What park do you see first? Which order do you see them?

[marriedmarylander]

I'm just curious which park the solos/adults go to first and in what order you do the parks... what you save for last... If there is any order or you just do whatever you feel like on your trip, do it based on EMH days, etc... Does it matter the order as long as you see them?

 

[JDarling]

If we arrive early enough to hit up a park (before 4:30pm), we usually head to Epcot for the evening, do a couple of smaller attractions in Future World, Maelstrom in Norway in World Showcase, and then get dessert and pick a spot for Illuminations. What an amazing way to start off a trip! Since we always tour off season, Epcot is usually opened the latest. The next morning (or our first morning in WDW), we ALWAYS start with a character breakfast - Donald's Breakfastosaurus. It's a great way to fill up and feel like a kid again. Then we tour AK for most of that day. We also usually go out for an extra special dinner (Coral Reef or Cinderella's castle) on our anniversary (12/1), but isn't every meal at WDW special? We say we're celebrating our anniversary everywhere we go and love getting special treatment!

Other than that, there isn't anything we "save" for last. We just do everything we can and anything we have to skip or miss we "save for next time".

 

[Simba's Mom]

There's no one park I have to visit first. It's entirely dependent on where I'm staying, so which one's most convenient to get to the quickest or often, which park is the "best" one (least crowds vs. the other parks) on whichever day I happen to arrive. Usually I go to Epcot first, because it's closest to where I stay-BCV-so I can get there fastest!

 

[princesstommi]

If we get in early enough, we really like heading over to MK, even if we don't have time to get a ton done. Just walking down mainstreet is enough to make us feel *there*.

Other than that, we don't have any order in which things have to be seen. We will probably spend most of our time in Epcot for F&W on this next trip. Our loose schedule revolves around EMH and where we want to eat.

 

[Margie J]

Epcot is often the first stop. It's open late and I can grab a quick bite to eat there. After travelling it's a nice treat.

If the MK is open late on my arrival day I may go there and catch a quick ride or two then watch the fireworks. Otherwise it's often my second stop, unless Epcot is having a special event such as the F&W Festival.

I fill in the week with MGM and AK visits. Then often end the trip with the MK.

 

[Cmadsen]

Having been a Disney lover since my "mouse ears" days, I freely attempt to convert traveling companions to my point of view. I realized I had succeeded when, in planning an upcoming trip, and scheduling our arrival night at another park, my DF informed me (in no uncertain terms) that we HAD to visit the MK first. When I asked why, she said, "I just don't feel like I'm really there until I walk down Main Street and see the Castle!" (Oh, how I love it when fellow adults "catch" the magic!)

 

[cassie]

My arrival day I usually don't visit a park. After checking in I like to head to DTD and hang around and grab a bite to eat. This May though, I'm meeting some Diser's at Epcot for dinner, so I'll meet them earlier to share the day with them. I have yet to see all that Epcot has to offer, and I'm determined to see it all this trip.

 

[taswira]

My only suggestion would be to avoid MK on a weekend (especially Saturday) IF you have a choice and are at WDW at least one weekday. Saturday is usually the most crowded at MK any time of year.

Aside from that, start with whichever is closest!

 

[cdntourguide]

Because of where I live I always get to the resort at around 2am. When I get up my first park has always been AK. When it is time to go home, I again have to leave the resort at 8am so the day before I would start out with Ak and end the day at MK.
this next trip in April I will start at MK staying for the EMH. the last day I am at WDE I am going to start atEpcot then mid-afternoon go to MGM, having dinner at H&V and staying for the late Fantasmic show.

 

[tifandjim]

I'm just curious which park the solos/adults go to first and in what order you do the parks... what you save for last... If there is any order or you just do whatever you feel like on your trip, do it based on EMH days, etc... Does it matter the order as long as you see them?

We like to go to in this order: Epcot, MK, MGM, AK, then we go back and park hop on any days we have left. We also do MGM and AK in just one day (since those are our least favorite parks).

 

[aubriee]

When I took my GD for her first trip in January, I wanted to leave the MK for later in the week, so she wouldn't be disappointed in the other parks.

When I go back solo in May I will be arriving before lunch on a Friday. I plan to start and end my trip at MK. I'll be spending two nights at POP, then five nights at BWV, then two more nights at POP. What days I see certain parks is being determined by which hotel I'm at on a certain day and which tours I have booked (KTTK, Sedgway, Backstage Safari). My plans are to do MK the first two days, then after I move over to the BWV I'll spend a day at Epcot, a day at AK, two more days at Epcot, a day at MGM, two days park hopping, exploring resorts, and going to DTD, then the last day at MK again.

 

[pixiedust23]

I always do a pool the first day I arrive. I don't feel its worth paying for a day at the park when I know I can't use it to the full extent. The second day however I like to go to MK b/c well that IS wdw.

 

[JiminyCricketFan]

I love all the parks, but especially Disney/MGM. I love to go there last. I often spend two days there. I try to see the illumiNations show also toward the end of the trip. I is a nice way to cap off the vacation.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I'm planning on going to Epcot first, but I'll be there for ten days. I'll do AK one day in the middle. As far as EMH go, I'll use the night hours, but probably not the morning ones.

 

[pumpkinfish]

We always do DTD our first day. But the first park we always go to HAS to be MK! Our trip just wouldn't be right if we didn't see the castle and ride SM, Buzz, HM, POTC, BTM, and SpM.

This year we have APs, so I think we are going to Epcot for a little bit on that Sunday. Then it is on to PI.

 

[StuartMI]

ha!

During my "one day marathon" of WDW this past January when I was in Orlando for work, I had a one day MYW+Hopper pass and did the following:

Parked car at WL, had breakfast at WCC, MT was my waitress - she's so fun.
Took bus to Epcot, was there for rope drop.
Went and rode MS twice, then TT once.
Shopped around in Epcot, Canada, UK, and went to Intl Gateway
Got on Friendship Boat and went to MGM
At MGM went on ToT and RnR and had lunch at 50's prime time.
Went from MGM to MK via bus and monorail.
MK got my haircut with pixie dust, Pirates, Philharmagic, HM, and Space Mtn.
Took boat from MK back to WL
Got dressy clothes out of car and changed in the WL bathroom.
Met my best man and his wife who were in FL too for dinner @ Narcoosse's at GF.

 

[scoutsmom99]

I used to head to Epcot first, but the last two times I have hit MGM first. I usually save MK for the second or third day I am there. I usually am at my resort by 1:00 my first day and itching to hit the parks. I tend to do a lot of hopping as well. I usually will not spend an enitre day at just one park. A schedule for me might look like

Arrival Day MGM/Epcot
1st Full day: Epcot/DTD
2nd Day: AK/MK
3rd Day MK
4th Day TL/MGM

Well you get the idea...I have really learned how to relax on my trips and just go with the flow and do what I wnt it makes it much more relaxing of a trip for me

 

[DisneyJen0504]

Dh and I have a tradition (after going to WDW together for the last few years) of always making MK our first park. Then we hop around-we usually plan ahead of time based on EMH, park hours, and dining plans-we always go to one park for the early morning until around 1pm. Then back to the resort for a nap, pool and shower before going back out for dinner and a different park. We like to visit every park in the am and pm each on our trip. We also usually go to DTD two or so times for a meal and shopping or a meal and Pleasure Island. Oh and our last night is always at MK for fireworks!! Its a tradition now! We can accomplish a lot in less time being without kids...this upcoming trip will likely be our last as a twosome.

 

[newholidayx2]

this Aug Im planning:
arrival day - pool, GF for dinner/pool
1st full day - Chef Mickey's, pools, Downtown DIsney
2nd - Whispering Canyon brkfst, Typhoon Lagoon, tour AKL
3rd - Kona's, pools, LTT lunch, AK (EMH)
4th - MGM, Mama Melrose lunch, WL pool, MK (EMH)
5th - Crystal Palace, MK, pool, Whispering Canyon dinner
6th - AK, Rainforest lunch, pool, Trails End
7th - EpCot, San Angel lunch, pool
8th - Cape May, EpCot, Stormalong Bay, MGM
9th - Stormalong, EpCot, Canada lunch
10th - Yacht Galley, Stormalong, ESPN, AK
11th - Spoodles, BW pool, MK, Plaza
12th - Stormalong, EpCot, Teppenyaki
13th - Stormalong, Big River, MGM
14th - fly home

so our first Disney park day isnt until our 3rd full day and our first time to EpCot isnt until we've been at Disney for 1 week
MK, AK, MGM, MK, MK, AK, EpCot, EpCot, MGM, EpCot, AK, MK, EpCot, MGM