hard because I like Disneyland so much more than MK in Florida) are Peter Pan's Flight, It's A Small World, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Tiki Room. I like the classic rides, I guess. 2nd best for me are Splash Mountain and the Jungle Cruise, and the Tree House.

Also - I am making my kids re-watch all Disney movies before we leave, especially those that have a presence in the park. We'll be lucky to fit them all in before April! They have to keep up a journal while we're there too. My 9-yr-old son is particularly bright - he's the one that will notice every detail and remember it for the rest of his life.

I can't wait to leave! Thanks again.

[Escapay]

Of course, you seem to know that Magic Kingdom is awesome. My faves are Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan's Flight, WDW Railroad, Splash Mountain, the Jungle Cruise and Tiki Room, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Carousel of Progress (probably gone now), and just exploring Main St. (though that was once MUCH more of an experience). And, being a film fanatic, I absolutely LOVE Disney MGM Studios. Especially since, after Disney, I'm waaaay into Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the Muppets! And the Little Mermaid, for which they have that great live show! I'd love Tower of Terror too, if it weren't for the drop. I've been on it a few times, amazingly, but I will probably avoid it as much as possible from now on.

I think with little kids it's best to prep them before a Disney World trip by showing them films and stuff they will experience when they get there. I even have made Amazon.com lists on the subject of DVDs to watch before going to the Disney theme parks. This is probably most helpful with EPCOT. For example, being able to relate the China area to the movie "Mulan" would probably help kids get interested in the pavilion. The Three Caballeros can help a kid relate to the Mexico pavilion, etc... So, you can actually help get your kids interested in the more educational theme park with a little research and preperation.

Thanks for the well-thought-out reply. FYI - I do have a day planned out for Downtown Disney / Lunch / Shopping only, and then that's the night we're going to the Hoop Dee Doo Revue at the late show too. I thought about giving that day up for EPCOT, but then realized that day is important also because I've never seen Downtown Disney either.

If you're having lunch at Downtown Disney, I've got three words that you better use, or I'll cry and throw a tantrum:

Earl. of. Sandwich.



Escapay

[slave2moonlight]

Thanks for the well-thought-out reply. FYI - I do have a day planned out for Downtown Disney / Lunch / Shopping only, and then that's the night we're going to the Hoop Dee Doo Revue at the late show too. I thought about giving that day up for EPCOT, but then realized that day is important also because I've never seen Downtown Disney either.

My favorite rides at MK (which is hard because I like Disneyland so much more than MK in Florida) are Peter Pan's Flight, It's A Small World, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Tiki Room. I like the classic rides, I guess. 2nd best for me are Splash Mountain and the Jungle Cruise, and the Tree House.

Also - I am making my kids re-watch all Disney movies before we leave, especially those that have a presence in the park. We'll be lucky to fit them all in before April! They have to keep up a journal while we're there too. My 9-yr-old son is particularly bright - he's the one that will notice every detail and remember it for the rest of his life.

I can't wait to leave! Thanks again.

Sounds great. As much as I love Downtown Disney though (heck, I even love the Disney Welcome Center in Ocala), I would have to say I'd choose a visit to EPCOT over a visit there. But, we usually just shop at Downtown Disney, which you can do pretty much at any of the parks.

I love "It's a Small World" too, though I didn't mention it and many other faves, ha. Oh, and I always forget to mention "The Great Movie Ride" at Disney Studios, though, as a movie fanatic, I adore it!

As was mentioned before, EPCOT is a great place for kids to meet 'n' greet characters. I was going to mention that but forgot. They have added a lot more of those too, especially relating to the various countries. For example, my sis and I took a picture with Belle in the Paris section and Pooh and Tigger in the UK toy store, where she also met Mary Poppins. And, though we didn't stop (it's hard to get my fam to stop for characters, since we've no little ones with us anymore), we noticed Aladdin and Jasmine taking photos in the Morocco section. And, in the past, I have taken pictures with a Colonial Mickey in the America section (a big treat for me, a huge fan of Colonial America and Mickey Mouse) and Panchito the Rooster in the Mexico area. I never used to have much luck finding characters to take pictures with in the Disney parks as a kid. Growing up, the parks in general were better, but the characters seemed somewhat scarce (in Florida in the summer at least). But, though they've downgraded the parks somewhat in the past decade, they have tried to make up for this with more meet 'n' greet characters. Doesn't really make up for it, but it certainly adds something to the experience that I wish would have been around when I was little. Anyway, like we said, EPCOT is a great place for meeting characters and always has been. I even have a pic of me with Dreamfinder and Figment from waaay back!

Oh, and as for Parkhoppers, not sure if I mentioned this before, but I really don't think Parkhopping is all that great. We have always bought Parkhopper passes, though I'm not sure why, because we really never parkhopped. But, we tried it once, one year, and again another year. In our opinions, we just find you lose too much time transporting yourself from one park to another. Comes out not really worth it, unless you HAVE to go back to a park for some reason. I guess it IS nice to have the option.

Anyway, as I think I mentioned before, I used to write tons of lists and reviews at Amazon.com, and I still do sometimes. However, I'm sure I have a lot of outdated stuff on there. Well, maybe it's all outdated now, because I have never finished updating, and I haven't even looked at that stuff for quite sometime. I still write movie reviews there though, and I hope to get to update some stuff there soon. Just really busy. Anyways, here are the links to the Amazon lists I've made of movies to watch before going to the parks, and my "So You'd Like to Visit EPCOT" Guides that I created after my last visit, in 2004:

Movies to Watch Before Going to Disney World: Magic Kingdom:
http://www.amazon.com/Movies-to-watch-b ... 59-1144960

Movies to Watch Before Going to Disney World: More Magic Kingdom:
http://www.amazon.com/Movies-to-watch-b ... 59-1144960

Movies to Watch Before Going to Disney World: EPCOT:
http://www.amazon.com/Movies-to-watch-b ... 59-1144960

Movies to Watch Before Going to Disney World: Disney Studios:
http://www.amazon.com/Movies-to-watch-b ... 59-1144960

Movies to Watch Before Going to Disney World: Animal Kingdom:
http://www.amazon.com/Movies-to-watch-b ... 59-1144960


So You'd Like to Visit EPCOT: World Showcase:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltgu ... tle_full_1

So You'd Like to Visit EPCOT: FutureWorld:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltgu ... tle_full_2

Yeah, I know, those all need MAJOR updating.

[DisneyFanatic]

I only went to Epcot once when I was maybe 9-11 (I went a couple times to Florida so I don't remember). Anyway I really liked Epcot!!! I loved the Troll ride in Norway! That was by far my favorite. I know that they have added things since then, but I would suggest it.

[TurdBizzler]

Get a park hopper. You can knock out Epcot in a few hours, then spend the rest of your day at MK. You kids seem pretty young so I would image they would have much more fun spending time in the Magic Kingdom. Keep in mind that you will be facing pretty long lines in the MK, so you will have to plan accordingly.

Also, MK is a better park.

"Carolina is better than we are."
- Coach K

[slave2moonlight]

I can't imagine knocking out EPCOT in a few hours! You'd have to skip a lot and go really fast through everything, and it would have to be a time where attendance is low. That park has so much (though not many rides in the World Showcase half) and it is so spread out. I LOVE EPCOT, but I need a full day there, even now, when the FutureWorld section has much less worth doing than it used to.

[reyquila]

I'm going with the kids in May 2007 and my schedule is:

Disney Cruise - May24-27
MK - May 28
Animal Kingdom May 30
Epcot-MGM June 2

I was thinking on buying the park hopper option for the three days, but know you are telling me that I can buy that option only for one day? That would be perfect!!! Is that possible?