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Which Disney Parks to Visit?

I am going to Disney World in July...I know it will be crowded and hot. My sister who lives in Florida has been to Disney in just about evey month and she has warned us. It's the only time we can go. We will be in Orlando for 4 days. We have 3 boys ages 12, 13 and 17 and a 3 yr. old daughter. We will be staying at the Ft. Wilderness campground in a cabin. My sister thinks that's a good option for us with 4 kids and it's a Disney resort so we can return to the cabin and rest or swim in the hottest part of the day. We will definitely visit the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. We are not sure about the other 2 days. I know my boys would love Islands of Adventure at Universal - what about MGM versus Animal Kingdom? Does anyone have any advice? Should we forego Universal and do Disney Parks all 4 days?

I have been in AK twice now and I like it but its very low key for a Disney park. There's not an awful lot going on there - particularly for teenage boys. On the other hand I thought Islands of Adventure was a teenage boys dream come true.(well maybe Brittany Spears is really a teenage boy's dream but IofA will be close). Plus it has the Dr. Suess themed area for your daughter. Go to Islands - the kids will like it much better. Everyone will like MGM too - the boys will love Tower of Terror, Star Wars and Rock n Roller Coaster. Your daughter will love all the characters - so many of the more recent ones are there like Buzz, Woody, Jessie, plus Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, etc. I enjoyed the Great Movie Ride and the Muppet Movie. Plus I hear that they are about to launch a new attraction - Who Wants to Be a Millionare. Guests get to play the game just like the one on tv. The Prime Time Cafe is kind of fun for lunch - its more fun depending upon your waitress (some pretend to be your mother and make you eat all your vegetables and sometimes they try to embarrass teenagers by "fixing" them up with other teenagers. I thought the food was pretty good but many pan it. On the other hand many love the Brown Derby and I could have lived without that. Check out the menus that are posted on the sites listed below - you can figure out ahead of time if these places appeal to you. Your Fort Wilderness stay will be great - its a perfect spot for a larger family. Plus the kids can go outside and play if they are so inclined. My brother has stayed there with his 3 kids and thought it was ideal for them. Don't worry about the crowds or the heat. There's always something to do that isn't crowded. Take advantage of the Fast Pass system and Enights (if there is one during your stay). For the best info on Disney try wdwinfo.com or wdwig.com. Those sites are dedicated to WDW travel. Be careful - it can be addicting.

I did WDW in August with kids who were then 2, 5, and 8, and we survived and even had fun. I will emphasize the importance of getting to the parks at rope drop. We managed this every day, and the crowds were light for a couple of hours, and the heat was better. When things got crowded, we would then start using Fast Pass. Also, definitely use one of your days for a water park. I would suggest Blizzard Beach. The water slides there are perfect for teens, and they have a separate tame area for your little one. As far as the rest of the parks, I would pick MGM over AK. The rides at MGM are a little wilder for teens. I haven't been to IofA, so I can't comment.

The Water Parks---go to them--they are great for all--all ages will love the great water parks--Blizzard Beach is the # 2 Water Park in the country--GO THERE!!

Since you will be staying on WDW property & have theri transport system, & will only be there 4 days, I recommend you get a WDW parkhopper pass and just do WDW parks. I also highly recommend wdwig.com for lots of tips! DO take advantage of the early park entry you get from staying on property. You may end up splitting up for part of the day with the ages of your kids - there will be quite a few things older kids will want to ride and 3yo is too little for. Older kids may want to explore Disney Quest at Downtown Disney, it's fun and LOUD (scared my 5 yo & she couldn't do a lot of stuff, at age 6 she loved it). HAVE FUN!

Another tip: since you will be staying on-property, you will be able to drive your vehicle to any of the WDW parks and park for FREE. My family usually uses the WDW transport system when there, but parking at the park may be helpful if you plan to leave a certain time & go to another destination you would have to transfer to. wdwig.com has info on WDW transport.

We went last year with 15 and 17 year old girls. Skip the Epcot thing ... the boys will be bored. AK is good for the very little or the older set. We enjoyed Blizzard Beach and it will be great for all ages. Everyone needs to do the Magic Kingdom to see the castle and charcters. Disney Quest is a must for the boys. Your daughter will like certain parts. If you like roller coasters , you must go to I of A . There is a Dr. Seuss themed area for the little one. The coasters are called Dueling Dragons and THe Hulk. We loved the Spider Man ride but the wait is long. There is a river raft so plan to get wet. Only go to Epcot if you want to be educational. Ha. Ha. Hope you have fun.

i'd skip the whole place...but since you're going, i'd skip epcot, which needs to be reconceived.

Lily, If you're in Orlando for less than a week, I'd advise doing just Disney. There's so much there that you'll be quite busy w/o venturing out of Disney property. (I must admit I've not been to Universal since Islands of Adventure opened, so I can't speak to the attractions at that park. However, when we've been to the other part of Universal, we've been HOT--that park doesn't offer as much shelter from the hot sun as Disney does.) We have two kids, 15 and 12, and we've been to Disney 6 times or so since our older one was 6 (when I took her alone). I'd say our favorite park is MGM. It's small and easily traversed in a day--or even part of a day. There's a play area appropriate for your little one, and lots to interest the older kids. Star Tours must be my son's favorite ride of all time--we've gone on it dozens and dozens of times. (Ask to sit in the back row for the wildest ride. They'll accommodate you.) Tower of Terror and Rockin' Roller Coaster are great thrill rides too. Magic Kingdom is a must. If your older kids like roller coaster-style rides, they'll like Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Railway. And my kids still like to go to Fantasyland and ride Peter Pan--perhaps more for nostalgic reasons than anything else. Animal Kingdom is improving all the time, and my kids were just talking the other day about "next time" staying at the hotel near there. There's a great water ride, whose name escapes me, and a scary dinosaur ride. We love the 3-d bug movie, and the safari is wonderful fun--we've always seen great animals. Although Epcot is probably our least favorite, we still have things we like to do there: the Test Track ride and Honey I Shrunk the Audience. My daughter and I always like to walk through the World Showcase, but your kids' interests will determine whether that's worthwhile for you. We've not been to Blizzard Beach, but we love Typhoon Lagoon. We like water slides, but the ones at BB have always looked too intense for the likes of us. There are plenty of people in both camps. Because of the age difference, you'll probably want to split up now and then--even with our kids, we do that. It just keeps everyone happier. I have another suggestion for your older kids: Pleasure Island. We went for the first time last summer, and went to the Comedy Connection at the recommendation of friends. I wish I could have bottled the look on my son's face as he realized how funny it was going to be. And I laughed till I cried and could hardly stay on my stool. If your kids enjoy the TV show "Whose Line Is It Anyway," they'll love it. DisneyQuest has always looked appealing, but it's been too expensive for us to consider. Staying onsite is a great decision--you can enter the parks earlier, and you also get other advantages. We've never stayed at Fort Wilderness, but friends of ours swear by it. We always stay onsite, and we always spend the $10 or so a day to rent a small refrigerator. My husband goes out to an off-site supermarket (there's one not far from Fort Wilderness) and buys cereal, bagels, juice, milk, and plastic bowls and spoons. We definitely come out way ahead--as would you with such a large family. Also, if Fort Wilderness sells refillable mugs, buy them. They're about $9, but you can refill them with coffee and soda unlimited times. We usually buy just two and use them for us for coffee in the morning--and then the kids fill them with cold drinks when we come back for our mid-day rest and swim. (They make great souvenirs--we have a cupboard full.) Can I just recommend a few favorite restaurants? At Magic Kingdom: Crystal Palace--all-you-can-eat buffet, with interesting choices, including vegetarian ones. Pooh characters come around and greet you. At MGM: Sci-Fi Dine-in--our all-time favorite; you sit in cars and watch trailers of 50s-era science fiction movies. Toy Story Pizza Planet At the Contemporary Resort: Chef Mickey's--another all-you-can-eat buffet At the Wilderness Lodge: Whispering Canyon Cafe--great entertainment from the waiters Definitely visit wdwinfo.com and wdwig.com. Also try to pick up a guidebook for Disney with kids. Several are available. Enjoy your trip!

For the time you have, I'd stick with Disney. Others have dissed EPCOT, but our 14 yr old liked it better than MGM or MK. Definitely see "Honey. I Shrunk the Audience." Dining recommendations: Prime Time 50s Cafe ("eat your veggies")at MGM and dinner at Whispering Canyons in Wilderness Lodge (family-style chicken, beef, corn on the cob, Disney-style whoppin' and hollerin'). The Ft Wilderness "homes" (house trailers) in the woods are great. We saw a lot of peacocks and small rabbits. Daily newspaper delivered to the door. Shuttle bus system a convenient means to travel. One of the smaller water parks is on site, you can take a boat to MK and there's a small grocery store.

Our teenage sons love ALL the Disney Parks, even EPCOT. THe people who say EPCOT is only educational HAVEN"T explored EPCOT. THere is a lot of fun stuff there. Islands of Adventure at Universal was fun too. It has a lot of roller coasters but both times we have been, there were a lot of rides not operating. The first time we thought we were unlucky the 2nd time I wondered if they ever worked. Rides were being shut down a lot throughout the day and some never opened. Oh well. That may be fixed. Our whole family, 13,14, & 7, loved Disney Quest! It was an extra fee but we spent a whole day there. My sons favorite part was designing there own roller coasters and then making ME ride them!! (Those moving simulated things--oh my gosh--it's incredible how realistic they are!). Have a good trip!