This Thanksgiving break, I traveled to the most magical place on Earth: Walt Disney World. For five days, I was melting in the sweltering 80-degree heat in Florida and hanging out with Mickey Mouse. I went to all the parks: Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Magic Kingdom. On the plane ride home, however, the magic was long forgotten. Instead, I was puzzling over my notes app and thinking about what my December opinion piece would be on. My mom, half-asleep and slumped over in her seat, turned to me and said, “You could rank the Disney parks?” I paused and then smiled.
4. EPCOT
This might be a surprising take, but I am not an EPCOT fan. Every time I have gone to Disney, I have also made the journey to the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT) park. There’s even a photo of my family and me by the giant, iconic ball. However, there are too many issues with the park, prohibiting it from going any higher on this list.
Beginning with the positives, EPCOT has a couple of rides worth the travel. Particular highlights are Soarin’, Frozen Ever After, and Guardians of the Galaxy. Soarin’ specifically holds many nostalgic memories for me. In this ride, you “board” a plane (a harness with several other passengers) and fly around the world. I can fondly remember flying over the oceans of the world whilst smelling the salt and kicking my feet into the open air.
Beyond Soarin’, EPCOT also has the World Showcase, in which many different countries around the world are represented throughout areas of the park. However, one of the many allurements to this World Showcase is eating the authentic food and drinking the liquor. Given that I am not yet 21 and cannot eat most of the food (Celiac Disease!), the World Showcase offers practically nothing to me. And, as someone who values the rides, the fact that there are only three good ones absolutely lowers my opinion of the park. Finally, and perhaps the most cardinal sin of all, EPCOT has no shade. No trees, no tall buildings to hide under, nothing. Every time I go to the park, I feel as if I am an egg being fried on the pavement.
3. Animal Kingdom
For about a decade, I consciously chose not to go to Animal Kingdom. Out of the four parks, this seemed to be the most skippable. Although there are some attractions that seemed to be fun, it did not hold the appeal or the magic that the other parks bore. This trip, however, I reevaluated my opinion, made the trek to Animal Kingdom… and I did not regret it.
Animal Kingdom is the most immersive experience of all the parks; visitors are surrounded by tall trees and greenery, ensuring that it feels as if one is walking through a rainforest. It also boasts star rides, such as Expedition Everest, and Avatar Flight of Passage. A favorite of mine, though, was the safari ride. With this attraction, for 18 minutes we traveled around the Kilimanjaro Safaris in Animal Kingdom, spotting real hippos, cheetahs, lions, and even baby giraffes.
Another benefit of Animal Kingdom is that it seemed to be the least crowded of all the parks. Although the Avatar Flight of Passage line is always obscene, winding, and tedious, the rest were relatively reasonable, even being under an hour.
In fact, I loved this park so much that I nearly placed it higher. Unfortunately, the next two parks were simply better.
2. Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios is easily the most iconic park. It houses some of the most famous rides and holds other unique experiences as well. The Tower of Terror, where riders drop nearly 13 stories. Hollywood. Rise of the Resistance, the Star Wars ride that takes you inside a First Order base? Hollywood. The Rock’ n’ Roller Coaster, the neck-breaking Aerosmith ride that takes you from 0 MPH to 57 in 2.8 seconds? All of it resides at Hollywood Studios.
I’ve had the pleasure of riding many of the attractions that make Hollywood so iconic, and I can confidently confirm that they are famous for good reason. If the rides don’t charm you, then the 1950s style should. The Main Street of Hollywood Studios is designed for that classic 50’s era, which provides a certain loveliness to the entire area.
My one complaint is that Hollywood is way too busy. If you’re not careful, you could easily wind up in a 120+ minute wait for a ride that does not deserve it (for example, I spent 100 minutes waiting for lackluster Toy Story Mania). Pairing that with the combination of scalding Florida weather and little shade, Hollywood can quickly become the most exhausting park.
Still, it is more than deserving of second place. Unfortunately, though Hollywood Studios may be the most iconic, it is not the most magical.
- Magic Kingdom
It is hard to describe Magic Kingdom. There is a certain enchantment around the park; it sparkles with the streetlights, it glows with the blue hue of Cinderella’s Castle. The park is utterly spellbinding. Walking down Main Street, past the stores that kids are flowing in and out of, and catching sight of the downtown park fills my chest with wonder. It could be nostalgia, yearning for times when I was a kid, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ariel, Belle, or Cinderella. Honestly, though? It’s plain magic. No matter the age – young or old – anyone can spot the magnetic charm that is woven throughout Magic Kingdom.
The attractions aren’t bad either. It’s a Small World. Peter Pan’s Flight. Haunted House. Pirates of the Caribbean. Seven Dwarves’ Mine Train. Big Thunder Mountain. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (formerly Splash Mountain). Space Mountain. Tron. The list goes on and on of the most iconic and amazing rides available. Although the lines can certainly be long, it is worth the wait to be able to bottle the magic that is imbued in all of them.
Finally, when the night is nearing its close, Disney launches fireworks into the air. The fireworks and music churn around the castle, providing a near-breathtaking view.
It is no contest. It is no mere “opinion.” Magic Kingdom is Disney, a magical, transcending, make-believe world that ensures, for a brief moment in tim,e that your everyday life becomes extraordinary. That is why Magic Kingdom is the shooting star to wish upon.
