Help me Choose: Hollywood Studios VS Animal Kingdom

[Timsierramist]

I've been to both. May 2013. On my most recent trip to WDW in January 2016, I went to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I'm headed back yet again to pick up where I left off in January for a 3 day. The Magic Kingdom is still a must do for me, every time. However on Day 2, I need to choose between Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

I'm really on the fence here. I could be fine and happy with either choice, which is why i'm letting the Forums here decide for me. I know with all the construction and changes coming to Hollywood Studios, there is chatter on both sides at whether to skip Hollywood Studios for the time being.

Maybe getting a park hopper and doing both for half day?

 

[Princess Kaylee]

I've been to both. May 2013. On my most recent trip to WDW in January 2016, I went to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I'm headed back yet again to pick up where I left off in January for a 3 day. The Magic Kingdom is still a must do for me, every time. However on Day 2, I need to choose between Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

I'm really on the fence here. I could be fine and happy with either choice, which is why i'm letting the Forums here decide for me. I know with all the construction and changes coming to Hollywood Studios, there is chatter on both sides at whether to skip Hollywood Studios for the time being.

Maybe getting a park hopper and doing both for half day?

I prefer AK but I am a huge animal lover, do a park hopper. You won't want to miss HS if you like Star Wars.

 

[mouse_luv]

Get a Park Hopper and do both. Honestly DBF and I were talking about how on the next few trips we might just skip both AK and DHS til everything is completely done. We prefer to hop between EPCOT and MK anyway and that's where we usually spend most of our time anyway.

 

[yensid67]

I would do a hopper...as long as you don't have a MUST do list for AK, I would go to DHS until 3 then to AK in the evening to catch the new Rivers of Light (if its up and running). We are doing 2 day hopper our next trip...MK/EP day 1, then MK/AK day 2. We are skipping DHS since it will be a construction zone when we go(2018) But we will have time to catch Avatar and Rivers of Light! Hope you have a wonderful time!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

k

One thing that is true about me is I do take the Disney parks slowly. Like a stroll, letting it all sink in. Just being in the parks and not at work or home is important. In this sense, these parks can certainly be full day parks. And honestly, all the stuff they have and will be closing (some of it before my trip), I wasn't that interested in anyways. Did it in 2013. Was fun of course, but not a priority.

In fact, if Typhoon Lagoon was open, I may even be inclined to spend the day there since I haven't been yet. Blizzard Beach, meh. I'll wait until I'm visiting for a longer period of time. This trip is literally my 3 day weekend (with an additional day I took off). Much prefer these smaller trips to the big 2 weeks. Instead of waiting a year or more, I can look forward to my adventures every few months.

We tend to do the same – three day trips more frequently – nobody needs to take vacation time and we get our fix - and because we can't do everything in one trip, each trip ends up being different.

Regarding Hollywood studios – we recently spent a whole day there no problem – but we tend to spend three hours at the tune in lounge LOL.

 

[Tinkerbell 2000]

Park Hopper so you can do both.

 

[Disneyfreak Jen]

I know with all the construction and changes coming to Hollywood Studios, there is chatter on both sides at whether to skip Hollywood Studios for the time being.

Maybe getting a park hopper and doing both for half day?

This. I'm not a huge fan of either park to be honest, I really only do Toy Story in HS and maybe the Great Movie Ride or Muppets (no good stuff like RRC or ToT for this girl!) . At AK, I'll do the Safari and Dinosaur, and It's tough to be a bug. That being said, I usually try to do both in the same day, starting at AK, then shooting over to HS.

Now with Rivers of Light, sorry don't remember when you said you'd be going, if thats up and running I think AK gets another vote if you decide to do only one park and not hop.

 

[Timsierramist]

I still haven't made a final decision. Lots of excellent tips. In fact, I was going to DHS, but I almost forgot Rivers of Light might be up and running on my trip (I'll be in either park on March 9th).

So I may just do last minute when I arrive and see what is open and what isn't and go from there, if I don't do the park hopper that is.

The extra budgeted money I was going to plop down on a park hopper went to a halfway decent seat selection on Frontier. I'm on a red eye over night to Orlando, so getting any kind of sleep is a major priority if I want to enjoy MK on day 1. That was a mistake I made in January I don't want to repeat, haha.

 

[Susan Savia]

We spent more time in Hollywood Studios this trip then we have in a long time. Loved the street performers! Did a few things we hadn't done in years, like The Little Mermaid show and Indiana Jones show. My son saw the Lights, Motor stunt show and said he really enjoyed it. We left the park about 3:00.

 

[Jess G]

On my upcoming trip (April) I will not be using the park hopper and I was making the same decision as you. I choose AK because ...
1) ROL
2) not really any closings or refurbs
3) Best pics of the whole trip
4) Dino
5) Everest

In no particular order

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I know it would never happen, but considering the way things are in both parks...i.e. what's on tap to be added vs. what's there right now...I wish there was a 1 day ticket option that allowed you to go back and forth between just these two parks. Well, at least until new things are opened. If I really had to pick just one (i.e. no hopper), I'd probably choose AK...but I think DH and the kids would pick DHS. So, maybe just look at all of the attractions in each and see which comes out with more things you want to see and do.

 

[Timsierramist]

Alright. I've chosen.

Day 1: Magic Kingdom All day
Day 2: Park Hopper.
(AK - morning. EP - Afternoon. HA - Evening)

Finishing with Fantasmic. Although we have the better Fantasmic in CA, it's not showing with Star Wars Land construction. Haven't seen it in a good while.

 

[Princess_AmyK]

If it was me, just based off of what I like, I would start my day off at DHS at rope drop and hit up Rockin Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, the Star Wars Stuff, and try to catch a street performer, then head over to AK for the rest of the day. I would schedule all of my FP+ reservations for AK in the afternoon to make up for not being there at rope drop. I love AK and can definitely spend a whole day there but I feel like I could never completely choose between the 2 parks so I would find a way to do all of my favorites at both. Hope I gave you some ideas :]

 

[Princess_AmyK]

Guess I should have read through all of the comments before I posted because I just saw that you decided! That is a good plan! I like it!