EPCOT during Food & Wine but don't care about it

[Goofyernmost]

We skipped HS on our June trip on advice from my uncle who went the month before with his son. He said he felt like with the construction HS was a half day park.

We have kicked around going for a day. We heard the Beauty and the Beast show is great and my 3 year love Belle and the Beast, but again we are concerned about there being enough to do for the whole day.

The tricky part with this trip is I am trying to make my kids and my parents happy. My kids will love to just go to MK for the four days. My parents are willing to do that, but I can tell they would prefer to go to at least one other park and EPCOT is their favorite.

I am sure others have run into this before.

Funny, I don't remember DHS ever being more then a half day park. Why? Because there were so many things that I wasn't interested in. Even when there was a three hour studio tour, there weren't other things like ToT or RnRC. What was lost during this construction was a wimpy backlot tram tour that was only about 20 minutes including Catastrophe Canyon, The Auto Stunt show which ran only a few times a day and a walk through the Streets of America. Nothing really changed much from the day it opened as far as things to do. That is why it is still drawing and why the argument that people are paying for a full day park when it isn't. It never really was. There are plenty of things to do that will take most of the day, many days ending with Fantasmic, which I don't recall being there in the beginning. To me it is just another case of people listening to self appointed experts basing things on their own personal likes and dislikes and not reality. It doesn't have the things that MK has (but MK has a premium charge), it doesn't have the area to cover that Epcot does as well as AK which doesn't have a lot of "rides" but, a lot to see, do and walk too.

 

[Otterhead]

I don't remember DHS ever being more then a half day park. Why? Because there were so many things that I wasn't interested in.

With all due respect, I think that it's easily a full-day park for people who are interested in the things they have there. If someone's family likes Star Wars stuff, ToT, Rock & Roller Coaster, the Indy show, Great Movie Ride,Toy Story Spin, and Muppets... plus some shopping... plus a meal somewhere in there... plus fireworks... plus Fantasmic... that's quite a full day. If there's decent lines, then HS is a day-and-a-half park.

 

[Goofyernmost]

With all due respect, I think that it's easily a full-day park for people who are interested in the things they have there. If someone's family likes Star Wars stuff, ToT, Rock & Roller Coaster, the Indy show, Great Movie Ride,Toy Story Spin, and Muppets... plus some shopping... plus a meal somewhere in there... plus fireworks... plus Fantasmic... that's quite a full day. If there's decent lines, then HS is a day-and-a-half park.

Please read that sentence that you quoted again. It ends with me saying that it was because I wasn't interested in many of the things and that is why it was a half day park to me, but, I went on to say, after that, that if people actually did everything that was there, it was indeed a full day park. Sorry, I didn't make that as clear as I should have.

 

[21stamps]

With all due respect, I think that it's easily a full-day park for people who are interested in the things they have there. If someone's family likes Star Wars stuff, ToT, Rock & Roller Coaster, the Indy show, Great Movie Ride,Toy Story Spin, and Muppets... plus some shopping... plus a meal somewhere in there... plus fireworks... plus Fantasmic... that's quite a full day. If there's decent lines, then HS is a day-and-a-half park.

I wish we could have added a second day in. For the people who do Jedi Training Academy and a Dessert Party there is just not enough time to do even "most" of the park..and that was with me even cancelling our Sci Fi reservation about 15 minutes before we were supposed to check in...so we didn't even do a table service there this year.

 

[Tk0021]

Thanks for all the input on HS. With the attractions that have been highlighted I think we need to take a second look at it. Especially since it is the one park we have not been to.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

I think one of the finer points of this thread has gotten lost... That EPCOT is having longer and more frequent festivals.

Food and wine is up to almost 3 months in length now. Flower and garden runs for a decent amount of time. This new festival starting in January is weekends for now, surely will be broadened later.

Not everyone wants to see what Disney is turning the "world" into... Cabanas, kiosks, and upcharge events.

This comment ties into other threads of recent history on here.

The greed of the company is thriving, and in doing so, it's turning those of us who enjoy Disney against each other. Yes, you either like or don't like the things going on, but for 1/4 of the year to be taken up by 1 festival is just too long, IMO.

People like(d) having the options to vacation at times that worked for them. If you wanted low crowds, you went at certain times, if you wanted to avoid certain crowds, you go at certain times, but as these events/festivals have longer and more frequent life spans, it's harder for people to plan around this and you run into arguments like this thread has become.

Low crowd times is exactly what disney (as a business wanting to maximize it's profitability like any other business would) doesn't want. They pay for the space, electricity, man power etc...regardless if the parks are full and making maximum amounts each day or not so for them as a business bringing in the festivals, races, etc...that they do in what use to be the off times is smart from a business point of view. Is it more magical for guests when the parks are less crowded....hell yeah but they are a business.

 

[21stamps]

Thanks for all the input on HS. With the attractions that have been highlighted I think we need to take a second look at it. Especially since it is the one park we have not been to.

This makes me happy! Even if you don't decide to do it.lol.

It gets such a bad bashing online and I don't understand why.
I definitely recommend Hollywood & Vine if you can. We did it last year when kiddo was just out of the Disney Jr phase but still loved it. The characters come to your table and they also dance in an area where the kids can join them. It's adorable. The Frozen sing-a-long and the Disney jr show are great too.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Thanks for all the input on HS. With the attractions that have been highlighted I think we need to take a second look at it. Especially since it is the one park we have not been to.

I adore DHS. Peculiarly, despite all the current ravage in the park, it was probably the park I enjoyed most my last trip.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

This makes me happy! Even if you don't decide to do it.lol.

It gets such a bad bashing online and I don't understand why.

I love DHS. I think time has been gentler on it than on either MK (rendered a zoo), and EPCOT (destructed into painful mediocrity), and DAK is not finished yet. Which actually leaves DHS currently possibly my favourite park, which is an astonishing thing to come out of my mouth considering how much and for how long I have loved the first two parks.

As for why it receives online bashing, I think this is due to the loss of the studio theme, to the uncohesive and sometimes plain low quality of the front lot attractions, and to the back half of the park forever being a problem area. The back half was good as a working studio with tours, then lost its way, dragging the meaning and cohesion of the park down with it. And I'm not at all convinced the upcoming incarnation will solve it either. On the contrary, Hollywood + okay-ish Muppets Miniland + crap Toy Story Land + decent Star Wars Land (or good if you love lots of expensive upcharges like you do!) is not a good cohesive park.

I just love Star Wars and the glitz and glamour of the Front Lot, really. So the park works for me at the moment.

 

[21stamps]

I love DHS. I think time has been gentler on it than on either MK (rendered a zoo), and EPCOT (destructed into painful mediocrity), and DAK is not finished yet. Which actually leaves DHS currently possibly my favourite park, which is an astonishing thing to come out of my mouth considering how much and for how long I have loved the first two parks.

As for why it receives online bashing, I think this is due to the loss of the studio theme, to the uncohesive and sometimes plain low quality of the front lot attractions, and to the back half of the park forever being a problem area. The back half was good as a working studio with tours, then lost its way, dragging the meaning and cohesion of the park down with it. And I'm not at all convinced the upcoming incarnation will solve it either. On the contrary, Hollywood + okay-ish Muppets Miniland + crap Toy Story Land + decent Star Wars Land (or good if you love lots of expensive upcharges like you do!) is not a good cohesive park.

I just love Star Wars and the glitz and glamour of the Front Lot, really. So the park works for me at the moment.

The funny thing is, before I had a kid Hollywood Studios was my least favorite park as a whole. Then in 2015 I really enjoyed it..definitely more than AK that year. Fantasmic is one of the most enjoyable night time shows imo.
In 2016- with all of the added SW stuff, I absolutely fell in love with it. Like I said, I wish I would have scheduled more time for that park this year.

Btw- I Do Not LOVE expensive upcharges!!lol. I just like convenience and different experiences sometimes. The JBJB dessert party was a hit for us... the SW would have been even more of a hit, but oh well. I would definitely take advantage of the new Star Wars tour that they have now..but here's why- that would shave literally hours off of our wait times. I feel like sometimes spending a little extra makes it possible to get a better value out of your entire day, more than you would have otherwise. Had that tour been around on our recent trip we would have been able to accomplish so much more at HS than we were did during that day.

However, In 2015 a dessert party didn't even exist at HS, so the only technical "extra" that we did was the Disney Jr character meal, if that counts. Even without any upcharges it was a fantastic day!

 

[jaklgreen]

We skipped HS on our June trip on advice from my uncle who went the month before with his son. He said he felt like with the construction HS was a half day park.

We have kicked around going for a day. We heard the Beauty and the Beast show is great and my 3 year love Belle and the Beast, but again we are concerned about there being enough to do for the whole day.

The tricky part with this trip is I am trying to make my kids and my parents happy. My kids will love to just go to MK for the four days. My parents are willing to do that, but I can tell they would prefer to go to at least one other park and EPCOT is their favorite.

I am sure others have run into this before.

Go to Epcot in the morning and do all that you want to there, have lunch, and then head on over to DHS. Its a nice boat ride over. Also, there is not reason why your parents can't go and spend some time at Epcot(or wherever they want to go) on their own. You do not all have to be attached at the hip.

 

[mousehockey37]

Low crowd times is exactly what disney (as a business wanting to maximize it's profitability like any other business would) doesn't want. They pay for the space, electricity, man power etc...regardless if the parks are full and making maximum amounts each day or not so for them as a business bringing in the festivals, races, etc...that they do in what use to be the off times is smart from a business point of view. Is it more magical for guests when the parks are less crowded....hell yeah but they are a business.

No need for the "they're a business" bs.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

No need for the "they're a business" bs.[/QUOTE
Ok.. any other facts I need to skip for you? I'd love to go to the parks with a limited number of people for a really low price but reality steps in and yeah...they're a business. I wish it wasn't crowded, wasn't expensive, and wasn't hot as crap in August but it is what it is.

 

[Simba's Mom]

IThe last couple of weeks of F & W seems to me to be the worst. That's when the people that go to EPCOT just do it to "Drink around the World"

We've been going for the F&W festival for 9 years, multiple days each trip, and over the time, only seen drunks twice. As DH says, you need a lot of money and a low tolerance to alcohol to get drunk before you run out of money. However, we do as already mentioned-only go to Epcot during the week, and get out of there before dinnertime.