which park when?

[nmccrea]

Was wondering if anyone could give me advice on what order to do the Parks?A book I read said to do them Epcot,AK,MGM and then Mk.But a friend just said that we should do the MK first.Our first full park day there is a Tuesday and our last is a Monday if this makes any difference.I know each park has certain nights that they do their parades and stuff. But since we go in Oct.I can't find a shedule for then yet.Any help and suggestions would be wonderful.

 

[StormalongKay]

Is this a first trip for you? Who is travelling?

I don't know about leaving MK for last. Generally some books recommend starting with Epcot first if you have kids because in past years this park has been described as more "educational". Since Soarin and Test Track have been built, I disagree - this park has plenty of action - but is the largest of all the parks and alot of walking.

MK is the "traditional Disney". I personally can't hold off until last. AK can be done in 1/2 to 3/4 of a day. MGM has a different feel because it has lots of shows. It seems to me that you have plenty of days to work them all in once (one per day) and then pay a repeat visit to MK.

 

[nmccrea]

It will be me,my husband and our 8 year old daughter.Yes this is our first time and maybe our only chance.

 

[Metsoskil]

It's more important to plan around EMH than anything else. Either take advantage or avoid. Going to an EMH park without utilizing the extra time is a recipe for a lot of waiting.

 

[nmccrea]

sorry but what is EMH,am still fairly new.Don't know all the codes.

 

[disney[xo]sweetie]

sorry but what is EMH,am still fairly new.Don't know all the codes.

its ok! feel free to ask anytime i know it gets pretty confusing!
but EMH stands for extra magic hours, when the park closes late or opens a few hours early.

and what we usually do for parks, is i ask my kids, and they usually come up with a detailed plan and where were going and when!
wow ive trained them! the transformation is complete! haha
so, it changes a lot. i dont think it really matters what orders you do parks in.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

It will be me,my husband and our 8 year old daughter.Yes this is our first time and maybe our only chance.

I like using the travel guide The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. They have a crowd calender that tells you which days to visit which parks. We have always found it to be very helpful and accurate. You can also google the travel guide and get their website. It costs $7.95 to join and I think it's worth it. I use the crowd calender to pick which days I will be in which parks; then I pick the restaurants I want to eat at on those particular days and call and make my ADRs (advanced dining reservations).

 

[scrapquitler]

Well, for me, any trip MUST start with Magic Kindgom. Thats just the way our family does it...we know we have arrived when we walk down Main Street.

Normally we make MK the end of our last day as well.

Beyond that, it depends on our mood, the park hours, extras like MNSSHP or MVMCP and the weather.

Not helpful, eh?

We usually consider AK for half a day (AM) somewhere, Epcot for a full day plus a half day, MGM one day and the rest of the time MK.

 

[karajeboo]

I totally agree with purchasing the Unofficial Guide to Disney World. This will answer ALL your questions! Yes, it's that good! Are you staying on property or off? What time of day will you arrive? Are you the type to get to the park at rope drop and stay til closing? Are you going to go to the water parks? There are just so many quesions? And to really get the full effect of WDW, if you really want to "get it" you need to plan accordingly. Buy the book. You won't regret it! And then come back here to get more opinions!

 

[iluveeyore]

We've been many, many times, and I still have to do MK first - even if it's busy, as long as I see the castle and we have that all-important family pose taken in front of it, I'm good to do everything else afterwards. I remember my DD's first trip when she was four, and we went to MGM Studios the first day - all day she kept saying "Can we go to Disney tomorrow?" because she hadn't seen the castle that proved she was at Walt Disney World. If you have park hoppers, I would do MK first, especially if they have morning EMH, and if you think it's too busy after you walk down Main Street and look around, you can go to another park and come back again.
Have a great trip!

 

[*DisMom*]

We have to go to MK the first day...we have to walk down Main Street and see the castle. It lets us know we are HOME!! We also have to go on our last full day to MK...need to say our goodbyes!!

 

[Metsoskil]

We always end at the MK for Wishes on our last night. It's a great way to end our stay and the kids are absolutely exhausted for the long car ride the next morning.

 

[mrstomrice]

We try to take advantage of the early morning hours. It is amazing how much you can get done in that extra hour while everyone else is still asleep. With 2 young ones, we can get all of fantasyland done in 45 minutes with barely a wait. Have a great trip!