Which 2nd park for a 6-year old and a grandparent?

[AustenNut]

We are planning an October trip to Orlando and we will only have 3 days to visit theme parks. (If school calendars come out and give us an extra day, we will add another, but at present, it doesn't look likely.) There will be a 6-year old boy, a 73-year old grandparent, and two parents. We are not Disney fanatics, and when shown about 20 or 30 Disney characters the 6-year old knew Mickey, "Mickey's girlfriend," "Donald the Duck," and Elsa. The only Disney movies our son has made it through are Cars 1-3, but he hasn't been as into the movies/toys lately (more into beyblades and Legos). He knows of Star Wars and has one SW Lego kit, but doesn't know any of the characters, etc. He's not into Toy Story or Disney Junior either. He knows of Nemo, and maybe Dory. Doesn't know Lion King.

I have heard that Flight of Passage is phenomenal. I do, however, sometimes get nauseous at IMAX 3-D shows, so I don't know how that will relate. The grandparent is unlikely to do many (if any) roller coasters. She's looking forward to seeing some of the shows and doing non-rollercoaster rides. The grandparent also has questioned whether Animal Kingdom is just a glorified zoo, but my sense is that it's really more of a theme park.

I've been thinking we would do Animal Kingdom for our second day, but now I'm second guessing myself. (Magic Kingdom will be one, and Universal will be another...my mom and I are big Harry Potter fans.) Anybody want to voice an opinion one way or the other?

 

[Heavens2Betsy]

If he's not that into the characters I wouldn't fight the crowds at DHS.

If Grandparent wants shows, I'd stick with animal kingdom. Festival of the lion King and finding Nemo are fantastic. Classic characters are there if your son is interested, and even if you don't ride anything - looking at the theming is worth every cent in my opinion. It is beautiful. My son wasn't tall enough for FOP at 6 but he really enjoyed looking at Pandora even though he hasn't seen the movie. Both my kids adore the Safari.

Another option is to do MK twice. You could book FP at animal kingdom, but if you get there and your son loves MK, just go back and book new ones. You won't get the most popular ones but you'll be fine.

 

[McKelly]

I agree with AK for your second day. Grandma will love FOLK and NEMO and there is also It's Tough to be a Bug. Plus, when my kids were that age, they loved the Dinosaur play area - it's a good place to take a break!

As far as AK being a glorified zoo, I disagree, because it's my favorite park. I have been to a few zoos in my life and I have seen my friend's photos of an ACTUAL safari in Africa, and Kilimanjaro Safari looked more similar to that safari than any zoo I've been to!

 

[bookwormde]

I think AK is the best option if your child has any interest in animals

 

[TheMaxRebo]

you mention your son sitting through Cars 1-3 ... did he really like them or just "make it through"? DHS has the Lighting McQueen Racing Academy attraction which is pretty cute, but if that is the only thing there for you I wouldn't pick that park just for that. DHS also has the Frozen Sing Along which is a pretty fun show (and you mention you son knowing who Elsa is). I know you said he isn't into Toy Story, but Toy Story Land is pretty fun and the Slinky Dog Coaster is perfect for that age I think as a "thrill ride" (my 5 year old LOVES it)

Beyond that I agree with others that Animal Kingdom would be the choice. So cool to see the animals on the safari and the Lion King and Nemo shows might be the two best / highest quality shows in any of the parks. Dinoland can be fun for kids and Pandora, even without Flight of Passage, is neat to walk around, especially at night. Animal Kingdom has some of the best food options as well

 

[JK World]

Another consideration would be Epcot. I agree with AK for the reasons stated above, but if you all are not focused on characters there are fun experiences at Epcot. Create and drive a race car at Test Track, fly a space shuttle on Mission Space, a couple of slow but engaging rides that all 4 of your can enjoy with Spaceship Earth and Soarin', see Elsa on Frozen Ever After and enjoy a variety of cultures throughout World Showcase. There's a nice nighttime show over the water, and it's a great theme park that is not overly focused on characters. There are character meets sprinkled throughout the park, so you can still get a good Mickey or Donald photo for memories as well.

 

[gharter]

I would agree with AK as the second park.
There is a lot fo walking, but a lot to see and do.
They also have some of the best shows in any park. Don''t miss the Lion King and Nemo shows.
Dinosaur could be a littel too intense for a 6 year old.

 

[Lswilmot@aol.com]

We have a 4 day trip planned for September.and are doing each of the 4 parks for a day. We have a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old with a Grandma, and another Sr. and 2 parents in their 30s. If we only had 2 days we'd do MK and AK. AK is so different form your basic zoo and any other theme park.
You said you are doing Universal 1 day for Harry Potter too. Just an FYI the Harry Potter attractions are spread over both of the Universal parks, so you will need a ticket to cover both parks or concentrate on only one park.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Even though there are tons of crowds at HS its was my kids favorite park prior to the addition starwars.
My boys loved toy story land the Disney junior area. The disney junior area had very short lines. We were there when the park was over full ( same week MMRR opened) and did not have any issues because we were not fighting for galaxy's edge attractions.
Jedi training is one of his favorites and its been around so long its not impossible to get a spot. and the side that Lightning McQueen racing is on is the opposite side that everything else is on and its easy to move around.
No matter what you choose i strongly suggest a ecv for the grandparent..
My kids were not into disney junior but still liked the greets. And toy story land is just a cool place

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Either AK or MK twice. Also make sure to get a park-to-park ticket for Universal so you can see all the HP stuff, it’s truly amazing.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Animal Kingdom sounds like a good bet. There are certainly zoo aspects to it--the trails come to mind, but they are better than any zoo I've been too--but there are some really good rides there too. FOP might make you sick but it's a fun ride. The safari is neat if you like animals. I think Everest is one of the best rides at Disney but it is a roller coaster so the grandparent might not ride. I saw a mention of Bug's Life above--I like it, but if anyone doesn't like bugs I would NOT ride. I'm not sure that Hollywood Studios really works for you. Tower of Terror and Rock n' Roller Coaster are two of our favorite rides but very intense. It is also a super-crowded park right now. I'd skip Epcot--neat, but undergoing a lot of construction and not much to ride there.

By the way, I think Harry Potter world is WAY better than anything at Disney right now. Universal did an awesome job with that. If you can afford it, get the unlimited express passes--well worth the cost.

 

[JK World]

I'd skip Epcot--neat, but undergoing a lot of construction and not much to ride there.

It's funny, I find Epcot has just as much to ride as AK. Epcot has Mission Space, Test Track, Spaceship Earth, Soarin', Nemo, Frozen, Gran Fiesta and Figment. With a 6 year old, time can also be spent in Imagination and Seas Pavilions. At AK there is Safari, FOP, Na'vi (which we were one and done on), Everest (if the 6 year old is up for big thrills), Dinosaur and Triceratops Spin. AK has (had? so many cuts) the live music aspects, plus the FotLK and Nemo shows, which are awesome. Epcot has (had?) the great cultural interactions, live music, and educational movies. Everyone tours differently, but my son and I can spend a full day at Epcot but only a half day at AK (he doesn't have interest in the music and can only tolerate 1 show/day, I personally could spend a full day there without him).

Great to have so many choices!

 

[Kaadk]

Given your choices, 6 year, 73 year old, limited time... I'd just recommend doing MK twice. You're most likely not going to be able to even make it through the whole park in a single day. If you split it in two, you can focus on hitting only 1/2 the park one day, and the other 1/2 the other day. Save the rest of the parks for when you have more time really hit them all. The 6 year old won't know what they're missing in the other parks, and the 73 year will probably enjoy the more leisurely pace.

Otherwise, if you're really wanting to hit a different park, then all of them will have good options. You don't have to focus on the major thrillers, take a look at other options, shows, etc... and you'll see there's a lot on offer everywhere.

 

[NashvilleMama]

I'd either do MK twice - soooo much to do and can slow down your pace - or AK for the 2nd day. As someone mentioned earlier, I'd be very wary of It's Tough to Be a Bug experience with a 6 year old. It's pretty intense and my youngest who's 9 now still won't go anywhere near it after taking her on it a few years ago and scaring the daylights out of her.

 

[AustenNut]

Thank you everyone for your feedback. As far as height goes our son was 43.5" tall a couple of months ago...we're hoping he'll be 44" by October. I am feeling reassured about Animal Kingdom as our second day. But I think we will also play it by ear and keep an open mind about repeating Magic Kingdom should our group decide to do so.

We will definitely be getting park-to-park passes for Universal, and will be staying one night at the Loews hotel in order to get the Universal Express Unlimited passes, as well as early entry to Hogsmeade/Diagon Alley.

Thanks for your assistance. I really appreciate everyone providing their thoughts based on your Disney experiences.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Thank you everyone for your feedback. As far as height goes our son was 43.5" tall a couple of months ago...we're hoping he'll be 44" by October. I am feeling reassured about Animal Kingdom as our second day. But I think we will also play it by ear and keep an open mind about repeating Magic Kingdom should our group decide to do so.

We will definitely be getting park-to-park passes for Universal, and will be staying one night at the Loews hotel in order to get the Universal Express Unlimited passes, as well as early entry to Hogsmeade/Diagon Alley.

Thanks for your assistance. I really appreciate everyone providing their thoughts based on your Disney experiences.

Great, and just to reiterate, we thought Universal was awesome. And we did the same thing--stayed at a Universal hotel to get the early entry/express passes. Had a great time.

 

[Chief Cardinal]

I think your making the right choice with AK. Between the shows, DinoLand, Its tough to be a bug and Pandora (even just as a walk through) sounds like the best option to me

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Given your choices, 6 year, 73 year old, limited time... I'd just recommend doing MK twice. You're most likely not going to be able to even make it through the whole park in a single day. If you split it in two, you can focus on hitting only 1/2 the park one day, and the other 1/2 the other day. Save the rest of the parks for when you have more time really hit them all. The 6 year old won't know what they're missing in the other parks, and the 73 year will probably enjoy the more leisurely pace.

Otherwise, if you're really wanting to hit a different park, then all of them will have good options. You don't have to focus on the major thrillers, take a look at other options, shows, etc... and you'll see there's a lot on offer everywhere.

This is a very good suggestion there is so much to do at MK we have so much more fun taking our time not trying to fit it all in

 

[fly girl]

Personally, I can never handle the crowds at MK back to back. I love MK, but a little goes a long way for me.

However, don’t power your way through it (esp with a young child and senior), exhausting everyone in the process ... you’ll never have fun that way. Leave MK both days as an option if the group consensus is you want to see more.

All that said ...

My personal choice would be AK for day 2. It’s more than a glorified zoo. Lots of shows to watch and Kilimanjaro Safari is just pure fun!

And PS, you’ll love WWOHP. They really did a great job over there!

ETA: my suggestion would be get FP’s for AK for day 2. You can always switch to MK and still find great FP’s day of at that park.

 

[Bullseye]

I would do Epcot. Your 6 year old and your 73 year old will both enjoy Spaceship Earth, Nemo, Soaring, Living with the Land, Living Seas, Nemo, Figment, Frozen, and Gran Fiesta plus you get good eats and fireworks at the end of the day.