The first time I went to Disney, I was just 5 years old and my mom convinced my Grandpa to take us (my mom, brother and I in either 1987 or 1988) to Magic Kingdom for the day. I still remember the Swiss Family Tree House and night parade 😊. I didn’t go back until Maddie was 8 months old, and that trip opened my eyes to just how much fun the parks are, even as an adult! Since then, Maddie and I have become annual passholders, and we get to visit the parks multiple times each year 😃. I like to try to get away one weekend a month/or every 6-8 weeks. Since Maddie has grown up going to the parks regularly, she also has her favorites 😃.
My last choice for parks is Hollywood Studios, and ironically, it’s Maddie’s first choice today 😅. For me, if Toy Story Land was moved to another park, I would probably not feel the need to go back to Hollywood Studios 🤷♀️. I don’t care for Tower of Terror (though I do appreciate the theme and details), Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is cute, but makes me kinda nauseous, I’m not really into Star Wars (though I do appreciate how cool Galaxy’s Edge is). The Indiana Jones Stunt Show is awesome, as well as the Frozen Sing Along and the Little Mermaid show (even though it hasn’t returned yet), so it’s not like this park has no solid rides and attractions, it’s just not my top pick 🤷♀️. I realize this is probably one of the most unpopular opinions, but it’s how I feel 🤷♀️. Maddie chose this as her first favorite (today) because she loves Slinky Dog Dash 🐕😃😍… I do too, just not enough for it to be my first choice of all the parks.
In 3rd place for me, which will probably also raise a few eyebrows is Magic Kingdom. Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE all the parks, I really do, but if I’m picking my favorites, this one isn’t it. First, I absolutely love food, and this park is the most lackluster as far as food choices go. Second, it’s usually pretty crowded (which can be said for all the parks, but this one seems more noticeable more often). I do love several of the rides/attractions in this park, but some are not worth the excessive wait times of over an hour 🤷♀️. Maddie and I have found some delicious quick service food options here that have turned into our go-to’s for lunch/snacks and sometimes even dinner: The spring roll cart right outside of Adventure Land, the pork and veggie pot stickers from Sunshine Tree Terrace (paired with an I Lava You Float 🤤😋😚) and the grilled shrimp and trio from Columbia Harbor House are 3 things we seek out each time we go to this park. Maddie chose this as her 3rd favorite park as well 😳 which I did not see coming! I thought this would be her first choice!
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My second favorite park is Epcot. I absolutely LOVE world showcase and all the different food options to choose from, even when there is no festival going on. I do realize this park has been on the lighter end with rides and attractions, but recently they have been catching up. We really enjoyed Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in the France expansion, but Guardians of the Galaxy was a complete miss for us 🤷♀️ (again, the unpopular opinions 😅🥴). We are very excited for the Moana attraction! I will also go a step further and give my opinion on the festivals and which are my favorite. Number one for me is Flower and Garden: the flavors are so fresh and delicious, and it goes well with the almost constant Florida heat. Number two is a tie between Festival of the Arts and Festival of the Holiday’s. The food that I’ve tried at Festival of the Arts was amazing and I wish it went on longer! Festival of the Holiday’s just gets me in the holiday spirit and there are some delicious things to try and fun merch to buy. My least favorite is Food and Wine… I do still enjoy this Festival, but I wish it started when it wasn’t still 100° outside… majority of the dishes are far too heavy for the heat that is Florida weather majority of the year 🤷♀️. I still really enjoy all the festivals though. Maddie voted Epcot as her number 4, which isn’t all that surprising for a 5 year old 🤷♀️ though I do think this ranking will depend on the day and whether or not she can get shrimp and grits from the Flower and Garden Festival 😉🙃🤤
Coming in as my personal favorite Disney park is Animal Kingdom! I love how big this park is, how it blends the best things about a zoo and theme park and has some of the best food I’ve had on property. The theming of the different lands is amazing, there is so much attention to detail and I notice something new with each visit. Kilimanjaro Safari is so cool and depending on what time of the day you go, you can see different animals. It’s also educational- I feel like I learn something new each time!
Once Upon a Lifetime 