Three Days Only - No Hoppers!!!

[nutshell]

We will spend three days at DISNEY WORLD in July 2018. Me, spouse, daughter (18), and son (14). We'll be doing a Disney cruise after our time at DW. We are Disneyland vets but never been to DW.

QUESTION: With only three days, which parks do you recommend? We aren't doing park hoppers. Just one park each day, which means we'll miss one park. My son loves rides. Daughter does too. My wife prefers shows and parades. Any tips?

Thanks ahead of time for the help!

 

[bryanb]

I'm a Disneyland veteran too. I think you'll be most interested in visiting Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom because it is the successor to Disneyland. It will be at once familiar and different enough to be exciting. It has great entertainment and variations on your favorite attractions. The fireworks are not to be missed.

Epcot is the most distinctive park at WDW. Nostalgic in Future World, but more importantly the World Showcase is an amazing place to explore. It's not so ride heavy but there are shows in the various pavilions that I think you'll enjoy. Illuminations is something that you must catch at the end of the night.

Animal Kingdom is probably my favorite... great animal exhibits, but fun even if you're not that into animal exhibits. There are excellent restaurants there and the theming is spectacular. The entertainment is top notch from around the world. It now boasts some of the best rides at Disney World. Flight of Passage is an amazing simulator in Pandora. Expedition Everest is one of the best roller coasters Disney has ever created. The nighttime show gets mixed reviews on here.

I'd skip Hollywood Studios. The best things at Hollywood Studios, in my ranking, are: Toy Story Midway Mania, Tower of Terror, Rock N Roller Coaster, and Fantasmic. Maybe Star Tours. Except for Rock N Roller Coaster, you already have versions of each of these at Disneyland. Perhaps you can save this one for your next trip to WDW.

 

[Haley R]

We normally do short trips like you so I know how hard it can be sometimes to squeeze it all in. For a 3 day trip, I would do Magic Kingdom at least one day, Epcot, and either another day at Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom. I think it depends what your family wants to experience. DH and I can easily spend 2 days at MK. We like to take one day to go all out and ride as many rides as we can. Then we take the second day to slow down, meet characters, and re-ride the rides we liked the best! We took a full day at Epcot and still felt like it wasn't enough time. We wished we could've had more time to experience the countries.

We have 3 park days this coming March without PH and are doing one day at MK, one day at Animal Kingdom (we want to try Pandora), and our third day is the Disney After Hours at MK. That just shows how much we like MK!

 

[nutshell]

I'm a Disneyland veteran too. I think you'll be most interested in visiting Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom because it is the successor to Disneyland. It will be at once familiar and different enough to be exciting. It has great entertainment and variations on your favorite attractions. The fireworks are not to be missed.

Epcot is the most distinctive park at WDW. Nostalgic in Future World, but more importantly the World Showcase is an amazing place to explore. It's not so ride heavy but there are shows in the various pavilions that I think you'll enjoy. Illuminations is something that you must catch at the end of the night.

Animal Kingdom is probably my favorite... great animal exhibits, but fun even if you're not that into animal exhibits. There are excellent restaurants there and the theming is spectacular. The entertainment is top notch from around the world. It now boasts some of the best rides at Disney World. Flight of Passage is an amazing simulator in Pandora. Expedition Everest is one of the best roller coasters Disney has ever created. The nighttime show gets mixed reviews on here.

I'd skip Hollywood Studios. The best things at Hollywood Studios, in my ranking, are: Toy Story Midway Mania, Tower of Terror, Rock N Roller Coaster, and Fantasmic. Maybe Star Tours. Except for Rock N Roller Coaster, you already have versions of each of these at Disneyland. Perhaps you can save this one for your next trip to WDW.

Thanks! Your plan makes sense to me!

 

[nutshell]

We normally do short trips like you so I know how hard it can be sometimes to squeeze it all in. For a 3 day trip, I would do Magic Kingdom at least one day, Epcot, and either another day at Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom. I think it depends what your family wants to experience. DH and I can easily spend 2 days at MK. We like to take one day to go all out and ride as many rides as we can. Then we take the second day to slow down, meet characters, and re-ride the rides we liked the best! We took a full day at Epcot and still felt like it wasn't enough time. We wished we could've had more time to experience the countries.

We have 3 park days this coming March without PH and are doing one day at MK, one day at Animal Kingdom (we want to try Pandora), and our third day is the Disney After Hours at MK. That just shows how much we like MK!

You love Magic Kingdom!!!

 

[Mome Rath]

We will spend three days at DISNEY WORLD in July 2018. Me, spouse, daughter (18), and son (14). We'll be doing a Disney cruise after our time at DW. We are Disneyland vets but never been to DW.

QUESTION: With only three days, which parks do you recommend? We aren't doing park hoppers. Just one park each day, which means we'll miss one park. My son loves rides. Daughter does too. My wife prefers shows and parades. Any tips?

Thanks ahead of time for the help!

Because you are used to DL, you may not realize just how big Magic Kingdom is, which is why some would tell you that you may need 2 days at MK. I'm one who would say to do one day MK, one day EPCOT and then either AK or Studios dependent on which rides look the most attractive to your party. I'd probably end at Magic Kingdom so that it is the last park you experience, it's just tradition for us, but it's because it is the main park. It's always good to cap off a trip with either a railroad ride around the kingdom, or watching the fireworks. If I were you I'd probably do Animal Kingdom instead of Studios, as AK is very different than anything out in DL, and Pandora is the new thing to see.

The other thing; really make use of Fast Pass, you'll need them to hit all the popular rides.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I would do MK, Epcot or AK, then MK again. MK needs 2 days to take in. With such a short trip there isn't much point in HS, it doesn't have a ton to do.

 

[OB1]

Totally agree with BryanB. No reason to do this version of H Studios. IF the Great Movie Ride was still open, and the Stunt Show, then maybe. But now with so few attractions, and may duplicated in Disneyland, you have to experience EPCOT & Animal Kingdom.

 

[Babsy]

I'm a Disneyland veteran too. I think you'll be most interested in visiting Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom because it is the successor to Disneyland. It will be at once familiar and different enough to be exciting. It has great entertainment and variations on your favorite attractions. The fireworks are not to be missed.

Epcot is the most distinctive park at WDW. Nostalgic in Future World, but more importantly the World Showcase is an amazing place to explore. It's not so ride heavy but there are shows in the various pavilions that I think you'll enjoy. Illuminations is something that you must catch at the end of the night.

Animal Kingdom is probably my favorite... great animal exhibits, but fun even if you're not that into animal exhibits. There are excellent restaurants there and the theming is spectacular. The entertainment is top notch from around the world. It now boasts some of the best rides at Disney World. Flight of Passage is an amazing simulator in Pandora. Expedition Everest is one of the best roller coasters Disney has ever created. The nighttime show gets mixed reviews on here.

I'd skip Hollywood Studios. The best things at Hollywood Studios, in my ranking, are: Toy Story Midway Mania, Tower of Terror, Rock N Roller Coaster, and Fantasmic. Maybe Star Tours. Except for Rock N Roller Coaster, you already have versions of each of these at Disneyland. Perhaps you can save this one for your next trip to WDW.

I agree with this!

Epcot and AK are must sees for a DL vet, IMO. The MK is iconic and a necessary part of the WDW experience, also IMO. Finally, DHS is in the middle of renovation so this is not the best time to take it in. Two days in the MK would be nice, but as you are very familiar with many of the rides there from DL, one day should do it for nostalgia and to experience the differences.

Be sure to book FP+ and any ADR's as soon as your booking windows open! especially for some of the hard to get ones like FP+ for Flight of Passage or the 7DMT.

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[nutshell]

Thank you, all!

What three FPs would you recommend for MK, Epcot, and AK?

Since I'm a Disneyland vet, what can I skip at MK?

What are the can't miss attractions at MK for a DL vet?

 

[TulipMom]

Get the hoppers! It will be worth it. Spend a day at MK, a day at Epcot, and split the AK/HS day. Check out the FP thread here for awesome tips on what FP to choose!

 

[Haley R]

Thank you, all!

What three FPs would you recommend for MK, Epcot, and AK?

Since I'm a Disneyland vet, what can I skip at MK?

What are the can't miss attractions at MK for a DL vet?

At MK we get 7DMT, Space Mountain, and Splash Mountain. We ride Thunder Mountain in the morning and again at night. The lines for BTM are short at night so we usually end up riding it 3-4 times.

At AK, I would get FOP if you can, Safari, and Kali River Rapids. If you can't get FOP, I would get Navi River.

I can't remember exactly what we got at Epcot. I know we couldn't get one for FEA, but we did have one for Test Track. It ended up being broken so we had to use it somewhere else. The big rides are Test Track, FEA, and Soarin'. We like to get a FP for Spaceship Earth sometimes and also Mission Space. DH and I love Mission Space: Orange.

 

[mom22boys]

With the age of your kids, you have to get a FP+ for Expedition Everest (EE) at AK! Is it our favorite!

 

[srwarden1928]

Fastpass recommendations:
MK: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan, Big Thunder Mountain RR
Epcot: Frozen Ever After, Spaceship Earth, Mission Space
AK: Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris
HS: (for what its worth) Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, Star Tours

 

[nutshell]

Is 7DMT worth the FP if we don't have little kids? My youngest is 14 and has been riding space mountain (DL) since 4! I want to do it because it's unique to MK, but I'm worried I'll feel like I wasted a FP if we're disappointed.

 

[Haley R]

Is 7DMT worth the FP if we don't have little kids? My youngest is 14 and has been riding space mountain (DL) since 4! I want to do it because it's unique to MK, but I'm worried I'll feel like I wasted a FP if we're disappointed.

It’s either get a FP, wait 2 hours, or go first thing in the morning. I’ve actually done all 3. The first time we waited 2 hours and that was fun because the fireworks went off while we were in line. It just made waiting 2 hours less boring. This year we went first thing in the morning and were the second ones on in the first train. The day after that we had a FP for it. I will say that neither DH nor I are impressed with the ride. We would much rather ride BTMR, splash, or space mountain. I think it comes down to what your family likes best as an option. We’ve ridden it and have decided it isn’t worth a fast pass so we will do it first thing. The only exception is when we take our 9 yo niece next year. We will get a FP for it then just so we don’t have to rush in the morning.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Thank you, all!

What three FPs would you recommend for MK, Epcot, and AK?

Since I'm a Disneyland vet, what can I skip at MK?

What are the can't miss attractions at MK for a DL vet?

As someone who grew up very close to Disneyland for many years of my life and has been going to WDW several times over the past couple years, this is what I recommend:

Fastpasses:
MK: Big Thunder Railroad, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, 3rd FP: (Peter Pan, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain). You won't go wrong with any of these as a 3rd FP.
EPCOT: Test Track (rope drop Soarin or Frozen Ever After), Spaceship Earth, Mission Space.
AK: Flight of Passage (even though this has been very difficult to get unless you are doing a 4+ day trip. Things could change by the time you go), Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris or Kali River Rapids for a 3rd FP. (If you can't get a FoP FP, then get the fastpasses that I put an "or" between. You should then rope drop FoP or wait until the evening before closing to get in line. Pandora is amazing so really try to get on the attractions there!)

Disneyland vet skipping at MK:
- Little Mermaid: This is the only attraction in the Magic Kingdom that is the EXACT same as the Disneyland (DCA) version (not including rides like Dumbo). It has also been a while since i have done Buzz Lightyear at MK, so i can't remember if that is the exact same. I know the ride vehicles aren't the same.
- If you don't want to be disappointed, don't go on Pirates of the Caribbean. The Disneyland version is 100x better! It is still worth a ride though if you like Pirates of the Caribbean. I usually always go on it.
- Definitely skip the Tomorrowland Speedway.

What are the can't miss attractions at MK for a DL vet:
- Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, It's A Small World (keep in mind this is all inside ), Winnie the Pooh, etc. are all still worth going on because they have different aspects to them.
- If you want to remember the past, Country Bear Jamboree and Carousel of Progress are at the MK.
- Festival of Fantasy Parade
- Happily Ever After Fireworks Show
- PeopleMover!!! I wish Disneyland still had the PeopleMover!
- I really enjoy Mickey's Philharmagic which is a 3D Movie Show.
- Hall of Presidents (if it is open when you go).

I would really choose your favorite attractions at Disneyland and see how they compare to the version at WDW.

You will have a great time regardless of what you decide to do. I hope you have a great trip and enjoy the cruise!

 

[srwarden1928]

Is 7DMT worth the FP if we don't have little kids? My youngest is 14 and has been riding space mountain (DL) since 4! I want to do it because it's unique to MK, but I'm worried I'll feel like I wasted a FP if we're disappointed.

7DMT has an insanely long standby line. If you are going to ride it, you want a FP for it. I like to ride (nearly) everything. That is why I want the FP for 7DMT and PP. I just don't want to wait that long for them. Plus the mountains amazingly seem to have shorter lines. The same case is made for FEA in Epcot rather than Soarin or TT. The line for the more family friendly rides get insane. The lines for the rides with height restrictions are more moderate.

 

[HeidiGW]

7DMT is good for fast pass. You will enjoy it, but not worth a stand-by line.
Skip space mountain, if you can't get in either first thing or later at night. DL version is far superior.
I love BTMRR, but I don't think it was much different. You will like SM boats much better...
Skip Tiki Room, but the not the Dole Whip stand...it is much nicer!

 

[PrincessBelle39]

As DL veterans, I’d skip Space Mountain. We were very disappointed in it after riding the one at DL.