If you had to miss one park, which would it be?

[Gregandmel]

Not that anyone want sto miss ANY of the parks, but if you were limited on the number of days you were there, which park is the one that you would miss the least? We have 2 boys, ages 8 & 17 and although we will have 5 full days in the park (no parkhopper) I think we need 2 full days for MK and 2 full days for Epcot. I could be wrong, but that's what I'm thinking. If you had to choose between HS & AK, which one would you spend the day at?? Thanks!!!!

[Meteora]

We would probably choose to skip AK for one main reason--we are from New York. We live very close to the Bronx Zoo. So while we enjoy AK, it isn't particularly special to us the way the other parks are, because we've grown up near an absolutely excellent zoo. When you take away the animal component, AK becomes a little meh. We're not a family that likes thrill rides in general--motion sickness, back problems, and just plain old cowardice on my part-- which rules out most of the attractions for us. We're basically left with the shows, which we love, but which we don't necessarily need to see every single time we come.

I think AK is still lacking a little in rides--most of the ones it has are thrill rides or something you wouldn't go on if you had a bad back or other ailments. I think it's a shame they didn't end up doing the rumored section of the park devoted to imaginary creatures, because I bet they could have gotten at least one cool, family-friendly dark ride out of it.

[medic9016]

AK and DHS are not full day parks for us. It's hard to say which one to skip. What I would do is MK on a EMH day, 2 days at EPCOT, 1 day AK, and 1 day DHS.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I would skip AK. There is much more to do at DHS, and I think there is more that the boys will enjoy (ToT, RnR, Toy Story, Stunt Show, Indy) and there are more choices for food at DHS than at AK.

Epcot will need 2 days, and we always spend 3 days at MK too, but AK is kinda blah...most trips we send DH over there for Everest while DD and I do something else.

[amd780]

I would skip AK, since not a full-day park for us, and simply because we like it the least. Not that we don't like it at all, but there is just less to draw us into it. :mickey:

[laward32]

IF I had to skip one park, it would have to be AK. Like a previous poster said, I don't think AK & DHS are full day parks. You could do half and half (if you had park hoppers). We can't skip DHS. My youngest daughter's favorite ride is TOT and she would not like to miss this ride.:mickey:

[DumboMom]

It would depend on who was with us. If it was just myself and my husband I would skip AK. If we had our kids with us we would skip Epcot. :mickey:

[disneyworld55925592]

i would skip HS we would probably say AK in the past but with reccent renovations you know like Everest i wouldnt miss it!

[AllDisney]

I'd skip AK. We like the park, however, it doesn't capture our attention like the others.

[Ian]

AK. No question.

[maryt01]

ak do doubt

[brianlw71]

Ak

[mouseketeer mom]

We almost always skip either AK or DHS during our trips, only because those parks are in the bottom two for us. This past trip, home two days ago, we did all four parks which we don't normally do. We had a terrific day at DHS this time, riding TSM twice! That is a not miss attraction!! I would skip AK.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

That's hard....can we say waterparks? If not, Epcot or MK are must do's, can't take them out....as a family I would say we enjoy AK more than HS....so I guess it would have to be Hollywood Studios

[jennsky]

I would skip AK as well. Not enough there to fill a day (at least not in my opinion). I don't think there's enough to keep the kids entertained for an entire day (not when compared to HS).

[Bethis26fan]

I would skip AK too, its my least fave of the parks.

[Mousemates]

Ak....and on some shorter cool weathertrips we have skipped it entirely....the only truly big draw for us is EE...and to a much lesser degree degree KAli River and dinosaur. DS has three we don't like to miss TS, ToT, RnR...and for my daughter the Great Movie Ride as well.

[Lizzie]

I would have to say Epcot. Just because my kids love Animal Kingdom and my husband enjoys RNRC and TOT and I am sure TSM will soon be one of his favorites.

And we can hit Soarin at Disneyland and I don't do Misson Space and I can miss Test Track. We see Turtle Talk and the Finding Nemo in California also.

[JuicyMoose17]

First let me start by saying if you absolutely want to skip one park it should be AK but....

Personally, I'd skip a day at MK and go to animal kingdom. I think it's definitely worth seeing.

As long as you can get in the mountains, adventure land, a few kiddie rides and some pics with the castle in one day(which you most definitely can) you don't really need two days in the MK.

Most people may just jump to the conclusion of two days at MK because of emotional attachment or because the park is the flagship park but in actuality you'd probably have a better time going to the Ak for a day.

I'm nineteen and I would guess that your boys would like the more thrilling rides like Everst, countdown to extinction and Kali river rapids at AK:cool: better than most of the stuff in the magic kingdom.

Hope I helped!

[Ropachs]

I can probably skip both. One main reason I would skip AK is, like a PP said, we live near a great zoo - The Buffalo Zoo in our case. If you had a hopper, I would do a few things at AK and then spend the rest of the day at HS. Since you don't, enjoy your day at HS!

[CaptainSad]

We would probably choose to skip AK for one main reason--we are from New York. We live very close to the Bronx Zoo. So while we enjoy AK, it isn't particularly special to us the way the other parks are, because we've grown up near an absolutely excellent zoo. When you take away the animal component, AK becomes a little meh. We're not a family that likes thrill rides in general--motion sickness, back problems, and just plain old cowardice on my part-- which rules out most of the attractions for us. We're basically left with the shows, which we love, but which we don't necessarily need to see every single time we come.

I think AK is still lacking a little in rides--most of the ones it has are thrill rides or something you wouldn't go on if you had a bad back or other ailments. I think it's a shame they didn't end up doing the rumored section of the park devoted to imaginary creatures, because I bet they could have gotten at least one cool, family-friendly dark ride out of it.

Hey you know my daughter works at the Bronx Zoo as the Coordinator for Functions.

[GoBlueLacheta]

Universal :mickey:

[SAnderson70769]

I would definitely give up AK if i had to - i mean i do like AK but to me the others just cant be missed on ANY trip!

Have fun!

[Gregandmel]

Well thank you all so much for your great responses. I don't want to miss ANY of the parks, but I just think we may have to miss one if we can't fit it all in. We were planning on doing AK the last day of our trip (after being up till after midnight the evening before due to MNSSHP) and the thought of having everyone get up early after a long evening just doesn't sound like it would work well for us and the boys. I'm keeping my schedule flexible and if we can fit it in, we will, but otherwise, I may want to leave it up to everyone else what they want to do on their last day, and something tells me that standing outside in hot lines and doing a LOT of walking the next day may not be appealing. But I appreciate everyone's input!!!! I can never go wrong here on these boards. Thanks again!

[Soul_Power]

If I had to, I could skip Animal Kingdom. During my last trip, I think I saw/did everything I wanted to in that park, so I wouldn't be devastated if I had to skip it. The other three are a must, though!

[maxrebo77]

For me it depends on what's new at the parks. I'm 48 and traveling alone, so I think if I HAD to miss one this year it would be MK. I am watching Wishes from Cal Grill and Narcoosees anyway and nothing really new is going on there. EPCOT is a must do. EE at AK is also a must do again for me. And DHS has the new TSM. I'm glad I don't have to choose:D

[DizneyRox]

In the past it would have been MK for us. Just WAY too many people to have to deal with, many that just don't practice basic hygiene.

But, Disney has done a fantastic day of completely destorying MGM, without a doubt, that's the park I would miss. As it stands now, we just go for Fantasmic, and they seem to be making it harder to see that!

[Cheloconnell]

Well, prior to Toy Story I would have probably said HS. But since we haven't seen it yet definitely AK, although EE is my favorite ride in all parks. There is just not enough that we do at AK to warrant missing the other 3 parks. :mickey:

[TheRustyScupper]

We usually skip AK - even when we don't have to.

[Simba'sBud]

To be honest, as much as I love AK, it would probably be the one to miss. I really enjoy EE, It's Tough to be a Bug, Festival of the Lion King, Rafiki's Planet Watch and Dinosaur. But even with all that, AK closes earlier than any other park, which automatically shortens your day.

Plus, how can you justify missing TOT, Star Tours, MuppetVision 3D, the new TSM (which has been getting great reviews, BTW), and then ending the evening with Fantasmic? I think not!

If you can only do one, go to DHS and make sure you plan a full day at AK on your next trip. Have fun you guys!

[disneylovinmom]

We too would skip Ak. We just never have really liked it very much.

[bkfree]

For us (me, Dad, son 9 and daughter 7) AK would be the choice.
Epcot and DHS are actually our two favorite parks and MK is 3rd. We spend more time at the other 2 and the least at MK.

If we do go to AK then it is the morning half at AK and then lunch and the afternoon at DTD.

[luv_cinderella]

As long as you can get in the mountains, adventure land, a few kiddie rides and some pics with the castle in one day(which you most definitely can) you don't really need two days in the MK.
...I would guess that your boys would like the more thrilling rides like Everst, countdown to extinction and Kali river rapids at AK:cool: better than most of the stuff in the magic kingdom.


I completely agree. With your boys being 8 and 17, I wouldn't plan on two days for MK. Just do one in MK and make sure you get in one at AK because they will love some of those rides!

[AdventurerKim]

We skip AK every trip. The Audubon Zoo is better.

[eeyorelover63]

epcot. i dont see why everybody would skip ak i love ak:mickey:

[MinnieMommie]

I would miss HS but that would not necessarily be the choice for the rest of my family. Although there are attractions I very much like at HS (and I love Fantasmic!) depending on the time of year it is usually the park to go when I am making hard choices about my time at DW. :mickey:

[mrs.jacksparrow]

Not too sound like a copy cat....but AK! We are doing just that this trip. We are doing a water park and the MNSHP at night instead of AK. AK is just not too magical for us. We are animal people big time too love the zoos, have a zoo at home if you count all our pets :blush: but AK just misses it for us. We have a saffari park around the corner from us as well at home. We camp alot and really enjoy the great outdoors so maybe that is why. Not sure...but we will not go back there again unless we have time to kill. I wish Disney would change the park the layout is strange the carnival area weird too. Sorry I don't want to rant on AK. That wasn't your question :blush:

We would skip AK.

[maxrebo77]

Let's just hope they don't rename it Drew's Animal Kingdom, or Animal Kingdom: Sounds Dangerous. It might be gone before I get there.:D

[Faver]

Poor AK:confused: It's a great park.... but I'd skip it too.:blush:

[Iluvpooh]

My husband and I take a quick weekend trip every other year just the 2 of us and we rotate skipping AK and MGM every other trip. With Everest at AK and Toy Story at MGM-It is getting harder to pick which to skip-good luck!

[Stu29573]

I, too, have to pick AK. I love the parks in the order of their opening dates, I guess. :mickey:

[KayDee]

Well I would say it really depends if you are planning on a return trip.If so I would skip Epcot and make my return trip a whole new experience.If a return trip is not in the cards then it is either DS or AK.
So AK usually has the least amount of park hours in a day.This gives you a chance to do something else in the evenivg ie La Nouba or Disney Quest.
DS is great and is my favorite park for late night hours.

[GrmGrninGost]

For my family, AK is a half day park. Even on a 9 day vacation. We skipped it entirely at times until EE arrived. AK just doesn't "do it" for us.

[SFTrny]

DHS...I could skip DHS.

[4ubie1]

Last time I went, there was not much at HS to spend a full day there. I found AK had more to do but that was 'cause I liked wandering the trails and seeing all the animals. I am sure that much has changed since then. I would do like many recommend and just split the day between the two.

[Imagineer1981]

I used to work AK and have great memories so I always love going, but I would choose DHS only because if I get bored I can leave and go to Boardwalk/YC/BC and enjoy some Beaches n Cream!!! Plus AK is soooo hot

[BlueDorrie]

For me it would AK. I hate to say it but I'm always a little bored and extremely hot and sticky when I'm there. The only rides I enjoy is Dinosaur and the Safari tour.

[Mickey91]

AK. There really isn't any draw there for me. With all the changes, DHS is quickly being added to this list as well.

[MickeysEars]

AK. On the off day it is really hot and it is the most walking. but we now make time for all parks

[KAJUNKING]

we always get park hoppers so this has never been an issue, but if i had to skip one it would have to be ak, but i wouldnt be happy about it

[momof3+twins]

You are right about needing two days at MK and EP. So, skip AK. HS is a really neat park. In fact, I just asked my 8 and 10 year olds and they said that if they had to choose one ride or attraction it would be Indiana Jones. We usually see this show 2 to 3 times a visit.

[lighteningqueen]

The shows are great at AK, and the themeing makes you feel that you are out of this world. But why do so many want to stay or go to Epcot. It really is a bit boring as for things to do. Kids probably could care less about world showcase. It is last on our trip. We really needed 2 days at MK, 2 at HS, and a full day that we didnt get to do at AK. They are boys right? AK has the dinasour ride and Everest, also those rides at the carnival, they say they are wild rides, I bet your boys would enjoy them.

[Stich8818]

I guess I have to vote AK...and that is a strech cause I really dont mind all the parks...For me it's a varied assortment from each park that I love to do.

[pink]

I would never miss DHS or MK so it would have to be either AK or Epcot. It would be a hard choice! :mickey:

[Bluesky481]

It's a tough choice, but I'd have to go with AK simply for the lack of overall attractions. Hope I never have to make that decision!:mickey:

[indytraveler]

I would skip AK. However, without the Park hopper ticket you'd be missing out on EE and the Kilamanjaro Safari. We went for EMH just to do those two rides. Meanwhile the Studios has a few more attractions especially now the Toy Story Mania ride is open.

[ParkMan]

If I had only 4 days, I wouldn't skip a park. For us, 1 day in each park is more exciting than multiple days in a single park at the expense of another park.

If I absolutely had to skip a park, it would be DHS first, but with a lot of sadness.

Come to think of it, if I only had 3 days, I'd probably try to find a way to AK in the AM, and DHS in the PM.

[brownie]

I wouldn't miss any of the parks in your situation. You're not going to be able to do everything. I would experience the four parks and then pick the one everyone most wants to go back to for your fifth day.

If I really had to pick, I'd probably skip Animal Kingdom, but it would be a tough decision.

[sophie peach]

skip AK DHS is unmissable

[Tinkerbella16]

We would skip AK. Eventhough that means I wouldn't be able to ride Everest or Dinosaur (which would be a bummer), I go there only for those 2 rides and then leave. It gets too hot, even in the fall months. I get wayy more joy out of visiting the other 3 parks...Don't know what I'd do if I had to miss one of them!

[Tbelle1976]

Wow, so many chose AK. I would have to say HS. I actually really like AK. Some people think of it as just a zoo, I do think that the more I have been to AK the more I really enjoy it.

[WDW24]

Definitely you need to go to HS it has amazing rides a lot of entertainment. Both of your kids will enjoy Tower of Terror and Rock'n Roller Coaster. The whole family will enjoy Toy Story Mania! :mickey::mickey:

[MickeyMousse]

For us, it would be DHS first with AK being a close second. DHS just doesn't have enough to keep my DF interested for an entire day.While the same could be said for AK, there are more rides that we can do there as a family versus DHS.

[cinderella crazy]

Definately AK. We've had to make this decision for our upcoming trip, and although we would love to ride Safari and Everest, we just don't think it's worth going there for just those 2 rides.

[pamickeys]

If we had to eliminate one park it would be AK. We love AK but, depending on what time of the year you go, it usually closes the earliest--not including the water parks. We also tend to go to the park that is opened the latest just so that we can get as much time in as possible. Park hours are listed on disney's website months in advance. Have fun!

[SandmanGStefani24]

if i had to miss one, it would be the mgm, er... Disney Studios, uh... Hollywood Studios, is it? Well whatever it's called this week, I'd skip it. I love the Great Movie Ride, I love Star Tours, but aside from them, I can take or leave everything else. I love Sci-Fi and 50's diner, but 2 meals and 2 attractions aren't enough to make me miss a day at one of the other 3 parks. HS almost seems like an afterthought, or like it was thrown together quickly to fill space. Shame too, since it was great when I saw it in 1995.

[badkitty]

Not that anyone want sto miss ANY of the parks, but if you were limited on the number of days you were there, which park is the one that you would miss the least? We have 2 boys, ages 8 & 17 and although we will have 5 full days in the park (no parkhopper) I think we need 2 full days for MK and 2 full days for Epcot. I could be wrong, but that's what I'm thinking. If you had to choose between HS & AK, which one would you spend the day at?? Thanks!!!!

I wouldn't miss AK (it is my favorite!) but DHS has some great stuff and TSMM is awesome. Tough choice.

Here is a thought:
Since you have five entrances (no hopper) and tickets to MNSSHP, you may have another option. You can get in at 4pm with the party ticket. On the day of the party, go to AK (your entrance for the day) and then the party that night with its own entrance tix. That leaves you four other entrances: one for MK, one for DHS and two for Epcot. The hours at MNSSHP is like having a day the MK and with the special evening hours!

[Mrs Bus Driver]

Wow is this ever a tough question for me. I haven't even read all the posts yet but it looks like most people are saying AK. And while my DD might agree I don't. I haven't been to WDW for 6 years and with my trip coming up if I had to skip one I think it would be MK. I have been to DL many times and it is just better. Last time we were at WDW I only got to see future world in Epoct. There are new rides/shows at both DHS and AK. Thankfully I don't have to make this choice in real life. :D :mickey:

[RAIDER]

I suppose it would be AK and Disney Hollywood a close second :mickey:

[Insanity Clause]

DS and AK are not full day parks for us but I would really hate to miss either of them. DS has TSM and then it has my all time favorite which is the Muppets! But AK...has the safari...the Finding Nemo show, Bug's life and Flight of Wonder...I love all of these and they are a must.

[DisneyHoneymooners]

DW love AK so for us it would have to be DS, we seem to never spend a full day there. I would miss the fantasmic show :thumbsup: though, it's one of my favorites.

[Imagineer1981]

I'd skip one of day of Epcot. AK is a unique experience as its not just a zoo. If you want to go to a zoo, stay home. If you want to experience the blending of a zoo and themepark that goes above and beyond Busch Gardens, go to AK

[hardingella]

I cant choose. I feel bad for thinking about it. Its like saying which of your kids do you love the most ?, well, all of them of course, but all in different ways, because they are all so different and unique.

[grumpyguy]

wow,i can't believe how many people are responding with ak?
anyway if i absolutely,positively had to skip a park i would have so say epcot.while i would miss not seeing the new se i could eventually deal with it.but since everest has been in place ak has moved up a notch for me..
no way i would miss the tot or rnrc and to think of a disney trip without the mk and pp...why,it would hardly be worth the effort!!
go ak!!:thumbsup: