5 day ticket...which park should we do twice?

[maddiegorl]

Trip guests are 3 adults, and we are trying to decide between Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. We’ve never been to Disney World before but are usually big Disneyland people! Priorities are rides and food.

Pros for Magic Kingdom: most Disney feel, tons of attractions, wouldn’t mind dining at both Crystal Palace and BOG. Nice to leave trip on a magical note!
Cons: assuming Disneyland ever reopens (lol) there are a lot of repeat rides so although there’s a lot to do, we’ve done very similar versions of much of them already

Pros for EPCOT: think we would enjoy more time looking at shops and eating around World Showcase. Park seems really unique from what we have in CA.
Cons: Not sure World Showcase is so big/great that we need a whole day dedicated to it?

Pros for Hollywood Studios: Would like two shots at ROTR boarding passes, already planning on both SciFi and Oga’s but would enjoy Hollywood Brown Derby too. Has a nice selection of thrill rides
Cons: Just based on YouTube videos I’ve seen, the atmosphere doesn’t seem as nice to me as Magic Kingdom. Definitely feeling HS based on the rides and not much else.

Sorry for the complete overload of details, I’ve just been trying to decide for some time now and think I would benefit from insight of those who frequent the parks! Thanks in advance

 

[TCRAIG]

Anyway you could upgrade and add Park Hop to the tickets?

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

I would book two park reservations for HS just in case you strike out on a boarding group for ROTR the first day. It seems HS is the first reservation to fill so better to have a back up chance already on the books. If you are successful I would plan to park hop the 5th day or leave that as TBD depending on what parks you'd like to do again.

 

[maddiegorl]

Anyway you could upgrade and add Park Hop to the tickets?

We’re resisting based on budget purposes (although I could probably be convinced LOL). The decision was either 4 day park hoppers or 5 day 1 park tickets and we decided we’d rather have the whole extra day.

 

[sbbobe]

With a 5 day WDW vacation I would purchase park hoppers and then book 2 days at MK, 2 days at HS and 1 day at AK. On any afternoon after 2:00 you could park hop to EPCOT for a nice dinner and any attractions you wish to ride.

 

[DonaldEsquire]

Since your party is all adults I’m going to go with EPCOT. Spend one day “doing” EPCOT. Spend the second day playing “Drinking Around the World.”

 

[Meglen]

With a 5 day WDW vacation I would purchase park hoppers and then book 2 days at MK, 2 days at HS and 1 day at AK. On any afternoon after 2:00 you could park hop to EPCOT for a nice dinner and any attractions you wish to ride.

This!

 

[Gehrig1B]

Park hoppers... No brainer for about the cost of a burger and fries per day per person. Adds so much freedom and flexibility. and when AK closes early you still have 4 hours at EPCOT!

 

[Bama Mom]

With a 5 day WDW vacation I would purchase park hoppers and then book 2 days at MK, 2 days at HS and 1 day at AK. On any afternoon after 2:00 you could park hop to EPCOT for a nice dinner and any attractions you wish to ride.

This is what we are doing on our upcoming trip.

 

[TCRAIG]

When are you going and are you staying on property? If it’s before the end of Sept and you’re staying 4 days at a Disney resort, you may be able to switch your 5 day base tickets to the 4 day plus 2 extra free days plus PH for a better price than 5 Day with PH.

 

[maddiegorl]

When are you going and are you staying on property? If it’s before the end of Sept and you’re staying 4 days at a Disney resort, you may be able to switch your 5 day base tickets to the 4 day plus 2 extra free days plus PH for a better price than 5 Day with PH.

Oh wow, I wasn’t aware of that deal and we are staying at Fort Wilderness but unfortunately we’re going well after September, all the way in January! Maybe they will release a similar deal later this year though. We can hope!

 

[auntlynne]

As long as you are not going MLK week, Crowds should be low in January, so availability should/could be fairly open. DHS seems to be the first to book up, followed by MK.

Decide once you have done the first four. Or if you fall in love with a park. You can change your park reservation anytime before you go through the gate.

Here would be my plan of attack.
Reserve HS for Day 1 or 2 and Day 5.
[If you don’t get a BG for Rise of the Resistance, move it to the next day. This IS a priority for us when visiting that park. (We don’t make ADRs for TS on park days, just at Disney Springs, so we are not tied to dining reservations).]

If you decide you don’t want to repeat HS, change Day 5 reservation.

Opinions about the Best Park are so varied. It could even be that way among your 3 adults. My choice varies from year to year; maybe even within a trip. I find EPCOT to not be worth a full day. At least you will have Festival of the Arts at EPCOT; that looks like a nice addition. AK gets the brush off from so many, but the Atmosphere is so more relaxing. Probably from the trees. But not so many rides.

 

[fly girl]

It is all personal choice. We are the odd family that says MK is our least favorite. Although we are closer by location to WDW, DLR is our preferred destination. (MK is fine, just doesn't evoke the emotion that DL does.)

I put HS just because of ROTR, although you could ride that at DL. But HS gives you the old ToT and RNR, SDD, MMRR (that won't be until 2022 at DCA.) So, if you are determined to do 5 days, my choice would be HS.

But being honest ... and trying to convince you as you are a party of adults ... make it 4 days with park hopper. We LOVE hopping over to Epcot WS for dinner and a stroll. Festival of Fine Arts is in January so you should be able to hit that too. Epcot is a park you get more benefit from if you can park hop with WS. If by chance you decide to change and hop -- if you can swing it, stay at a Epcot area resort. (Swan & Dolphin will be the most economical.) Then you can hit daytime parks, back to resort for a little break, then easy breezy hop to Epcot for the evening.