Half day: Epcot or Animal Kingdom?

[ktlm]

EPCOT is a 2 day park for us as a family (it has been my DD's favorite park other than MK since she was 2 years old) - AK used to be a half day until Pandora and now it is a full day as well. As a solo, you can move faster. With it being Food and Wine, I would use your full day for EPCOT-- BUT, is your full day on a weekend or a weekday? Saturdays during Food and Wine are insane at EPCOT. I would not spend the full day there on a Food and Wine Saturday.

 

[NickC]

Good point about the timing of Epcot. The only time I ever left a park due to crowds was a weekend Epcot food and wine day.

 

[Mike_M]

It's so interesting that AK is a love/hate thing. We love AK so much (two adults, 9 year old, 4 year old). Part of that is that we have a thing with nature/conservation in general...

I think this is the big part of why it’s a love or meh experience for most. It really is a different kind of park, with a very unique focus. The last time I was there was before EE or Pandora were added so this isn’t a recent experience, but my impression back then was that it was the best zoo I had ever been to....but in hindsight, a zoo experience wasn’t what I was going to WDW for.

That’s why I fall into the half day at AK crowd.

 

[bdiddy]

I would also do a half day at Animal Kingdom. It's my least favorite park. Not that I don't like it and enjoy it but Epcot just has so much to offer and I love tooling around World Showcase.

 

[cmwade77]

Honestly, we do a minimum of 2 days per park and fill in with partial days on the others if we so choose, but we usually stay for a minimum of 10 full days.

So, I would say both are full day parks.

 

[cmwade77]

I think this is the big part of why it’s a love or meh experience for most. It really is a different kind of park, with a very unique focus. The last time I was there was before EE or Pandora were added so this isn’t a recent experience, but my impression back then was that it was the best zoo I had ever been to....but in hindsight, a zoo experience wasn’t what I was going to WDW for.

That’s why I fall into the half day at AK crowd.

Oh, see, I wish AK would have more of a zoo experience and add more animals from Australia, New Zealand, South America, maybe even Penguins somewhere, etc. I think it is a nice switch from all of the rides of the other parks and gives some variety.

But I also love the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the San Diego Zoo itself, both of which rank up there in quality for zoos.

 

[Mike_M]

In fairness, Epcot was a bit lost on me too. It just didn’t feel like there were that many attractions, and what was there focused pretty heavily on Edu-tainment rather than the fantasy and adventure you experience at MK and DHS (at least that’s how I felt).

I’ve wondered if I would feel different now compared to back then, but I think if I spent the majority of a future trip at just MK and DHS, I’d probably be satisfied.

 

[cmwade77]

In fairness, Epcot was a bit lost on me too. It just didn’t feel like there were that many attractions, and what was there focused pretty heavily on Edu-tainment rather than the fantasy and adventure you experience at MK and DHS (at least that’s how I felt).

I’ve wondered if I would feel different now compared to back then, but I think if I spent the majority of a future trip at just MK and DHS, I’d probably be satisfied.

Yep, but I personally like the edutainment and am saddened by some of it that has been lost at EPCOT.

 

[Mike_M]

Yep, but I personally like the edutainment and am saddened by some of it that has been lost at EPCOT.

I'm very curious to see what they do with the Epcot improvements that were recently announced. Perhaps it will be something that gratifies and enhances what both sides are looking for.