Best WDW parks for preschool age?

[wbbrown36]

We are going to Disney World next week with preschoolers--just turning 3, 4.5, and almost five.

Can someone tell me what parks are good for preschoolers in order of interest--
Something like:
Magic Kingdom
Animal Kingdom
MGM
Epcot
I know there are things in all the parks for that age range but we won't be able to see all the parks. Our plan is to spend two to three days on Magic Kingdom and then see another WDW park. We might do two days at MK and then two other parks. Which parks do I select (we won't be park hopping)?

 

[chunky_azz]

Hi, we went to WDW with a 17 month old and a 4 yo and we did MK for 3 days and we also did all the other parks, but my choice would be MK and Animal Kingdom, we loved it. We also liked MGM but only did it for 1/2 a day cause our 17 month old wouldnt sit thru the shows so we mainly went just to look around.

 

[d1sneyf4n]

HI there, we were just there and I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old. Of course Magic Kingdom is great but my 2 year old was not to fond of any of the characters at any park we went to. We went to Magic Kingdom and Epcot the most. We stayed at the Beach Club so Epcot is a right there. We did have the park hopper pass though. We also went to Hollywood Studios/MGM. I would have to say that Magic Kingdom by far is the best with Hollywood Studios next. Epcot was still good for them and they both enjoyed the Nemo ride, the Land rides(Soarin(only 5 year old could go on),boat ride in the land,Fidment ride, and the big ball ride. There is also a ride in Norway I believe that they both enjoyed. Hollywood studios is good bc they have the Toy Story ride that is great, The Ariel show. I can not speak about the Animal Kingdom bc we have never made it there.........a lot of time is spent in the Magic Kingdom.

 

[labdogs42]

Hmmm... I think they are all great. If I had to rank them, I'd say:

MK
Epcot
AK
DHS

But, they are all worth it. Here are MY preschooler's top five attractions for each park (I have a 3.5 yo DS)

MK
Dumbo
Winnie the Pooh
Small World
Wishes
any parade

Epcot
Land Boat Ride
Soarin
Test Track
Kidcot fun stops
Character Connection

Animal Kingdom
Kilamanjaro Safaris
Triceratop Spin
Lion King show
Walking those trails to see the animals
Camp Minnie Mickey characters

DHS
Playhouse Disney Live on Stage
Toy Story Mania
Honey I shrunk the Kids playground
Cars character meet
Indiana Jones show

 

[Kallista]

My kids really love Epcot, even more than the Magic Kingdom. They love The Seas with Nemo and Journey into Imagination and Soarin' and Living with the Land. They also love the street shows at the World Showcase. Tako drumming in Japan is a huge favorite.

Other favorites at our house:

Playhouse Disney Live! at DHS
Fantasmic at DHS

Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom
Buzz Lightyear at MK
Splash Mountain at MK
Indy Speedway at MK
WDW railroad at MK

Festival of the Lion King at AK
Pocahontas (Sp?) show at AK (but they cancelled it)
Jungle trek at AK
Safari ride at AK

 

[IllumFan]

We recently visited with my 3 yr old. Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and DHS worked the best for him (in that order). The problem with DHS is that he didn't really have the attention span to sit through many of the shows, etc.

MK, AK, and DHS have wonderful "playgrounds" that he loved. They were unique and whimsical and let him burn off some energy in between rides and shows. I was surprised at the DHS playground because of the vastness and number of stairs/slides. I definitely didn't feel comfortable with him playing there unless there were two adults with him -- One could stay at the top of the stairs by the slide entrances and one at the bottom to "catch" him after the slide and help him find his way to climb the stairs again.

 

[tam626]

Mk was the best for our 3 year old. The only thing we did at Epcot was the characters & Nemo. AK came in second.

 

[keywestbride]

It really depends on the kids. I definitely agree that MK is, by far, the best. We spent 3 out of 7 days there, then did Epcot for 2 days, and AK and DHS for one each.

Every area of MK had lots to offer, but Fantasyland is where we spent the bulk of our time. His top favorites were the teacups, Small World, Minnie's House, the train, and the fireworks.

In Epcot, DS (3.5, super spirited) loved Soarin, the Norway boat ride, Nemo and the Imagination pavillion. He also really loved Illuminations. I'd probably place it 2nd on our list.


DHS was tough, but I had a great time there! I think I'd place it tied for 3rd with AK. He loved meeting McQueen and Mater, the block party bash, Toy Story Midway Mania, Pizza Planet (I didn't like it at all), and Playhouse Disney Live. He also liked the Shrunk the Kids playground, but DH took him there alone, and ended up needing a CM to help track him down! He describes it as "a parents nightmare", so I'd definitely be careful with so many little ones.

For us, AK may have been influenced by the horribly cold weather that day, which kept DS in a pretty grumpy mood. Dinoland had the triceratop spin, he was able to meet lots of characters with no wait, and he loved the drums in Africa. He has a hard time sitting still for shows, so we skipped those.

 

[osualan]

Just trying to get my posts to (10) so that I can PM - sorry !