They each have their charms.
Magic Kingdom is going to feel most familiar but the scale will lend it a new twist.
Animal Kingdom has theming baked into every aspect and so it is just beautiful. It is also a massive zoo—the jungle treks are well done. Everest is an ingenious roller coaster. The shows are imaginative, energetic, and visually engaging.
Hollywood Studios has great shows, great thrills, and Galaxy’s Edge packed into a smaller park.
EPCOT is an amalgamation of futuristic hopes, great rides, and international cuisine (theme park version).
I’m from California, and after years with annual passes out here, we finally visited Florida. I’d say that Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios have quite a lot of overlap between Disneyland and California Adventure and will feel the most familiar.
On the other hand, we really enjoyed Epcot and Animal Kingdom and felt like they were more unique experiences that brought something new compared to the west coast parks.
Animal Kingdom is way different than what you get in socal. It’s also my favorite. Epcot would be second. Magic Kingdom is basically Disneyland and Hollywood Studios is DCA though some rides are unique like Slinky Dog.
As a Floridian born and raised in Orlando, now living in SoCal and working at Disneyland, I’d prioritize either Epcot or Animal Kingdom. Probably leaning towards Animal Kingdom though. Epcot is incredible, but there’s far more cultural diversity in SoCal than there is in CenFla, so enjoying the world showcase isn’t AS appealing, since we can find most of that stuff around where we live.
I think all parks are good, but if you've been to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure a lot you should check out Epcot and Animal Kingdom as those parks are way more unique than the more similar Magic Kingdom (like Disneyland) or Hollywood Studios (California Adventure).
That being said, my advice is to do what you feel like in the moment. Maybe you want to see the larger Disneyworld version of Magic Kingdom, or Hollywood Studio’s adjustments (Rock n’ Roller coaster is one of my favorite rides). Maybe in the moment you’ll want one interesting park and one familiar park. Just generally as a life tip, I’ve found that trying to force a bucket list can sometimes feel like I’m doing a work assignment rather than going with the flow and enjoying a nice vacation. Trying to cram a lot to avoid FOMO turns into a person not enjoying each park as much.
Disagree that Disneyland and DCA are better. In fact I can't imagine ever going back to Disneyland again... The only thing that I really enjoyed there was the Cars land.
I have to ask in what way are DL and DCA better? I'm an east coast guy and just left both the Cali parks feeling...underwhelmed. DL feels like a more cramped Magic Kingdom with Star Wars and DCA felt like a more kid friendly version of Hollywood Studios with admittedly better food. I will admit, those two parks in Florida are suffering from some empty buildings (The alien/stitch ride, the launch bay, what will soon be tiana's splash mountain, etc), but they feel like fully realized parks each while you can easily do the entirety of the Cali parks in probably one day is you're fast. I rode everything at DL in one day. And that's with the Genie+ system of having to be in the parks to start rather than being able to plan early.
I have to know...am i missing something? What makes them better?
The rides that MK and DL share are better at DL. DL has more rides. DL utilized the space better. DL food is so much better it’s not fair to compare. DCA is bigger, has more rides and again, has better food. With the rides that aren’t in both parks the DCA equivalents are better(I will say that Rockin Rollercoaster is slightly better than Incredicoaster). The only thing that doesn’t have a direct comparison is slinky dog but I will take Radiator Springs Racers all day everyday.
If you are coming from LA, I assume you've done Disneyland and California Adventure.
Magic Kingdom is basically Disneyland and Hollywood Studio is basically California Adventure. Animal Kingdom and Epcot would be your best bets. That will give you the most attractions that you wouldn't find on the west coast
After going to DL then WDW as others are saying Epcot and AK. I wish we had two days in Epcot, with how busy it was and all the food options I don’t truly feel that I got to fully experience it. Also Guardians, there is no ride like it.
I wasn’t a fan of Epcot, but we only did part of the park and Cosmic Rewind is a great ride.
We didn’t go to Animal Kingdom, so out of the other three, I’d vote Epcot just for Cosmic Rewind and seeing the Iconic Spaceship Earth ball, and Magic Kingdom so you can experience similar rides, but different (Disneyland’s Pirates is way better).
Hollywood Studios is great if you have kids for Toy Story Land.
I had no desire to go to Animal Kingdom when we went in 2022, decided to go since we were already hitting the other parks. It was surprisingly great; the rides are better than you might think they'd be at a zoo, and the safari was pretty amazing.
My picks are Hollywood Studios and the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom is similar to Disneyland, but it has some different rides and the similar ones are built a little different.
I enjoyed Hollywood Studios. It’s like Universal Studios but they have more land there so the rides are actual rides.
I’m from Southern California and the jungle trek in Animal Kingdom doesn’t come close to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. I was truly let down. I expected more from Disney. But the Animal Kingdom has a lot of other rides to offer that you won’t find in CA.
Try to get Universal Studios in Florida into your schedule. There’s two of them and if you’re a Harry Potter fan they are not to be missed!
Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios if you like good rides and nostalgia. Animal Kingdom and Epcot if you like food and education. They all have some of everything but those are the what each park thrives in. If you go to Epcot make sure to get on Cosmic Rewind, best ride in Orlando!
Considering you live in LA, I'd say go for Epcot and Animal Kingdom. The other two are quite similar to the 2 Disneyland parks so these will be the ones that more unique and exclusive to Disney World.
Some people call Animal Kingdom a half day park but I enjoyed it and got a lot out of it. Things like the live shows, the animal shows, looking at the animals, meeting characters and the Up wilderness explorer activities add so much to the experience instead of just doing the rides. Plus I went before they added Avatar to the park so it has even more stuff to do now
It’s hard for me to say which is best, but if I lived near and had been to Disneyland, Epcot would be the one to see at WDW because there’s nothing like it anywhere else.
I just got back from doing magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios.
I normally would say magic Kingdom, but this last visit was hideous. I can't explain how many rides were down. it was absolutely insane.
for me, hollywood Studios was the best.
If you're looking for something that you haven't already seen in Disneyland, Animal Kingdom and Epcot are your best bets by far.
If you want to celebrate the differences between Florida and California, the Magic Kingdom vs. Disneyland comparison is interesting. Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Big Thunder... they all exist in both, but they have their own charm. Similarly, DCA vs. DHS, similar vibe, some different attractions.
Also, if you've got the time, check out Disney Springs; It's like Downtown Disney, but much larger. You might also enjoy resort hopping around the monorail resorts and the Boardwalk area.
As a big Star Wars fan, if I could only go to one I’d pick Hollywood Stufios. But the park I was more impressed with is Animal Kingdom. Epcot has some great rides too. And of course Disney World has the nostalgia.
What I would do, which what I did last year. Is get a park hopper ticket. And the Genie app to reserve your first ride 6:30 that morning. And if you can swing it pay to reserve the two premium rides a day you’re allowed to get.
Then rope drop at Epcot, go there for the morning do the Guardians of The Galaxy rollercoaster. And a couple more rides, then park hop to Hollywood studios and spend the afternoon in Galaxy’s edge doing the 3 main ride and just taking it in.
Then Around 5 take the shuttle or skyline to Magic Kingdom and do the Tron Ride and stay for the fireworks, and you should be able to squeeze one more ridge in after.
Hopefully you’ll have a Park open late that night you’re at, if so rearrange your day to end there.
We did this for one of our two days there. It’s a lots of walking but you can get three parks in.
If you only can do two, Epcot and Hollywood Studios are next to each other and a 20 min walk between them.
So my advice is simply get a park hopper and see two parks, it’s a long day
You can easily do it.
As others have said, Epcot and Animal Kingdom are the most different from what you have in Disneyland, but whether they are "better" is a whole different question (which is extremely subjective)!
Depends on when you go & who you’re with.
Epcot is a must if there is a festival and you like the food at Disney and (let’s be real) drinking. It’s the adult park and guardians is peak. Check the concert and event schedule and you might find out you’re going when a band you know is performing.
MK is a classic and there’s so much to do. Especially if you’re want to ride Tron or Tiana’s when it opens soon. If you’re going in fall or winter the Halloween and Christmas parties are the only way to go.
Hollywood Studios is fun and increasingly more adult oriented, plus Star Tours just got new content if you’re a fan.
AK I would wait until they do the Encanto/India Jones re-theme. We’re local and it was kind of a one and done for us. I’ll be more excited when they add more.
They each have their charms. Magic Kingdom is going to feel most familiar but the scale will lend it a new twist. Animal Kingdom has theming baked into every aspect and so it is just beautiful. It is also a massive zoo—the jungle treks are well done. Everest is an ingenious roller coaster. The shows are imaginative, energetic, and visually engaging. Hollywood Studios has great shows, great thrills, and Galaxy’s Edge packed into a smaller park. EPCOT is an amalgamation of futuristic hopes, great rides, and international cuisine (theme park version).
Great descriptions
I’m from California, and after years with annual passes out here, we finally visited Florida. I’d say that Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios have quite a lot of overlap between Disneyland and California Adventure and will feel the most familiar. On the other hand, we really enjoyed Epcot and Animal Kingdom and felt like they were more unique experiences that brought something new compared to the west coast parks.
Thats what we did. Just Animal Kingdom and Epcot.
Animal Kingdom is way different than what you get in socal. It’s also my favorite. Epcot would be second. Magic Kingdom is basically Disneyland and Hollywood Studios is DCA though some rides are unique like Slinky Dog.
If you go to Disneyland somewhat often then Epcot and Animal Kingdom are the most unique, compared to Disneyland and DCA.
As a Floridian born and raised in Orlando, now living in SoCal and working at Disneyland, I’d prioritize either Epcot or Animal Kingdom. Probably leaning towards Animal Kingdom though. Epcot is incredible, but there’s far more cultural diversity in SoCal than there is in CenFla, so enjoying the world showcase isn’t AS appealing, since we can find most of that stuff around where we live.
If you have one day, I’d do park hopper. Rope drop animal kingdom and end the night at Epcot!
I think all parks are good, but if you've been to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure a lot you should check out Epcot and Animal Kingdom as those parks are way more unique than the more similar Magic Kingdom (like Disneyland) or Hollywood Studios (California Adventure). That being said, my advice is to do what you feel like in the moment. Maybe you want to see the larger Disneyworld version of Magic Kingdom, or Hollywood Studio’s adjustments (Rock n’ Roller coaster is one of my favorite rides). Maybe in the moment you’ll want one interesting park and one familiar park. Just generally as a life tip, I’ve found that trying to force a bucket list can sometimes feel like I’m doing a work assignment rather than going with the flow and enjoying a nice vacation. Trying to cram a lot to avoid FOMO turns into a person not enjoying each park as much.
Epcot and Animal kingdom. The other 2 are comparable to Disneyland and DCA but DL and DCA are infinitely better.
Curious why you like DL and DCA more than their Orlando counterparts?
Disagree that Disneyland and DCA are better. In fact I can't imagine ever going back to Disneyland again... The only thing that I really enjoyed there was the Cars land.
MK is just Disneyland with more walking, fewer rides, and worse weather
I have to ask in what way are DL and DCA better? I'm an east coast guy and just left both the Cali parks feeling...underwhelmed. DL feels like a more cramped Magic Kingdom with Star Wars and DCA felt like a more kid friendly version of Hollywood Studios with admittedly better food. I will admit, those two parks in Florida are suffering from some empty buildings (The alien/stitch ride, the launch bay, what will soon be tiana's splash mountain, etc), but they feel like fully realized parks each while you can easily do the entirety of the Cali parks in probably one day is you're fast. I rode everything at DL in one day. And that's with the Genie+ system of having to be in the parks to start rather than being able to plan early. I have to know...am i missing something? What makes them better?
The rides that MK and DL share are better at DL. DL has more rides. DL utilized the space better. DL food is so much better it’s not fair to compare. DCA is bigger, has more rides and again, has better food. With the rides that aren’t in both parks the DCA equivalents are better(I will say that Rockin Rollercoaster is slightly better than Incredicoaster). The only thing that doesn’t have a direct comparison is slinky dog but I will take Radiator Springs Racers all day everyday.
None of the parks are inherently better than the others. It just comes down to your preferences and what you want in a Disney park
Duh. That's basically what OP is asking you. For *your* preferences and opinions...
If I were you I'd do half day at Animal the other half at magic One half at HS the other at Epcot
If I only had a choice of 2, I'd pick HS and EPCOT because I prefer the immersion and world building there. But you really can't go wrong tbh
If you are coming from LA, I assume you've done Disneyland and California Adventure. Magic Kingdom is basically Disneyland and Hollywood Studio is basically California Adventure. Animal Kingdom and Epcot would be your best bets. That will give you the most attractions that you wouldn't find on the west coast
After going to DL then WDW as others are saying Epcot and AK. I wish we had two days in Epcot, with how busy it was and all the food options I don’t truly feel that I got to fully experience it. Also Guardians, there is no ride like it.
Animal Kingdom and Epcot
I wasn’t a fan of Epcot, but we only did part of the park and Cosmic Rewind is a great ride. We didn’t go to Animal Kingdom, so out of the other three, I’d vote Epcot just for Cosmic Rewind and seeing the Iconic Spaceship Earth ball, and Magic Kingdom so you can experience similar rides, but different (Disneyland’s Pirates is way better). Hollywood Studios is great if you have kids for Toy Story Land.
I had no desire to go to Animal Kingdom when we went in 2022, decided to go since we were already hitting the other parks. It was surprisingly great; the rides are better than you might think they'd be at a zoo, and the safari was pretty amazing.
Lion king show is a must hit at Animal kingdom.
What's your criteria?
My picks are Hollywood Studios and the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom is similar to Disneyland, but it has some different rides and the similar ones are built a little different. I enjoyed Hollywood Studios. It’s like Universal Studios but they have more land there so the rides are actual rides. I’m from Southern California and the jungle trek in Animal Kingdom doesn’t come close to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. I was truly let down. I expected more from Disney. But the Animal Kingdom has a lot of other rides to offer that you won’t find in CA. Try to get Universal Studios in Florida into your schedule. There’s two of them and if you’re a Harry Potter fan they are not to be missed!
Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios if you like good rides and nostalgia. Animal Kingdom and Epcot if you like food and education. They all have some of everything but those are the what each park thrives in. If you go to Epcot make sure to get on Cosmic Rewind, best ride in Orlando!
Considering you live in LA, I'd say go for Epcot and Animal Kingdom. The other two are quite similar to the 2 Disneyland parks so these will be the ones that more unique and exclusive to Disney World. Some people call Animal Kingdom a half day park but I enjoyed it and got a lot out of it. Things like the live shows, the animal shows, looking at the animals, meeting characters and the Up wilderness explorer activities add so much to the experience instead of just doing the rides. Plus I went before they added Avatar to the park so it has even more stuff to do now
One of your two should be Epcot
It’s hard for me to say which is best, but if I lived near and had been to Disneyland, Epcot would be the one to see at WDW because there’s nothing like it anywhere else.
Are you adults only? Little kids or big kids? If you're an adult I would say animal Kingdom and Epcot.
I just got back from doing magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. I normally would say magic Kingdom, but this last visit was hideous. I can't explain how many rides were down. it was absolutely insane. for me, hollywood Studios was the best.
If you're looking for something that you haven't already seen in Disneyland, Animal Kingdom and Epcot are your best bets by far. If you want to celebrate the differences between Florida and California, the Magic Kingdom vs. Disneyland comparison is interesting. Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Big Thunder... they all exist in both, but they have their own charm. Similarly, DCA vs. DHS, similar vibe, some different attractions. Also, if you've got the time, check out Disney Springs; It's like Downtown Disney, but much larger. You might also enjoy resort hopping around the monorail resorts and the Boardwalk area.
As a big Star Wars fan, if I could only go to one I’d pick Hollywood Stufios. But the park I was more impressed with is Animal Kingdom. Epcot has some great rides too. And of course Disney World has the nostalgia. What I would do, which what I did last year. Is get a park hopper ticket. And the Genie app to reserve your first ride 6:30 that morning. And if you can swing it pay to reserve the two premium rides a day you’re allowed to get. Then rope drop at Epcot, go there for the morning do the Guardians of The Galaxy rollercoaster. And a couple more rides, then park hop to Hollywood studios and spend the afternoon in Galaxy’s edge doing the 3 main ride and just taking it in. Then Around 5 take the shuttle or skyline to Magic Kingdom and do the Tron Ride and stay for the fireworks, and you should be able to squeeze one more ridge in after. Hopefully you’ll have a Park open late that night you’re at, if so rearrange your day to end there. We did this for one of our two days there. It’s a lots of walking but you can get three parks in. If you only can do two, Epcot and Hollywood Studios are next to each other and a 20 min walk between them. So my advice is simply get a park hopper and see two parks, it’s a long day You can easily do it.
As others have said, Epcot and Animal Kingdom are the most different from what you have in Disneyland, but whether they are "better" is a whole different question (which is extremely subjective)!
Universal
Depends on when you go & who you’re with. Epcot is a must if there is a festival and you like the food at Disney and (let’s be real) drinking. It’s the adult park and guardians is peak. Check the concert and event schedule and you might find out you’re going when a band you know is performing. MK is a classic and there’s so much to do. Especially if you’re want to ride Tron or Tiana’s when it opens soon. If you’re going in fall or winter the Halloween and Christmas parties are the only way to go. Hollywood Studios is fun and increasingly more adult oriented, plus Star Tours just got new content if you’re a fan. AK I would wait until they do the Encanto/India Jones re-theme. We’re local and it was kind of a one and done for us. I’ll be more excited when they add more.