We really like Zion too. The second time we went we were on our bicycles and got to ride from Springdale or whatever the town is called to the back of Zion and back before they let traffic in. It was spectacular and very memorable. The first time we stayed in the lodge there and it was fine.
We saw Zion last on our Utah trip and honestly, I wish we had seen it first. It was beautiful but we also thought it was the āleast uniqueā of the Utah parks - possibly because it reminded us of Yosemite. So it felt like a little bit of a letdown, even though it was beautiful- if that makes any sense.
Do you know if they offer horseriding on the trails there? My knees donāt let me do long hikes unfortunately (especially with downhills, and I doubt thereās much flat for long in that area ) but I can go all day on the back of a horseā¦
Horseriding is absolutely allowed in national parks and most trails (including the JMT) are designed for horse travel. Whether the packers are prepared to rent you a horse I donāt know, but people certainly take horses there. Weāve encountered families with the youngest kid on the back of a horse (I assume temporarily when they got tired, there were other horses carrying gear) while the rest of the family hikes. Though I donāt know how confident you are riding a horse on a narrow trail across the face of a cliff?
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Probably trust the horse to do that more than myself 
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You are clearly braver than me. I still have nightmares about taking the donkey ride up the side of the caldera in Santorini (30+ years ago).
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The best section of Yosemite is Tuolumne. I avoid the valley entirely. Of course the Tuolumne area has just tent cabins for accommodations with one bathhouse with restrooms for everyone. But itās not as crowded. The trails are magnificent. The Tuolumne river is beautiful.
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