What is your opinion on the best park?

[tylerr]

Hello-

We will be taking our 1 year old to WDW in a few weeks. We know he will not remember it, but we still would like to go as a family and watch his face when looking at all the fantastic stuff. In your opinion, what would be the best park for us? We only have 1 day to spend at WDW. Also, does 1 park really take all day?

 

[lentesta]

Hi tylerr,

Yes, the big parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios) take at least one day to tour. The MK and Epcot probably should take 2. You could do a fairly comprehensive tour of the Animal Kingdom in one day, though.

If you've not been to WDW, or not been in a very long time, the most logical choice is the Magic Kingdom. Whichever park you pick, I'd be wary of giving a one-year old an entire day of visual, audible and olfactory stimulus, though. Sensory overload might become an issue. Is it possible to plan a mid-day break into your day? A nice nap does wonders.

Hope this helps!

Len

 

[dogg2727]

I agree with len about the long day for the youngster. MK is probably your best choice. I think MGM is one of those parks you need to be older to truly enjoy it, though they do have the muppets. Epcot, if it still had horizons, world of motion, and the original figment, I probably would have suggested that but the attractions that are there now won't be useful for your 1 yr. old. MS and TT have height req. leaving you with the land, food rocks, honey I shrunk the audience (which could scare him), spaceship earth, and the new NOT improved figment. MK has everything that the kids love. Buzz lightyear (even though he can't shoot it is a colorful setting), tea cups, little race cars, people mover, and basically all of fantasy land.

 

[TreeOfLife]

My devotion to the AK park aside for aminute, I definitely think is the best. For a child that age, it provides activities and calmed walkways where she can nap and the adults still enjoy the exhibits. Does not leave that feeling of missing rides and attractions because the baby went to sleep.

If you only look to visit rides and attractions, I agree it is the shortest park to go through in a day. However, if you are an animal lover and get into discovery and learning about what you see, it could take you more than a day.

So it caters to everyone's interests

 

[tylerr]

Yes, of course, we'll take a break for a nap. Actually, we are thinking 9-11 and then lunch. Home for a nap and back by 3:00 until we feel we are tired enough to leave.

So would you say that Rain Forest Cafe is the best for food there at AK? That's what I'm leaning towards as my son LOVES animals.

 

[lentesta]

I almost recommended the AK. In fact, I'm spending the morning there with my DD5 next week while my DW samples the GF spa.

The only issue with the AK is that is closes early, possibly 5 p.m., so tylerr's family would have four, maybe five hours in the park during the entire day. Possibly an extra hour if we count lunch. That doesn't seem like the best use of a day's admission, which is why I didn't go with the AK.

I'm inclined to take dogg2727's sentiments and go with Epcot. A 1 year old is just as likely to be fascinated by what's there as anywhere else, and Epcot's open until 9 p.m. So I'd like to change my recommendation to be whatever tylerr and his SO prefer. If you want classic Disney theme park attractions, it's the MK. If you want more adult-oriented entertainment (and trust me, tylerr, you'll be back to the MK), go with Epcot. Either way, include the nap.

Len

 

[WDSearcher]

Originally posted by dogg2727
I agree with len about the long day for the youngster. MK is probably your best choice. I think MGM is one of those parks you need to be older to truly enjoy it, though they do have the muppets. Epcot, if it still had horizons, world of motion, and the original figment, I probably would have suggested that but the attractions that are there now won't be useful for your 1 yr. old. MS and TT have height req. leaving you with the land, food rocks, honey I shrunk the audience (which could scare him), spaceship earth, and the new NOT improved figment. MK has everything that the kids love. Buzz lightyear (even though he can't shoot it is a colorful setting), tea cups, little race cars, people mover, and basically all of fantasy land.

MGM also has all of the Playhouse Disney characters, along with Beauty & the Beast (kids love the music and characters) and Little Mermaid. The MK race cars can be a little iffy for a one-year-old, but the rest of Fantasyland will be fine (unless there's an issue with being afraid of the dark), as will Toontown. Frontierland has the Country Bears, Adventureland has Aladdin's carpets and the Jungle Cruise, and even Pirates isn't really all that scary. At Tomorrowland you also have Carousel of Progress, which is open now that they're rehabbing Alien Encounter.

 

[wannabee princess]

Personally I would go with MK. Our family loves AK, but if you are planning on leaving midday, I wouldn't do AK due to the early closing time. You can do so much of MK take a break and then come back for the fireworks and parade.

MK is full of wonderful things to enchant a 1yo. If you are trying to do things for adults too, there are great opportunities. When my ds was younger, I would send dh with oldest to do SM, TM, etc. and I would hop on the train and make the trip around the park with my youngest. THis was a great way to satisfy both ages - no sitting/standing waiting for the riders, and the pleasure of riding the "big" rides for the "big" kid. Toontown is a big hit with the littles too!

Depending on your child, I wouldn't necessarily recommend RFC. My animal-loving youngest was terrified when we went there when he was 2. It was a stressful meal because we were right by an animatronic ape and he would not eat.

 

[TreeOfLife]

RFC food isn't all that great, in all honesty. The baby may be scared by the storms and noises of the animatronic animals or may get a kick out of it.

Pizzafari has better meals and an awesome meal voucher deal where for under $6 you get a ton worth far more than you paid for.

So, try Pizzafari! And do take time to discover the AK park...

 

[Harambe]

Okay - my two cents! I'd also go with AK. If your little one naps in a stroller, you can walk her thru the tiger trek and/or the gorilla exhibit. It is just so calming and beautiful - you'll get a chance to experience it while the baby sleeps. And there are nice spots to sit by the river.

The newer section in Dinoland has the big chubby dino ride that rivals Dumbo in MK, and the look and colors here are cool.

Then there's Rafiki's Planet Watch that has fun stuff, including a small petting zoo that the baby will love!

The character meet and greets here are also great. We've never felt rushed - and there always seems to be plenty of characters around this park, including Mickey!

Do a PS at Donald's Breakfastosaurus (sp?) for around 10:00 or 10:30, then take the baby for a "stroll". This is a character breakfast.

 

[tylerr]

Now, I'm undecided between MK and AK??? However, I have another question. Where can you buy meal vouchers. I've checked online w/ ebay. I did read some place on these boards, about purchasing them. I thought it was hotwire.com, but I checked there and I didn't see anything about meal vouchers for Disney. If any of you could be of help, I'd appreciate it.

 

[lentesta]

Hey tylerr,

There are two kinds of vouchers, I think. One (I think they're called Connections vouchers) you can purchase online (either through eBay or others), the other is specific to the Animal Kingdom, I think.

A good review of the first kind of voucher is here:
The Mousesavers link. I did an analysis of these vouchers for dining in the parks, and the circumstances under which they were a good deal were limited. If you eat a lot of food, and you generally order from among the most expensive menu items, then they may make sense. Or if you're going to order one meal to split between two people, maybe. But I doubt a "one voucher per person per meal" strategy is generally cost effective, especially in the parks.

I think the meal vouchers in sold in the Animal Kingdom are more cost effective. For one thing, I believe you get coupons for an entree, side, drink and dessert. Unlike the Connections vouchers, you don't have to get all of your food at once. So you can save, for example, the dessert coupon for later and grab some popcorn while walking around. That makes more sense than trying to eat a huge meal. IMHO, of course.

Len

 

[bigbeno99]

I would have to recommend MK also. Our Disney trip in 97 we
also travelled with one year old and MK has the most in the way
of fantastic stuff to light up their faces. So sad you only have one day but enjoy the magic!!!