Animal kingdom or Hollywood studios

[Rlk1234]

hi! We have two girls 7,4 and are deciding between these two parks...what's your opinion? We are going in November and I believe animal kingdom has nothing at night then while maybe hs has stuff going on after dark?

 

[Chimaera]

As much as I like DHS, there's just not enough there to make it a full day park. If you can park hop, do both - if not, do AK. There is stuff after dark now with Pandora, Rivers of Light etc.

 

[thepicklebee]

Animal Kingdom, without a doubt.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Depends on what your kids like - DHS if they are into shows, AK if they are into animals (and if so, I wouldn't miss Rafiki's planet stop with those ages. A lot of people don't notice it.)

My own family would definitely go with Animal Kingdom. It has always been one of our favorite parks, and it's open later now. - We enjoyed the Rivers of Light show after dark in April.

 

[Delirium]

You can easily fill a whole day in both parks. It really depends on what your kids like to do. I would encourage you to do a lot of research on what is available at both parks, talk to your girls, and decide as a family.

Both parks have been accused of being half-day parks from time to time, but that is very misleading advice coming from people that have already marked off attractions they have done before but do not want to do again. Or, maybe they don't have kids in the same demographic as yours, so certain rides/shows do not appeal to them.

 

[peachy1811]

We have been asking the same question. We leave in a week and decided to go to Animal Kingdom. There just seemed like more to do there, and we did not want to park hop. We always go to MK and Epcot. We were there last month with the whole family and went to Epcot.

 

[RJstanis]

I have two boys the same ages. We like both parks but AK is our family favorite. They love Star Wars so they would probably sway the needle more that direction but they enjoy alot at AK too. After doing both parks we park hopper and split but it's a tight squeeze to get it all in. Both parks are easily full day parks, especially if never done before. I agree with another poster and research to see what each offers. It's cliche, but you know what your kids like best. It's impossible for us to not do either one, even with the HS construction. This opinion is without us seeing Star Wars fireworks, ROL, and Pandora (so far). We did experience AK at night last Sept and it was amazing. Granted this was before ROL or Pandora, but we rode EE over and over again, and the park was just as gorgeous at night.

 

[bootlord9000]

You can easily fill a whole day in both parks. It really depends on what your kids like to do. I would encourage you to do a lot of research on what is available at both parks, talk to your girls, and decide as a family.

Both parks have been accused of being half-day parks from time to time, but that is very misleading advice coming from people that have already marked off attractions they have done before but do not want to do again. Or, maybe they don't have kids in the same demographic as yours, so certain rides/shows do not appeal to them.

This is the best advice. We were told as two adults going during F&W that we would LOVE Epcot. Instead, our favorite park was HS and we felt a single day was enough for Epcot. (Not AK vs HS, but just an example of how your opinions can be different than the vast majority of the internet).

 

[kwdw]

hi! We have two girls 7,4 and are deciding between these two parks...what's your opinion? We are going in November and I believe animal kingdom has nothing at night then while maybe hs has stuff going on after dark?

I totally agree with a PP that you need to look at the activities in the parks yourselves to decide. I think both parks are great for girls that age and are full day parks.

But I did want to add this - in November - it's dark earlier - and your kids are younger. You may WANT to be leaving a park no later than 7 pm - so the fact AK might be closing earlier may be a good thing. Also keep in mind, however, Pandora is still new and they may adjust the park hours at AK between now and then. AK definitely has things at night now.

 

[djc9699]

We love AK and HS. Both parks have enough for an entire day. We usually go to both parks for two days (total 3-4 half days each). We hop so we rarely stay an entire day in any park.

If your daughters would enjoy shows, the ones at HS are good. Beauty and the Beast and Voyage of the Little Mermaid were favorites of my daughter when she was six. She also enjoyed Muppets. Last year we did the Frozen sing-along twice. We loved it. The meet and greats at HS are great too. Toy Story ride and Star Tours are fun and tame. We also love to see Fantasmic every few years.

AK has great shows with Nemo and FOTLK and from what I here FOW is good too. The Safari Ride is great. There is a little playground area my daughter enjoyed when she was six. We also like to watch the trails and see the animals. AK has some good meet and greets as well. When my kids were young we took the train to Rafikis planet watch and they enjoyed that. AK is better for exploring and going at a relaxed pace, checking out all the details.

I would choose whichever of those two your daughters would like more. Would they like animal shows or princess shows better? Each park will have limited rides. Whichever you choose, I am sure your children will have a great time.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I remember reading what to do and how much time to spend at various parks pointers before our first trip to DW and found our expectations turned around. The kids loved AK but found it too hot to spend more than a half a day there. It was also hot the day we went to HS but found there were a lot more shade and a/c'd spaces so spent a full day there.
As previously stated much depends on your childrens' interest as well.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

We enjoy both parks, but if we had to choose, our choice would be AK. Everest is our daughter's favorite ride and my second favorite (Splash Mountain is my first). The Safari is a must-do, as well. Rafiki's Planet was a favorite when our daughter was younger. She enjoyed watching the vets work on the animals. Now she would rather ride Everest 20 times in a day. Festival of the Lion King, Nemo, and Flight of Wonders are good shows to see, too. We are also looking forward to Pandora and Rivers of Light since neither were ready during our last trip. If your girls like princesses, they can see Pocahontas at AK, but HS has shows featuring Belle, Ariel, and Elsa and Anna (Frozen Sing Along is soooooooooooooooo funny and would be a great choice if you end up at HS). And, of course, if they like Star Wars, then HS has that, too.