Which Disney World Park Should You Visit First?

It is the moment you've been waiting for. You have arrived at Walt Disney World. Tomorrow morning is the first real day of your Disney vacation. So, where do you go first?

Magic Kingdom?

EPCOT?

Hollywood Studios?

Animal Kingdom?

There are many ways to begin thinking about this question, but let's reframe the question and ask:

Which park feels like the right place for your vacation to begin?

Magic Kingdom

For many families, this answer is the most obvious. We will give the other parks their dues, but it is true that there is no quintessential "Disney experience" quite llke walking down Main Street, U.S.A. and seeing Cinderella Castle.

When you walk down Main Street, U.S.A., you are turning back the clock to Walt Disney's childhood and seeing Walt's world through his own eyes. Walt Disney designed Main Street to represent the small towns of his youth. But, there is another level of Disney design appreciation if you start with Magic Kingdom. You are walking through Walt Disney's personal park designs as Magic Kingdom is modeled after Walt Disney's original park in California.

You begin by walking down Main Street, you stop in the candy shop, you hear the Dapper Dans barbershop quartet singing, you see artists drawing portraits of families, you smell the bakery as you pass by it, and then you gaze forward and there it is: Cinderella Castle, the icon of Magic Kingdom -- and the icon of Disney World itself.

You spent months planning your vacation and you're finally here. If you want that magical feeling that says we made it to Disney, consider starting with Magic Kingdom.

If you are traveling with young children, Magic Kingdom is a great first park day.. Fantasyland, in particular, serves as a central hub for child-friendly experiences: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan's Flight, Prince Charming Regal Carousel, it's a small world, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and the list goes on!

Magic Kingdom isn't just for the little ones, however. Adult thrill seekers have plenty to enjoy. In Tomorrowland, two coasters dominate the edge of the park: the indoor dark roller coaster, Space Mountain, and the indoor-outdoor cycle coaster TRON: Lightcycle Run. At the opposite end of the park over in Frontierland, thrill seekers can board a runaway train with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or experience a thrilling log flume drop on Tiana's Bayou Adventure.

Whatever your age or preferred ride intensity, there is another more fundamental reason to start with Magic Kingdom:

A day at Magic Kingdom can require a lot of energy compared to other parks.

To start with, it has the most attractions of any of Walt Disney World's parks (more than double all the others, in fact!). Magic Kingdom can also feel the most crowded. These points should not discourage you from visiting Magic Kingdom. It is certainly worth experiencing! However, a Magic Kingdom day on your first day, when you are most rested and filled with anticipation for your vacation, may just be the magic ticket.

EPCOT

Maybe Magic Kingdom sounds a bit too much for the first day. Maybe you are doing an adults-only trip. Or maybe you want a more relaxing first day to the vacation. That's okay. We now turn to EPCOT, a park that feels completely different, yet still authentically Disney.

EPCOT in some ways is the opposite of Magic Kingdom. To start with, it is more than twice the size of Magic Kingdom. The attractions are more spread out. There is more walking space. EPCOT often feels more relaxed. EPCOT's annual festivals like the Festival of the Arts, Flower & Garden Festival, and Food & Wine Festival encourage a more leisurely park day with numerous stands where you can grab a snack or drink and simply explore.

You may notice that EPCOT seems to be the most adult-heavy crowd amongst the parks. This is especially so during the Food & Wine Festival, which runs in the fall each year. If you are on a trip with friends or coworkers, EPCOT may not only be the first day park, but the primary park you spend time at.

The distinct feel of EPCOT does not only come from the older crowd. Walt Disney once said, "I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained." EPCOT's attractions entertain, but also have significant -- and intentional -- educational value behind them. At the front of the park you will find three neighborhoods: World Nature, World Discovery, and World Communication. The attractions there are not only interesting and exciting, but educate about science, technology, and nature.

The second half of the park is World Showcase, home to several pavilions "showcasing" various countries. The attractions here entertain and educate as to each country's culture, history, and food.

Yes, food.

EPCOT is widely regarded as the park with the most -- and best -- dining options. In this regard, you will also find a more adult-oriented environment as dining options are not only typical theme park food options, but authentic food of each country, ranging from casual to fine dining.

But that does not mean that EPCOT shouldn't be at the top of your list if you are traveling with children. EPCOT is home to many kid-friendly attractions including Frozen Ever After at the Norway Pavilion, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure in the France Pavilion, and Moana's Journey of Water in World Nature. World Nature is also home to The Seas with Nemo and Friends where children can get up close to their favorite aquatic animals. And because it is Disney, after all, EPCOT has several character meet-and-greets and character dining experiences.

Despite EPCOT's differences from Magic Kingdom, it has the same "wow" moment only Disney can deliver with a theme park. This time, it's not Cinderella Castle, but Spaceship Earth. If there is one Disney World icon almost as synonymous with Disney World as Cinderella Castle, it is the 185-foot tall geodesic sphere that stands at the entrance of EPCOT. Once you walk under Spaceship Earth and into the rest of the park, an adventure awaits.

Hollywood Studios

Maybe your first Disney World park isn't about experiencing Disney World as a whole. Maybe there is one particular world you have been waiting to step into.

For some people, a Disney World vacation comes with a must-do attraction, character to meet, or world to explore. If one of the main reasons you booked your vacation is to experience Star Wars or Toy Story, Hollywood Studios may be exactly where your vacation should begin.

Hollywood Studios offers something the other parks do not quite replicate: the opportunity to spend significant parts of your day immersed in familiar stories. You can walk into Andy's backyard in Toy Story Land or leave Earth behind for a galaxy far, far away in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Next year, Disney will add another immersive land based on an iconic property with Monstropolis based upon Monster's Inc. The park also combines these immersive lands with attractions and entertainment based on other familiar Disney stories.

That makes Hollywood Studios an especially interesting choice when traveling with someone who has been anticipating one particular experience for months. There is something to be said for beginning your vacation by finally doing the thing you've been talking about since you started planning it.

Hollywood Studios can also be a great first park if your travel party enjoys live entertainment. While Disney World is known for its rides, some of the signature experiences at Hollywood Studios happen on a stage. Current offerings include Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!, Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventureand Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After. At night, Fantasmic! gives the park its own large-scale nighttime spectacular.

That variety can help create a first day that alternates between attractions and opportunities to sit down and enjoy a show. This can be a welcome option if you don't want your first park day to consist entirely of being on your feet and moving from ride to ride.

Hollywood Studios also deserves consideration if you plan to visit EPCOT on the same day or expect to spend significant time in the EPCOT resort area. The Disney Skyliner connects Hollywood Studios with EPCOT's International Gateway, with connections through the Skyliner resort route, which can include a stop at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney's Riviera Resort. You can also take the Friendship boat to Disney's Boardwalk, home to dining, shops, and five resort hotels, which then directly connects to EPCOT.

But perhaps the best reason to begin here is much simpler.

What have you been looking forward to the most?

If the answer is piloting the Millennium Falcon, walking through Toy Story Land, seeing a favorite character or finally experiencing an attraction you've watched videos of for years, you don't necessarily have to save it for later.

Sometimes the right way to begin a vacation is with the thing that made you excited to take it in the first place.

Animal Kingdom

What if you don't want your first morning at Disney World to feel like a race at all?

If you love animals, nature, and exploring places at your own pace, Animal Kingdom offers a very different way to begin your vacation.

The park begins making its point almost immediately. Instead of entering onto a traditional theme park street, you enter through the Oasis, where pathways wind through lush vegetation, streams, and animal habitats before you ever reach the Tree of Life.

From there, the park invites you into environments inspired by Africa and Asia, the world of Pandora, and areas devoted to animals, conservation, and the natural world. At Animal Kingdom, the animals are the main attraction and their conservation is the message.

Kilimanjaro Safaris takes you through a 110-acre wildlife reserve where the animals you encounter -- and what they happen to be doing -- make every ride a little different. As much as we may love Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion, we know what the animatronics will do after riding it a few times. Animals, however, always have that unpredictable factor. That can be very exciting. No two trips to Animal Kingdom will be the same.

Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek invite you to slow down and explore on foot, while Conservation Station offers a look at animal care and conservation work. That makes Animal Kingdom particularly well suited to a family that wants to ease into the vacation rather than immediately conquer it.

There is plenty of excitement if you want it, of course. Expedition Everest and Avatar Flight of Passage provide major thrill experiences, while Na'vi River Journey takes guests through Pandora's bioluminescent rainforest. But, Animal Kingdom also rewards something we talk about often at Plan Upon A Star: slowing down enough to notice where you are.

Walk one of the animal trails. Stop to look at the hundreds of animals carved into the Tree of Life. Let children work toward their Wilderness Explorer badges. Listen to the performers in Harambe. Don't feel as though every part of the park has to lead to another attraction. Disney's Wilderness Explorers program alone offers more than 20 nature-themed badge activities throughout the park.

And then there is Pandora – The World of Avatar. Its enormous floating mountains and detailed landscape make it another one of those Disney environments where simply being there is part of the attraction. Only Disney can make mountains float. If your visit allows you to experience Pandora after dark, its bioluminescent landscape creates another side of the land altogether.

Animal Kingdom is sometimes called a "half-day park." That label does not do Animal Kingdom justice. You certainly can spend part of the day there and leave time for another park, your resort, or a relaxing evening. But, if you slow down enough to explore its trails, watch the animals, see its shows, and notice the extraordinary amount of detail around you, Animal Kingdom can easily reward considerably more of your time.

For some families, that's exactly what makes it a wonderful first day.

Your Disney World vacation doesn't have to begin at full speed. You can take your time, notice, and explore.

Think About the Rest of the Week

You now have an idea of what each park has to offer and what kind of first vacation day you might have. Now, instead of thinking about the first park in isolation, look at the vacation as a whole.

Do you have an important dining reservation? Are you attending a special event? Is there a park where you expect to spend more than one day?

Think also about the practical travel issues. Did you travel a long distance and would want a relaxing first day? Did you arrive late the night before? Does your family like to do a lot the first couple days and then spend more time at the pool or hotel later in the vacation?

A good first park day can be exciting and packed with activity, but a good first park day is also one where you still feel as energized and excited as when you first arrived.

First Doesn't Mean Best

There's also no requirement that your first day be your biggest day. It certainly can be to kick off your vacation in an exciting fashion. However, it doesn't have to be. You can also ease into your vacation with a more relaxing park day.

Always consider vacation pace and you and your family's natural travel rhythm.

The first park doesn't have to contain every favorite attraction, character, and meal. You have an entire vacation ahead of you. Let it unfold.

The first day only has to begin the story. It doesn't have to tell the whole thing.

Before You Start Planning...

Ask everyone traveling with you:

“When you picture the first morning of our Disney World vacation, where do you imagine us?”

Don't worry about strategy yet. Just listen to the answers. You might discover that your family already knows where the vacation should begin.

Plan Your Trip. Make Lifelong Memories.