Half day: Epcot or Animal Kingdom?

We spent about a half day at AK and an entire day at EPCOT last time we went. We actually went back and spent another few hours at EPCOT later in the week. We also went back to AK to ride Expedition Everest. I do wish we would have seen Rivers of Light but it just didn't work out with our plans...maybe next time.
 


AK is our least favorite park. We only did a half day when we planned a whole day because everyone was just over it. I would say hit fop at rope drop if you don't get a fastpass.....otherwise hit navi river journey first. Then hit the safari. After safari see the lion king show and grab a dole whip with rum. Sip on it while walking to expedition Everest. Go back to the bridge get pictures with Mickey and minnie in super cute safari outfits. See it's a bugs life of you want or it's getting too hot. Go to dinosaur ride and see that area. The nemo show is also close to this area. Walk through/around the tree of life....some of our best pictures were taken here our last trip by a photopass photographer by the water fall. Go and get a picture directly in front of the tree of life on the way out.

This was basically our itinerary except navi river was closed and we got an anytime fastpass for it. As soon as it opened we booked it from expedition Everest all the way across the park. We ate at yak and yeti quick service. We also spent a lot of time in some shops because we were hot and my daughter's wanted to shop. We left at 2:30. I was just trying to tell you a way you might not have to backtrack on if you don't miss something. Also, if you have to wait a long time for navi river don't do it. Think it's a small world with plants and 1/2 the length.
 
I vote half day at Epcot unless you are going during a festival. I am a huge AK fan and actually spend multiple days there. You have great shows and attractions, Pandora, animal trails, and great dining.

I love Epcot too but I don't find myself spending a ton of time there right now other than evenings for Illuminations and festival activities.
 
If you are doing morning EMH at Animal Kingdom, you can definitely tour the park efficiently and be done by 1pm or 2pm in the afternoon. This will give you time to ride all of the major attractions and some free time for a couple of extra activities (e.g., animal trails, FOTLK or Nemo, etc.).

I would choose to spend the full day at Epcot because there is so much more to explore at that park. You can also accomplish most of the major attractions at Epcot by 1 or 2pm, and then spend your afternoon and evening wondering around World Showcase, or even venturing out of the International Gateway to visit the Boardwalk and the Epcot-area resorts.

I think a lot of the decision depends on your group's dynamics and preferences. We are a couple so I think we could spend a lot of time in either park 'exploring' some of the hidden gems. If we had kids that needed to be entertained, I'm not sure what allocation of time would be best for us.
 


Definitely depends who is in your group. With young kids, I'd say less Epcot and more AK. For older kids or adults, full day in EPCOT and half in AK.
 
It's so interesting that AK is a love/hate thing. We love AK so much (two adults, 9 year old, 4 year old). Part of that is that we have a thing with nature/conservation in general, part of it is that Dinosaur and EE are two of our fave rides, and part of that is that our family genuinely loves Avatar and therefore Pandora.

We do the Pandora area and rides, ride EE multiple times, get a beer (they have a good selection) and a Mickey ice cream, watch Lion King, ride Dinosaur and go to the Dino dig area, fill out parts of the kids' wilderness explorer books, cool off on Kali River Rapids, ride the safari, have a few meals, and so on. We have eaten at Tusker House, Yak and Yeti, Harambe Market, Satu'li Canteen and have enjoyed them all. We just love all things AK :lovestruc
 
I think AK has better rides, but Epcot is a better experience. For me, I would pick the experience every time. Walking around WS in the evening with my family (Wife, D9, S11) is such great family bonding time. We certainly have a great time at AK too, but we are usually ready to leave before dinner time.
 
Another vote for a half day at AK and a full day at Epcot. We like AK, but find that the park is so huge that the rides are one and done for us because we don’t want to walk all the way back across the park to ride again. With EMH, you would definitely have plenty of time to do most everything by 1ish.

Also, Epcot is my kids favorite park and actually has been since they were young.
 
I always spend more time in Epcot than Animal Kingdom. It might that the park used to close at like 3pm so I was used to it being a shorter park, but it has less to do in my opinion. Plus the country restaurants are great for dinner so I like staying for that.
 
I prefer AK over Epcot, but if you're going during F&W I might consider the full day at Epcot.
 
rteetz said:
I vote half day at Epcot unless you are going during a festival. I am a huge AK fan and actually spend multiple days there. You have great shows and attractions, Pandora, animal trails, and great dining.

I love Epcot too but I don't find myself spending a ton of time there right now other than evenings for Illuminations and festival activities.
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Perfect advice imo. We love AK and it's such a peaceful park (as peaceful as a theme park can be at least), and rushing through ruins the ambiance and feel imo. We use to do half days there, but realized we'd rather spend an entire day there now, especially once they stayed open in the evenings. Plus, other than maybe Halloween Party -Space Mountain, it has our favorite ride in EE which is great for the thrill seekers.
 
In your case, EPCOT would be my full day. Any other time, it would be a half day.
 
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