You might be planning your first Disney World vacation, or even your second or third and one decision (which Disney Park should I go to First?) can sometimes seem a little tricky. Which Park to Visit First at Disney World?
Which Park is the Best to Visit First at Disney World?
The first time you visit Walt Disney World you should visit Magic Kingdom Park first. Magic Kingdom is the best park to start a Disney World vacation at because it captures everything Disney related that you should experience first, such as:
- Walking down Main Street USA for the first time and seeing Cinderella Castle.
- The full classic Disney experience with the Castle and characters.
- Rides and attractions based on classic Disney characters and movies.
- The original theme park experience as Walt Disney envisioned himself.
- The most magical Walt Disney World Park.
More on the Disney World Parks
- Which Disney World Park Has the Most Rides
- The DIsney World Water Parks
- All the Parks at Walt Disney World
- What to Bring to the Disney World Parks
Which Park to Visit First at Disney World If You Have Been Before?
If you have been to Walt Disney World before you might have a favorite park from your previous vacation and decide to go, there. That makes complete sense and also if you have been to Disney World multiple times it can be good to mix things up a little to get a different experience from each vacation.
For Example, for our first four Disney World Vacations we visited the following parks first:
Our First Disney World Vacation: Magic Kingdom
Second Disney World Vacation: Magic Kingdom
Third Disney World Vacation: Hollywood Studios
Fourth Disney World Vacation: Animal Kingdom
The Best Order to Visit the Disney World Parks
If you have never been to Walt Disney World before I would recommend visiting the theme parks in the following order. You may very well park hop to the other parks, but the following is based on spending full days inside the Disney World Parks.
You can get our free Disney World Parks Guide here.
Park 1 – Magic Kingdom
The first park to visit has to be Magic Kingdom. I have already explained why I have picked Magic Kingdom theme park above so I won’t repeat myself. Magic Kingdom is the most iconic park and is always the best place to start a Disney World Vacation.
You can find some helpful Magic Kingdom Tips here.
Park 2 – Epcot
After all of the excitement of starting your Disney World vacation at Disney World I would suggest you visit Epcot Next. The reason I say this is that I am assuming you have children in your party and Epcot can offer fun rides for the kids whilst also entertaining the adults too. I suggest visiting Epcot second as you can enjoy World Showcase having not experienced the thrills of Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.
World Showcase is a little more adult focussed so I would recommend visiting Epcot second as there are still rides and fun to be had but you will spend a lot of time looking at things and trying different food and drinks. Split the day up as best you can with some rides at the beginning and the end of the day.
Take a look at our Epcot Tips here.
Park 3 – Animal Kingdom
I would pick Disney’s Animal Kingdom as my third theme park as it is a great transition from Epcot. You still have lots of things to see and places to explore but you have some big ride experiences within the park too. Pandora is a must-see land which looks just fantastic. Flight of Passage is one of the best rides at Disney World and also has to be experienced.
You also have great rides such as Expedition Everest and Dinosaur too. As well as thrill rides you also have all of the animals to see too. You have Kilimanjaro Safaris to enjoy as well as exploration walks where you will see Gorillas, Tigers, and lots of other animals.
Take a look at our Animal Kingdom Tips here.
Park 4 – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Now if you are huge Star Wars fan you will probably want to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios first. Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge it a fantastic land that is so immersive and with Rise of the Resistance and Smugglers Run to enjoy, you just can’t go wrong.
However much I see Hollywood Studios as my go to Star Wars destination at WDW I also see it as a really great theme park experience too. It is more in your face than Animal Kingdom and Epcot and I think this makes it the best park to visit last out of the four Disney World parks.
You have everything Star Wars, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock n Roller Coaster as well as Toy Story Land and of course Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
If you are thinking about doing all four parks in one day, read our guide.
What about the Disney World Water Parks?
When it comes to the Disney World Water Parks, I have some advice that you might find helpful. The water parks are a great place to visit when the theme parks are at their busiest – the weekend. You can use a trip to the parks as a break where you can hit a sun lounger and let the kids enjoy the water (you can too of course).
During past Disney World vacation’s, we have always visited a water park on a Saturday morning for about half a day and then hit the parks late afternoon and into the evening. You miss the big crowds at the parks and when you do eventually get to them the crowds have spread out and started park hopping too.
You can read our guide to both Disney World Water parks here.
Is There a Best Order to Visit the Disney World Parks?
I think that you can actually visit the Disney World Parks in any order. You will still have fun but I think there is just something special about visiting Magic Kingdom theme park first, especially on your first trip to Disney World. I like and really do recommend the order that I have picked as I think it will work well for most families. However, it is your vacation, so it is up to you.
Park Hopping
Do not forget that you can park hop between the Disney parks. You do not have to stay in one Disney park all day if you have a park hopper ticket. This can be really useful if it is busy in the park, you started your day in and wait times for attractions look a bit shorter elsewhere. With park hopping you are going to enjoy more than one park in a day, but you can still go back and visit the theme parks in a set order.
Find out about the new Disney Genie App and Disney Genie+ here.
For getting around Disney World take a look at our Transportation Tips here.
How Far is Universal Studios from Walt Disney World
Our Walt Disney World vs Universal Comparison
Which Park Should I Go to First at Disney World?
I hope this article has given some ideas on how to enjoy the Disney World Parks during your Disney vacation. Hopefully, my order of parks list will give you some good pointers on having some Disney fun at WDW.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Darren
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