What park do you go to first?

[Chef Mickey]

I’ve actually never eaten at Casey’s but want to!

You’re not missing anything.

 

[Goofyernmost]

???? My parents love to hang around Epcot but I have kids and there isn't much to do but walk a lot. What exactly is in Future world that takes long at all? Sum of Thrills closed. The other buildings are about gutted? Are you remembering some long lost Futureworld? If you didn't have a FP a few years ago it did take 4 or five hours to go on Test Track and Soarin but where did you kill the other hours? Let's say two hours for two meals. Watch some band at night that my kids could care less about? My parents enjoyed Fats Dominion. He was in his hey day before I was born so I'm not that much of a fan. What exactly do you do for a full day in Futureworld? I drink some nasty tasting coke from foreign lands, etc. etc. I have been to everything that place has to offer. I loved Captain EO, it was the gayest thing I have ever seen. I would laugh myself to tears over that whole thing. LOL.

Even took the kids to this one. Haven't been back. Think it's closing now or has closed.

Admittedly I did go to Epcot when it was new, I also had children that were under 10 years old. Many of the attractions were quite different then they are today, but, hardly a run through. The kids loved the place, not as much as MK perhaps, but, were fine with it. Most of the rides were omni, and a little more fun for kids as well, but, that isn't the time span I was talking about about.

Even if today's attractions are slightly fewer, it is only slightly. UoE, Mission: Space, Test Track, The Seas (with or without Nemo, is still about the same), The land (without your parody) is more time consuming then it was, Imagination is shorter, by a lot, that I will give you, Space Ship Earth is about the same, certainly the same in time. The only completely missing attraction is Wonders of Life.

If you accept that my calling it a full day is slight hyperbole, you do understand that World Showcase is also part of Epcot and although it has a few places that are not much more the stores also have some very good show, rides and things to see. All adding up to actually more then a day when Illuminations is included. So if you can see all of it in a half day, I am in awe. Thus my comment on how you must be missing some good stuff.

 

[jaklgreen]

Absolutely nothing.

Which is why if I want to spend a whole day at a glorified zoo, I make the drive to Tampa.

I am just fine with you staying out of AK, more room for me. LOL I go to AK more on my solo trips then with my kids. I enjoy the peace and quiet of the jungle trek. I go and just sit in the aviary and watch the birds. Yes they still have benches in there. I think AK is more of a take your time to look around park then "go just for the rides". I have gone on the trails many times and have been the only one in that area. I see a lot of characters just standing around waiting for people that way. Flik hangs out in one of the trails by the tree of life. I also enjoy talking to the handlers. Had an interesting conversation last trip with a cast member that takes care of the Galapagos tortoises. I actually spend more time at AK then at MK.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I didn't vote because it depends entirely on factors like what day we're arriving, where we're staying, what special events there are, etc. If it's F&W, we'll go to Epcot first, unless it's a weekend when we get there. Sometimes we'll go to Animal Kingdom first, but not if it's raining. Animal Kingdom isn't fun for me in the rain-I like the 2 trails too much and just standing watching the animals. Does anyone else NOT have a "first park"?

 

[jaklgreen]

Admittedly I did go to Epcot when it was new, I also had children that were under 10 years old. Many of the attractions were quite different then they are today, but, hardly a run through. The kids loved the place, not as much as MK perhaps, but, were fine with it. Most of the rides were omni, and a little more fun for kids as well, but, that isn't the time span I was talking about about.

Even if today's attractions are slightly fewer, it is only slightly. UoE, Mission: Space, Test Track, The Seas (with or without Nemo, is still about the same), The land (without your parody) is more time consuming then it was, Imagination is shorter, by a lot, that I will give you, Space Ship Earth is about the same, certainly the same in time. The only completely missing attraction is Wonders of Life.

If you accept that my calling it a full day is slight hyperbole, you do understand that World Showcase is also part of Epcot and although it has a few places that are not much more the stores also have some very good show, rides and things to see. All adding up to actually more then a day when Illuminations is included. So if you can see all of it in a half day, I am in awe. Thus my comment on how you must be missing some good stuff.

We have also always found plenty to do at Epcot and my kids still love it(teens now). I think people do miss a bunch of stuff, especially in World showcase. There is a lot of entertainment in the Countries. If all someone looks for is the "thrill" rides, then they are missing out.

 

[The_Jobu]

Uni, Uni, AK, DHS, EPCOT, MK is how I've done it.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I always seem to start out by taking my first time guests to Hollywood Studios! And making Voyage of the Little Mermaid the very first thing they experience! I guess it's the idea of that show going away soon, I'm betting, and the fact that these people will be able to say that that show was the first attraction they experienced, and it being extinct, would be pretty cool to say. Especially since it's not normally the first thing people experience. Like ever.

 

[Gone Mad]

Magic Kingdom is always my first visit when we visit. It is my favorite park and with Happily Ever After ending the day it makes for a wonderful 1st day.

 

[KimAnnFran]

Always like to start and end with EPCOT but that's because
A) was always my fave park
B) was before 2011
C) had park hopper...and we usually went to MK at night.

 

[Daddyoh]

As we are DVC members and our home is at the Beach Club, EPCOT of course.

 

[CptRon]

In my best Ted Knight slow burn, "Animal Kingdom kind of S-S-S-S-S-Sucks!!!!???"

 

[EagleScout610]

We usually arrive early enough to hang out at AK on our first night. It's a fun park to just kick back and not feel like we missed too much.

 

[worldfanatic]

I prefer to start and end at Epcot.
I understand why a majority of people like to hit the Magic Kingdom right away. For most, it's the centerpiece of WDW.
But having been to Disneyland all my life, and currently only living 95 miles away from it, I kind of view the MK as a fancier version, yet with a few less things to do.
I still love it, but it doesn't give that thrill I feel when I first see that gleeming ball of Spaceship Earth.

 

[WDWMPrincess]

For us it will absolutely be the Magic Kingdom. Someone elsewhere mentioned sending someone a bit ahead to catch a kid's first expression as they enter and look up at that beautiful castle and we're planning to try to do that with our grand-children.

If I could just convince my spouse we absolutely need to go ahead and visit on an adults only fact finding mission now it would have to be Epcot to start. I've never really seen all of Epcot so I would love to see more of it. When I was a kid and visited we ran out of time the day we went to Epcot. Mostly missed seeing all of the countries so when I returned with my children we started there. I thought it would be a quick trip but my kids really surprised me. They were so into exploring everything and trying everything in every country we visited! Finally dragged them over to the soda tastings just to get them out and we never finished seeing all of the countries.

 

[addacollier]

Oddly, it’s always varied. Last time it was MK as it was my 3 kids choice. Back in 1994, I bought a 5 day park hopper that gave me 7 days free water parks from the first day I went to a main park. So we went to SeaWorld, Universal and Shopping in the 1st 3 days so we could spread the water parks over the 2 weeks. I think we did TL 2 or 3 times as a rest day but BB hadn’t yet opened. On that trip, our park order was E, MK, MGM, E, MK.

 

[darthcarranus]

As Adda noted, it varies. We've only been a few times. We go to the park based on where dinner is planned. AK in '16 cuz the kids had to go to Rainforest (used to be one close to home, but it closed a few years ago and they missed it) and last year my wife wanted to go to Flying Fish for 1st night dinner - so EPCOT ( she really enjoyed that meal, but walking Epcot all day after getting up at 4 am was exhausting for her)

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

For me and my family, visiting Magic Kingdom first is a tradition.