Which park plan for March 2023 for first timers to WDW?

[rauk]

We are booked for our first WDW vacation on March 10-16, 2023 - which is our kids spring break. Our kids are 8 years old and we're staying at the Polynesian. This site has been immensely helpful, and I have gotten so many tips from reading many posts – thank you all for contributing. After all the research, I have 2 park plans that I'm considering. You will notice that I left Epcot out. Since we have a 4-day park pass and want to do Magic Kingdom over 2 days, I figured we'd do Epcot the next time we visit. Fri March 10 we arrive in the late afternoon so will relax at the hotel and have early flights out on Thu March 16. Please let me know which park plan is better or what I should change?

Option 1:

Sat March 11: Magic Kingdom
Sun March 12: Magic Kingdom
Mon March 13: rest day
Tue March 14: Animal Kingdom
Wed March 15: Hollywood Studios


Option 2:

Sat March 11: Animal Kingdom
Sun March 12: Hollywood Studios
Mon March 13: rest day
Tue March 14: Magic Kingdom
Wed March 15: Magic Kingdom

 

[coasternut22]

No matter what start your first trip at MK, especially if you are staying at Poly and will be staring right at it. You can do back to back days at MK, but I prefer to break it up. It’s also fun to have MK be your first and last park of the trip. Consider switching your option 1 second MK day with HS. So MK, HS, break, AK, MK. I think this is a good balance. Also, since you are staying at Poly and will be looking at MK all week, it’s good to know you will be going back later in the week.

 

[rauk]

No matter what start your first trip at MK, especially if you are staying at Poly and will be staring right at it. You can do back to back days at MK, but I prefer to break it up. It’s also fun to have MK be your first and last park of the trip. Consider switching your option 1 second MK day with HS. So MK, HS, break, AK, MK. I think this is a good balance. Also, since you are staying at Poly and will be looking at MK all week, it’s good to know you will be going back later in the week.

That’s a great suggestion. I hadn’t thought to separate the MK days. Might be nice to start and end the trip at MK. Thank you

 

[sponica]

I would start and end at MK. If it's not cost probitive, I might also look into a 5th day and do Epcot instead of a rest day, but I'm team Epcot.

 

[rauk]

I would start and end at MK. If it's not cost probitive, I might also look into a 5th day and do Epcot instead of a rest day, but I'm team Epcot.

I updated our plan based on the suggestions:

Sat March 11: Magic Kingdom
Sun March 12: Hollywood Studios
Mon March 13: rest day
Tue March 14: Animal Kingdom
Wed March 15: Magic Kingdom

I've now learned that on Monday's (usually) Epcot has Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. Would you turn your 4 day ticket to a 5 day ticket ($250 more for 4 ppl) and give up your rest day for Epcot? I was thinking it might work if we start later in the day at Epcot and stay until EETPH ends. Thoughts?

 

[glocon]

You can always price out hoppers as well.

That way you can end some days at EP… maybe after some time at HS (since those parks are within walking distance from each other) and maybe after AK since there aren’t as many rides there.

Just another option to think about and price out.

 

[Mitre10]

We'll be at the Poly the same week as you! This is our second long trip and last time (2017, the kids were 8 and 5) we had initially scheduled a rest day but found we'd rather be at the parks while we were in the area--plus the weather was not great that day for the pool. I would encourage you to do a slow start day and then explore EPCOT on Monday with EEH, like you mentioned above.

 

[loves to dive]

Hmmmmm. I'd do park hoppers but we are a pro hopper family and have always had them.

However, if that is not doable, I'd look at 5 day tickets. I don't think Epcot is skippable, even when my son was a toddler he loved it and it was way less kid friendly back then (early 80s). Like others, I'd move MK for the first and last days but my reason would be different. My thinking is it's possible you or your kids will find you did all you wanted at MK or didn't do all you wanted at another park and you can maybe switch that last day reservation. I know everyone thinks all kids love MK and want to spend all their time there but it's not always the case. Again, with my son, it was never even a full day park. He liked it well enough but just enjoyed the other parks better, especially after AK opened. Another reason for the hoppers, you can hop into MK a little every day from the Poly if that floats everyone's boats yet still get to experience the other parks.

 

[NashvilleMama]

I updated our plan based on the suggestions:

Sat March 11: Magic Kingdom
Sun March 12: Hollywood Studios
Mon March 13: rest day
Tue March 14: Animal Kingdom
Wed March 15: Magic Kingdom

I've now learned that on Monday's (usually) Epcot has Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. Would you turn your 4 day ticket to a 5 day ticket ($250 more for 4 ppl) and give up your rest day for Epcot? I was thinking it might work if we start later in the day at Epcot and stay until EETPH ends. Thoughts?

Yes, I would absolutely do this - Epcot is great for a late start day, you could go after lunch and easily do enough by park close to make it worth it. My kids at that age loved Epcot but mapping out your day in the park is key so you're not walking all over creation as I find it's the most tiring park if you're criss-crossing it to get to things.

 

[rauk]

We'll be at the Poly the same week as you! This is our second long trip and last time (2017, the kids were 8 and 5) we had initially scheduled a rest day but found we'd rather be at the parks while we were in the area--plus the weather was not great that day for the pool. I would encourage you to do a slow start day and then explore EPCOT on Monday with EEH, like you mentioned above.

Thanks. I think this is what we’ll do then. I hadn’t considered that the weather may not be great, always the optimist! Maybe we’ll bump into you at the Poly!!

 

[rauk]

Yes, I would absolutely do this - Epcot is great for a late start day, you could go after lunch and easily do enough by park close to make it worth it. My kids at that age loved Epcot but mapping out your day in the park is key so you're not walking all over creation as I find it's the most tiring park if you're criss-crossing it to get to things.

Thanks. I’ll do some research and have a plan