Taking DGDs. MK first or last?

[Simba's Mom]

They'll be 4 yo and 2 yo. On one hand, I've heard that once they see the MK, they won't want to go to any other park, so you should "build up" to it, going to the other parks first. Yet, in other reading, I've heard that kids won't go anywhere else until after they see the castle and Mickey at the MK, so going there first is a must. What have others' experiences been? I'm afraid of causing a meltdown. Does it really matter much what order we do the parks in?

 

[Happyjen27]

My pair was 5 on their first trip, and I heard the same thing, make MK the last park.

I think the answer depends on how long you will be there. We were there 8 days, and so we did MK every other day. DHS the afternoon that we landed, then MK the next day. AK the next day, then MK. EP the next day then MK the next. DHS the next day, then EP and MK the last.

It really shouldn't matter much, there is fun around every corner at Disney, no matter what park you're in. I love that you're trying to prevent meltdowns, good thinking, but, hopefully, if there is one, it will be gone quickly once they see what fun every park has in store.

 

[SmallWorld71]

My kids have been at WDW at all ages from toddler through teen and IMO it doesn't make a hill of beans of difference what park you start in. It just so happens that the boys first park ever was DHS and DD's was Animal Kingdom. Mine was MK, but that's all there was.

We plan our park days with what makes the most sense for our overall schedule, follows the least crowded calendar days, fits our dining etc... If MK happens to be first, then great! If not, that's great, too!

There is so much for every age at each park, that the kids' opinions will be greatly influenced by your approach and what you choose to do with them. Mickey can be found in each park if that helps it to feel a little more Disney. We do typically allot at least 2 days for the MK though, where ever those days may fall. The sheer # of attractions there warrants it.

 

[henry72]

Honestly, I don't think it matters - especially at that age. We always start with MK. At 4 and 20 months, the kids just went where we told them. There was always something new to do and see that they never complained about seeing Mickey or the castle. (We always do Park Hoppers so a lot of time we "hop" back to another park in the evening. When they were 4 and 20 months, they always wanted to go back to Epcot.)