AK or Epcot in December?

[caspersmom83]

We are going to WDW in December and we are trying to decide between Ak and Epcot with a 4 year old and a 1 year old. WHich do you think they would enjoy more? I have ressies for the candelight processional but I could change them. My DH thinks Ak this trip I am leaning towards Epcot.Thanks.

 

[HeidiGW]

hands down Epcot. Don't cancel that ressie!!!!
The candelight is a must do...you'll love it. The children will love the live music. Plus, with the package you will get a seat.
The kids will like all the storytellers and Santas from around the world.
Get the animal fix at the Living Seas and do the Turtle Talk with Crush.

 

[Goofy Roo]

Definitely Epcot. I would love to do the World Showcase at Christmas time. So special.

 

[caspersmom83]

I meant to say epcot but hit post before I noticed

 

[becka]

I actually would say AK but then again my kids love AK. It is actually my 5 year old's favorite park. They love the animals, the Lion King show, the Dinosaur land, Flights of Wonder, etc.. It is a great park in our opinion but I know lots of people do not like it. Epcot is great as well but if forced to pick just one I know our family would be at AK before Epcot.

 

[caspersmom83]

Thanks for the advice. Anymore opinions out there?

 

[KrazyKowboy]

Epcot does it for me, but my 10 year old daughter likes AK more. I think you'll find more for the kids at AK, and their 3 PM parade is awesome.

The kids love the Wildlife Express Train over to Conservation Station and the Affection Section petting area.

Festival of the Lion King is a must see as well. The kids will love the Camp Minnie-Mickey greeting trails and Dino-Sue and Kids Discovery Clubs.
If it's the kids interests that are foremost I think you'll find that 1 to 4 year olds will be thrilled with AK.

Another plus to keep in mind is the shorter walks at AK, Epcot is much more sprawling than AK. If you're pushing strollers or hauling worn out kids in your arms you'll appreciate AK more.

Be sure to check out the Breakfastasaurus character breakfast too, it's pretty good fare and I found it only second to the O'Hana Best Friends breakfast with Lilo and Stitch at the Polynesian. The Rainforest Cafe gets mixed reviews and is a bit overpriced in my opinion, but the youngsters usually love it.

If your budget allows for park hopping option, you'll be able to have time for the Epcot Candlelight Processional as well. AK closes at about 5pm in December. Arrive early for AK, leave for a break for mom and the kids after the parade around, then head out for an EPCOT evening until 9:30 PM

 

[ajcolorado]

That's a tough one - Epcot & Animal Kingdom are my favorite parks. I personally would lean towards Epcot just because there won't be a lot for the one year old at Animal Kingdom. But we were just there in June with a 2 year old and had a great day.

Here's a link for an article about Epcot with preschoolers: http://babmt.com/article-epcot-with-young-children.html

 

[esk]

You didn't mention if the 4 year old is boy or girl....if it is a boy, then just go to AK and have fun there all day. We have to drag my son kicking and screaming out of the Boneyard, and he is 6 now. He always loves the "live" dinosaur, FOTLK show, the parade, the petting zoo, the safari and the parade. He doesn't get much out of Epcot because it just isn't that interesting to him, the other parts of the world, although he does like Nemo and, for some reason, Spaceship Earth.

The 1 year old -- doesn't matter, he/she will have a great time anywhere.

I really would recommend AK for children that age.

 

[jenb1023]

Both are great but if you can only do one I would recommend AK for that age. Our last trip DD was 3.5 and we did AK twice.

 

[ShuisFan584]

Well if you have time, definitely go to both! But if you could only pick one, I'd say AK for kids that age. There's definitely a lot for them to do, and I don't know any little kids who don't like watching animals!

 

[ConcKahuna]

Kids tend to love the animals at AK, and in December the weather will be perfect for that park.

Of course the holiday decorations at Epcot are great too, so if you can parkhop I recomend doing AK in the morning and Epcot at night!

 

[caspersmom83]

Thanks for all your advice. Esk yes the 4 year old is a boy. I would love to do Ak durring the day and epcot at night if he can make it.

 

[Simba22]

Epcot is great as well but if forced to pick just one I know our family would be at AK before Epcot.

Ditto =) When we went in December, the animals were much more active than our other trips in the past which were during May, July, And September. Plus, AK usually feels hotter than all of the other parks and because it's so big, most people can only tolerate it for half a day. But I would take advantage of the cooler weather and go there! The only thing we didn't do was KRR.

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

I couldn't decide if I had to! I was going to say AK, my daughter LOVES that park but then on the other hand she LOVED Epcot.

Either way you go you will have a blast!!!

 

[esk]

Not sure about your napping schedule, or if your kids will nap in strollers, but I would recommend getting to AK at opening and you might find you are done there about 1 or 2 pm....and after maybe a nap or swim, refreshed and ready for Epcot that night.

We are able to do 2 parks that way == by splitting the day with a nap and a change of scenery.

But the key to remember about small children this age is that THEY DON"T KNOW ANY DIFFERENTLY.....they won't know that they missed the parade, or that they didn't get to ride the Triceratop spin (although at 4 I think he can) or that they missed the jugglers in China. All they know is what they see, so there really isn't any pressure to see everything in one park, or to see every park for that matter. He'll never know if you bypass the Nemo ride (although my son was OBSESSED with Nemo at that age) because he can't read the DIS!!!

 

[Sabor]

Definitely Animal Kingdom fro your Kids ages

I love the CP and seen it several times but my all 3 of my kids were Bored with it when they were say between 3 - 8 years old.

AK has Lion King Show , Nemo Show , Kilamanjaro Safari , The Best Parade in WDW right now , plus all the Animal Exhibits that little ones would love.

Epcot - World Showcase can be boring for little ones and the better attractions Test Track , MS and Soaring will be out.