Which Walt Disney World Park Should You Visit?
Until October of 2021, you cannot Park Hop at Walt Disney World.
Coronavirus concerns have caused Disney to limit attendance. So, you may visit only one park per day, which leads to an interesting question.
When you must spend all day in the same place, which one is best? Here are a few thoughts on which Walt Disney World park you should visit.
Best Park for Children
Let’s start with the obvious one. Children dream of going to Disney. It’s an almost biological compulsion and has been for 65 years now.
Kids will love ANY of the theme parks. Honestly, the overwhelming majority of adults will, too. There’s no wrong answer here.
Instead, these recommendations emphasize the best option when you must pick only one park for the day.
For the under-10 crowd, two parks come to mind as the likeliest places for magical experiences.
The obvious one is Magic Kingdom, the most popular theme park on the planet. It didn’t earn that title by accident.


Photo: Disney
Everything at Magic Kingdom will dazzle kids, and the height requirements are minimal enough that children can experience most attractions.
Still, Disney’s Animal Kingdom might deliver more satisfaction. It combines the joys of a theme park and a zoo all at once. So, I would recommend it.
Best Park for Tweens
Parent sites define tweens as children between the ages of 9 and 12.


Photo: Disney
That’s a tough time for kids, as they want to feel more grown up. However, they maintain their childlike joy of most experiences.
For this group, I would suggest Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It possesses the perfect combination of children’s rides and more adventurous stuff.
Toy Story Land skews younger, while Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Star Tours provide more of a kick.
Plus, the themed restaurants like 50’s Prime Time Café and Sci-Fi Dine-In are popular with this age group.
Best Park for Teenagers
I think this suggestion is the easiest on the list, at least now that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is open.
Hollywood Studios already operates probably the best thrill ride at Walt Disney World, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.


Photo: Disney
While Expedition Everest and Test Track have their fans, the Aerosmith ride delivers a pure adrenaline rush right from the start.
However, one ride wouldn’t be enough to recommend a park. With Star Wars Land open, Hollywood Studios also hosts two different competitive rides.
Teens can try to beat their friends at Toy Story Mania! and avoid crashing a spaceship on Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run.
Best Park for the 18-49 Demographic
Lumping all adults under 50 together isn’t necessarily a smart thing to do. Yet, advertisers build their entire marketing strategy around it.
The same is true at Walt Disney World, where park officials have evolved their philosophy over the years.
Walt Disney wanted to create a place where parents could take their children to play safely.


Image Credit: Disney
Even during a pandemic, that’s still true of the park.
Disney strategists got smarter over time, though. They recognized that kids who grew up loving Disney parks would want to continue visiting as adults.
So, all four parks primarily cater to adults now, as they’re the ones who control the vacation budget.
Personally, I think that the best park for adults is EPCOT.
That’s the place where you can dine like royalty at the World Showcase, and you can toss down an adult beverage or two, also.
In between meals and snacks, you can explore the two vastly different sections of the park, the back that is culture-based and the front that is attraction-heavy.
You’ll never get bored at EPCOT, although you may get drunk. It’s really the only Disney park where that’s possible.


(David Roark, photographer)
Best Park for the Over-50 Crowd
This one’s also fairly obvious, in my opinion. While everyone ages differently, some trends emerge.
Park guests tend to attend more show-based attractions. They also prefer to walk less.
Even during the pandemic, Hollywood Studios still hosts several forms of seated entertainment.
These attractions provide guests with an opportunity to sit down, relax, and catch their breath.
Also, Hollywood Studios is small and easy to navigate, making it an ideal destination for those who prefer to walk less.
Best Park for Solo Trips
Having spent some alone time at Disney, I highly recommend the occasional solo trip.


Photo: Gene Duncan, photographer
Ordinarily, people must compromise about what they do at the parks. During a solo outing, you control the entire itinerary, which gets addictive quickly.
So, any park would provide substantial entertainment when you’re alone.
However, I think the park that I think you’ll enjoy the most is Magic Kingdom. Ultimately, this park provides the largest number of potential activities.
During those visits, when you’re alone, you want options. No park in the world can match Magic Kingdom in this category.
Best Park for Singles Looking to Mingle
Everyone who visits the parks regularly knows the answer to this one.
EPCOT’s World Showcase doubles as the dating capital of Central Florida. The sheer volume of first dates that have happened here would blow your mind.


(David Roark, photographer)
People pick this place because it’s got food and booze, the key components that bring people together, turning guarded strangers into couples.
Plus, during some of the festivals, America Guardians Theatre at the World Showcase hosts some music acts.
Since you can hear the music from a couple of pavilions away, you can even dance if so inclined.
Like Virginia, EPCOT is for lovers.
Best Park for Large Families
This one’s tough. Larger traveling parties face unique challenges during a park visit.
You must jointly decide the must-do events at the park. Then, you need space to navigate conveniently.
I’ve never been in a traveling party of more than 10 at Disney, but I get claustrophobic just thinking about it.
Some of those pathways seem so narrow, especially during the age of social distancing.
So, I ruled out Disney’s Hollywood Studios immediately, as it’s the smallest park.


(David
Roark, photographer)
I also took off EPCOT, as I worry that it wouldn’t have enough rides to satisfy everyone.
Don’t get me wrong. EPCOT’s got many great rides. However, Mission: SPACE, Living with the Land, and Journey into Imagination with Figment aren’t for everyone.
I view the best options as Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. And I’m tempted to say the latter due to its massive size.
Eventually, I thought about the sheer volume of activities available at Magic Kingdom. It’s the best place when you want plenty of compromise options.
So, those are my thoughts. Where do you agree or disagree with me? Let me know in the comments!