I am visiting Disney World next week from (starting 2/24) with a 5-day ticket with my wife and my 2yo son.
Our original plan was to visit each park on each day and then save the last day for the park we wanted to revisit most (tentatively and most likely Magic Kingdom). But, I just saw the news on TP with the walls in Epcot and I am wondering if I would be better off allocating that day to another park. I have been to Epcot many times, most recently 5 years ago but I don’t want to spoil my wife and son’s first visit.
What are your thoughts? How intrusive is the construction and different updates?
With 2 y/o, I would definitely use that 5th park day for MK as you have tentatively planned. I think 2.5 days at MK would be even better.
I was at Epcot this past October with DD4 and DS23months. Not as many construction walls as now, but there were plenty of walls up then. We spent a full day doing the following:
Frozen Ever After
Meet Anna and Elsa
Three Caballeros
Lunch in Mexico Pavilion
Spaceship Earth
Nemo ride
Turtle Talk with Crush
Explore Living Seas Pavilion
Meet Mickey, Minnie and Goofy
Meet Baymax
Imagination Pavilion (ride and exploring pavilion)
Meet Venelope
We wanted to do Living with the Land, but ran out of time.
So, if you are interested in attractions like the above, then I would still go to Epcot. Do you have hoppers? Another option would be splitting the day between Epcot and MK with a break (nap time) in between.
We were there in Jan. Plenty of attractions are still there, just doesn’t have the pretty open plaza. First timers won’t have anything to compare it to, really. Epcot is our favorite park to eat in, so I personally wouldn’t skip it.
In January my DD6, DD4, and DD3 chose that as their favorite park so we did it a 2nd day on our last day of the trip. Plenty to do there for little ones and it was our first trip so the walls did not ruin anything for us
If you have park hoppers maybe make it a relaxing evening and enter through the international gateway?
The last two trips this was my DH and my favorite evening. We had the boys in a double stroller and we just did world showcase. Boys got hot dogs and chips as we walked (an a Mickey ice cream). DH and I could eat anywhere we wanted and have some adult beverages as we continued to walk and enjoy our surroundings. Mostly we got to spend some time together. The kids we occupied with each other in the stroller and it was our “date night”.
Unfortunately on our next trip the boys will be way too old for a stroller so this plan will no longer work for us. But an idea for your family to still enjoy Epcot.
Even with construction, Epcot still has more rides that a 2 year old can go on than either HS or AK. There will still be a ton to enjoy. Definitely don’t skip Epcot!
For us, Epcot was the only park without overwhelming crowds. We absolutely loved it, and it was the first trip for DS9 and DD11. If your 2yo naps, the back of the park might be a very nice relaxation place for you and DW. The construction effectively splits FW, but chances are you probably weren’t going to Test Track or Mission Space with a 2yo anyways, so it’s easy to get to SE, the Land, the Seas, and Imagination all right next to each other, then tour the countries.
Oy so a friend is there today and really feeling that it is just awful. I have a first timer traveling with me and Epcot will be our first park day. I think my deciding factor will be if there are any ride closures.
Anyone seen any good videos or images of what we’re dealing with? I’m thinking definitely come via skyliner. We are at a Disney springs resort so will likely Uber to a skyliner resort and come in that way or Uber to a crescent lake hotel and walk over.
I’m taking a newbie to WDW in June and my strategy is just to do FW East and then go straight to WS. Tom Bricker said the journey from, say, Soarin’ to TT is just awful now. We’ll enter the park at the front, to see SSE (but presumably not ride) then head right and stay right.
We will visit WS a second time, approaching from IG. But the rest of FW can wait till another trip.
I’m kind of plotting this too - we do have FPPs for TT but I’m sort of wondering it is is even worth the trek. If we do make our way over there, I’m thinking we are going to go up and over toward WS and the. Back down and around. I’ll know that it was out of the way, but she won’t - and maybe that way we won’t walk through construction as much.
I’m hoping flower and garden helps brighten the park, and with it being her first park hopefully she won’t really realize how much better it should be.
