Marathon Weekend 2019

[camaker]

4. Hollywood Studios
3. Animal Kingdom
2. Epcot
1. Magic Kingdom

Hollywood Studios is far and away #4. The other three are much closer together and could shuffle around in the rankings if you start ranking based on things like food, attractions, etc. But for an overall ranking, this is how I see it.

 

[FFigawi]

Good morning, runDisney all-stars! We are only 205 days away from Marathon Weekend! Registration and ADRs next month!

Anyway, that's the future and the present is Sundays are for Disney, so let's roll...

How would you rank the four parks at Walt Disney World?

1. MGM
2. Epcot
3. Animal Kimgdom
4. Magic Kingdom

Those are pretty much in order of how we spend our lark time during visits.

 

[mrsg00fy]

4. Animal Kingdom - hot. Crowded. Only worth it for the safari and the yeti.
3. Epcot - wonderful for wine and dine.
2. Hollywood Studios - tower of terror, Aerosmith, toy story mania,Indiana Joness and star tours. Even with so much closed down this is a huge favorite.
1. Magic Kingdom - it makes me smile every time.

 

[rteetz]

4. Animal Kingdom - hot. Crowded. Only worth it for the safari and the yeti.

I find Epcot to be just as hot if not hotter than AK. That’s why I’ve never understood that argument.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

I find Epcot to be just as hot if not hotter than AK. That’s why I’ve never understood that argument.

EPCOT has more covered/ac'd bars.

 

[rteetz]

EPCOT has more covered/ac'd bars.

AK has several bars and covered areas.

 

[apdebord]

Currently:

1) Epcot
2) Animal Kingdom
3) Studios
4) Magic Kingdom

The order fluctuates from time to time but for me it’s about overall experience. Epcot is my consistent favorite because of food and drink options, I like talking with the WS CMs, Illuminations is my favorite and I enjoy the attractions. I also love all the festivals. AK is second and I don’t even do the rides in Pandora; food is great (Nomads/Tiffins yummm) and I think Dinosaur is super corny and I just laugh the whole time. HS was my favorite as a kid, so it still has a special place in my heart even though it has significantly changed. I don’t hate MK at all, it just seems like I don’t get there as much because I don’t care for the food, except Skipper’s Canteen and 1 thing at CRT, parades are more annoying than fun, and the crowds. I did really enjoy the Halloween and Christmas parties though!

 

[Keels]

AK has several bars and covered areas.

Sorry, pal. I'm gonna have to go with @Dis_Yoda on this one. AK has only one bar that has an indoor area with A/C - Nomad Lounge. I don't count the six seats at Yak & Yeti as a real bar. Thirsty River doesn't even have seats or shade, same with the place in Pandora (which I also don't consider to be a bar because they don't have hard liquor) and Dawa Bar has a few seats right at the bar since they took away most of the sitting area for Tusker House waiting area, some shade but no A/C and is brutally hot after, say, about 1 p.m. even in the shade. Also, the bugs are out of control there. And that's it for bars at AK.

 

[rteetz]

Sorry, pal. I'm gonna have to go with @Dis_Yoda on this one. AK has only one bar that has an indoor area with A/C - Nomad Lounge. I don't count the six seats at Yak & Yeti as a real bar. Thirsty River doesn't even have seats or shade, same with the place in Pandora (which I also don't consider to be a bar because they don't have hard liquor) and Dawa Bar has a few seats right at the bar since they took away most of the sitting area for Tusker House waiting area, some shade but no A/C and is brutally hot after, say, about 1 p.m. even in the shade. Also, the bugs are out of control there. And that's it for bars at AK.

Whatever floats your boat. I don’t find AK all that hot as the concrete jungle of Epcot.

 

[Keels]

I don't feel like you get the breeze at AK as much as you do at Epcot because of the way it's built. But whatevs!

My list:
1. Epcot
2. MGM
3. AK
4. Disney Springs
5. Typhoon Lagoon
6. Boardwalk area
7. Palm/Magnolia Golf Courses
8. Blizzard Beach
Also Receiving Votes: Magic Kingdom

 

[Dis_Yoda]

Whatever floats your boat. I don’t find AK all that hot as the concrete jungle of Epcot.

you can have AK and we can have EPCOT

 

[Keels]

you can have AK and we can have EPCOT

For reals.

The real issue is that MGM doesn't have a bar outside for a walk-back cocktail to get to Epcot. At least leaving IG for MGM, I can get me a frosé to keep me hydrated for the journey ...

 

[SarahDisney]

If someone reminds me, I will try to come back here in a few weeks and report what the temps were at AK vs. Epcot (and yes, I know, it's different because I'll be going on different days, but ... I'll also post the predicted high and low for the day so that we have more information).
Someone remind me to do that.

(For the record, I'm in camp "AK is a furnace and Epcot is the North Pole")

 

[Dis_Yoda]

If someone reminds me, I will try to come back here in a few weeks and report what the temps were at AK vs. Epcot (and yes, I know, it's different because I'll be going on different days, but ... I'll also post the predicted high and low for the day so that we have more information).
Someone remind me to do that.

(For the record, I'm in camp "AK is a furnace and Epcot is the North Pole")

You're nicer than me but I'm not going to AK next weekend. I'm closing HS Friday Night, Typhoon Lagoon Saturday Morning and EPCOT Saturday Evening. Still debating on what I want for breakfast Sunday morning before driving home as I need to be home by 3/4PM at the latest.

I'm not doing a dining report for my trip next weekend - I'll post my HS Fireworks Dessert Party in my Pre-Trip for Food & Wine Festival but thats about it!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

SAFD:

5. Animal Kingdom (I always say I'll spend more time here than I do, but I never do it. Pandora changed that this past visit as I went to Animal Kingdom 3 separate times, but I don't think Pandora will continue to pull me in.

4. Magic Kingdom. Look I like the park. But it's missing something which I will address later

3. Disney's Hollywood Studios. Could skyrocket come late next year. Might even overtake park #2. As it is now, it has some of my favorite attractions in Tower of Terror and Star Tours, favorite area (Star Tours area), and Muppet Vision 3-D.

2. Epcot. Though not at all what Walt Disney envisioned, Epcot feels to me like the park where his spirit and idealism is most present. I hope they continue to improve the park and I would love to see them add more attractions to World Showcase. And honestly, replace the Circle Vision standing only shows in Canada and China with something more akin to Impressions de France.

You may think my numbering system is off. Well it sort of is. But I cannot rank the parks of Walt Disney World accurately without reflecting on the place that made it all possible.

1. Disneyland in California. It's the only theme park in the world personally supervised by Walt Disney. No less than Tony Baxter called it the shining jewel in the Disney theme park crown.

 

[CDKG]

Epcot is hot from the heat reflecting off all that concrete. Animal Kingdom is humid from all of the plant life. They can both be miserable on a hot day, but in different ways.

FWIW I've experienced heat illness in both parks. Heat rash from Epcot and heat exhaustion from animal Kingdom. But, that was before I discovered nuun. Now my hydration game is on point! Heat illness is real people, especially for those of us traveling from cooler parts of the country. Take care of yourselves an hydrate between cocktails, beer and wine!

 

[JClimacus]

Good morning, runDisney all-stars! We are only 205 days away from Marathon Weekend! Registration and ADRs next month!

Anyway, that's the future and the present is Sundays are for Disney, so let's roll...

How would you rank the four parks at Walt Disney World?

My rankings:

4. Hollywood Studios
3. Animal Kingdom
2. Epcot
1. Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is what I think of when I think of Disney. It's a two-day (minimum) park for me and I never get tired of the sights, sounds and attractions. Epcot has grown on me significantly over the years and I'm excited for the changes that are coming. Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are great parks, but have their own shortfalls. That said, I haven't been since Pandora or Toy Story Land opened (yes, I know it hasn't opened yet), so I'm hoping to reassess these rankings next year.

Have a great week, everyone!

4. Epcot
3. Hollywood Studios
2. Animal Kingdom
1. Magic Kingdom

I agree - MK is Disney. Epcot seems to me to be a bunch of restaurants with attached gift shops. Great restaurants - but why do I have to pay a couple of hundred dollars just to walk in the door? There doesn't seem to me to be a lot going on at HS. AK has the gorillas, the bird shows, and a great look.

BTW, I thought I was done with runDisney, but my younger son says he and a friend are planning to go down for Marathon Weekend. So I might be in again.

 

[Keels]

BTW, I thought I was done with runDisney, but my younger son says he and a friend are planning to go down for Marathon Weekend. So I might be in again.

Take it from me ... you're never truly done with RunDisney.

 

[Grumpy_42K]

My order follows the WDW Marathon route*:

4) MK
3) AK
2) HS
1) EPCOT (Especially Pricey Cocktails Of Tequila)

*Sigh, why did they discard the pre-dawn Epcot traverse?

BTW, it was HOTTER in Epcot than in AK this past January.*
* Only because it was two hours later in the day!

 

[Barca33Runner]

I had to address the issue of the hotness:

Although I am not the most experienced park-goer I have been in all 4 parks when they have been surface of the sun hot (approximate temperature). My personal feeling is that AK has the fewest queues that are indoor/AC which makes an incredible difference vs. shade. There are certainly places to go in each park that will accommodate cooling off, but with the walking trails and many of biggest attractions having non-AC queues AK seems to have the most options where I feel like I have to experience the heat in order to get to an attraction in which I'm interested.

I think the idea that any of them are significantly warmer than any of the others on the same day is anecdotal. I don't think it's a park design issue, it's a you're in central Florida issue.