Which park?

[Tinkermom]

A family is traveling with a 2.5 year old to WDW. They only have 2 days at Disney and will spend one day at MK. Which other park would you recommend and why?:mickey:

[DisneyPrincess21]

A family is traveling with a 2.5 year old to WDW. They only have 2 days at Disney and will spend one day at MK. Which other park would you recommend and why?:mickey:

Well that depends on how interested the child is and in what. If they like animals then animal kingdom. It really depends on what would hold the child's attention the best. My best guess for what would hold a 2.5 year old's attention would be the animals at AK

[Tinkermom]

Well that depends on how interested the child is and in what. If they like animals then animal kingdom. It really depends on what would hold the child's attention the best. My best guess for what would hold a 2.5 year old's attention would be the animals at AK

Yea - I was thinking that also but Disney's Hollywood Studios has a lot of cool shows and Toy Story Mania is pretty cool and I think a 2.5 year old would at least like all of the colors and action.

Of course AK has Dinoland which could be fun for a 2.5 year old but other than that and Kilamanjaro what else would there be for a 2.5 year old?

By the way - this was a question posed by a friend of mine whose friend is the one going so I do not know this family!:mickey: It has been a while since I went with a toddler so I thought I would pick some brains. :blush:

[DisneyPrincess21]

By the way - this was a question posed by a friend of mine whose friend is the one going so I do not know this family!:mickey: It has been a while since I went with a toddler so I thought I would pick some brains. :blush:

I have never taken any kids with me to WDW before, but i was thinking most kids that age are usually interested in animals. My personal preference is MGM but i dont know if a 2.5 year old would get too much entertainment out of it.
But here's another suggestion for them, how about getting the park hopper and doing both animal kingdom and mgm. Just a thought :wave:

[sonkist32]

at 2.5 spend them both at the magic kingdom..you won't want to rush around and this way you can let him take a nap in the middle of the day in the stroller...save the other parks for when he's older...he won't remember anyway..this way all the pics you have he will be happy and not crabby from running around all day long..just my thought.

[Greenlawler]

Like the other posters said, it is really what would hold thier attention. We have taken all three of our boys at that age. The MK obviously has the best appeal for children as he or she could ride many of the rides. AK's safari ride is a must but the park closes so early and aside from the animals there is little else that they could enjoy. Dino-land has little for a 2 year old. They could ride the flying dino ride but that is really it there.
I am not sure that DHS would not be a better fit to your wants to get more bang for your buck. Epcot is definalty your last choice. The youngter could at least at DHS enjoy the shows like The Little Mermaid, Playhouse Disney, and Beauty and the Beast, plus they might enjoy the Muppets movie. Our two years olds loved the Playhouse Disney show becuase they watch Disney TV constantly. Our youngters also enjoyed Fantasmic although it does have some scary images. Our children at that age did not know to be scared.
I would say it is really up to them. What do they want to enjoy? At that age the time spent should be about what can they do with a two year old rather than what would the two year old enjoy. If they like the thrill rides and would enjoy doing the parent swap I would still say DHS.

[JenniferS.]

I would also suggest MK both days. This is the BEST park for small children.

[DisneyFr33k]

I agree. 2 days at MK would be best. Heck, we have a 10 and 12 year old and are planning 2 days at MK when we go in a couple of weeks!! There is a lot to do there and gives time to repeat favorites - and at 2 and 1/2, there will be!

[TysMomTink]

I just came back from WDW with my 2.5 year old son who absolutely loved DHS because of TSM, meeting McQueen, Mater, Buzz and Woody, and Playhouse Disney. For me it would be a no-brainer. Those are his favorites. Not knowing the child you're asking about, I can only tell you my son loved DHS. I also second the previous posters responses and say two days at MK...

[Mickey'sGirl]

I would say Epcot. It has been our family favourite since the boys were toddlers. There's lots of space to run around ... great things to see, the Living Seas is uber popular with children, Ellen's Universe of Energy, and at 2.5, your child is possibly at the 40" mark, and can ride Test Track and Soarin'. Have fun no matter what you do! :thumbsup:

[Imagineer1981]

I would do DHS as the 2nd day. I just came back with my 19month old and he loved Playhouse Disney, seeing Lightning and Mater, meeting tons of characters around the park, block party bash parade, and overall he had a good time

[Disney Doll]

We just returned from a trip with our 23 month old last week. MK was by far the favorite. We spent the least amount of time at DHS. Playhouse Disney was fun for him, but I don't think he really cared about Toy Story Mania. We found that the vast majority of stuff at DHS was not geared towards 2 year olds. We had fun at AK just walking the animal trails and riding the safari. FoLK was also fun for our son. We did the Pooh meet and greet at AK which was a big hit. I'm a little torn. With only 2 days it would be very tempting to do MK twice. However, if you wanted a second park AK would be my choice.

[mom2mickeyfan]

My son was almost 2.5 last summer when we went. I agree with others about it depending on the child but this is the easiest way to figure it out.

Option 1: MK both days if your child really likes riding the rides. My DS loved the roller coaster in Toon Town.

Option 2: DHS if your child likes to watch shows and meet characters. It is the only place to meet Playhouse Disney characters and many Pixar characters like Woody, Lightin' McQueen, Mater and Sulley. My DS also enjoyed Block Party Bash and the stunt car show. Plus he wanted to see Playhouse Disney again.

BTW....on our trip we went to DHS once and MK twice.

[EPCOT84]

I would say Epcot. It has been our family favourite since the boys were toddlers. There's lots of space to run around ... great things to see, the Living Seas is uber popular with children, Ellen's Universe of Energy, and at 2.5, your child is possibly at the 40" mark, and can ride Test Track and Soarin'. Have fun no matter what you do! :thumbsup:

Great to read a vote for Epcot. May I add the Futureworld pavilions and interactive stuff are colorful and a good controlled environment for them to run around. The Kidcot stations in World Showcase might just be okay for that age. I guess the challenge is all the walking but it seems you made it work ! Living Seas for sure. Imagination, and just going through the countries. Depending on the kid, some of the character greets hidden here and there will surprise him. Universe and the Land also seem to work for the small kids. Don't forget it is also a trip for the parents so they may enjoy a soothing park like Epcot. The tone of the place may be important for their growth and when the kid gets older, the stuff at DHS and AK will be more appreciated by kids. So for now enjoy it whichever but of course I say Epcot for one day.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I would say Epcot....because its my 2nd favorite I am biased, but it has plenty of places to stop in and rest with a tired toddler...plus there's the Nemo Ride and Turtle Talk with Crush, Figment and other things that will appeal to your child....

[kathiep]

When my kids were that age, their next pick after MK was always Epcot. They loved Future World - lots of hands on stuff to do and even did very well in World Showcase. They loved coloring their mask at each station.

[tdk316]

We're also planning on taking our 2.5 yo this December and are going to spend most of our time in MK, but have a morning in AK and an afternoon in Hollywood for the Playhouse and Cars things. If you have a park hopper, why not try to hit AK and Hollywood with lunch and a nap in between them?

[diz_girl]

My preferences would be:
A second day at MK or
EPCOT

I originally thought AK, but EPCOT has several rides that small children can go on. He can do SE, Nemo, Turtle Talk w/Crush, the Land and JIYI in FW. Then there is the Mexico ride and Maelstrom in WS. And maybe Soarin' if he is tall enough. Plus there is Innoventions, which is hands-on, and all of the KidCot stations in WS. There is also all of the music and other attractions (acrobats in China, Miyuki making edible toffee animals in Japan) that can keep kids interested.

[kemps@wdw]

Depends on what the child likes. Ak, if they like animals. Or DHS, for Playhouse Disney, Ariel, and Toy Story. Personally, I'd go for DHS. Probably more to keep the attention of a toddler.

[johnO]

I vote Epcot for the parents :secret:

Food and Wine Festival can't be missed.

[HoosierDisneyFan]

Whichever park you select I would highly recommend doing MK on the 2nd day. If you do MK on the first day youe child may be disappointed that the 2nd park isn't as fun as MK.