Disneyworld- only 2 full days- which park to choose for 8 year old?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Magic kingdom snd Hollywood studios.

These were the 2 we did with our 8 y/o when we only had 2 park days. And the resort pools are awesome + open fairly late so you really don’t need to do a water park to get in some swimming/water slides.

[Anonymous]

I would pick Magic kingdom over Epcot for an 8 year old. And don’t discount the water parks. They are both incredibly fun, beautiful and clean. Nicest water parks I’ve ever seen.

[Anonymous]

OP, how adventurous is your 8-year-old? Do they like more thrilling rides? Do they enjoy shows, parades, characters (or any particular characters)?

It's hard to give advice without knowing what your child is into. As others have said, MK is the densest park and makes the most sense for your trip.

It depends on preferences if choosing between others. I will say that some of the PPs have given bad information. For instance, I'm not aware of any Marvel characters at HS in Florida. But if your child is into Star Wars, it's a great park. Will they go on rides like the Tower of Terror? If so, that is even better. The Toy Story area is wonderful, especially at night when it is cooler. It does tend to be unbelievably crowded.

Another PP mentioned AK being beautiful at night. You can check the hours for the dates of your trip, but AK is rarely, if ever, open late these days. I personally adore AK, but it doesn't have as many rides. We are regular zoo goers too, and disagree with the assessment that AK is just a zoo. However, if your child is less of a risk-taker and wouldn't ride Expedition Everest and wouldn't enjoy shows like Festival of the Lion King or the bird shows, AK might not be for you.

At that age, my kids loved Epcot, but again, if you are more ride-focused, HS would probably be a better choice.

Have a great trip!

[Anonymous]

Magic kingdom and Epcot, unless they’re in Star Wars or Toy Story and eould he particularly excited by Hollywood studios.

MK and Epcot have the most to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Definitely not Epcot, especially if you're going in the summer. The walk around the lake to all of the countries is a slog for some kids, especially in the summer b/c there isn't much shade.

My kids had zero interest in this and we were there in April.

I thought Epcot would be a short day, but all 3 of my kids loved it and spent a lot of time wandering the pavilions, trying food, going on rides, taking the boat across the lagoon. It was a surprising hit.

FYI that they stopped doing the boat rides. And, Test Track closes this week for a long refurb (a PP mentioned it).

I took the boat ride 2 weeks ago. Did it just end?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely not Epcot, especially if you're going in the summer. The walk around the lake to all of the countries is a slog for some kids, especially in the summer b/c there isn't much shade.

My kids had zero interest in this and we were there in April.

I thought Epcot would be a short day, but all 3 of my kids loved it and spent a lot of time wandering the pavilions, trying food, going on rides, taking the boat across the lagoon. It was a surprising hit.

FYI that they stopped doing the boat rides. And, Test Track closes this week for a long refurb (a PP mentioned it).

I took the boat ride 2 weeks ago. Did it just end?

I'm a DP, but if anyone knows the deal with the boat ride (the friendship boats) in Epcot, can they explain them? I've been multiple times, and have seen the boats running from Canada to Morocco (I think), but when I have tried to take one, there is always a sign saying they are closed. Is there a schedule?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely not Epcot, especially if you're going in the summer. The walk around the lake to all of the countries is a slog for some kids, especially in the summer b/c there isn't much shade.

My kids had zero interest in this and we were there in April.

I thought Epcot would be a short day, but all 3 of my kids loved it and spent a lot of time wandering the pavilions, trying food, going on rides, taking the boat across the lagoon. It was a surprising hit.

FYI that they stopped doing the boat rides. And, Test Track closes this week for a long refurb (a PP mentioned it).

I took the boat ride 2 weeks ago. Did it just end?

I'm a DP, but if anyone knows the deal with the boat ride (the friendship boats) in Epcot, can they explain them? I've been multiple times, and have seen the boats running from Canada to Morocco (I think), but when I have tried to take one, there is always a sign saying they are closed. Is there a schedule?

I've only been the one time, just 2 weeks ago. We waited at a dock, near Germany I think, and the boat came and we got on. I think at any time a dock or two might be closed for repairs. And the boat didn't make other stops at other paviilions just went straight across and back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Magic Kingdom. That is quintessential Disney. Especially for an 8 year old. No way would I waste time at a water park in Disney if I was only there 2.5 days.

OP here. I already decided to go to the Magic Kindgom. My sister compromised by not going to Epcott ( that she wanted to go to) and go instead to Magic Kingdom. I agree with you- water park doesn't call to me, but my sister insists to go to the water park, so we will go to stay together. So that was my compromise with my sister to go to the water park.

Why can't you go to Epcot and MK? Then everyone wins. A water park is a water park. My kids loved Epcot.

OP here. We only have 2 full days and one half day in Disneworld ( staying in Disney resorts). It kind of was late planning, or not much planning, and the tickets are very expensive. My sister also thought that doing two theme parks in 2 days without any break might be too much for kids. I know that next time, if we go again, I will plan better time of the year, and purchase 4 day package or something like that to make it more economical. I truly don't want to break the bank on this trip. In my view, this trip will be just the sampling of Disneyworld.

[Anonymous]

We did Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.
Two days was more than enough!!!! We'll go back another time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Magic Kingdom. That is quintessential Disney. Especially for an 8 year old. No way would I waste time at a water park in Disney if I was only there 2.5 days.

OP here. I already decided to go to the Magic Kindgom. My sister compromised by not going to Epcott ( that she wanted to go to) and go instead to Magic Kingdom. I agree with you- water park doesn't call to me, but my sister insists to go to the water park, so we will go to stay together. So that was my compromise with my sister to go to the water park.

Why can't you go to Epcot and MK? Then everyone wins. A water park is a water park. My kids loved Epcot.

OP here. We only have 2 full days and one half day in Disneworld ( staying in Disney resorts). It kind of was late planning, or not much planning, and the tickets are very expensive. My sister also thought that doing two theme parks in 2 days without any break might be too much for kids. I know that next time, if we go again, I will plan better time of the year, and purchase 4 day package or something like that to make it more economical. I truly don't want to break the bank on this trip. In my view, this trip will be just the sampling of Disneyworld.

Has your sister been before? Does she have younger kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely not Epcot, especially if you're going in the summer. The walk around the lake to all of the countries is a slog for some kids, especially in the summer b/c there isn't much shade.

My kids had zero interest in this and we were there in April.

I thought Epcot would be a short day, but all 3 of my kids loved it and spent a lot of time wandering the pavilions, trying food, going on rides, taking the boat across the lagoon. It was a surprising hit.

FYI that they stopped doing the boat rides. And, Test Track closes this week for a long refurb (a PP mentioned it).

I took the boat ride 2 weeks ago. Did it just end?

I'm a DP, but if anyone knows the deal with the boat ride (the friendship boats) in Epcot, can they explain them? I've been multiple times, and have seen the boats running from Canada to Morocco (I think), but when I have tried to take one, there is always a sign saying they are closed. Is there a schedule?

I was there 2 weeks ago and none of the boats were running, and I heard someone say they were closed long-term. It sounds like maybe they run sometimes, but OP shouldn't count on them to get across the World Showcase lagoon.

[Anonymous]

We did 2 days at magic kingdom with our 7 year old and it was more than enough

[Anonymous]

I love each park but Epcot is iconic. And it currently has a few amazing rides. Ratatouille is super fun and Guardians of the galaxy is awesome. Test track is fun. Moana journey of water isn’t a ride but it is super cool. Some of the old school rides like Spaceship Earth and figment are fun. We like the crazy place you taste carbonated beverages from all over the world and the aquarium. It’s really really good. And the country exhibits are nice and many have good quick service food. Don’t hate on Epcot!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love each park but Epcot is iconic. And it currently has a few amazing rides. Ratatouille is super fun and Guardians of the galaxy is awesome. Test track is fun. Moana journey of water isn’t a ride but it is super cool. Some of the old school rides like Spaceship Earth and figment are fun. We like the crazy place you taste carbonated beverages from all over the world and the aquarium. It’s really really good. And the country exhibits are nice and many have good quick service food. Don’t hate on Epcot!!

I love Epcot and WDW in general (go every 2 years or so) and thought Remy was just okay and not worth the hassle to ride. I’ll ride it again when it’s less popular.

[Anonymous]

Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Hands down.