6-day park hoppers. Which parks need 2 days?

[Southerncal24]

Been reading the tips on here for a while, and joined today! You guys are full of good info. My question is: we are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 adult children ages 21 and 18), and my 18-year-old has never been to WDW. We have park hoppers for 6 days and I made fp reservations for all 6 days, but now I am second-guessing whether we really need 2 days at DHS and Epcot. That's what we have scheduled now, with 1 day at AK, 1 full day at MK, and hopping over to MK on 2 other evenings. What would you do? Thanks!

 

[wdwrich]

Been reading the tips on here for a while, and joined today! You guys are full of good info. My question is: we are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 adult children ages 21 and 18), and my 18-year-old has never been to WDW. We have park hoppers for 6 days and I made fp reservations for all 6 days, but now I am second-guessing whether we really need 2 days at DHS and Epcot. That's what we have scheduled now, with 1 day at AK, 1 full day at MK, and hopping over to MK on 2 other evenings. What would you do? Thanks!

In our view, DHS and DAK are one day parks. We always spend at least two days in each of MK and EPCOT.

 

[richmo]

Welcome!

Since you're all adults, I think 2 days is good for Epcot. If you rush, it can be done in one. But take the time and explore the countries and you'll easily kill the good part of 2 days. And even though you're all adults, you'll probably need more than a day at Magic Kingdom.

I'm thinking DHS is more of a one day park these days. That may change in the future.

Its nice you have park hoppers so you can roam around...

 

[shaneray]

another vote for MK and Epcot as 2 day parks

 

[Shmily01]

We usually go down 8 days so we do each park twice but if I was forced to pick, AK is definitely a one day park, HS maybe a day (it's our favorite park for the rides so we will always do 2 days) and then MK and EP 2 days.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

I would definitely keep 2 days for Epcot. Especially if you enjoy beer/wine/whatever as you can easily meander and enjoy a grey goose slushie etc. There are lots of shows within the World Showcase and all are excellent IMO. With Epcot you generally get out of it what you put into it (hat tip to Josh at EaswyWDW for that one).

 

[DisneyFive]

Magic Kingdom for sure. Debatable on Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Animal Kingdom is easily done in one day.

Dan

 

[PixyDst]

Yet another vote for MK and Epcot 2 days! There's just always something new to see or explore.

 

[DavidNYC]

For kids that age definitely two days at Epcot. Unless they're really not into the nostalgic "kids" rides, definitely two days at MK. I'd call AK and DHS one day parks.

That being said, with hoppers there can be more "strategy" involved. Depending on time of year, Wishes and parades may not be every day, what parks have EMH may affect crowds, etcWay too much to get into in one post. But things to consider for example, things like World Showcase and many of the shows at AK don't really require FP+. We'll often do something like morning at AK to get in rides and our FP+ and head to WS for dinner and evening. Or Wishes days are usually more crowded at MK so we'll go to a different park in morning/afternoon and hop over there a few hours before. While DHS is a one day park, if you really want to ride the few rides a bunch you may want to do two half-days rather than a full day. I think having hoppers gives you lots of opportunities to see more and plan restaurants with a lot more flexibility. Other than one full day at Epcot, we're almost always hop once during the day.

 

[Southerncal24]

Thank you everyone for your advice. Lots of good things to think about. We will definitely do 2 days at epcot ,1 day at AK, 1 day at DHS, and 1 full day and a couple evenings at MK. Not sure what to do yet about our last day there. Maybe we'll see how much we like the rides at DHS, and if we do we can go for a half a day there and MK the other half. If not, MK for another day it is! I swear I have been overthinking this. PS: "Grey Goose slushie" was a good tip...haha.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I think the idea of leaving the last day open is a good one. The amount of time we "needed" at each park was NOT what we predicted for any of them. Having a spare day at the end would have been helpful.

 

[goofyernmost]

You can take advantage of park hoppers even if you have two days worth of touring per park. I like to split them up. I may spend a half day in DHS and the remainder in Epcot. That way I get to take the boat over to the International Gate at Epcot and back.

Then the next day I might go to Epcot in the morning and MK in the evening via the Monorail. Then another day in MK and a half day in DAK and the rest in MK. Mix and match. It sure makes it easier to plan ADR's if that is something that you are going to do. Then you don't have to worry so much about being in that park all day. However, the question was what parks are 2 day. Easily that would be MK and Epcot. By the end of your stay, you will know what things you might have missed and go back to them and with the Park Hopper you aren't confined to one park so you can just do what you like.

 

[MolonLabe]

AK is a one day park without a doubt.

DHS is a one day park if you do RD, no real issues there either.

MK is easily a two day park, really 3 day if you haven't been there before.

EP, for an adult, is really a two day park (9am to 9am each day), there is so much to explore in each country that adults find way more fascinating than kids.

MK has so much hidden and stores to roam through... plus it's ride intensive and that all takes time.

This is going to be the 4th on property stay in about 4 years for us coming up and we have 8 days this trip. 3 MK, 2 EP, 1 AK (which we will cut short to go back to the resort to swim and relax) and 1 DHS day.

That leaves one "wild card" day which is actually booked at DHS on a EMH night. We are debating what to do on that day, it's near the end of our trip so either we will do a resort morning / early afternoon and hit DHS around 3 or 4 pm or we will that our 4th MK day and just take it easy. Maybe do rope drop, go back to the resort around 11 and then go back to MK around 5 or 6.

Otherwise every other day there will be a open to close day all day.

I love being in the parks. That's just me though. I do my lounging around the pool / resort when we do something that isn't a Disney trip.

 

[MolonLabe]

Oh and we never park hop unless it's something like a half day at one park because that's all we need (like AK). We hate wasting time bouncing from one park to another, you pretty much lose 1.5 hours when you bounce parks. When you figure walking in and out and the time it takes to bus/monorail around it's hard to cut that less than 90 minutes. MK for example it takes 15 minutes to get from the Hub to the monorail or buses.

 

[DatFan]

MK 2 days
Epcot 2 days
AK and HS 1 day each.

Maybe try Downtown Disney one evening...lots to see amd do. Enjoy!!

 

[MmmSuite]

MK for sure two days! AK one. But HS and Epcot can go either way. I did all the rides and met a lot of characters at Epcot but didn't explore. Now I'm doing two days there to fix that! HS has a lot of shows, if you want to see them and ride rides I'd do two. I have to two there for Star Tours and TSMM. I can't get enough of those two rides. I LOVED them!

 

[Bullseye]

In our view, DHS and DAK are one day parks. We always spend at least two days in each of MK and EPCOT.

Six Park Days, this definitely!

 

[SplashMo]

For six days you could do:

2.5 MK
1.5 Epcot
1 AK
1 DHS

I would rope drop MK 3 days. And on one of the days hop over to Epcot in the early afternoon for touring the World Showcase, Eating Dinner and Watching Illuminations.
Rope Drop Epcot one day and ride SOARIN and TT first thing and also have a FP+ for SOARIN and use TT single rider line. World Showcase again and eat.

AK you can rope drop and then actually around 3 PM or so hop to another park... You can actually not use FP+ in AK as it really does not need it and then hop to a park with FP+ such as Epcot or DHS.

DHS you can rope drop and stay for Fantasmic. Or you could choose to rope drop Epcot again without FP+ for one or two hours for SOARIN,TT, Mission space green (or orange) and then hit DHS with FP+ around lunch time.

Lots of options...

 

[James Stern]

I'm thinking DHS is more of a one day park these days.

 

[SplashMo]

For six days you could do:

2.5 MK
1.5 Epcot
1 AK
1 DHS

I would rope drop MK 3 days. And on one of the days hop over to Epcot in the early afternoon for touring the World Showcase, Eating Dinner and Watching Illuminations.
Rope Drop Epcot one day and ride SOARIN and TT first thing and also have a FP+ for SOARIN and use TT single rider line. World Showcase again and eat.

AK you can rope drop and then actually around 3 PM or so hop to another park... You can actually not use FP+ in AK as it really does not need it and then hop to a park with FP+ such as Epcot or DHS.

DHS you can rope drop and stay for Fantasmic. Or you could choose to rope drop Epcot again without FP+ for one or two hours for SOARIN,TT, Mission space green (or orange) and then hit DHS with FP+ around lunch time.

Lots of options...

One option

2 Full rope drop days at MK with FP+ starting 1-2 hours after RD (Hitting the first FP+ towards the last half of the hour). Moving up the FP+ as you board the ride. Trying for 4,5,6, etc FP+ each day...

1 additional Rope Drop at MK with a hop to Epcot for lunch and full FP+ at Epcot. use FP+ to ride SOARIN and try to single rider TT. Walk the world showcase, have dinner and watch illuminations.

1 Rope Drop at Epcot to ride SOARIN and TT single rider and perhaps mission space. Hop to DHS with full FP+ and watch Fantasmic.

1 Rope Drop at AK without FP+ and with a hop in the afternoon to Epcot for SOARIN FP+ and walk the countries.

1 Rope Drop at AK without FP+ and with a hop to DHS with full FP+

you could switch around the last day if you needed to rope drop DHS for Jedi raining Academy...

This places you in MK 3 of the days (for at least part of the day) Two full days with FP+
Epcot on three of the days (Partial) One rope drop and two FP+ days
DHS on two days with Full FP+ each time
AK twice without FP+ as it really does not need it if you rope drop.