We are only going to do 3 parks for our first trip.
We plan to do MK 2 days, AK 1 day and HS 1 day leaving Epcot out. But I am just curious if this is the best choice.
Which parks would you do?
ETA: We are taking our 5 year old and 3 year old. (1 year old is staying home). My girls LOVE Hannah Montana and all that Disney Shows. They LOVE LOVE LOVE Disney Princesses. And they have never ridden rides before and I have a feeling will be a little hesitant on the bigger stuff.
We do have 2 Zoos near us. One that is exceptional. But we are also a big Animal Family.
And again, we have NEVER been to WDW, so everything will be new to us.
Well this thread sure did seem to pull out the DAK haters. But that always happens when you throw out the idea of skipping MK or Epcot (since many people consider those their favorite parks). I certainly believe they are entitled to their opinions but I would also go with your first instinct. Remember, YOU know what is best for your family and from the looks of it, you seemed to really think it through. Plus, many of the opinions that have been thrown out there are simply a "DAK sucks" or "I always skip DAK" which is fine for them but doesn't really help YOU out because this is your first time and you havent experienced any of the parks.
Honestly, I think you would really enjoy DAK. It is the newest park and they were able to apply a lot of the things they learned from the other parks to DAK. The atmosphere is untouched and the Tree of Life is amazing to look at. Since your family are animal lovers, I think you would have an exceptional number of things to do - contrary to what many other posters are stating. For many of them, animals may not be that big a thing so they may not take the time to explore the walking trails or animal shows. If that is the case, than there may not be as much to do as at the other parks. But I think there will be plenty for you to do.
How about starting out the day going on as authentic of an African safari as you can get outside of Africa? And then following that up by walking down a trail where you can see monkeys, naked mole rats, hippos, meerkats, and western lowland gorillas in as much a natural state as you could possibly believe. You could follow that up with the best show on property - The Festival of the Lion King, and then pick and choose different characters to see such as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy - all in Safari gear. Go explore the trails around the Tree of Life where you will see even more animals such as kangaroos, giant galapagos tortoises, flamingos, and porcupines and then head INTO the Tree of Life to catch up with the Bugs. In Asia, head to Flights of Wonder - a wonderful show about birds that has the birds flying over your head and exhibiting all natural behaviors - and then head into the jungle temples to visit gibbons, komodo dragons, giant fruit bats, and asian tigers. Again, all in the most natural setting you will probably ever experience. Then you could head to Finding Nemo - The Musical - a full broadway style puppet production. Finally, wrap up the day in DinoLand USA where the kids can ride Triceratop Spin and play in the Boneyard. When you have time, you could even make your way up to Rafiki's Planet Watch where you can see live veterinary procedures occuring, speak to REAL animal keepers and conservation leaders (can be a real treat for animal lovers), meet hard to find characters such as Pocahontas and Jiminy Cricket, as well as have up close and personal encounters with all sorts of animals - everything from snakes to lizards to small mammals to tiny, exotic invertebrates.
All of this doesnt even include Big Kid stuff like Everest, Kali River Rapids, Dinosaur, and Primevil Whirl. All of which you can potentially throw in if the kids are feeling up to it or the adults want to do something for themselves. To say that there isnt anything to do for a first timer at DAK is ludicrous. Especially for one that seems to love animals as much as you do.
Having said that, there ARE awesome things to do at all of the parks (including Epcot). However, I think your original inclination is right on - to possibly save Epcot for a later trip. Remember, that will just give you something to look forward to for a return trip. Plus, you may be able to experience it when the kids are a little older and may enjoy more aspects of Epcot. I also think the Studios is a smart move with what you have said about your kids.
All of this is just the humble opinion of someone that thinks that DAK gets short changed by many - especially those that have been there and just did not "get it".