What's the best park combo?

[PlutoIsHerFav]

We're staying 5 nights with 3 park days in June (at Wilderness). Tickets are not park hoppers. Kids will be 2 and turning 6 (the day we depart). With the heat we know we need to keep our expectations low and need for a nap high!
We've done one day at MK with them (Nov), but none of the other parks. We plan to do one day at MK, one day at AK. Here are the questions!

1. Should our third park day be at Epcot or HS, or a 2nd day at MK? Originally we were leaning toward a second day at MK given our kids ages and that we didn't see a whole section of the park our last trip (and we were there from rope drop until 11 pm). However, we'd also like to see a third park - would Epcot or HS be a good option for our kids?

2. What order should we do the parks? We'll have one pool/down day built in. We also have the day we arrive/leave where we could potentially go to the park that day, but not sure it makes sense. My husband likes the idea so we'd do every other day park/pool. We arrive on a Sunday, leave Friday, if that matters. My thought was to do:
S-Arrive
M- AK
T - Epcot or HS
W - Pool
Th - MK
F - depart

Thoughts?! I'm trying to plan this out so I can make some dining reservations! We're past the 180 days so options are already limited. TIA!!

 

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

I think doing MK last is always good. Saving the best for last! When in June? If it's before Toy Story Land opens, I would say Epcot. But it depends on what your kids like because Epcot may be boring for them.

 

[jina]

Tough one. Given your kids ages, their interests matter for the decision. Since you've already done MK in Nov and will do 1 more day in June, I'd definitely do EP or HS.

Do EP if:
- your kids like Frozen
- your kids are into space/science
- your 6yo is 40"+ and would like Soarin' and Test Track and you are ok doing parent swap w/ the younger one

Do DHS if:
- your kids like Star Wars
- your 6yo is 40"+ and wants to do Star Tours
- your kids like going to shows in between rides

In June it's *possible* Toy Story Land in DHS will have previews which could be a factor but who knows.

I like your overall plan order. Another option if your kids are not really "show" kids, you could look at adding 1 more day of park ticket but make DHS a 1/2 day and play at the pool in the afternoon and return in the evening if you're up for it for the Star Wars fireworks. (so EP Tues, DHS + Pool Wed)

 

[Kellykins1218]

Skip Epcot unless you want to spend half your day letting your kids color

 

[PlutoIsHerFav]

We'll be there the week of the 17th, so Toy Story Land won't be open yet. I so wish it would be!

We're figuring the Epcot or HS Day won't be as full as AK and MK, which is why we're putting it in the middle! I'm not sure which to choose. The little one just loves Mickey & friends. My 6 yo loves Minnie, princesses (but met them a lot on the cruise so not planning around meet and greets) and roller coasters. She was tall enough in Nov for all in MK. She wouldn't ride Space Mountain though because she couldn't sit next to one of us. She could care less about Star Wars.

I think Epcot may make the most sense but will there be enough for them to do/ride/see? I definitely don't want to spend half the day watching them color... There's still the option of a 2nd day in MK - I'd change the order up to MK/AK/MK.

Does it make sense to do a park on arrival or departure day to spread it out more, or stick to the above plan?

 

[DIS_AWC]

I think Epcot may make the most sense but will there be enough for them to do/ride/see?

Our first trip to Epcot with our 2 and 5 year old girls we didn't do ANY of the Kidcot/coloring stuff and they had a great time. Two princess fans, so we ate at Akershus, met all of the princesses in WS, did the Character Spot for Mickey, Minnie and Goofy. My older daughter's favorite things about Epcot were Club Cool (soda samples from around the world), Soarin', the aquarium, and the fountains. My younger daughter loved the Nemo ride, Spaceship Earth, and the drummers in WS that we stumbled upon while walking around. We were there before FEA opened and Anna and Elsa met there, so that's something they are looking forward to for our next trip. So in our experience, there were lots of things to do that didn't involve coloring.

 

[loves to dive]

I would play it by ear, gasp I know. Maybe move the MK day up and if you and/or the kids feel like you still want to go back to MK you can, if not do Epcot.

 

[Kellykins1218]

My kids hate Epcot. They say it's boring so it's not even a half day park for us.

 

[sharonabe]

I think Epcot may make the most sense but will there be enough for them to do/ride/see? I definitely don't want to spend half the day watching them color...

There is so much more to do than color!! The aquarium at The Seas will keep them entertained for quite a while along with Turtle Talk with Crush. At the end of Test Trak, Mission Space, and Spaceship Earth there are a lot of interactive things to keep the little one entertained while you do child swap with the older one. The 4D Pixar shorts are hilarious. And just outside Imagination are the JUMPING FOUNTAINS....so much fun! Then before you get to World Showcase, check out how to download the Phineas & Ferb missions to your smart phone and really explore the countries. The kids will love this even if they have no idea who Phineas and Ferb are. The various entertainers around the World are fun too. And then there's the miniature train set up in Germany. My kids could hang out there forever when they were little.

There's nothing wrong with taking it slow and exploring all EP has to offer. We've never had enough time there.

 

[mousehouse23]

There is so much more to do than color!! The aquarium at The Seas will keep them entertained for quite a while along with Turtle Talk with Crush. At the end of Test Trak, Mission Space, and Spaceship Earth there are a lot of interactive things to keep the little one entertained while you do child swap with the older one. The 4D Pixar shorts are hilarious. And just outside Imagination are the JUMPING FOUNTAINS....so much fun! Then before you get to World Showcase, check out how to download the Phineas & Ferb missions to your smart phone and really explore the countries. The kids will love this even if they have no idea who Phineas and Ferb are. The various entertainers around the World are fun too. And then there's the miniature train set up in Germany. My kids could hang out there forever when they were little.

There's nothing wrong with taking it slow and exploring all EP has to offer. We've never had enough time there.

This is very good advice. I vote for Epcot, too.

 

[JerseyJanice]

My own kids always loved Epcot. Even when I go now with my little great nieces, they love it too.

Spaceship Earth, Nemo and the aquarium, Living with the Land, character meets, Journey into the Imagination, the Pixar shorts, boat ride in Mexico, movies in China, Canada and France, exploring the store and gardens in Japan, watching the “street” entertainment, the train set in Germany and the caramel store, the maze in England, etc.

We spend a lot of our time there because there is so much for everyone to see and do.

The Studios is totally skippable in its current state unless you really want to see Fantasmic. When Toy Story Land opens, it will be a zoo.

 

[Mainemama]

Epcot would be my choice. My kids have always loved Epcot at any age. There are more rides, and more awesome experiences. I find it is hard to schedule HS days, because it is so show heavy. If you arrive by 2:00 or so, though, you could visit HS on your arrival day.

 

[Haley R]

I would do a second day at mk. There is so much to see and do there, especially for little ones. You could probably spend a whole day on rides and eating and a second day taking it slow, watching parades, and meeting characters.

 

[lovethesun12]

I have a 3 year old and 5 year old. Assuming TSL is not opened and you have no AP, I would definitely NOT do hollywood studios for that age group. They will be sitting in theaters all day. I'm not even sure about TSMM at that time (I'm not knowledgeable on this but I think you might not even be able to FP+ the ride) which takes the only good ride there for kids out of the equation.

Personally I would do MK and AK like you suggested. I don't think you'd be disappointed choosing MK or Epcot. Personally I'd do Epcot because you get to see a different park. I don't hear a lot of love for choosing Epcot for kids on the boards but you have the tanks (my kids love), Nemo ride, Crush, JIIWF, SE, Frozen, The three Caballeros, club cool, etc. I find a lot of rides with 40" requirements can be scary for those on the fence but Soarin' is a fun ride for that age (your 6yo). I find our Epcot day is relaxed and fun. Tons to fill a day.

For order I'd do Epcot first, AK second and MK third.

 

[Surgie2]

Epcot is very underrated for young kids in my opinion. I'd definitely pick this as a third park over HS for young kids. I guess if you aren't prepared for what Epcot has to offer you might miss some great opportunities. Epcot will be our first park day with the grandkids and we are hitting the character spot first thing with a FP so they will meet Mickey and know they have arrived at WDW! This article really helped me in planning and we have the luxury of doing two partial Epcot days since we are there 8 park days. http://www.buildabettermousetrip.com/epcot-with-young-children/

 

[TI double-GUH ER]

I'd probably go with MK just because there is so much to do there for those ages. But - if you do want to do EP, the Agent P adventure is a lot of fun and is something you could do together as a family. The one in Germany is especially fun. We also spent a lot of time in the aquarium. Turtle Talk is fun - plus you are in air conditioning.
The 2 year old may like the Disney Junior Show at HS. (FWIW, my kids loved it at that age) That same park also has Sorcerer Mickey (if that's interesting to you or them).

 

[AllieBoo]

With kids that age, I would two MK days. There are just so many rides, and so many that are geared towards small children.

I always start and end my vacation with MK, so I would do MK, AK and MK.

 

[PlutoIsHerFav]

Thanks all for the great advice! I'm still really torn between EP and a second day at MK. I don't mind playing it by ear, but want to end on MK, so hesitant to start there and play by ear! I do like the idea of an "easy" day at EP and some indoor activities in the heat of June!

Are there any FP for character meets in EP besides Elsa and Anna? My kids are Minnie and Mickey obsessed. They've met them a ton of times on the cruises but it's seriously the highlight for them so I want to make that happen! We didn't do any character meets during our day at MK in November and my 5 yo said it was fun, but she preferred the cruise because of character meets! I want to capitalize on this stage as long as it lasts!

 

[DIS_AWC]

Are there any FP for character meets in EP besides Elsa and Anna?

There aren't FP available to meet Anna and Elsa. You can get a FP for the Character Spot, which has Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy in their classic outfits, so that sounds like it would be a great fit for your kids.

 

[PlutoIsHerFav]

There aren't FP available to meet Anna and Elsa. You can get a FP for the Character Spot, which has Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy in their classic outfits, so that sounds like it would be a great fit for your kids.

Yes, a FP for Mickey, Minnie and Goofy is perfect! We have a reservation for CRT at on our MK day so I don't want to eat up more of that day waiting to see characters since there are so many rides they can do. Thank you!