Theme parks in Orlando
 

We'll be in Orlando Dec 13 to Dec 16 - 4 full days. How many and which theme parks can we see in those days? Is Disney MGM worth it? How about Epcot - went there in 1983 - much better now? Definitely will go to Magic Kingdom, just not sure about the rest.

Hi,<BR><BR>Four full days - you can see four parks to get a flavour of them. Universal is very good and its neighbour Islands of Adventure is great if you like thrill rides.<BR>EPCOT is more educational.<BR>Animal kingdom is good<BR>Disney MGM is similar to universal- I preferred Universal but others will prefer MGM.<BR><BR>A word of warning- you will spend a lot of time walking and be very tired.<BR><BR>Got to go its 5:20 pm in Edinurgh and got to atch the 5:40pm train home ( it is Friday) <BR><BR>Will reply in more detail from mut home computer later (8pm)<BR><BR>Have a good weekend and trip

yet another vote for universal over mgm ... with four days that's perfect:magic kingdom, animal, epcot and universal - if you didn't like epcot much, you can probably combine animal and epcot into one day if you hustle since animal kingdom is not too big.

I would also get to the theme parks early ( ie when or just before the parks open )to beat the rush although in December and just now the queues will be shorter.<BR>I went to Epcot in 1984 and again a 3 years ago. My impression was that it was essentially the same with a few more attractions so you may not want to go back.<BR><BR>The safari in Animal Kingdom is vey good together with " It's tough to be a Bug"- with Flick from "Antz" ( But I'm giving away the plot -be prepared for a surprise at the end)<BR>At Universal -probably go to the Back to the Future ride first as it is more popular and Terminator 3 D is excellent.<BR><BR>Whichever park you decide to go to , once you have made up your mind, read the websites or guidebooks to plan a rough strategy to get the most out of your day.<BR><BR>Sea World is another good possiblity.<BR>Costs are around $50 incl tax per adult plus $6-$7 parking.<BR><BR>Have a great time!!

Personally I don't think much of MGM; I much prefer Universal. And for thrill rides, Islands of Adventure wins hands down!<BR><BR>I have gotten to Disney early in the morning and done EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom in about 12 hours.

We've done Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios in 1 day. 1/2 day in Animal Kingdom and the other 1/2 day at MGM Studios. We also did Epcot 1/2 day too.<BR>I'd suggest Universal Studios and Island of Adventures (about 30 minutes from Disney). Wonderful parks.<BR>Have fun!!

Another vote for Islands of Adventure. If you like great roller coasters and special effects, you'll love it. The theming is GREAT!

Islands of Adventure was great. I would skip Animal Kingdom. It's not much more than a zoo, and not a very good one at that.

We are also planning to visit Disney in the near future--my daughter is currently working there as a college intern--my advice is check the operating hours for each park at Disney. It would be a shame to plan to spend a morning or evening at a particular park only to discover it isn't open or will close early. Each park opens and closes at different times--last time I looked World Showcase wasn't opening until noon. There were no early entrance days and no e-ticket nights (my daughter confirmed this when I spoke to her yesterday). She said that her best advice for park hours is to check the Disney World web site about 1 week before your planned arrival day. And, for those who are wondering, she did say that they are busy--working 40 hours per week.

This is really going to be a personal preference issue. No one can tell you what you will or will not like. For instance, my boyfriend thinks MGM is the best Disney park. He is really big into watching stage shows, and MGM has a lot. "Hunchback of Notre Dame" is one of the best, and "Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular" is pretty good as well. They took out my favorite, the "Doug" show. You didn't mention if you had children, but they might enjoy MGM for the "Bear in the Big Blue House" show. The Who Wants to be a Millionaire game is fun and definitely interactive, and the best part is, if you are the lucky 3 in about every 2500 people, you can win disney prizes like free pins and hats. Unfortunately I have yet to win. I like Epcot better than any other park, it has the hands down best laser/fireworks show, and some of the best resturants. I agree that you can do Animal Kingdom in 1/2 a day, there is less there than any other park. Not to miss is the Safari ride, the water rapids ride, and the "It's tough to be a Bug" show. If you choose to go away from Disney my first vote is for Sea World, they have added a few thrill rides, such as the Journey to Atlantis and Kraken. This first is a water/roller coaster ride, and the second is a floorless coaster. The whale/dolphin shows are great. Do not miss "Cirque De La Mer" it is so funny, yet at the same time beautiful. If you must go to Universal I would go to the newer IOA. Many more thrill rides. But one of the best Universal rides is at the original park- the new Men in Black Alien Attack. You try to kill more aliens with laser guns than the other people sitting in your car. It is a lot of fun. I would imagine you could definitely do 4 full days at theme parks. If money is an issue, you might just want to stick with the Disney parks and get a park hopper pass to allow you repeated access on any day to any other of the 4 parks, otherwise if you only spend half a day at one park, and try to go to another it will cost you so much more. Think about staying on Disney property as well, this way you get free transportation all over the parks, and don't have to deal with the Orlando/Kissimmee traffic which can be hectic, especially with the nonstop construction of the roads (192) which has been going on for at least 4 years. The Disney resorts have specials going on now, for instance the value resorts are only $49-59. If you have the money though, I would suggest upgrading to a moderate or delux Disney hotel. This is just a personally preference. Good Luck! If you have any other questions about the area or Disney feel free to email me. (I am a central FL resident and annual pass holder to both Disney parks and the Sea World/ Busch Garden parks and would be happy to help.)

Hmmm...interesting but typical Disney. So they are laying off local full time workers (like my son and neighbor) for "lack of business" but giving the college interns 40 hours per week. That's the Disney I've grown to hate!

Interesting article in our paper this morning about WDW (we're in Florida). Yes hours are being cut drastically and most employees have been ask to voluntarily reduce to 4 day weeks. Parks have drastically shortened hours, including as mentioned above World Showcase not opening until noon. Make sure you find out in advance what the times will be for each of the parks so you can effectively plan. You sure can't get a lot done between noon and 5 or 7 PM&gt;