Your first and last park

[sbkline]

Does anyone have a first and last park that they always visit on their trip? Obviously whatever park you do first is the first park of your trip, but what I mean is, what park MUST you do first, if any? And which one must be last, if any?

On our off property trips so far, we have done EPCOT first. Mainly because when we went on our honeymoon, I remembered EPCOT as an 11 or 12 year old boy (when I was their last before that) and remembered it as a boring place. So I decided to do it first and "get it over with". Turns out I loved it and we did it first the next year, just because that was the precedent set by the year before. Originally, we had MGM scheduled to do last, but we had major brake trouble on the way home from Busch Gardens the night before our scheduled MK day. So we had to have the car in the shop until noon the next day, so I wasn't about to try to squeeze MK in. So we did MGM, then MK the next day, which was our last full day before heading out. We followed that precedent again the next year (minus the brake trouble. LOL).

On our upcoming trip in April, our first on property visit, we have EPCOT down for our first full day (Tuesday). Then MK on Wed, probably until evening, then head to supper,then back to the resort. Then AK and MGM (and probably hop over to EPCOT after finishing AK). Then finish out the trip with a full day and night at MK on Saturday, then an evening at EPCOT on Sunday, then head home Monday. Basically, do the best parks first and last and the others in between.

What about everyone else?

 

[Foolish Mortal]

Add me to the MK 1st and last list. I also have to make it the last park I visit at night time before returning home :hurl:

 

[rbrower]

Usually, we go to the Magic Kingdom first (We usually stay at the Polynesian but some times we stay at the Contemporary). Also, the Magic Kingdom is usually the last one too!

 

[campdisney]

Epcot is always first & last. Its a tradition to ride Spaceship Earth as our very first ride when at WDW. Its also become tradition to view Illuminations the night before we leave.

 

[captcanada]

Add another to the MK first and last list. Though....I usually do Epcot in the morning, MK after that, and then head home. But MK is the last park I'm in before heading out.

Upon arriving in MK...I head right to the HM (and then, decide what I'll do after I've been on that ride a few times =)

Spaceship Earth is always the first at Epcot too. I can't get enough of those rides.

And like many here who have already said it...when I leave MK...I have to say goodbye or untill next time....to the Walt and Mickey statue.

 

[KrazyKowboy]

MK is always our first and our last.
We arrive mid afternoon our first day and spend the first evening at MK with a dinner at Contemporary late evening.

We stay for seven nights and during our stay do 2 full days at MK, 2 days Epcot, 1 full day at AK and 1 full day at MGM. Then we do brief revists through all the parks the last day doing 1 or 2 or our favorites rides in each, making the ones in MK last before we head back home.

We visit the week after Thanksgiving when crowds are light and can pack a lot into a little time. If the weather is warm, we'll take a mid week afternoon for a few hours at Typhoon Lagoon in the warmest part of the day. If the weather is especially cool or rainy, we'll take that afternoon and spend a few hours at Disney Quest and Downtown shopping.

With exception of extra magic hours and Epcot, the parks generally close about 7 pm at this time of year, so adding extras like La Nouba or Hoop De Doo to the evening mix adds to all the fun. MVMCP is always a must for us too, and it's a blast !

 

[reptar77]

First park MK, say hello to Walt and Mickey then over to Soarin. Last park MK, say goodbye to Walk and Mickey.

 

[WDWRLD]

Usually start with EP or MGM on the day we arrive but always finish the first day with MK and Always...did I say Always finish the last night at MK and we must stay till the park ckoses. However this last july 4th we left Virginia in the early morning, stoped in Daytona and saw the shuttle launch, got to POR about 5pm, checked in, changed, ate , went to MGM and saw the fireworks, then walked to EP and saw the fireworks there, Then took the monorail to MK to finish out the first night.

 

[pharmacyman]

Epcot first....and Epcot last. Its our favorite park!:sohappy:

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

First Park - No set routine here - depends on the mood of the day - we've done SeaWorld, MK and EPCOT first on previous trips
Last Park - EPCOT

 

[frankd1962]

My first Park is DS. I go over and say "Hi" to Threepio & Artoo and take a trip to Endor. (Boy I hope we take to stop there this time. )

My last park is never the same. But I think I'll do MK so I can say bye to the Walt, Roy, Mickey and Minnie Statues.

But the first thing I do is go to the gift shop in the hotel and get a few things for the week & then go over to DD to visit DisneyQuest.

 

[disneyracefan]

epcot is always first for us because the plane gets us to florida mid morning and we never make it to any park before noon to 1 pm so its always best to go to epcot. last park to visit a.k. because its the fastest park to get out of and spend to the last min. at before going back to the airport.

 

[col]

i always do AK first coz then i know my holiday has started and i can really relax. the following days its sudios,epcot and maybe a water park. i always leave the MK till last coz i just love the feeling or seeing the castle for the first time in a long while as you walk round the corner and just see it -i take loads of pics of it.

so i always start with AK and on my last day i was in MK for 2 hours then had to get back to my resort to be picked up. so i start on a high and end on a high!!

although it is sad leaving the park entrance for the last time especially when i walk past or see the park centrepieces for the last time -i hate that feeling.

 

[SallyShine]

exactly. and i tear up both times!

Happiness the first day, and saddness the last

 

[NCState]

Magic Kingdom for the first and last day for us!

 

[maelstrom]

I like to go to the Magic Kingdom first and Epcot last. I like to end my trip with the monorail ride from Epcot to the TTC.

 

[sbkline]

I won't know 100% sure what our very last park will be for another 2 weeks, since the April regular and EMH hours won't be out until Oct 1. But as of right now, here is my tentative schedule:

Monday April 23: check in anywhere between 11 am and 3 PM, depending on how far we drive Sunday and what time we leave Sunday. Eat at Chef Mickey's, explore the resort hotel. Depending on what time we check in, expore other resorts and/or go to Downtown Disney, then play some mini-golf that night.

Tuesday April 24: Full day at EPCOT

Wednesday April 25: Magic Kingdom until supper, then go to Grand Floridian for Supper, then spend the evening at the resort and/or mini-golf.

Thursday April 26: Animal Kingdom, then hop over to EPCOT for the rest of the afternoon/evening

Friday April 27: MGM, probably the entire day and Fantasmic

Saturday April 28: Magic Kingdom all day and all night, until close

Sunday April 29: sleep in, go to church, go to Orlando Mall and possibly DTD (if we didn't do it Monday), go to EPCOT for supper and stay there until close, or almost close.

Monday April 30: get up, eat, check out, head home.

When EMH comes out for April, I will know for sure what the actual last park will be. If neither EPCOT nor Magic Kingdom has EMH on Sunday April 29, we may just go back for some more mini-golf after we're done with EPCOT on Sunday, making that our last park. But if MK has EMH then we may head over there, making it our last.

Since most of the mini-golf places are open until pretty late, I want to squeeze in some of them after EPCOT on the days we go there, but again, it all depends on the EMH schedule and if we will stay later for that. Only two weeks to go until I can have that info!

 

[disneygirl1]

We always go to the Amimal Kingdom first and make a final visit to the Magic Kingdom before we leave.

 

[ParkHopper128]

MK first with the walk down main street towards the Castle

Always finish up with an evening session at EPCOT. Illuminations followed by the slowest walk from world showcase you can possibly imagine.

Stopping near the fountains then wandering through the leave a legecy area.

 

[steviej]

we always make sure to go to mk first. But we always finish off with mgm even though we never plan mgm for last. Just happens that way.

 

[DubyooDeeDubyoo]

I've only been once so I can't say I have any "preferred" park to start at and end at. I went to MGM first because it was the first bus to pull up at the hotel the morning I checked in. And I either went to Epcot or DAK last depending on whether or not you consider using a park as a bus transfer hub to be considered visiting.