Am I the only one to think right now DHS is a better deal than Epcot?

[mimi1016]

We went to HS during our first trip last year and only did 1/2 day. I wasn't really impressed and may skip it altogether on our next trip in 2016 and spend more time at Epcot and MK I think. We did a few m&g's and didn't have to wait long at HS so that was the only real upside for us. It just felt so....stark compared to the other parks. Maybe because of the layout I'm not sure.

 

[photogineer]

I would have to say HS over Epcot. This is going to make me sound stupid and I'm sure some people will highly disagree with me, but, I hate learning. I go to a theme park to have fun. I don't want to sit down and watch a movie about the heritage of a culture that I probably learned about in High School. If I wanted a learning experience, I'd have gone to a museum. Sorry, not sorry.

Edit: Rereading that it made me sound like I hated learning in general. I think the power of knowledge is an awesome thing. Not when I'm at Disney.

Ha! I understand, I am the same way, on vacation I want to do stuff, some rides, some shows, some cool technology exhibits because I'm a tech nerd. Maybe I'm just an uncultured swine, but the World Showcase was interesting precisely twice, first time when it was all new to me, and the second time when I had my camera. I've photographed it to the point of redundancy and the rest doesn't interest me. I think that's probably what's going on here, I was always more geared for the Innoventions stuff. Flower and Garden means new-to-me stuff to photograph, and a happy DGF, plus we'll be trying some more different foods this time, but still, I'm expecting she's going to enjoy it much more than I do.

(I'm also doing a bit of research, I'm going to take notes on which flowers and such she likes best for a surprise I'm working on...)

Adam

 

[Praying Colonel]

We don't even think about DHS unless we're going more than 3 days. For us, EP is definitely more than a 1-day park. Wish I could say that about DHS. So much potential....

 

[photogineer]

We don't even think about DHS unless we're going more than 3 days. For us, EP is definitely more than a 1-day park. Wish I could say that about DHS. So much potential....

Is the WS a big reason for Epcot being >1 day? If it were closed off for example would it still take you more than one day to enjoy the park?

I'm starting to feel like I'm really missing on something over there! Every time I explore it to I find my attention span waning very quickly...

Adam

 

[AngiTN]

World Showcase makes Epcot the clear winner IMHO.

Yes, HS is not even in the same hemisphere as Epcot for us. WS is the reason I go to Epcot, not FW

 

[AngiTN]

seems to me like DHS still has a lot to offer, it also has great restaurants like Epcot, which I didn't include here because I don't have much experience in either parks restaurants.

Again, not even close here. DHS has mostly awful food. Epcot has mostly fabulous food.

 

[DisneyFive]

I would have to say HS over Epcot. This is going to make me sound stupid and I'm sure some people will highly disagree with me, but, I hate learning. I go to a theme park to have fun. I don't want to sit down and watch a movie about the heritage of a culture that I probably learned about in High School. If I wanted a learning experience, I'd have gone to a museum. Sorry, not sorry.

Edit: Rereading that it made me sound like I hated learning in general. I think the power of knowledge is an awesome thing. Not when I'm at Disney.

I get it, and a part of me agrees. World Showcase as a whole has been one of the least desireable locations in all the parks for us. We aren't at WDW for shopping and to learn cultural heritage (pretty much how I feel about the WS) We still enjoy it, but have never said to each other, "Awesome, it's our Epcot day and we get to do the World Showcase!" It's been, "Awesome, it's our Epcot day and we get to do Soarin, Test Track, Spaceship Earth, and eat at (insert awesome TS location here)"

I'm sure others disagree fully.

Dan

 

[DisneyFive]

Again, not even close here. DHS has mostly awful food. Epcot has mostly fabulous food.

I agree, that while I prefer HS over EP, Epcot completely destroys HS in the food category both TS and especially QS. That's why our HS TS meals end up being at Cape Mays.

Dan

 

[photogineer]

I get it, and a part of me agrees. World Showcase as a whole has been one of the least desireable locations in all the parks for us. We aren't at WDW for shopping and to learn cultural heritage (pretty much how I feel about the WS) We still enjoy it, but have never said to each other, "Awesome, it's our Epcot day and we get to do the World Showcase!" It's been, "Awesome, it's our Epcot day and we get to do Soarin, Test Track, Spaceship Earth, and eat at (insert awesome TS location here)"

I'm sure others disagree fully.

Dan

I feel like you and I are on the same page, and maybe we're just the minority. I love Epcot, Spaceship Earth has always been one of my favorite rides in all of WDW, and every single trip, Epcot is always the first park (psssh, MK first? nah!) and SSE is always, always the first ride. I just feel like lately it's a bit light on the things to do after that compared to the other parks, and DHS still feels pretty exciting to me.

Adam

 

[Praying Colonel]

Is the WS a big reason for Epcot being >1 day? If it were closed off for example would it still take you more than one day to enjoy the park?

I'm starting to feel like I'm really missing on something over there! Every time I explore it to I find my attention span waning very quickly...

Adam

For us, yes. Day 1 is usually a morning doing FW and rest of day doing part of WS, and Day 2 is AM FW and then the rest of WS + repeats. 2-day park for us.

 

[Bullseye]

We love both parks, and it's a mixed bag in our family on who prefers which park. For me personally, Epcot is my favorite park and WS is my favorite place in all of WDW. The food/beverage choices at Epcot are much better. Counter service at HS is lacking IMO. I also would take Illuminations any day over Fantasmic. SWW is one thing we greatly enjoy at HS! Never understood why they don't infuse more "real" restaurants and shops into the Streets of America.

 

[Claudia Kellenberger]

I think I love both HS and Epcot just about equally. Last early December I totally skipped AK, just to specifically have more time at HS. I absolutely love both Sci Fi and Prime Time. And as for TSMM, I could do that dozens of times in one day - If they'd only let me ! LOL

 

[JoshuaShaw]

Both parks need a lot of work: Hollywood Studios needs more attractions, Future World needs an aesthetic makeover. That said, comparing the two as they are, I would probably give the edge to Epcot simply because it has more attractions and so it feels like you're getting more value for your money. Obviously rides aren't the only thing that matters, but they're the main attraction, if you'd pardon the pun.

 

[kkendle]

Our favorite park is HS. I love everything there and am greatly going to miss the animation studio as we loved that too. I have seen the shows countless times but love them every time we go. Usually we go for 5 days and do HS 2 different days. Our next trip in October though I think we are going to do Epcot 2 times....even though I keep changing my mind and will miss going twice to HS. It makes me sad to think we are only going one day this trip....but last trip we really enjoyed Epcot and thought we could have spent another day there. Decisions...

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

Last time around DHS was our least favorite park, but this next time we've managed to plan an entire day there and I am really, really looking forward to it; I have high hopes that's it'll be a great day!

I can still do at least 2 days in Epcot, though. I never feel like I've managed to get to everything there!

 

[ScienceDad]

If you are just going for thrill rides I can understand. However if you just want thrill rides other parks have more of those. WS is easily 1/2 of Epcot, and with FW in it's current state more than that. To ignore 1/2 the park and compare it to anything is not fair if you are trying to be unbiased. If you don't like WS, and you are only comparing about 2/3 of the attractions in the other 1/2 of the park, sure for you maybe HS is better. That's fine for you. However if you compare them as a whole, side by side, Epcot clearly comes out on top. There is no way you can do everything at Epcot in 1 day, HS people do in less than that. As others have said the food is not even on the same level. I've heard many people say they will just not eat at all on their HS day and get food at Epcot or a resort instead.

Edit:
One thing that hasn't been mentioned are the M&G at Epcot. Am I wrong that this is the only M&G Snow White now that she is out of PFH? It's also the only M&G with Belle(Tales With Belle is not a M&G) as well as many other characters.

 

[photogineer]

If you are just going for thrill rides I can understand. However if you just want thrill rides other parks have more of those. WS is easily 1/2 of Epcot, and with FW in it's current state more than that. To ignore 1/2 the park and compare it to anything is not fair if you are trying to be unbiased. If you don't like WS, and you are only comparing about 2/3 of the attractions in the other 1/2 of the park, sure for you maybe HS is better. That's fine for you. However if you compare them as a whole, side by side, Epcot clearly comes out on top. There is no way you can do everything at Epcot in 1 day, HS people do in less than that. As others have said the food is not even on the same level. I've heard many people say they will just not eat at all on their HS day and get food at Epcot or a resort instead.

I fully recognize that I'm biased, my goal wasn't to compare them side by side, my comparison was to illustrate how both appealed to me differently and why DHS appealed more, I just wanted to see if anyone else felt similarly.

That said, I love 50s Prime Time and Scifi Dine-In, and the Hollywood Brown Derby, people consider those terrible?

Adam

 

[ScienceDad]

I fully recognize that I'm biased, my goal wasn't to compare them side by side, my comparison was to illustrate how both appealed to me differently and why DHS appealed more, I just wanted to see if anyone else felt similarly.

That said, I love 50s Prime Time and Scifi Dine-In, and the Hollywood Brown Derby, people consider those terrible?

Adam

One thing I've learned is that no matter what attraction or restaurant you pick, someone will hate it. 50's is gimmicky and some people hate that about it. I've heard good and bad about SciFi. I haven't heard people say they hate Derby, just that it's over priced. People say that about Le Cellier also. It's down to personal preference. If you love HS, good on ya. And with the possible 3BN they are about to put into that place maybe it will even bring more people to agree whenever they finish. Maybe then they will pump some cash into Future World!

 

[AngiTN]

If you are just going for thrill rides I can understand. However if you just want thrill rides other parks have more of those. WS is easily 1/2 of Epcot, and with FW in it's current state more than that. To ignore 1/2 the park and compare it to anything is not fair if you are trying to be unbiased. If you don't like WS, and you are only comparing about 2/3 of the attractions in the other 1/2 of the park, sure for you maybe HS is better. That's fine for you. However if you compare them as a whole, side by side, Epcot clearly comes out on top. There is no way you can do everything at Epcot in 1 day, HS people do in less than that. As others have said the food is not even on the same level. I've heard many people say they will just not eat at all on their HS day and get food at Epcot or a resort instead.

Edit:
One thing that hasn't been mentioned are the M&G at Epcot. Am I wrong that this is the only M&G Snow White now that she is out of PFH? It's also the only M&G with Belle(Tales With Belle is not a M&G) as well as many other characters.

Snow does meet at the flag pole area at MK, at least through the morning.
Belle is only at Epcot now

Now that I think on it, Aurora's only M&G may be at Epcot. She's at meals but I'm not sure she's even at MK any more. I can't remember if she's still out there with Snow or not

Mulan is only at Epcot (I don't count Characterpalooza)

 

[photogineer]

It's down to personal preference. If you love HS, good on ya. And with the possible 3BN they are about to put into that place maybe it will even bring more people to agree whenever they finish. Maybe then they will pump some cash into Future World!

That's my dream right there, DHS getting a tune-up and then Future World finally getting some love.

Adam