Best park for toddlers?

[pixie08]

Our son is three. This August will be his 4th trip so we have been there during various phases of his toddler life. MK hands down before three. Last trip in December was the first time he loved HS and AK.

HS he loves Disney Junior Live. TSM and Frozen live. Plus Little Mermaid and Toy Story land I am sure will be a hit.

AK has an amazing play are and he loves the Safari, the Nemo show and safari.

He even liked EPCOT although not as much as the others. he loved the Nemo ride and aquarium, the figment play area and we let him run around WS and explore. He liked watching the shows and playing the drums etc. The Frozen ride is also a big hit. So every park really has something imo...

HOWEVER, MK is the park we will do 2-3 times per trip because there is just so much for him.

 

[Beachmom0317]

Is it possible to reconsider your decision and do MK this trip aNd the next? I’ve gone with an infant and again with an infant and toddler and MK really is best. Our toddler did love AK as 2nd choice, but doing Tusker House was a large part of that and still no where near as fun as MK. Sounds like a good predicament to be in though...either way you’ll be at Disney!

 

[DizzyDis]

Generally, AK would be my vote, provided your kids are pretty into animals. We always found it a lower-key day, as you can walk at your own pace and see lots, but if you go to nice zoos regularly, it may not necessarily have the same huge "wow" factor. If your kids know the characters, we had a great time at HS too, but agree with others that it feels like a lot is closed right now. Our highlights there were a character meal to see Disney Jr characters (my daughter was in awe) and playing with the green army men outside Toy Story Midway Mania.

But I do agree with others and would probably go MK if it is at all an option. No need to save, there is always more to see and do! And you just can't beat the castle!

 

[Rocketeer53]

When we took my DS for the first time he was 2 and MK was hands down the best. Next for him was EPCOT. With Nemo, Figment, and Frozen (though it wasn't open when he went his 1st time, it was when we took him at 4 and he loved it) he had a blast. He didn't care for Soarin' mainly because the transitions in the film like the plane flying right at you startled him. He also loved Living with the Land and River of Time in Mexico. With most of the rides in HS and AK being geared to kids who are just slightly older, I would have to say EPCOT.

Have a great trip!

 

[tlmadden73]

Best park for Toddlers?

In this order:
MK
AK
DHS
Epcot.

I've taken my son to WDW for 3 short (2 park day) trips -- and had great experiences:

MK is a no-brainer . .tons of rides for kids.
AK -- it has animals and while there are a lot of rides you can't go on with a toddler, the ambience and extras (liking the walking animal tours) are great.
DHS - Despite it having some big "adult" rides, the Disney Junior Show alone and the numbers of meet and greets make it a great Toddler park. I have taken my son to this park every trip . .when he was 2 (just for a few shows!), when he was 3 (Disney Junior show was amazing) .. when he was 4 (when he was finally big enough for Star Tours).
Epcot - We avoided Epcot until he was 4 you and tall enough to ride the big rides (Test Track and Soaring) .. not much there for tiny Toddlers in my opinion, but my 4yo had fun time there with things like The Seas, character meal at Garden Grill .. and the "thrill" of rides like Test Track and Soaring. (though still a bit scary for a young one, but he lived )

My main thoughts . .is go short .. 2-3 park days .. get up early and don't stay late .. otherwise you could have a very cranky child on your hands.

 

[Jess_S]

We took my son to all of the parks on his first trip (age 3). He liked AK the best. Yes, he liked it more than Magic Kingdom.

I would imagine that it depends upon what your kids are interested in, but he really like seeing the animals. We arrived at rope drop and looked at the animals at the front of the park, did the safari and the triceratops spin and then took the train to Rafiki's to do the petting area and see the animals there. Then lunch at Tusker House and seeing some more animals. By that time, my son was pooped from the heat and wanted to go back to the hotel.

For what it's worth, I disagree with the idea that there's not much for small children at any of the parks. The nice part about going anywhere with small kids is that it forces you to slow down and appreciate the details. There are lots of details in every park that small children will enjoy. (For example, in Epcot, my son enjoyed the music acts, the dancing fountains, the Seas with Nemo, seeing characters, and the 3 Caballeros ride in Mexico -- which we went on like 4 times in a row).

 

[JayLew5695]

Ok, you guys/gals talked me into it- Magic Kingdom for the first WDW visit. We just booked a 1 bedroom villa at Boulder Creek for the trip ... and now the agony of the wait begins.

 

[MischaOz]

You won’t regret it! We first took our daughter when she was 2yrs 8mos and that was a perfect age for MK! Even if you go back in a year, at those ages you can easily repeat MK and it will be just as magical!

 

[JayLew5695]

You won’t regret it! We first took our daughter when she was 2yrs 8mos and that was a perfect age for MK! Even if you go back in a year, at those ages you can easily repeat MK and it will be just as magical!

Thanks! We're super excited!