Animal Kingdom or Epcot

definitely AK. The food there is pretty bad though...at least in my experience. I always like WDWinfo.com for information. They will have all the menus.

Animal Kingdom, hands down. We love Epcot, but the kids really go a kick out of Animal Kingdom. I love that each area is sectioned off. You can park your stroller and your kids can run "free" on the path. When you leave that area, you can get your stroller and be on your way.
We ate at Yak & Yetti. Which sounds a little strange, but the food was DELICIOUS. The Mango Pie was to die for. And the kids got plastic cups with their meals that we still use, 2 years later. I dont remember what the kids ate, but I do remember them loving it.

The kids were bored at Epcot. There were a few attractions they liked, but more often then not they were unimpressed. They were 4 and 2 at the time.

If you have a dinning plan, entertain the idea of sharing meals at Yak & Yeti. I remember getting SO much food that we were all fat and blobby afterwards and didnt feel much like walking around the park. We could have saved some meal vouchers and shared.

Enjoy your Disney trip, I'm jealous! :)

Do you really have to choose between the two? If you are able, I would go to both. The 5, 6, and 8 year old will have a blast in Epcot. Not only will the rides be fun, they have art projects for the kids to do for each country, passports to collect and other activities.

The food is better at this park too. In fact, I can't think of a bad restaurant but my family loves the Japanese restaurant the best because they stack onions and create a 'volcano'.

If you were thinking of also going to MGM or whatever it is called now, that is the one I would not attend. My boys were not so enthralled with it.

Have fun!

I have been to both and at the time my kids were 4 and almost 2 , and I say AK is more geared towards kids that young. The safari is really good. Can't help with the food side as we had hopper tickets and left to eat back at the house as it was too expensive inside the parks.

Love both...but AK works for any age and Epcot is better for teens on up (just because it is more learning/science based). Foodwise you can save a TON of money by bringing in your own. Pack a lunch, drinks, snacks in a cooler and throw it in a locker...works great, it is allowed, and you will save so much $$$.

That age group I'd say animal kingdom

Animal Kingdom. There is nothing really for kids at Epcot to keep them amused that whole time. Even my daughter was bored the two times we went and she was 9 and 10 at the times. They do have the Kidcot stops at Epcot where they kids get a mask on a stick. They get to color it using Sharpies and each country has a stop where the kids gets a cardboard trinket attached to their mask.

www.allears.net is a great website for info about places to eat and things to do at each park too!

Good luck!
S.

Tough call, but you'll have a great day no matter which you pick! I would not attempt park hopping with kids that young. Just too much in one day, even for older kids and adults, in my opinion. I'd probably pick AK for your group if I had to pick one. But I have to say that I still think Epcot would still be fun for everyone, too. Your older kids will not find as many rides at AK, unless they are up for Everest and Kali River Rapids. My 4 and 6 year old LOVED Epcot. Soarin was our family favorite. All of the food in Epcot is great. We love the Mexican restaurant, San Angel Inn. In AK, the quick food options are not the best. Yak and Yeti is a nice sit down restaurant. Avoid Pizzafari at AK, we thought the pizza was really, really bad. I think they have a character breakfast I would try at Tuskar House, I think it is called, and I believe it is a buffet that also serves lunch. I would head off to the Safari right away after breakfast. Also, don't miss the Lion King show. Your older kids may gripe about seeing a "show" vs. a ride attraction, but you will all love it! I'm very envious, have fun!

With that age group, I'm going to go with AK too.

Have a great time!

If you get a park hopper ticket, you can visit both the same day! Animal Kingdom has more limited hours than the other parks. Check on the website, they post the opening/closing in advance so you can know the number of hours they are open the day you plan to visit. Both parks have lots of activities for families with small children. They used to have a brochure titled something like Disney under 5 that detailed all the rides and attractions that would appeal to little guests. Have a wonderful trip, take lots of pictures and lots of memories. We love our Disney family vacations.

Oh the younger ones will love Animal Kingdom. In dinoland there is a sand pit and a climbing area. In Africa there is the safari and the water rides. In Epcot there is only a few areas that are kid loving. In Epcot the Nemo ride is really good because its an aquarium afterwords. My daughter can spend an hour watching the dolphin. You can meet Alice from Alice in Wonderland and sometimes Peter Pan cast. If you can afford it I would get the pass that lets you bounce from park to park. You can spend most of the day at Animal Kingdom then before Epcot closes go over there for nemo and Alice in Wonderland. Epcot has tons of restuarants and character dinners,. Most definitely get those arranged previously. I live in Florida so we go quite a lot. If you can give me more of the cost rate you want I can tailor the trip better for you. Their are good restuarants etc for all price ranges. Also the meal plan is really worth it because you can get some real good deals and kids under a certain age eat for free.

I have not been myself, but a friend of mine said her young children (all 8 and under) LOVED Animal Kingdom. They are going back again. They were bored with Epcot, apparently.

Wow! So exicited for and jealous of you!
Well, it really comes down to what your kids are most into. If you've got boys who dig race cars and outer space and the like, then Epcot is great. Test Track will be a lot of fun with your older kids and the younger ones will like The Seas with Nemo and friends. My 2-year-old loved it (still sings the songs!) Also, World Showcase is a nice area for a relaxing stroll with lots of interesting nationality pavillions for some more quiet time with the kids. It's nice to take a break at the American Adventure and listen to the chorus sing classic American folk songs.
Insofar as food at Epcot, you can't miss. With 5 little ones, a good choice would be Italy's restaurant and Germany has a great buffet. Norway has Character Dining with princesses if you have girls.
If your kids are animal-lovers, then AK is fantastic! Kilimanjaro Safaris is the best ride in all the parks; however, if your older ones can ride Expedition:Everest, it is awesome! There is also a really nice walk-through zoo in the middle of the park. Good place to stay cool. Little kids would love Camp Minnie Mickey, It's Tough to Be A Bug (in the Tree of Life), and The Festival of the Lion King (so great!)
The best place to eat in AK is Flame Tree BBQ. It's a quick service, but with really excellent barbecued chicken, ribs, etc. Great salads, too. And the seating is really ample. Animal Kingdom does close earlier than the other parks, so you should keep that in mind.

I think I'm going to start planning my next trip right now...!

We loved both but we have special memories of AK. LOVED the safari ride. Last time we went we managed a private safari ride and it was awesome, up close and personal with the animals. It is guided by one of the staff members who care for the animals and in a smaller jeep type vehicle.

You'll love it!