Which park would you skip?

[hookedonears]

We are going in June for only four days =( and have decided to skip Animal Kingdom so that we could have Downtown Disney shopping and eating day our last day there.... I am really bummed about skipping this park because I LOVE the Dinosaur ride....but I dont want to skip out on my shopping and eating lol. Everyone going is in agreement for skipping this one park so it all works out. Just curious which park you would skip if you had to make a choice?

If the food at DTD was anything special, I'd say no problem. Ak is always the park that we go to only because that's what you're supposed to do when you go to Disney and have the time. However, DTD is definitely nothing special, especially the food and if we have the time, we would never skip a park to go to DTD.

 

[DisneyAbsolutely]

I find that there's something special at every park. I wouldn't want to ever skip one. I honestly wouldn't. Each park has at least two attractions that make me cocoa for cookoo poops! Like the poster above me, I don't really care for Downtown Disney. It's not worth missing a theme park for. It's different strokes for different folks. Do whatever makes you happiest!! Better yet, figure out which one you don't mind skipping and be pleasantly surprised if you end up finding time to go afterall! Good luck! Sorry it's coming down to choosing between parks!!!!!

FYI: I don't know how motivated your tribe is but it's possible to do everything in four days! We're going on our third year doing just that! It's exhausting but totally worth it for us!! Just a little inspiration for you! It can be done!!!

 

[ZoZo]

Ugh! Skip a park?????

I couldn't make a choice - I would schedule Downtown for an evening, AK closes at 5pm so I would then go to DD

This is exactly what I'd recommend. Rather than skip a park, I'd do a park until around 5:00, then go to DTD in the evening. To me, DHS is a half-day park (at best), so that would be the one I'd do.

Also, DTD doesn't have enough to do to warrant a full day. It's mostly shopping and restaurants, and definitely "doable" in a couple of hours, unless you're a shopaholic.

BTW, AK is my second-favorite park, so no way would I skip it!

 

[nooneshome]

For the two 3 day trips we took a few years back we skipped AK both times.

 

[DisneyAbsolutely]

This is exactly what I'd recommend. Rather than skip a park, I'd do a park until around 5:00, then go to DTD in the evening. To me, DHS is a half-day park (at best), so that would be the one I'd do.

BTW, AK is my second-favorite park, so no way would I skip it!

Nice idea! I know it feels like work but it's totally worth it to map out each day. I don't know if the OP is staying at the resort, but you can also take advantage of extra magic time. I find that we also spend less total time at Hollywood Studios. It's a must-see park but we don't usually dilly dally there for long.

 

[AshleyAnn]

We would skip DHS. It's our least favorite park and we don't spend much time there as is.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

We've skipped DHS and AK on different trips. But I go often enough that it's not a big deal.

Since when I go solo, I usually can do DHS in 3/4 of a day and I'll go to DTD after a rest at my resort.

Same with AK - unless I'm doing everything there I can be finished in 3/4 of a day and can do something else after a break at my resort.

 

[busymommy2pink]

I'm surprised how many people skip animal kingdom!! We have two full days planned there for our trip inmay. We don't have a Hollywood studios day since we don't care for it. We may go if we find ourselves with nothing else to do. We are there for 11 days. We love dtd too, so we have a dtd/resort day. If we were skipping it'd be dhs!

 

[CTH3]

We'd skip DHS. For us it's a park without focus, just a random collection of unrelated stuff and a zillion stores all selling the same trinkets you can buy at DTD...or the Disney store at the local Mall.

DHS supposedly celebrates the golden age of Hollywood, but its three biggest draws are RnR, which has nothing to do with Hollywood of any age, TSMM, which is based on a terrific movie, but a terrific movie from 1995, and anyway almost all Disney attractions are based on movies so why does this one belong in a special movie park, and ToT, which tries really hard to relate to Hollywood because, y'know, the fictional hotel was supposedly located there and, oh yeah, it's kinda sorta like an episode of "The Twilight Zone"...if you squint...and if you pretend "The Twilight Zone" was about spooky ghost stories, which it wasn't...not that "The Twilight Zone" has anything much to do with the golden age of Hollywood in the first place.

If DHS actually did celebrate the golden age of Hollywood, and did it well, it would very possibly be our favorite park. As is...skipped and never missed.

 

[Silvermist999]

For our first visit in 2010, we stayed 10 days and visited all 4 parks. This year, we have decided we will skip AK and go to only 3 parks. Even our children (ages 8 and 5) think that's a good idea. We are going to Legoland instead.

 

[sewingmolly]

This just shows how everyone has their own preferences. I would never skip a park for DTD. We just ended our spring break trip at DTD and won't do that again. DTD just isn't magical to us. MK will be our last stop from now on. I really would be fine with never going to DTD again.

 

[Hannathy]

I would skip downtown Disney! That would be a total no brainer. No way I'd skip a park for a bunch of stores that aren't even unique anymore.

 

[GenevieveRaqs]

We're going down for five days in October. We will spend two days at MK--our DS will be 4--and skip DHS. I personally wouldn't skip a park for DTD. To me, DTD is a nice "extra," a good place to stroll on an arrival evening, etc. But it isn't a draw on its own. But that's one of the great things about WDW--something for everyone and every taste!

 

[marinapj]

I'd never go to WDW and skip a park! If I were to skip something, that would definitely be DTD.

 

[Phatoomch]

We'd skip DHS. For us it's a park without focus, just a random collection of unrelated stuff and a zillion stores all selling the same trinkets you can buy at DTD...or the Disney store at the local Mall.

DHS supposedly celebrates the golden age of Hollywood, but its three biggest draws are RnR, which has nothing to do with Hollywood of any age, TSMM, which is based on a terrific movie, but a terrific movie from 1995, and anyway almost all Disney attractions are based on movies so why does this one belong in a special movie park, and ToT, which tries really hard to relate to Hollywood because, y'know, the fictional hotel was supposedly located there and, oh yeah, it's kinda sorta like an episode of "The Twilight Zone"...if you squint...and if you pretend "The Twilight Zone" was about spooky ghost stories, which it wasn't...not that "The Twilight Zone" has anything much to do with the golden age of Hollywood in the first place.

If DHS actually did celebrate the golden age of Hollywood, and did it well, it would very possibly be our favorite park. As is...skipped and never missed.

I love the diversity of peoples outlook .... we LOVE DHS. I love the buildings, they give me that feeling of 1940s hollywood and they look beautiful moreso at night. I find it a great place to meander around. I love the fact that they take you inside the movies - The Great Movie Ride, The Car Stunt show, Indiana Jones, watching the Disney artists at work .... yes, most of Disney is based on the movies but I find that DHS puts you on the other side. I could never skip DHS, we spent 14hrs in there last trip

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

I LOVE AK! For us, Hollywood Studios is either a "skip" or we go for a couple of hours on our last day. I don't do R&R or ToT and DH can do these in a short time. We usually go for 7 days and spend 2 days in each of the other parks, although I would LIVE in Epcot if I could.....

 

[RumpleMom]

First let me say I love all things Disney. I love the Disney Magic. Love seeing the characters.

IMHO I would skip DHS and show a 2 year old the real animals at AK. He/she can pet real animals at Conservation Station, and see real giraffes, elephants, tigers, monkeys through out the park.

There are many Disney characters to meet there too.

 

[2girlsmom]

We go frequently for 2 day trips or 3 day trips, since we are local. The past couple trips have been birthday trips (dh in Feb, dd in March), both 2 days in the parks, in Feb we hit all 4 parks, spending am in MK/pm in Epcot first day and HS/AK second day. In March, I let my dd pick where we went and when, and her choice was to do AK and Epcot, so that's the only parks we did. In May for my 2nd dd's birthday, we will have a 3 day trip, which so far is MK 1st day, Universal Studios 2nd day, and Epcot 3rd day, her choice. But we go to Disney usually at least every other month for a weekend, so we don't stress about missing stuff. If that weren't the case, we would have a hard time with the thought of missing/skipping any park, and I would likely split a day between HS/AK, rather than miss any park completely.

 

[Minnesota!]

I wouldn't skip any park - I would do AK then spend the evening at DTD. DTD is a throw away destination to me - an hour to eat, an hour to shop...I am done.

 

[Karbase8]

Princess, I think your plan looks great! You don't have a lot of time MK is my favorite and the most important. AK is a nice park, I appreciate it, but it's not my favorite. If you enjoy DTD and eating/shopping you do what makes you happy! If you have park hoppers, you can always have a change in plan and be flexible. Just enjoy!!!!!!! I would probably skip AK, I have always disliked Epcot, but last year my 6th trip to the world, I finally appreciate, it's beauty and layout and all. Even AK I was not thrilled about, but I really appreciated it last time.