How do I pick which Disney park to visit?

 I had a client reach out to me and ask:


A screenshot from a client asking which Disney park they should go to.

And I knew immediately Doah Discovers has a purpose. She was specifically asking about Orlando as they live a few hours away but there is six parks in the US and two water parks.

At Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California there is:
  • Disneyland Park
  • California Adventure
At Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida there is:
  • Magic Kingdom
  • Epcot
  • Hollywood Studios
  • Animal Kingdom
And while I think these are more of an add-on and not necessarily a deciding factor, there are two waterparks, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and Disney's Blizzard Beach in Orlando as well.

For this post, I'll focus on how to choose the parks in Orlando.

So how do you decide which parks to visit on your trip? You'll want to ask yourself the following questions:
  • Do I plan to visit Disney once? Or could I see myself coming a different times?
  • Who am I traveling with and what are their interests?
  • How many days do I have to visit?
  • What time of year am I visiting?
  • Do I want to park hop?

The Disney Iconic Park

If you're only planning to visit Disney World once, to me, Magic Kingdom is a priority. It has a lot of the classic rides you know about like Tiana's Bayou Adventure - previously Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Dumbo, It's a Small World, Space Mountain, Peter Pan's Flight, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion plus many newer rides like Tron and Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster, plus many other rides and attractions. But above all else, it has Cinderella's Castle. If you're looking for the iconic photos, it's going to be at Magic Kingdom. It has the most attractions and is the original park in Florida.

Who Are You Traveling With?

The next question you need to ask is who am I travelling with and what are their interests? If you're traveling with Star Wars or Toy Story lovers, you'll want to go to Hollywood Studios. The Frozen and Finding Nemo ride is at Epcot, this is also where you can "drink around the world". Animal Kingdom is very animal-focused. I wouldn't suggest only doing Animal Kingdom if you're going to only do one park at Disney World.

How Many Days Do You Have?

If you plan to only spend one day at the parks, you have to be much more discerning about which parks you're going to visit. If you are spending a week or more, you will likely visit all of the parks. Recently, I knew someone who got a 14-day park hopper even though they really only plan on going for 9 or 10 days because the price was about the same and gives them more flexibility. They can choose to go just for an evening show, or go early on one day but then head to the pool for the rest of the day.

What Time of Year Are You Visiting?

Different parks have different draws depending on the time of year. Mickey's Not So Spooky Halloween is a fan-favourite. Some love to visit at the holidays for extra magic. Epcot hosts many festivals throughout the year including the Flower & Garden Festival and the Food and Wine Festival. Checking the calendar to see what special events (or closures) might be happening while you're there are will help you choose the best parks for you and your crew.

Need help deciding what parks are right for your trip? I'm here to help. Tell me about your dream trip and let's make it happen.

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