Epcot or MGM with small children?

[jajsmom]

We are leaving in a week for Disney. We will do 4 days at the parks and 1 day at Sea World. We will do 1 day at AK, 2 at MK. So for the last day should we do Epcot or MGM. Our children are 9mo, 3(almost 4),5(almost 6) and 7. Which do you think they would enjoy more?

Thanks.

 

[slo]

If I love both with small children, but if I had to pick just one I would pick MGM.
Reason:
1. Playhouse Disney Live is fantastic for small children.
2. The Stars and Motorcars parade is wonderful for small children
3. Al's Toy Barn w/ Buzz and Woody are great fun.
4. The Little Mermaid show is wonderful.
5. Fantasmic is an awesome show if you want to wait the one hour to see it.
6. Dinner at Sci-Fi or Prime Time Cafe is good fun for kids.

My DD really enjoys MGM and we always make sure we go. If you can do both parks I would, but do MGM before Epcot.

 

[java]

If you have a hopper pass I think you could do both. The things at MGM that are age appropriate are rather slim but take some time- the Little mermaid show/the Honey I shrunk the kids playground/Beauty and the Beast show/That preschool toon disney show whose name escapes me now- but it is Bear in the big blue house rollie pollie ollie and stanley. I can't think of much else there that your kids would be into- oh maybe the Muppet 3-D
Epcot rides in future world are pretty tame- My kids love Test Track(your older two could do that one I think) Imagination/ The big ball/ and in the countries section- they have an activity station at each country with an arts and crafts project. It was mask making when we went. The kids added to the mask in each country. Have a great time. whatever you decide I am sure you will have fun. I guess I don't think MGM has enough for a full day for you.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

If I love both with small children, but if I had to pick just one I would pick MGM.
Reason:
1. Playhouse Disney Live is fantastic for small children.
2. The Stars and Motorcars parade is wonderful for small children
3. Al's Toy Barn w/ Buzz and Woody are great fun.
4. The Little Mermaid show is wonderful.
5. Fantasmic is an awesome show if you want to wait the one hour to see it.
6. Dinner at Sci-Fi or Prime Time Cafe is good fun for kids.

My DD really enjoys MGM and we always make sure we go. If you can do both parks I would, but do MGM before Epcot.

I'd have to agree. And don't forget Beauty and the Beast and the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground. If you split up the older kids may like RnRC and/or ToT, Star Tours, Backlot Tour and Indiana Jones - or perhaps just the 7yo and one adult anyway. Lots of characters around here and there. We really enjoy the buffet at Hollywood and Vine also.

 

[Wee Annie]

That's funny -- we're leaving in 8 days, and I was planning on doing 2 days at MK, 1 at the AK, and then trying to figure out whether we should spend the majority of our time left at MGM or Epcot. I was figuring Epcot, but my husband thought MGM was a better idea (we have two daughters, 4 and 7). So I think we'll do MGM. But we'll call it as we see it when we get there.

 

[Beca]

My dd is three...she is TERRIFIED in the 3-d shows, and even the water falling on her at Ariel's show freaked her out. We found VERY little at MGM for her to do (Fantasmic is WAY too scary for her), but she LOVED Epcot!!!

She "liked" Illuminations okay, although the noise freaked her out a bit. She loved the ride in Mexico, the loved "Living with the seas" and talking to Nemo (not to mention looking at all the fish)..but, SSE (or, as she calls it "Mickey's Great Big Ball") was one of her FAVORITE all-time rides. She STILL talks about it.

So, I think which park works best would depend on:
1) Just how "small" small is...a lot of seemingly harmless or "fun" things can really freak little ones
2) How brave or timid your children are. Mine is very timid, and Epcot was MUCH more her speed (but, to give you an example...she still tells complete strangers how "scary" Mikey's Philharmagic was when "the trumpets and horns go boom boom boom"!! She makes us promise on a daily basis to "never take her back there", even though she thought it was "funny when Donald fell into the wall".

They see things MUCH differently!!!



Beca

 

[swilphil]

If you have to pick one, I'd probably go with MGM. I have to say that my kids love Epcot's World Showcase, so try to do both if you have park hoppers. We always do a half day at AK and then end up at MGM for the other evening. Epcot's World Showcase is such a great place for kids to explore and they don't have to stand in line for everything. I like it for a nice break from the theme park atmosphere. The Living Seas Nemo and Crush the Turtle stuff are fun too. The rest of Future World can easily be skipped though.

 

[MickeyMouth]

I think that I would also try to do both if possible. When my DD was younger we ran out of things for her to do by early afternoon at MGM, so we would take the boat from MGM to EPCOT. The boat makes seeing both parks easy in one day and stopping for lunch at Beaches and Cream was always a plus.

 

[Leota]

My son loved Epcot when he was little, esp. Universe of Energy. He really loved those dinosaurs. Also, getting him a World Showcase Passport helped him fall in love with WS & we spent an entire day in WS, from open to close, so he could complete his Passport & make his Mask at the kidcot stations.

He is older now (16) & they seem to have more offerings at MGM for the little ones than they did when he was small.

If I could, I would do both. We are taking my step-grandchildren next year & we plan to take them to each Park.

 

[McKelly]

We just got back with our DD(almost 6) and our DS, who turned four on our trip. We did both parks and I would say if you can, do them both in one day. There weren't enough things in MGM to keep them occupied all day, however, we did spend the majority of a day in Epcot, but we took them through WS and they weren't all that impressed (we didn't do the masks), and I don't know if I would take them again until they are older.

If you don't have park hoppers, I would pick the park you most want to see and go there on the first day before the kids have even seen MK, kid-heaven!! LOL!! Have a great vacation!