Skipping Epcot?

[LisaTC]

Personally I would drop HS over EPCOT, but I am biased towards EPCOT. I feel that there is a lot more to see and do at EPCOT for kids of all ages. Look at attractions, height requirements, dining options and see what looks like the better way for everyone to spend their time. Also, F&W festival could be taking place while you are there.

Us, too. If we skip one or make is only 1/2 day it is DHS. It's funny what everyone feels so strongly about. We love AK! DD is almost 11 and she will put AK right up there with MK. MK is still number 1, but AK is a close 2nd. She also, LOVES Epcot. So, your own family is your barometer.

After reading what Epcot has to offer, and talking to DH and the kids we are doing an Epcot day. 4 days, 4 parks it sounds right.

Good for you! That sounds awesome. Have a great trip!

 

[Stephaniesue]

Us, too. If we skip one or make is only 1/2 day it is DHS. It's funny what everyone feels so strongly about. We love AK! DD is almost 11 and she will put AK right up there with MK. MK is still number 1, but AK is a close 2nd. She also, LOVES Epcot. So, your own family is your barometer.



Good for you! That sounds awesome. Have a great trip!

Thank you! The kids loved AK last time.

 

[DHSbutcher]

Don't forget about the food and wine festival in October! Epcot is a must then!

 

[mslhb]

Totally a personal preference. We have never skipped EPCOT. I am a child of the 80s so to me WDW will always be MK+EPCOT. Our next trip in June we will be skipping AK and DHS.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Lots of good advice. I hate to even say it because EPCOT may very well be my favorite park, but if you have to drop a Park and "rides" are what you want...drop EPCOT.

 

[juliebug1997]

It is just DH and myself, but we can't handle heights or "thrill rides" so this is what we do at Epcot: TT, The Seas, Turtle Talk, maybe ride the rides in Mexico and Norway, meet characters (that we've probably already met at other parks), see videos about the countries, eat and shop. Well, we can most of that done by about 3 PM. After that, we go back to MK and ride rides.

 

[jcemom]

I don't understand why everyone seems to think Epcot has fewer "rides" than the other parks?

DHS has four rides -- RnRC, ToT, TSM, Star Tours (*I* don't think the Backlot tram counts, ditto for Great Movie Ride, but if you do, then you can say DHS has six rides)

AK has six rides -- Everest, Kali Rapids, Safari, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl and Triceratops Spin

Epcot has eight rides + three more that may or may not fall into the Backlot Tour/Great Movie Ride "not really rides" category lol -- Test Track, Soarin, Mission Space, Nemo, Maelstrom, Figment, Sum of All Thrills, and Gran Fiesta Tour + Spaceship Earth, Living With the Land and Ellen's Energy

**ETA: Maybe since DHS's rides are so cool, they count as double? I didn't think of that lol, but it's possible.**

 

[maryj11]

I would go to Epcot.
Soarin and living with the seas is worth the trip to Epcot to me
HS always seems so crowded to me I guess because it is smaller.

 

[NavyDad]

After reading what Epcot has to offer, and talking to DH and the kids we are doing an Epcot day. 4 days, 4 parks it sounds right.

We (me lol) are now rearranging our days to include everything. We are making AK our last day as we will be leaving around 4 to head for the beach.

I have to get dinners planned with back ups for each park. Our ressie window opens Monday! The kids are super excited to see Epcot now! Thanks everyone!

This is the perfect Disney Balance

We have struggled with the same things over the years....

Our first trip our kids were little and to them Magic Kingdom WAS Disney so we had to 2 days there. That same trip I had no desire at all to visit AK after all the bad things I read about it and the kids were not interested in DHS so we only did a half day at each. Well, AK ended up being my favorite park and we didn't really get to experience what DHS had to offer. Epcot was just OK to us because we didn't really "get" World Showcase yet.

2nd trip our kids were a bit older. MK had lost some of it's "magic" for them and they were excited to try out the cool stuff at DHS. We ended up spending a whole day there from rope drop to the last Fantasmic show. The kids fought Darth Vader, built their own lightsaber, rode RnR and ToT a half a dozen times each and we LOVED the night time atmosphere capped off by our first time at Fantasmic.

Next trip DW and finally spent a date night in World Showcase and LOVED it. During out last trip we stayed at Beach Club with Hoppers and took our kids to a different country every night for dinner. It was great and now the kids love Epcot as much as DW and I.

Basically each trip we experienced new things at each park we did not expect and I'm really glad we have continued to visit each park as the kids grow. I hope you guys have fun!

 

[bladiator]

I know I'm old now (OK OK only 34) but from the time I first went to EPCOT when I was 14, spaceship earth is the embodiment of that park. I will still ride it 3-4 times every time I go. I think I would drop HS as well.

But I know you're already planning to do all 4 so it's all good. Get your touring on for MK! And then enjoy the rest.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

I know I'm old now (OK OK only 34) but from the time I first went to EPCOT when I was 14, spaceship earth is the embodiment of that park. I will still ride it 3-4 times every time I go. I think I would drop HS as well.

But I know you're already planning to do all 4 so it's all good. Get your touring on for MK! And then enjoy the rest.

bladiator...we're totally on the same page. My favorite ride at EPCOT and probably one of my favorites in all of WDW!

 

[bladiator]

bladiator...we're totally on the same page. My favorite ride at EPCOT and probably one of my favorites in all of WDW!

What do you think it is? I mean, I am a music major, so things like musical highs and lows that work with the ride and theming are huge to me. But what else? The climb up and up and up until the pinnacle moment at the top of the globe?

I can see how many would call it boring, but I can't get enough.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

After reading what Epcot has to offer, and talking to DH and the kids we are doing an Epcot day. 4 days, 4 parks it sounds right.

We (me lol) are now rearranging our days to include everything. We are making AK our last day as we will be leaving around 4 to head for the beach.

I have to get dinners planned with back ups for each park. Our ressie window opens Monday! The kids are super excited to see Epcot now! Thanks everyone!

You definitely made the right choice. EPCOT is not to be missed. None of the parks should be missed, tbh. They are all very different and all four have world-class rides and attractions.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

What do you think it is? I mean, I am a music major, so things like musical highs and lows that work with the ride and theming are huge to me. But what else? The climb up and up and up until the pinnacle moment at the top of the globe?

I can see how many would call it boring, but I can't get enough.

First...I LOVE dark rides...particularly Disney's.

Second...I'm sure it's nostalgia as I was in my early teens the first time I rode it.

Third...like the best of Disney's rides it takes you "somewhere else" , totally immersive.

Fourth...ahhh...the music(sountrack)...the narration...the scents...the sense of forboding as you rise into the dark at the beginning.


The fact that it's usually just a walk-on with very little wait makes it even sweeter.

 

[cristen72]

On our first trip we only went to MK and HS. Second trip we did 4 parks / 4 days.

On the way home all we could talk about is how we ran out of time at Epcot. Our next trip will have 2 Epcot days for sure!

 

[Stephaniesue]

I am so glad I posted this! We would be missing out on a lot of fun it sounds like. I'm more excited about our trip now. It has been stressful to figure what park what day, honestly with doing all the parks its somehow easier for me.

I am really looking forward to a relaxing fun time. ADR window opens Monday then I will figure out fp+ reservations.

I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and opinions with me. This forum has been SO helpful!

 

[over50visits]

Would you drop Epcot or HS if you were going on a short trip?

To each his own, but I'd skip EPCOT if I had to choose one. To us, EPCOT is fun, but it seems mostly a shopping mall with a lot of restaurants. Nicely themed, but generally that's what it is. They do have a few wonderful rides, but they are wrapped in a money making machine. Seems like much more to enjoy at the other three parks without "spend money here" in your face most of the time.