MGM and AK?more than a day each?

[allisonwonderland]

Heloooo. all.My DH and i will be going very early May and want to to AK on one day and MGM on the other day,I have heard a lot of folks say AK does not really need a whole day,,,but we may what do you guys think?and will we need more than one day for MGM?we went year before last and did MK and EPCOT...MK was fine for the day,,BUT we needed more time to do EPCOT(big park) TIA!!!

 

[WDWguru]

If it's just the two of you, frankly I'd spend less time in MK and more time in the other parks. I'm biased and will admit AK is my favorite park (maybe a tie with Epcot) but there are wildly varying opinions. What I think we can all agree on is that AK is a very different park from the rest. It is NOT a park to commando through and check off a list of rides. It's a park to be experienced, to stroll through and soak up and not rush rush rush through. That may or may not be your touring style -- it certainly wasn't for us the first time, but once we "got" it we really started to love it.

DH and I are childfree and about half our trips are just the two of us. We tend to spend parts of multiple days in AK and Epcot, with less time at MGM and even less at MK. We go, hit our favorites, but find we keep going back to AK and Epcot.

 

[PrincessCandaceMarie]

It all depends on what you want to see and do in each park; I can do both easily, but if you figure out what you want to do, you can do it. Have fun!

 

[mom2threeboys]

I think it just depends on what you like. I agree with the above poster, AK is very different than the other parks, and it seems you could spend a lot of time there. With 3 kids we spent less there, b/c they get so tired walking, etc. BUt its a great park, and I see how you could spend more than one day there.
MGM - I can't imagine speding more than one day here, but again maybe just preference. Its smaller and has less that interests me, personlly. I think 1 day, or even a half day here would suffice for us. (Well it did.) But if you like to ride the thrill rides over and over, maybe you'd want more time here!

 

[tjkraz]

If you're going to have a Hopper ticket (a wise investment, IMO), it will serve you well on a day that includes the Animal Kingdom. Unless you plan to go to AK on a night that has the Extra Magic Hour, the park will close at 5pm. That's a great opportunity to grab some dinner and then finish the night at a park that is open later.

Honestly, unless you really want to see all of the shows or the late-day parade, you probably will be done at AK before 5pm. Festival of the Lion King is the only must-see show. Tarzan Rocks is good, too, but only if you like loud rock music. In early May, it certainly won't take you 8 hours to see those two shows and catch all of the rides in the park.

If you haven't been to MGM before, and want to do all of the quality attractions in the park, it could easily take more than a day. Off the top of my head, I'd skip Sounds Dangerous, the Animation Tour and Playhouse Disney. But all of the other attractions are quite good, including the new stunt show that should be open in time for your trip. Unless you're willing to sacrifice some of the attractions, I really don't think you could do everything at MGM in one day.

 

[allisonwonderland]

great,,thanks guys,I think we made the right choice.We will do AK one day and MGM the next.this way..we can take our time doing each park. ..ok..i just read what the last perso posted (posted this before I read that) ughhh,,,i will need more than a day for MGM?boo hooo,,no we dont have park hoppers(I dont think they sell em for 2 days)...we will just need careful planning,id there anything I DONT wanna miss at either park/?does AK have a parade or fireworks?what about MGM?

 

[MinnieM3]

I can't see either park taking more than a day unless you're REALLY into someothign that's there. We make multiple trips to MK and Epcot, but AK and MGM never get more than a day.

 

[littlestix]

Bothe of those parks have parades. Personally, I liked AK better than MGM. I found MGM to be difficult to navigate and even got lost a time or two.

 

[Abba98]

We like to have 1 day each at WDW,AK,MGM,and usually 2 days to do Epcot.We're quite thorough,and cover a lot of turf,so think 1 day at those spots should be good for you!
Have a fabulous time!Kirsten

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

We do AK in half a day since it's not our favorite. MGM we do a whole day and near the end of our trip we always go back to squeeze in a few extra rides on Rock n Roller coaster and to see any shows we may have missed or want to see again

 

[LoriMistress]

Personally, I would spend more then one day at MGM because there were several shows that I wanted to see, but wasn't able to because of time.

 

[bajanswife]

allisonwonderland ... you can get park hopping on 2 day tickets now ... it just costs extra ($70 extra for both of you). That would mean you could do AK, then hop to MGM for Fantasmic, then see the rest of MGM the next day.

 

[disneyboy]

I would say that AK doesn't need 1 whole day. MK, A full day if you have kids.Epcot definantly needs 1 day. :thewave: :space:

 

[karylrocks]

I think one day for each park is just right. We have been to AK several times and love it, but now that we know what we like we are usually done by 2:00. If it is your first time you might want to take the day to explore it, but even then it does close early (I would suggest dinner at Downtown Disney and spending the evening at the Adventurers Club). On our last trip MGM was my favorite. While the other parks were crowded, MGM for some reason was much quieter and very relaxing (except of course RnR which we did twice!). We saw more shows than usual and I just had a great time.

 

[java]

MGM you will want to see Fantasmic. The parade is ok but not one of our favorites. They should have the new stunt show when you go. Must ride tower of terror and rock and roll rollercoaster. Indianna Jones show is another good one. Backstage studio tour(I think they still do this) Is a huge time zapper and I would skip on a blitz tour. You should try to make your reservations for the Fantasmic package with the dinner at Hollywood and Vine. That way you won't waste time standing in line for the show. Have fun..
AK is so spread out. I was amazed at the walking we did at that park- it winds and is not as easy to go from one place back to another so be sure you see everything you want to see in an area.
Have fun

 

[nbandfour]

I have to emphasize just how GREAT Fantasmic is. Everyone in my family loved it when we went last year, from my 40 year old husband to our youngest son (3.5). We did the package, ate at Hollywood and Vine, and must recommend that too. Of course, we were there at spring break and the crowds were monstrous. If you are there at non-peak season you should be able to do MGM in one day. We almost did during spring break, with 4 kids, and having to watch the (sorry!) horrendous Playhouse Disney show. Skip it if you don't have a preschooler with you. But don't skip The Little Mermaid Show. It's really sweet and well done.

Nb