4 Year Old - Which Parks Should we Visit?

[juniorlilly]

This is going to be our first family trip to WDW, I went when I was 12 and my husband has been before too.
I am trying to figure out what are the top 2 parks to visit and maybe a third for a kicker. We want to spend at least 2 days and maybe 3 days in the parks.
We are really want this to be the most fun for our 4 year old. What parks do you recommend for young children. I having been researching for 2 days..we will be arriving about 5 days prior to Thanksgiving.
any other advice on her age activities welcomed too!!
TIA...

 

[ginowho]

mk is a must for the kid...might need 2 days to take it all in,
Then probably ak...kids love animals,.....kicker might be mgm. I view epcot for teens and up....anyway, good luck!

Side trip to a waterpark is a good idea, as well...

 

[tigsmom]

We took our oldest when she was 4 and she loved the MK the best. AK was open by the time my youngest was 4 and she just loves that park and they also enjoy EPCOT. MGM is a quick trip for Muppets and The Voyage of the Little Mermaid (at least for us).

 

[Epcot82Guy]

You will be in the transition period for crowds, but that early, it shouldn't be bad. Definitely spend a day at MK. Obviously that has plenty to do for a 4 year old and will likely fill a day.

As for the other parks, it really depends on what he/she enjoys. MGM has some great shows. DAK obviously has the animals as well as some good shows. Epcot is the largest and has some fun attractions, particularly the west side of Future World. I know as a kid, I hated World Showcase, but I loved to rest of EPCOT (although most of that is gone now). However, they now do the kidcot stops which most kids really enjoy. Also, WS has performers (especially the acrobats in China, candy artist and rums in Japan, Mariachi in Mexico) and character meet & greets.

I might suggest spending a full day in MK then split up two other days with a rest in between. Are you staying on property? If so, I might suggest starting off a morning at DAK, go take a nap in the afternoon, evening at Epcot, then another morning at MGM. You also have a free afternoon/evening and can let your son/daughter pick the park he/she would like to see again (plus, if you are having a great time somewhere, this is some flex time that you can use if you take more time at a park than you thought).

Bottom line, if you are picking two, I might suggest MK and DAK. If you are up for hopping, though, I think that would be the best option. Have a great time!

 

[Nemo14]

MK is a definite for a 4 year-old. AK is fun too if they like animals. My kids always loved Epcot - I'm sure a 4-year-old would love Turtle Talk with Crush, and MGM has the Muppet 3-D movie as well as the Little Mermaid. Get park-hopper tickets and sample some of each, but plan to spend a lot of time at the MK.

BTW, is the 4 year-old a boy or a girl?

 

[autumndawn1006]

First of all, congratulations and you are all going to have a wonderful time!

Secondly, if you only spend two days in the parks, I would not go to more than 2 parks. All parks require at least one day to visit.

Magic Kingdom is a must for a four-year old. I think everyone on the board will agree this is definetly one of the two parks to visit. You could even spend both days here enjoyably and with plenty left to do.

For a sceond park, it really depends on your kid. MGM Disney Studios has Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Muppetvision 3-D, Playhouse Disney, and the Honey I shrunk the Kids Movie Set which would all be loved by a four year old. These are shows, mostly, however, so it would be a day with a lot of sitting which might not be as much fun for a really active child.

For kids at EPCOT: they would have the new Nemo ride open then, Turtle Talk with Crush, Journey into your Imagination, Living with the Land, a fantastic fireworks show Illuminations, and El Rio de Tiempo. You and your husband could enjoy the countries while your kid visits the Kidcot stops which is just an arts and crafts booth set up in different countries. EPCOT is personally my favorite park, and I think there is a lot kids enjoy there.

For me personally, Animal Kingdom is great but just doesn't quite come up to the standard of EPCOT or Magic Kingdom.

Make sure you fit in a character meal. There's great ones at all of the parks.

Hope this helps! Just my two cents worth. Have fun:wave:

 

[wdwhoneymooner]

We have a 5 y/o and a 2 y/o and MK is a must. Fantasy Land (perhaps not Snow White's Scary Adv....?) may take up most of your day.

 

[ilovepluto23]

It kinda depends on what your children like.
Magic Kingdom is a MUST, especially with young children. Don't miss that park.

Epcot may be boring for younger children, but some do love it. I LOVED Figment when I was a little girl.
MGM has shows for younger children like Playhouse Disney, and Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
I'm not a fan of Animal Kingdom, so I'll let others tell you about that one.

 

[minnie2000]

We took our DD last year when she was 4 - these were her favourites:

MK:
TTA
Buzz Lightyear (although she didn't know who he was)
Dumbo
Winnie the Pooh

Epcot:
Soarin'
Kidcot stops in World showcase

MGM:
Little mermaid show
playhouse Disney
Beauty and the Beast

AK:
Conservation station (where you brush goats and sheep - that was a winner!)
Safari

She also loved Blizzard Beach, but she was a confident swimmer for a 4 year old, all the character meet and greets, and the character meals. We took her to Cinderella's restaurant for lunch on her 5th birthday.

Also there is the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique at DD which sounds great. It wasn't there last year so we haven't tried it.

 

[dopey]

Yup, everyone'll tell ya to hit the Magic Kingdom. Get there as early as possible and head straight to Fantasyland.

For a second day, I'd do Animal Kingdom early and then go to Epcot at night. If your kid isn't afraid of fireworks, you have got to see Illuminations. Soarin' is a can't-miss attraction, as well.

If you can squeeze in a third day at the parks, check out Disney-MGM Studios in the a.m. and return to the Magic Kingdom at night.

Have a great time!

 

[HoW]

I teach a young preschool class (older 3s and 4s), and we've been talking about their vacations and where I'm going for vacation, etc. So here's my ideas, along with what they were most excited about.

As most have said, and I'm sure it's obvious to you as well, you can't beat everything the Magic Kingdom has for youngsters. From living the stories, to the parades, and characters, it is the one stop for the younger crowd.

My second would be Animal Kingdom. There are characters and animals, that's a one-two knock out right there. And if your child has a favorite animal they love to act like, a lot of the boys in my class are currently in love with lions, now they'll get to see them up close. And besides the obvious animal appeal of Lions and Tigers and Giraffes, and other creatures they already know, there are animals they might not know, or have ever seen. As well, I, as most do, don't think that Animal Kingdom lends itself to a full day yet, so you won't feel bad if you take a break in the early afternoon hours.

Lastly, as much as I am shocking myself in leaving Epcot out of a trip recommendation, I say you take the tike to MGM. To be brief, if your child has any experience with Playhouse Disney and the characters in that vein, this is the place to be. Not to mention, I feel that MGM has a lot of shady areas that are always helpful when trying to keep the little ones out of the sun.

Places to be, people to see:
Magic Kingdom:
Fantasyland
Mickey's Toontown Fair for characters (Mickey and Princesses)

Animal Kingdom:
Affection Section at Rafiki's Planet watch to get up close and personal with some critters
Camp Minnie-Mickey for some shows and characters
The Boneyard in DinoLand USA for playground fun
Kid Discovery Zones - one in each area, they have fun little crafts your little one might enjoy

MGM:
Playhouse Disney Live
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Beauty and the Beast

I hope this helps in some small way, and I hope you have an absolutely magical trip!

 

[unkadug]

I highly recommend that you go to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of
The Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World.
or The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids

It is full of indispensible information, especially for the uninitiated.

I believe most members of this forum will agree.

 

[Chape19714]

I'd definately go for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. However, the Studios has some pretty unique charactor experances, not to mention Playhouse Disney. You can't go wrong with Magic Kingdom, DAK has a great Safari, Lion King show, charctor meet and greets, restraunts, and trails, not to mention the great kid-party of a parade! MGM has a great Playhouse Disney show, along with Little Mermaid, and Meet and Greets. It depends on what you have time for. Save Epcot for a few years down the road.

 

[pluto77]

I highly recommend that you go to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of
The Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World.
or The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids

It is full of indispensible information, especially for the uninitiated.

I believe most members of this forum will agree.

I agree.

As for my recommendations. I would say Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is a definite, I think you can find things for kids at any of the parks so it's really up to you, but Animal Kingdom has a lot of characters, animals (obviously), my nieces and nephews also loved Festival of the Lion King.

Other good activities for kids are character meals. Chef Mickey's is fun for breakfast, that's in the Contemporary. Then there's also Mickey's Backyard BBQ(I think that's the name) at Fort Wilderness they both have a fun atmosphere for kids. Of course there's also Crystal Palace, and Princess meals, but I personally like the two I mentioned the best.

 

[LudwigVonDrake]

Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are musts! I would also suggest a visit to one of the water parks. Have a great trip!

 

[imagineersrock]

Another vote for MK and DAK.

MK is an obvious choice, and while DAK doesn't really have much ride-wise to offer a younger one, I keep hearing from children and parents alike that DAK is their favorite park. Most children enjoy animals, exploring new things, and Disney character experiences... which would explain the park's popularity among the younger crowd. As has been said the kids will likely enjoy Kilimanjaro Safaris a lot (not that I'm biased! haha), walking the animal trails, the playground in Dinoland USA is a must see, and if the little one is big enough, most kids seem to enjoy Kali River Rapids a lot (many kids tell me that's their favorite ride.) The Tough to be a Bug 3-D show is your call, some kids LOVE it while others are terrified. Speaking of shows, Festival of the Lion King is a must see for any age group, and on top of that the new Finding Nemo Musical should be open by your trip as well! Finally, don't forget the daily parade which is also an all-around crowd pleaser.

As others have said, if considering a third park I'd also have to go with the Disney-MGM Studios. I think playhouse Disney, the GMR, Muppets, the character meet-and-greets, and Fantasmic give it a slight advantage over Epcot. While Epcot is becoming more and more kid-friendly with time, it probably still is the least of the four at this point.

 

[joelleharbert]

We went 2 years ago with my then 4-year-old and will be going again this year with the now 4-year-old (who was 2 on the previous year, of course). The last time we went, my 4-year-old enjoyed MGM the best, by far. He is a wild boy,though, so he enjoyed riding TOT over and over and over again. He is already telling his brother about how much fun they'll have on it this trip. I would say he liked MK next although I don't remember there being a specific thing he enjoyed most there. AK did NOTHING for any of my three children the last time and we're skipping it this trip altogether. I got better views of the animals at our zoo in Pittsburgh.

 

[Ringo8n24]

I would suggest two days at MK and one at AK. Our daughter was not the slightest bit interested in Epcot and was only slightly interested in the Studios. She kept wanting to go back to MK and who could blame her because it is so kid friendly there.

 

[Dagger]

I agree with MK and AK for you!

 

[shmmrname]

It's nearly heresy not to visit all 4, but that's only my opinion, and I know many really just can't fit all that in.

However, given the age of your child, you have to pencil in MK. Given anyone's age, MK is a prerequisite for a WDW Vacation. I'd then try AK, as it's very child-oriented. The other two parks are great as well, but I think AK/MK are just more easily accessible for a typical 4 year old.

(All that being said, I'm not a parent, so what do I know...)