Quick trip this week need planning advice

[NLODisney]

My friend and I will be arriving Friday :mickey:for a weekend trip leaving Sunday afternoon. Staying at AKL club level. We arrive at MCO at 1pm and will take ME to resort. We plan to go to a park as soon as we check-in and drop off our things. Would MK or EPCOT be better to start at? My friend hasn't been to WDW since around 1980 so she really isn't helping in the planning. She knows she wants to go to AK and the Flower and Garden Festival. Saturday I thought we should start at AK, maybe take an afternoon break at the AKL and then go either to EPCOT or MK for the evening depending on where we were Friday night. Sunday I thought we should just hang out at AKL exploring and enjoying the pool until ME takes us back to MCO for a 6pm flight. We won't have much time at any parks so my plan is to just hit some of the highlights and enjoy what we can. Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated I really want my friend to have a good time we both need a break from our normal daily routines.

[McLiberal8]

I personally would hit Epcot first.
It is my favorite park, plus it has some of the most up to date rides, like Soarin' and Mission: Space.
I know many also think MK is a great place to start, because some think it is the quintisential 'Disney' experience.
It all depends on you and your friend's likes and dislikes, I guess.
I am not sure if I read your post wrong - you know the Flower and Garden Festival is at Epcot, not AK, right?

[Pirate Granny]

Well, I just took a peek at the hours for next weekend...the 14 and 15th right? Well...EPCOT is open until midnight on the 14th so take advantage of the last night hours...you could go to MK, which closes at 9 and take the monorail over to EPCOT...get a sample of both on Friday...and Saturday, the Studios are open early...could get there and see Toy Store Mania and then catch a bus to AK (my favorite)...nothing has late hours on Saturday...so you can go back to the hotel and chill...enjoy your day at the pool...or head out to DTD for a bit of shopping before your afternoon swim... Have a wonderful time...
:pirate:

[Imagineer1981]

Flower and Garden ends Saturday or Sunday...can't remember which so check that and do Epcot if you can first. Some one on the board will know the dates :)

[Ms. Mode]

We always start with MK....it's just "Disney, we're here" to us. :thumbsup:

[Tick-Tock]

I would do Epcot on Friday, AK Saturday morning and MK Saturday late afternoon/evening. It's my theory that people can't really enjoy other things fully until they've seen what they really want to see (it's always in the back of the mind, this is good, but when are we getting to see ____?).

My other thinking is that (1) Epcot was really crowded on Saturday night a week ago and Friday might be somewhat better, even with the late hours, (2) AK gets darn hot, so start early, and (3) MK is open until 11 on Saturday, but only 9 on Friday. Obviously MK is going to be busy, but your friend will already have seen the important stuff (for her) and so anything you get done at MK will be a bonus.