Hi there, Vanessa, and welcome to planDisney! I'm thrilled you've stopped by with this great question about your vacation! You'll be arriving so soon, and you must be getting so excited!
Vanessa, it sounds like you've done your research, and as a fellow parent, that makes me so excited! I think what I love most about your plan is that you've scheduled a day of rest from the parks in the middle of your vacation. This is one of my top tips - well done!
My family loves starting and ending our time at Walt Disney World Resort with a day at
Magic Kingdom Park - so if it were me, I'd keep those two days just like you have them. As far as deciding between EPCOT and Animal Kingdom for your second and fourth days, I think you're on the right track. You'll have lots of energy toward the beginning of your vacation to tackle Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, and after a day of rest, you'll be ready to get up early and head to Animal Kingdom for their opening time. In terms of crowds, you might see more people at
EPCOT on Thursday with all of the fun running activities going on!
I'd love to share a couple of tips with you! I love getting to Animal Kingdom early because that's when the animals seem to be the most active! Be sure to head over to
Kilimanjaro Safaris as soon as you're able, and have your camera ready! My dear friend Jana says EPCOT is amazing for families in the evening hours because adults tend to stick to the World Showcase, meaning that the front of the park (
The Seas with Nemo and Friends, The Land Pavilion, Spaceship Earth, etc.) is not as crowded! So that is definitely something to remember! If you're able to watch fireworks at Magic Kingdom on both days, choose one day to watch from the front of Cinderella Castle and another to watch from near the Carousel behind the Castle! It's a totally different but equally magical experience!
Vanessa, I hope this is helpful to you as you finalize your preparations for your exciting vacation! Please stop back by planDisney with any other questions you have!
See you real soon!
Jennifer