Which park should I visit if I am going to be at WDW for one day?

Well guys and galls, looks like I'm going to be making a brief visit to the WDW Resort for a day in July. I haven't been since 1991, and there have been alot of new attractions that have opened! I need some advice. Should I buy a one day pass to a certain park and enjoy it for the day, or buy a park hopper and try to catch multiple attractions at different parks? I would like to ride Tower of Terror, Rockin Roller Coaster, Mission Space, Soarin, and Test Track. I LOVE the Magic Kindgom but have already visited it SOOO many times in the past. Your thoughts?

If it were me, and I were alone, I'd go to Epcot for the day just because that's my fave park and I'm not much for rushing around hopping from park to park. If I had my family, it would be MK. Hard to choose when there are so many good choices, eh? :D

Definatly EPCOT!

Since you're only able to visit for a day, I'd recommed visiting two parks and adding the park hopper option to your day pass. The attractions you mentioned are at Epcot and Disney-MGM so do those two and make a loooooong day out of it. If you hit either one early in the morning you can generally get some good short wait times out of them, and if you're going alone, you can really get advantage out of Single Rider lines. However, Soarin' has scrapped its single rider line, as I found out this week (I'm at WDW right now).

Also, maybe base your decision on which evening show you would like to see, IllumiNations, or Fantasmic. Research park hours. Epcot will always have IllumiNations at 9pm, and same with Fantasmic at MGM, but tonight Fantasmic is running twice 9PM and 10:30PM, so... if that happens on the day you go, perhaps you could see both!

I'd do Animal Kingdom in the AM and EPCOT at night. If you have not been since 1991 see AK -- you will not be disappointed - but can still do EPCOT at night for a great sit down mean and Illuminations !

Only one day at WDW? That's a tough proposition ... very tough. You say you are don't want to go to the MK because you've been 'many times' yet you haven't been there in 14 years! That's a very long time in my book, but most of the changes haven't been for the best. Same with Disney-MGM and (less so) Epcot.

I think I'd get to DAK when it opens and see the whole park because it is amazing on so many levels. Then, I'd head over to MGM to do Tower and RnRC (although the latter is highly overrated) and then spend the the rest of my time at Epcot. I might reverse Epcot and MGM depending on closing times. Epcot ALWAYS closes at 9 p.m., while MGM might be open until 10 with a Fantasmic at 10:30 ... but that's what I'd do if I only had a day.

Of course, I've never gone to WDW and not been to both the MK and Epcot. I have skipped the Studios many times and DAK a few times (mostly due to its short hours).

If those are the rides you want to go on, I would suggest a park hopper. Go to MGM in the AM, hit Tower and Rockin, then jump on the boat to take you to EPCOT. Then you can spend all day there.

I would go to Epcot. Mission Space, Test Track, and Soarin have ALL opened and are great rides. As far as the countries go, not much has changed. If you decided to use the park Hopper option I would do Epcot, and either Animal Kingdom (although theres not much to do there) or Magic Kingdom because there are tons of things available!!! Have fun!!

I actually would visit the MK. Especially If I have never seen Timekeeper & Alien Encounter. Ohh, yeah, nevermind.

Seriously, I would pick MK just because the amount of available attractions. Currently, most of the secondary gates have 1 or 2 great attractions and then there's not much substance left. I think that is intentional on Disney's part by the way. For someone who hasn't visited since 1991, there is still Splash Mountain, Philharmagic, & an updated COP with GBBT instead of Now is the Time. Reluctantly, I would also add the new Tiki Room show, Pooh, and Aladdin.

So there is new stuff to see in this case, as well as, classics to revisit.

If one isn't a "ride" person, then I guess EPCOT Center would be the clear winner; World Showcase is the one on-property area that I really feel has aged very well.

If it were I, and I wasn't going back soon, I would do the park hopper. All 4 parks have something of high worth to visit. ToT for the first time alone.

Epcot still offers the most bang for your buck as far as things to see/experience/immerse yourself in. DAK has plenty to see and do, especially if you've never been there and aren't strictly a 'ride person' ... For me, personally, if I hadn't been to the MK since 1991 and suddenly went I would be amazed at how much the quality, cleanliness, show standards have fallen. You didn't mention whether you had been to any other Disney park since then, so that's also a factor. If you've been to DL many timessince you last were at the WDW MK, I would definitely tell you to skip it on a one-day visit.

If I just base my opinion on your post, I would tell you to buy a park-hopper and just do Epcot and the Studios, which are the closest (location-wise) of all the major WDW parks.

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Originally Posted by WDW1974

Epcot still offers the most bang for your buck as far as things to see/experience/immerse yourself in. DAK has plenty to see and do, especially if you've never been there and aren't strictly a 'ride person' ... For me, personally, if I hadn't been to the MK since 1991 and suddenly went I would be amazed at how much the quality, cleanliness, show standards have fallen. You didn't mention whether you had been to any other Disney park since then, so that's also a factor. If you've been to DL many timessince you last were at the WDW MK, I would definitely tell you to skip it on a one-day visit.

If I just base my opinion on your post, I would tell you to buy a park-hopper and just do Epcot and the Studios, which are the closest (location-wise) of all the major WDW parks.

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I haven't been to any other parks since 1991. If what you say is true about the cleanliness of the parks going down since then, then that is VERY SAD!! I can't believe how much they have let the parks run down and get into the bad shape that they have! I heard they aren't even running the sea cabs at Living Seas anymore! WTF??? I just don't understand it, except a bunch of corporate executives that are VERY GREEDY, and you know as well as I do that Disney IS NOT CHEAP!! (dollar wise to visit and stay) :(

Yes, it is sad. WDW is still a wonderful place, but much of the real magic has been accountaineered right out of the place. If I hadn't been to WDW since 1991 I would be amazed at all the hotel rooms and timeshares and how much green space had been lost, how much traffic and busses had increased and then, after entering the parks, I'd likely be very, very sad at how much had been lost. ... good thing I haven't gone more than six months without a visit in all that time so I could take the good with the bad and mourn the losses one at a time!

I do one day trips a few times a year. Depends on what mood I'm in that particular day as to which park I'll visit. Epcot is my fave park. Next visit though I'll probably go to MGM as I haven't been there since 2003. Only parks I visited last year were MK & Epcot.

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Originally Posted by Grumpy4

If those are the rides you want to go on, I would suggest a park hopper. Go to MGM in the AM, hit Tower and Rockin, then jump on the boat to take you to EPCOT. Then you can spend all day there.

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You have good taste! I would do that same thing. Tower and Rockin are not-to-be-missed attractions. I would then take the boat to the international port. I would see few nations and then go for the grand finale of Mission Space. That would be a fantastic day, especially if it was finished with IllumiNations.