Kevin Baxter's "Inside Scoop" on the Magic Kingdom

We said Epcot was the hardest to figure out a game plan for? Well, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom might be tougher. There are more attractions here and some are so beloved, you never know which route to take.

I said that Epcot was maybe the hardest to figure out a game plan for? Well, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom might be tougher. Mainly because there are more attractions here and some are so beloved, you simply never know which route is the correct one to take. So here are two different itineraries that I hope will cover everyone:

Itinerary I - Clockwise

1st - Flying Carpets... yes, this is lame, but if you have kids you better do this NOW!
2nd - Jungle Cruise
3rd - Pirates of the Caribbean... most would say do this first, but it loads very fast.
4th - Splash Mountain
5th - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
6th - Haunted Mansion

This takes you into Fantasyland. You have the choice of checking out line-lengths or just skipping it and doing this area as late as possible.

Itinerary II - Counter-clockwise

1st - Buzz Lightyear... twice if you desire
2nd - Space Mountain... many would say do this first, but it is lame and actually has less line half an hour after opening
3rd - ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter... I LOVE this!!!
4th - Winnie the Pooh
5th - Dumbo... if no one is in line, then do it NOW!

This second itinerary is probably the better one if you have little kids who prefer Fantasyland to the other lands. I still wouldn't bother doing Fantasyland first since doing the three things in Tomorrowland will only take you about an hour.

Things to save for afternoon or when lines are long - Carousel of Progress, Hall of Presidents, Treehouse, Tiki Room, Pirates (fast loader), Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue, Tom Sawyer Island, Country Bear Jamboree, Timekeeper

Things to skip if necessary - Dumbo (hideous line), Astro Orbiter (how many Dumbo clones does one park need?), any sort of transportation (riverboat, train, etc), any live entertainment (ugh!)

FastPasses - There are eight. Most of which are covered in both itineraries. But you didn't do both. If you did the clockwise route, then all you will have in the way of FPs is Space Mountain, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan and Buzz Lightyear. After the Haunted Mansion, if you do Fantasyland, do It's a Small World then Winnie, if you still can. If not, grab an FP for that and do the others in the area waiting for it. If Fantasyland is a madhouse already, then head into Tomorrowland. Grab one for Space Mountain, if necessary and go on whatever else is easy. Buzz loads very quickly so unless there is a lot of line outside, don't bother with that FP.

As for the counter route, you should still be able to get on Haunted Mansion without an FP. You might even be able to get the Splash and Big Thunder Mountains out of the way without one. Good luck on not needing one for the Jungle Cruise then. But Pirates is near enough to ride while waiting for that one.

You really should put off most of Fantasyland until very close to closing. Pooh probably needs to be done early, but the rest of the lines should be ghost towns. In fact, at about 3 or so, all the kids who need naps are gone and that is often a good time to ride their rides.

Any other suggestions?

*laughs* 'Plan Your Day?' If you want the full experience at MK, you need a good three days to REALLY enjoy yourself!

I don't have much of a battle plan per se, but remember one important thing: DON'T OVER DO IT! We mentioned this in earlier posts. The Magic Kingdom is one of the most popular and therefore sometimes the busiest of the parks. The crowds are large (and hard to navigate at times) and anxiety and aggrivation tend to run high, so be patient, take your time, and roll with the punches. You CAN have a great day, you just need to be prepared.

That's what we're here for (I may not be all that helpful, but I know the rest of the TPI regulars can give great advice).

Three days at MK? I'd sooner spend a long day at the proctologist! I guess it needs to be said that if you have kids under 10 or so, then more than one day is definitely necessary. But if your kids, or you, find most of Fantasyland to be dreadfully childish, then pick some highlights and get out of the park ASAP!

Also, this park is great to visit in the rain. Not a whole lot of the attractions are outdoors, but whenever it starts to rain, people put on their ponchos and then STAND IN DOORWAYS! What the frick are the ponchos for then??? We rode on five different rides in Fantasyland during one short rainstorm. And we didn't need no stinkin' ponchos!

Ditto on the rain thing. With one big exception: Thunder Mountain will shut down during heavy rains, or if there is lightning in the area. (The Tom Sawyer Rafts will also shut down for lightning, leaving you on the Island if you're there.) But Fantasyland is *great* in the rain.

Fantasyland in the rain? YOU guys better watch out. If that were to happen, many will stroll to the popular E-tickets there, increasing wait times to more than 1 hour on Pooh and Peter Pan. Whichever line is the shortest, take it. Or use a restaurant, gift shop, game room, or indoor show for cover whenever the rainfall tends to get heavy and lightning flashes non-stop.

Pray that you won't encounter a thunderstorm when you are on Tom Sawyer's Island, lest you must swim to the other side. :)

Go Tomorrowland to Advertureland. Frontierland wasn't that crowded later in the day.

As a former MK employee (attractions, Main Street), I've heard every complaint possible about how hard it is to "do" the magic kingdom in a day. Frankly...I've never understood it. With the advent of fast pass (love it or hate, if you use it to your advantage, it works) It's not that hard to make the park and crowds work for you. IF you get there at opening...book it for an E-Ticket (obviously). You'll have to pick a side, but I would reccomend Buzz/Alien/Space Mountain because, for some odd reason, most people feel compelled to go left when they reach the hub. I say...Fast pass Space Mountain (you do NOT want to be caught outside in line there. The queue at SM is the worst design flaw at Disney, the line consistantly stretches across Tomorowland with no shade.) Anyway...fastpass SM and ride Alien or Buzz lightyear...go back and ride Space Mountain. If you have young kids...they'll want to drive the cars...i say, invest the extra forty paces and fast pass Pooh, then come back and stand in line for the cars (autopia). Skip Mickey's Toontown, unless you have your heart set on meeting mickey...as far as rides are concerned it's a waste of time. By midday, I don't see how you couldn't put down at least three, maybe four of these rides...that's pretty good. The rest of the park becomes a line challenge but no matter how you try...you WILL stand in line at a disney park for considerable time. Nothing you can do about that, you may as well expect it. Two other tips from a former cast member that i have noticed from experience: 1) in the summer in Florida it is not uncommon for it to rain for short periods of time in the late afternoon (like 20 minutes or so) When this happens, walk towards splash mountain. In the rain if you have to. They usually close that ride in the rain and it opens right after the rain stops with little to no line because most people give up on it. 2) If you have your heart set on watching either parade...watch them from Frontierland. It;s the same parade...and you won't have to fight for seats on main street, or worse, sit there for three hours. (people line up for the nine o'clock parade at 600 in the evening. happens everynight)

No need to fastpass SM if you plan to ride the first hour after opening or one hour before closing. :)

I agree. Even after riding Buzz twice and then Alien Encounter, we still walked right on SM. In fact, we spent less time this way than when we did SM then Buzz ONCE and then Alien Encounter. EVERYONE heads towards SM. But I do have to say that I recommend the Tomorrowland start also.

I also totally agree with the CM that says you can do this park in a day. Easily! As long as you don't just go and stand in whatever line you come upon. It is extremely necessary to take at least two complete trips around the park. First trip are the biggies mentioned. Second trip is for the smaller rides and FastPasses. A third trip should occur right when all the kiddies are taking naps. A little preparation, no matter how anal it may seem, will really benefit you in the long run.

My game plan for this is!
To go to Tomorrowland first get a fast pass for Space Mountain or Buzz Lightyear.
Than ride transit Athourity or Go on Alien Encounter.
If you have kids go to Toon town Fair. Then go back to tomorrowland and ride watever you got a ticket for. Then go to Fantasyland and ride the rides you like the lines are usally short. Then get a ticket for Spash Mountain or Thunder . Ride the one you didn't get a ticket for.Then go to the other. If you want to you can go back and get a ride on Haunted Masion.
Go to Adventureland and Ride Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Carribean. Then see the fireworks and ending parade.

Creepily enough, we were just plotting our Magic Kingdom strategy over the weekend. This is how we planned to work it. Upon entry, go directly to Fantasyland and get through every attraction there before the walkways become double stroller demolition derby. From that point on, FASTPASS as necessary but always have attractions ready to hit while waiting for your window to hit (for example, if you FASTPASSed Splash Mountain, go over to the Hall of Presidents, ride the Riverboat, heck, even the Country Bear Jamboree. Over in Tomorrowland, you can jump into Alien Encounter or the TTA without much of a wait while waiting on Space Mountain or Buzz, or you can venture into Toontown Fair and take a circle on the railroad). I don't mind waiting in line with adults, but getting in and out of Fantasyland ASAP is my top priority.

It doesnt matter what anyone else's game plan is. You sould go there and create your own.

Except that at $45 a pop, it's nice to have a little advice to go on, so that you don't waste the better part of your valuable day wandering around, trying to avoid lines but instead always ending up in biggest ones.

Smart thinking, Steve. I think having a realistic "waiting" attraction near an FP ride is an excellent way to save hours in the day.

As for NOT having any sort of plan. I cannot tell you how many trips to Disneyland I went on as a kid where we had no sort of plan after the first ride and consequently ended up riding very little. You see these people wandering around the parks and you just have to wonder what it must be like to be able to throw away so much money and not get a lot in return. It sure ain't the theming that is costing you $50.

Maybe the people roaming around the parks not going on so much is having a good time just taking it all in and not worrying about riding everything so they have something to look forward to next time they go.

Some people can't afford to spend thousands of dollars a year to just wander around and not ride anything. Obviously this thread is for those people. There wouldn't be much point in writing a "How to Wander Aimlessly around MK" thread now, would there?

Spending thousands of dollars to wander aimlessly around a Disney theme park?

At Epcot, that's the classic cast member activity known as "Drinking Around the World."

Drinking is NOT aimless wandering! It is an ACTIVITY! And it's a lot more fun than Body Wars!

Drinking AND Body Wars, however...

Not good times. Repeat, NOT good times.

The only real way to see the magic kingdom is to get there early sunday morning,{at park opening} You can get onto every ride with little or no wait. By noon the place is an insane asylum. Leave the park,have something to eat, have a swim, and go to epcot future world. By that time everybody is in world showcase.

I'm just interested: who says go on Pirates first? I've never had to wait more than ten minutes at any point in the day.

Yeah, no way do you need to go on Pirates first. That thing loads people in very quickly.

I have just returned to the UK after spending a great 2 weeks in Orlando. Before going I spent a fair amount of time on this site reading all the tips on WDW and Universal. Although we have been to these parks a number of times already I always felt that I didn't spend my time wisely as we always seemed to be queuing for hours. Well what a difference - especially at MK. We put together an itinerary of rides in order of preference and made sure that we were in the MK car park for 8.15am (on a tuesday as this was highlighted on the site as one of the quietest days). By 10.30am we had done all the rides in fantasyland - some twice (I have 2 young children so decided that the rides for them would be the prioritiy this year). We had visited mickey's house and had photos taken, etc with him and about 9 other characters AND we had done every ride in tomorrowland - YES ALL BY 10.30am !!! This left us with a very leisurely day being able to pick and choose which "other", ie not "must" rides, we wanted to go on. Another great tip is to always have a Fastpass in your pocket. If we were waiting to go on one ride we always had a fastpass for another ride in our pockets so that we could go straight from one ride to another.
So many, many thanks for helping make my trip an unforgettably, pleasurable experience - instead of the dreaded experience it often has been.

You know, I have never understood why people head to the parks without doing a little research first. Everyone should have a game plan for the first few attractions they visit. That is a minimum! Even when we spent so many days at Universal Orlando last year, every day we went we still had a plan for the first few rides, because even a couple hours into a day, these rides often don't have the lines they will after lunch.

Now we have a testimonial! So even if you don't follow somebody's plan here, go with your own! And GET THERE EARLY!

I am the UK "Anon" who posted yesterday, and I would agree very strongly that you need to be at the park EARLY. However this is only a real benefit as long as you ALSO have a GAME PLAN. I have gone early on previous occasions but without a game plan and wasted the benefits. It is also important that ALL of your party is clear about, and agrees with the plan so that there is no time wasted arguing about what to do next.

Although I was one of the sad people who previously went with no game plan my excuse is that the guide books I used were useless compared to the fantastic advice given on this site - so thanks Kevin, Robert and all the other contributors.

Is this a good place for a 2 year old to visit? Are there any rides or attractions that a little one can do? Tahnks for the info.

Is this a good place for a 2 year old to visit? Are there any rides or attractions that a little one can do? Thanks for the info.

Personally I don't think ANY park is good for a two-year-old. They can go on so little and tire so easily that I just don't see it worth the cost.

STILL, many Disney Fanatics out there see no problems with taking someone so young to the parks. They go on and on about how their "faces just lit up" blah blah blah. Yeah, well I have seen their "faces just lit up" seeing cardboard boxes, so I stick with my too-expensive comment. Two-year-olds are easily pleased and can have the mother of all days at the park or zoo. Save theme parks for them when they will actually mean something to them.

I disagree. If you want to take a 2-year-old to a theme park, this would be the one. There's plenty for a small child to ride on & since 2 and under get in for free, you are only paying for yourselves. You do need to keep a few things in mind: 1) Don't go during the hot months. (April & Oct seem to be the best times to go.) 2) Don't go with the attitude that you have to see everything in one day. With a small child, you can't move fast enough. It's better to take your time. 3) Plan lots of breaks & an afternoon nap. There are plenty of air conditioned areas where they can rest. 4) Know your child. Some kids are more timid than others & can be easily overwhelmed. If this is the case, you would do better by waiting until he/ she is a little older. 5)If they are acting up, ask yourself: Are they tired, hungry, thirsty, hot or just plain over it? You need to find out what the problem is & solve it. Be prepared to leave early if necessary. If you don't think it's worth it, don't go. But I've been with both of my kids, my 2 neices & my nephew when they were 2 (or under) and have always enjoyed it.

I think 2 is a little too young for any theme park. 3 or 4 is probably when you can start taking kids to theme parks, but until then, theme parks probably aren't the best place. Most children that young would not appreciate it enough to warrant the price of admission. I agree with Kevin, and think you should just take them to your local zoo or municipal park. Wait another year or two before spending the money on a Disney vacation, you and your children will enjoy it more.

Russell: Do you have any kids and how old were they when you first took them to a theme park?

Not that I think someone needs kids to figure this out. I have none but have been to Disneyland on MANY occasions with kids of all ages. Most of my bad experiences happened with young kids, the younger, the worse the experience. Not that they didn't enjoy what everyone will agree is a small portion of what Disneyland has to offer. The problem is how much of the day is spent paying attention to all kinds of needs that older kids deal with better.

"Junior needs a diaper change." Junior waits a half hour to get on a ride, then cries throughout. "Junior needs to eat." Junior waits 20 minutes to see Mickey then screams and cries. "Junior needs to go potty." Add to that the fact that two-year-olds seem to spend half their time screaming, crying and throwing tantrums for the tiniest of reasons and that many parents of two-year-olds have reached a plateau where they can ignore their child's most hideous behavior and you have a recipe for disaster.

Now, if it were a three-year-old, I would have a harder time arguing. At that age, most of them aren't nearly as bratty as they were the year before. Still, I will never recommend that anyone spend big money on a vacation like this for kids younger than five. By then they can ride most attractions. But more important, I think kids are given way too much too early nowadays. If many of the tantrums I have seen in the Disney parks is any indication, I am right.

I guess my point is: Although all that you described is very irritating to non-parents, to parents it's a fact of life. Junior's going to need a diaper change whether he's at Disney or in line at the grocery store or while traveling down the highway. Parents deal with it because they expect it. (Although I conceed, to a non-parent, it's hell!)

And one of the biggest complaints about children these days is bad behavior, but children don't just know how to behave in public, they have to learn. The only way to do this is to get them out in society. We've found that Disney is a great place to teach children to behave in nice restaurants. The worst behaved kids I know were never taken anywhere by their parents.

As for whether or not it's worth the expense, children are expensive. You can't get out of Chuckie Cheese's for under $30. $100 to get two parents & a 2-year-old child in the gates at MK doesn't seem that excessive. (Of course, I live close enough that I don't need to pay airfare or hotels. I'm not sure it would be worth that until the kids are out of the house & it's just the parents going.)

Maybe we should start a new thread on this. (I can't now, I have to run a sick kid to the doctor.) I'll do it later if no one else does.

I am the one who asked the wuestion at the beginning. I am glad that I got all of these responses. i didn't know that 2 and under got in free. I am alos glad to hear that there is a lot for him to do. He will have a blst thanks fo rthe info.

We actually have a thread about this lurking somewhere on here, Deborah. And living close definitely takes cost out of the equation.

But all parents are apparently NOT interested in teaching their children to behave in public. Therefore, their children act like raving brats, the parents act like psychotic lunatics and what was supposed to be a fun day for all is not only ruined for those families but for many people around those families. It's all well and good to say "You know you're own children and how they will behave" but the fact is LOADS of Americans think their demons are perfect or they know the truth and are too inept to deal with them properly.

We also lived near Disneyland growing up, but we were very lower middle class at that point, so Disneyland was a major treat for us. We had to be good kids or the trip would be called off and we had to be BETTER when we got there. Of course the brat ratio was not as high then as it is now, which is probably due to a whole bunch of undeserving kids being taken to Disneyland, and stuff like that!

as a former cast member in attractions i have to say that i don't see the point in taking a child so young to the parks. i've delt with a lot of parents with kids all different ages. the parents with children ages 6 and under were the worst. they were bitter, easily agitated and just looked exhausted. pushing strollers all day is not exactly my idea of a vacation. i can't understand why anyone would think it's a good idea.

I was at MK on Saturday and let me tell you - people aren't teaching their kids a damn thing about being well behaved or cleaning up after themselves. We ate at Cosmic Rays and watched a dozen groups get up and leave, leaving all their trash on the tables. At this point, we started getting pissed. Then, as we were walking through Tomorrowland, a child in front of us dropped her cup on the ground. She looked at it for a moment as if it had suddenly transformed into some kind of relic of historical value. Her parents gave her a "come on!" look, and the girl ran off after her family, leaving the cup on the ground. At that point, my alterego kicked in and I loudly declared "Don't worry! I'll take care of it!" I picked it up and threw it into the trashcan that was nearly four feet away. Did the parents get the hint? No. They told their daughter to say "thank you." I don't want to be thanked, dammit. I want parents to tell their children that they should have picked up their own (expletive deleted) trash. I mean, you're in the Magic Frelling Kingdom - that doesn't mean magic fairies are going to appear to pick up your trash because you're an inconsiderate scuzbopper!

I didn't say that at that time, mind you. The kid's dad was way bigger than me.

This has nothing to do with you or your children. I just wanted to point out that some parents just don't care.

Steve, I agree with you, but want to point out that this is nothing new. I live on the Florida gulf coast & have complained for years that some tourists treat Florida like one big Disney World. They get the attitude that they are on vacation, so someone else needs to clean up after them. They go to our beaches, have a picnic, then leave their garbage behind. Well, the beaches don't have hired people to come clean up after them the way Disney does. Not to mention the impact on the ecosystems of the local wildlife. I don't know why, but some people just don't use common sense or courtesy when on vacation.

A lot of people in this country just don't HAVE any common sense to use. I heard someone say once, "Why is it called 'common sense' when so few people seem to have it? Shouldn't it be called 'uncommon sense'?

And it is this country! I was in Paris way back when and after a week I had to comment that I hadn't heard one single tantrum all week. I noticed this the day we were in the zoo, which was spotless BTW, and all the kids were calmly looking at the animals and not shrieking, running around into total strangers, crying, whining or being complete and total American-like brats. Then I noticed that the parents there were actually all paying attention to their kids. No having conversations with other people while their brat is pushing the stroller into other people. No ignoring every word out of their child's mouth. And they were even better behaved in Germany and Austria!

Mind you, this wasn't a trip to Disneyland, but that doesn't matter. You can't go to a mall, a movie theater, a nice restaurant, a museum even without running into a raving brat with incompetent parents.

That is why I tend to dissuade people from taking kids under 5 to theme parks. Even the best parents can have hard times there, so how likely is it a trip will turn out miserably for average parents, let alone those craptastic ones (like the lady trying to push her all-important EMPTY stroller in front of the poor old lady in the wheelchair at Epcot... gawd I STILL wish I had done more than just stop her stroller with my boot and give her a stare!!!)???

Hey, the 'common sense' line is my Slashdot sig!

You nailed it with the reason why some kids behave well and others don't. Kids that routinely interact with adults behave more like adults. Kids who are not part of the adult world behave like clueless brats.

That said, even the best-mannered kid will have a few bad moments. (Which, luck being what it is, plenty of other people will see....) But to return this comment to the subject of theme parks, when you visit a park with a small child, you must pace your visit to the smallest child in your group. Talk to them, gauge how they're doing, and slow down or speed up accordingly. Good parents have talked to their kids enough that they know how to "read" them accurately, so they make the right decisions about not putting their children in situations they can't handle. And, the good parents answer their children's questions honestly and completely, so their kids don't get frustrated when they are curious or confused.

But treat your child like baggage, and they're gonna blow up on you at some point.

Something needs to be added when there are two children of different ages involved. Going at the pace of the youngest child is all well and good, but then that very well could cause problems with the older children. I cannot tell you how many trip to DL were ruined for me and my brother because everyone was forced to stop and pay attention to some toddler cousin's needs.

I have people email me asking about going here or there with, say, a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old. If it were me, one parent would have the 3 most of the day while the other had the 7. They could meet for lunch and switch. Sure, it doesn't lend itself to a "family experience" but these vacations are allegedly for the kids and the 7-year-old has as much right to be happy on vacation as the 3-year-old. But then again, I wouldn't take a 3-year-old to a theme park, except for Legoland, so the whole point is probably moot.

I always encourage families to split up for at least part of the day at any theme park. Especially when the kids are significantly different ages.

When I take my two to Disneyland, I can't go on many of my 44-inch daughter's favorites because I also have my 36-inch son along. That's why I need my wife there to take one of the kids while I go with the other for a while.

Splitting up also helps you take advantage of single rider lines, and to knock off more attractions than you could all together. (Few groups all want to see the same things with the same priority.) Splitting up also allows you to work the Fastpass system more effectively, if you know what you're doing with that.

The Magic Kingdom, or Disneyland, is a completely different park for a seven-year-old than it is for a three-year-old. Forcing them to spend the whole day together just cheats the seven-year-old and sets the stage for some nasty conflicts between the two kids. Why invite that?

Simply put to experence everything you need to spend three days here. Also, a good thing to go on is the Carosel of Progress. It is the only ride at WDW Walt has personally ridden

Three days? Maybe if you have tiny, uncontrollable children. And three days might as well be a death sentence for teenagers.

This site is great and is giving me some really great ideas, we are taking our 4 teenaged children to MK for thier and our first time. we are limited in our budget so all suggestions are appreciated. does these FP cost any money? we'll have about a thousand to spend so every suggestion is welcome.

Fastpass is free as can be. Your ticket to get in is your FASTPASS ticket. There's a lot you have to understand about FASTPASS as far as when you can and can't use it as well as when you should or shouldn't use it, though. If you're gonna have a grand to drop while you're there, go ahead and drop sixteen bucks or so on a good guide book to really get familiar with how the system works (either the Frommers or the Unofficial Guide - I prefer the latter).

Oh, and if you like the site, how's about registering?

And if you have teenagers, then this thread should be telling you to take them somewhere else!!! MK is the most boring park in Orlando for teens. And it ain't all that great for adults who don't have kids either.

Actually, Kev - I have to disagree with you on those points. Epcot is WAY more boring for teens. Once you hit around 22, you start to REALLY appreciate Epcot.

And I'm an adult without brats, and MK is still my favorite in Orlando. I just know to get in and out of Fantasyland as quickly as possible.

Kevin wrote:

"And it ain't all that great for adults who don't have kids either."

I dunno, Kevin, the wife and I spent one day at MK on our honeymoon last fall. We're ages 30 and 29, and we had a blast at MK. Granted, I hadn't been there since 1981 and it was her very first visit, though I'm sure that it might be less fun for adults who don't necessarily get to go every year.

At the same time, sure there weren't many "thrill" type rides in the roller-coaster sense of the term, but we were more than happy at the chance to put on our Bride-and-Groom mouse ears and be total kids again for the day.

As far as young kids go, the only advice I can give to parents is to know your child, their typical behavior, and their limits when planning a trip, and keep in mind that there will be thousands of other people wherever you are going who have just as much right to enjoy themselves as you do. Just as a test, take your child(ren) to the zoo or a park or the circus and see how well they do; that, in my opinion would go a long way towards getting a feel for how they might handle the sensory overload that a day at MK will bring.

We chose to leave our 2-year old son at home with his aunt last fall, but only because it was our honeymoon. We took him to Cedar Point several times last summer, as we're passholders there, and even though he couldn't ride much of anything, he enjoyed being outside and playing in Lake Erie and behaved very well. So, each child is different, each parent is different, and a little homework before an undertaking like Orlando will pay off in spades, believe me.

Epcot is way more boring for "stupid" teens. Hee. Not all teens need speed and excitement to be entertained, ya know. Many are into stuff that is more educational and artistic, like what Epcot offers. I would have loved Epcot as a teen, and I loved Magic Mountain and USH as a teen too. Hated Disneyland. Babyville USA.

That's not to say there aren't entertaining things for teens and childless adults in MK. I just don't think they offer enough of them for what they charge. And, this is very important, MK is a poor man's Disneyland, which makes a world of difference. I would never say Disneyland would bore most teens or childless adults. MK just ain't no DL.

As a teen, I would prefer EPCOT to MK. In fact, EPCOT beats any other WDW park in my opinion, and is my second only to IoA (obviously). Not as much for the rides, but for the atmosphere. However, ask a bunch of other teenagers what they thought, and you get a whole different opinion. Obviously. When you think of a grown-up ride, you tend to think of bigger, faster, and with a taller height restriction. But with EPCOT, "adult ride" takes on a whole different meaning. This isn't just bigger and faster; it's a new way of thinking about theme park attractions. Of course, you still get the idiots who refuse to go to the end of the row in Honey, I Shrunk The Audience, so how grown up actually are they?

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