What to do with your 3-day Park Ticket at Walt Disney World.
Many of my clients travel to Walt Disney World in a time crunch and opt for a 3-day park ticket. The problem is, there are FOUR theme parks AND two water parks – so how do you figure out which parks to skip?
Let’s break down what is in each park and that will be a good start to narrowing down your park choices!
MAGIC KINGDOM
For me, Magic Kingdom is ICONIC. You cannot go to Walt Disney World without walking down Main St, USA towards Cinderella’s Castle and enjoying the nostalgic rides like Peter Pan, Jungle Cruise, and Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. So there’s ONE of your three parks – Magic Kingdom is a MUST DO.
EPCOT
The original concept for EPCOT was developed by Walt Disney himself and stood for the “experimental prototype community of tomorrow.” Walt truly wanted to create a community that looked towards the future in all aspects – transportation, energy, efficiency, and more. This idea evolved many times prior to the park opening in October 1982. Today’s EPCOT is in transition to be a combination of four neighborhoods – World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature, and World Showcase. World Celebration will encompass the entrance area of EPCOT as you walk towards World Showcase, featuring the new Connections Cafe and Creations Shop, as well as the coming-soon statue of Walt Disney at Dreamers Point.
World Discovery is to the left of Spaceship Earth and includes the all new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster, Space 220 restaurant, Test Track, and Mission Space. World Nature is off to the right of Spaceship Earth and will lead you to The Land and The Seas pavilions, as well as the coming-soon Moana: Journey of Water attraction.
Finally, World Showcase takes you around the lagoon as you visit 11 countries – Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Japan, Italy, America, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada. WOW. There is a LOT going in at EPCOT, and deciding whether or not to include this in your park plans depends on your families interests! Here are a few keys to consider…
VISIT EPCOT IF…
You want to travel ‘around the World.’ You can interact with cast members from their home countries, learn about culture, and sample food from each country!
Your kids really love Frozen. Frozen Ever After is the attraction featured in Norway.
You are a MARVEL fan. As of today, this is the only Disney park in Florida with a Marvel attraction.
You have little ones who love the aquarium. The Seas pavilion is home to one of the biggest aquariums in the country!
You’re a foodie! There are SO MANY wonderful food options around EPCOT. Especially during the festivals, this is the place to be to sample food from different countries!
You need to meet the Princesses! EPCOT is a hidden gem for Princess meet and greets! Most Princesses are greeting guests in their respective countries (Anna and Elsa in Norway, Snow White in Germany, Belle in France, Mulan in China).
SKIP EPCOT IF…
You’re only interested in riding as many attractions as you can.
You think your kids will get bored traveling around World Showcase – this park is HUGE and it is a lot of walking!
You don’t want to try any unique foods.
Hopefully these lists help you narrow down if EPCOT should be on your list or not! For me, it tends to depend on where I am staying and if it is EASY to get to EPCOT or not!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This is the next park that arrived in Florida, opening in 1989 as Disney’s MGM Studios. Today’s version of Hollywood Studios focuses on putting you IN the movies – you can walk through Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and feel like you are IN a Star Wars movie. In Toy Story Land you are reduced to the size of a toy as you navigate Andy’s backyard. Then, you can visit other areas of the park with thrill rides like Rockn’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror on Sunset Blvd. And when you need a break, there are SO many shows to enjoy here – a Frozen sing-a-long, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Disney Junior LIVE Dance Party. PLUS, one of my favorite attractions, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is unlike any other attraction I’ve been on and is a MUST do. For me, Hollywood Studios holds a strong spot at TWO out of three on my MUST do list.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Finally, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park opened in 1998 with a focus on conservation. This park is unlike any other theme park you’ve been to. The savanna here is home to animals that appear to be free roaming, and is the size of Magic Kingdom itself! You can leisurely stroll walking trails to view other animals or visit the on-site animal hospital. There are two main attractions here for older kids and adults – Expedition Everest roller coaster and Flight of Passage in Pandora. If you haven’t experienced Flight of Passage – it is an incredible experience, it is amazing what Disney imagineering is able to create and how these attractions make you feel. Plus, Animal Kingdom has two really wonderful shows featuring The Lion King and Finding Nemo – you have to see at least one of these during your trip.
The other BIG perk of Animal Kingdom is the FOOD. I really think this park has the BEST food options, from Satuli’ Canteen in Pandora to Tusker House character dining to the signature restaurant Tiffins – I sometimes visit the park just for their food options! Here are some ideas to consider if you are unsure if Animal Kingdom should be on your list…
VISIT ANIMAL KINGDOM IF…
Your family loves animals, duh!
You enjoy foods that are Asian, Indian, or African inspired.
You’ve never been on Flight of Passage.
You really enjoy Finding Nemo or The Lion King – the live shows are wonderful.
SKIP ANIMAL KINGDOM IF….
It’s the middle of summer – this park gets REALLY hot.
You don’t like ‘exotic’ foods.
You have zero interest in seeing animals (but these are really cool animals: giraffes, zebras, lions, gorillas, tigers…)
You are focusing on meeting characters. There are less options to met characters here – You can greet Pocahontas, King Louie, Baloo, and Kevin out and about in the park OR you can visit Tusker House to meet Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Goofy.
WOW. See, I told you this was a hard decision! Overall, Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are on my MUST do list. Besides that, it is truly up to your family and their interests whether you skip Animal Kingdom or EPCOT.
The best solution? Upgrade to a PARK HOPPER! Then you can visit two parks in one day – problem solved!
As always, as your travel advisor I am more than happy to guide you in your planning and decision making for your next Walt Disney World vacation to make it the most MAGICAL vacation yet!
