Convince Me - AK over MK

[ZehnJahren]

I am going solo at the end of the month for 3 nights (about 2.5 days). I will get to WDW around noon on my first day and plan on Epcot for the night (I only 'need' to do 2 things there, but they're important to me!). I am also doing HS - that one is not negotiable - but I keep flirting with doing one more park on my last full day.

My heart tells me to go to MK, because it's MK!! But my head says that we are coming back for a full week with my 3 year old in April, and going to AK where I can ride EE and my favorite (Dinosaur) while solo is smarter! We plan on 2 days at MK with the little in just 2 months, so going to AK now is smart because we won't be there in April.

Convince me that going to AK instead of MK at the end of the month is smarter. I am going on vacation to relax and refresh after extreme stress - I need help!

 

[CarolynFH]

I think you’ve said it yourself - going to AK and being able to ride Dinosaur and EE without having to do rider swap or otherwise be concerned about a child who’s scared or doesn’t like your favorite rides is worth missing MK this trip. In April you can devote more time to MK and enjoy it with your 3 year old. I’d definitely skip MK and visit AK this time around.

 

[auntlynne]

Who needs to convince you? YOU wrote a great response to your own question.

You forgot to say that AK is a more relaxing park - just what you need after extreme stress.

Have a great solo visit to Animal Kingdom and then enjoy MK with the family.

 

[auntlynne]

I think you’ve said it yourself - going to AK and being able to ride Dinosaur and EE without having to do rider swap or otherwise be concerned about a child who’s scared or doesn’t like your favorite rides is worth missing MK this trip. In April you can devote more time to MK and enjoy it with your 3 year old. I’d definitely skip MK and visit AK this time around.

Jinx! Same thoughts.

 

[MomOTwins]

I think you shouldn't do AK. There is so little to do there these days without the shows that I think you may feel disappointed if you spent a whole day of such a short trip there. When you go with your kiddo, rider swap is really easy at AK because there are nice kid friendly rides next to every height restricted one. For example, kiddo can ride the triceratops spinner while you do dinosaur, Navi river while on FOP, and the zoo walkthrough while on EE.

 

[Timandalicia]

I am going solo at the end of the month for 3 nights (about 2.5 days). I will get to WDW around noon on my first day and plan on Epcot for the night (I only 'need' to do 2 things there, but they're important to me!). I am also doing HS - that one is not negotiable - but I keep flirting with doing one more park on my last full day.

My heart tells me to go to MK, because it's MK!! But my head says that we are coming back for a full week with my 3 year old in April, and going to AK where I can ride EE and my favorite (Dinosaur) while solo is smarter! We plan on 2 days at MK with the little in just 2 months, so going to AK now is smart because we won't be there in April.

Convince me that going to AK instead of MK at the end of the month is smarter. I am going on vacation to relax and refresh after extreme stress - I need help!

I’ll convince you. It’ll break your heart to go to the Magic Kingdom without your 3 year-old. It’ll make you depressed and you’ll feel miserable the whole time. Every time you try to get in a ride you won’t be able to do it for the guilt that will fester.
How’s that?

 

[Artygal90]

Two words: Nomad. Lounge.

 

[brockash]

I am going solo at the end of the month for 3 nights (about 2.5 days). I will get to WDW around noon on my first day and plan on Epcot for the night (I only 'need' to do 2 things there, but they're important to me!). I am also doing HS - that one is not negotiable - but I keep flirting with doing one more park on my last full day.

My heart tells me to go to MK, because it's MK!! But my head says that we are coming back for a full week with my 3 year old in April, and going to AK where I can ride EE and my favorite (Dinosaur) while solo is smarter! We plan on 2 days at MK with the little in just 2 months, so going to AK now is smart because we won't be there in April.

Convince me that going to AK instead of MK at the end of the month is smarter. I am going on vacation to relax and refresh after extreme stress - I need help!

Can't...there's no way I'd choose AK over MK.

 

[osufeth24]

 

[MDIME]

Two words: Nomad. Lounge.

This!

 

[TeresaNJ]

While I love the MK, and it holds so much nostalgia in my heart, if I were going solo, and I had to choose between the two, and I was going back in two months, I'd def choose AK. To me it is the most serene, beautiful park, with so many nooks and crannies to get lost in, and chill out with a nice beverage and snack. The fact that you can ride Everest, Dinosaur, FofP, and the Kilimanjaro Safari, leisurely walk through Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and the Maharajah Jungle Trek, all the while no one is pulling on your leg or saying "mommy, mommy", would cinch the deal for me right there! There might not be tons "to do", but there is so much to look at, so much that gets missed when you're wrangling a toddler. The park is magical, in my opinion! Anyway, I think you answered your question in your original post!

 

[Flamingeaux]

On your second day at DHS if you get finished early you might consider upgrading to a park hopper and hit MK. AK can easily be done on your last day in time to hop over to MK. you'd get two nights at MK!!!

 

[abnihon]

I agree!! Park hopper!!

 

[Sydnerella]

BOTH!
While it’s over priced to do, as a person who clearly loves Walt Disney World I would spring for the park hopper and go AK for morning/day and hop to MK at night. You will get the most out of it - best of both worlds so to speak - enjoying a leisurely day at AK with your favorite attractions and downtime ion balcony at nomads lounge plus opportunities to explore around the park - in places I never seen after 8 trips.

Then you will have the magical experience of MK at night without a sleepy toddler - chilling in the hub watching the castle with projections and getting to see the beautiful iconic park In a way that you would never see it with your little one. At your own pace! Far more relaxed and it will be all about what mom wants to do. Again something you will never deal with your child!I am dreaming now of chilling with my Starbucks skim chai no water no foam and a sweet treat watching projections while sitting on the hub grass! So dreamy! Not to mention a peaceful walk through AK in the morning! maybe I need to plan a “business trip” myself! Go for it!

Think of the hopper price as Moms trip to BBB and/or an overpriced Character meal. These are things you would likely do for your child. I think this is a unique opportunity for you - and definitely Mom’s time to do a treat for herself! In the same vein I encouraged my husband pre-pandemic to spring for the after hours party at MK while on a business trip to Coronado Springs and he loved it! Sure he missed us at times but he thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful solitude of being in MK, that awesome place at his own pace!

 

[yorkieteacher]

AK and Epcot are the two parks I enjoy by myself- I sometimes would hop back to one of these while my children and grandchildren enjoyed the pools. To me, AK is meant to explore slowly, and ride the rides (most for older children) between the exploring. I did love the entertainment at Epcot and Animal Kingdom, and most of my family wanted to push on to the next ride. I hope they bring back some of the entertainment that happened along the streets in both parks. I surely will miss this.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

Park hopper for sure.

 

[ghtx]

Your plan sounds good. AK over MK is fine, especially since you are returning again relatively soon. The best ride in all of WDW is at AK (Flight of Passage) so it's not a bad choice!

 

[Blondie58]

I am going solo at the end of the month for 3 nights (about 2.5 days). I will get to WDW around noon on my first day and plan on Epcot for the night (I only 'need' to do 2 things there, but they're important to me!). I am also doing HS - that one is not negotiable - but I keep flirting with doing one more park on my last full day.

My heart tells me to go to MK, because it's MK!! But my head says that we are coming back for a full week with my 3 year old in April, and going to AK where I can ride EE and my favorite (Dinosaur) while solo is smarter! We plan on 2 days at MK with the little in just 2 months, so going to AK now is smart because we won't be there in April.

Convince me that going to AK instead of MK at the end of the month is smarter. I am going on vacation to relax and refresh after extreme stress - I need help!

I think you answered your own question as you thought thru writing your post. AK and enjoy the r and r. Enjoy MK with the little in April.

 

[fgaini]

You said it all!
And do not forget flight of passage ;-)

 

[kwdw]

AK - let's see - FOP and Dinosaur and EE without a toddler in tow. Walking the trails - at your pace - not the toddler's. Browsing the shops without having to say no. Tiffin's for lunch - with a wine flight! Nomad's Lounge in the afternoon for a break. No little one to worrying about being able to see on the safari ride. Walking into the bird show at the last minute. Hiding on a trail by the Tree of Life and finding the perfect photo shots. Either avoiding the Dinoland carnival games all together - or opting to play yourself and feeling free to try to win and recklessly spending the money on games and not have to worry about the lesson you are teaching your toddler. Buying an overpriced drink at Starbucks and finding a shady spot to watch the world go by as you enjoy it.

I travel to Disney solo a lot (pre-covid) - and MK is my favorite park. But if I'm looking for a day to just have some reflection time and a pleasant pace - AK is great for adults for that. If you weren't planning another trip - I agree that it could feel like you were missing out - but since you have a trip planned soon - no biggie on skipping MK.

Note - I literally paid for a park-hopper to enter AK on my LAST day of a trip one year - arriving about 1pm with a DME to catch at 8 pm - because I decided I couldn't leave out AK at the last minute. It's your solo trip - you could do that on your trip if needed if you just can't leave out MK at the last minute.