how to visit disney world in 4 days

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Disney world 4 day itinerary – making the most of a short disney trip.

Disney World 4 Day Itinerary 

Following our  disney world  4 day itinerary “template” .

• must do attractions 
• must do dining locations 
• must do activities (pool time, miniature golf, etc.)

What is the Best Itinerary for Disney World?

If you answer those questions above you’ll quickly realize that there is not one tried and true perfect Itinerary for Disney World. Instead, it’s far more important to craft a vacation that fits what you and your family want to do. Everyone’s travel style is different but at the same time I think it’s important to have a basis of what does tend to work and allows you to maximize your time in the parks. That’s the only reason I share this itinerary today. I hope you modify it heavily to fit your needs! I truly do. Use this as a touring plan template, guideline, or starting point, but then let things you’re not interested in fall off your agenda.

Choose What’s Most Important to You 

Consider your budget first .

Before we get into the specifics, as you prepare for your trip planning, really consider your budget. I know that sounds obvious, but the type of resorts you can afford and travel expenses can play a big role in the length of your stay and the type of things you may consider during your vacation. Instead of eating table service meals, you may want to look into quick service options. Or perhaps look into my  10 Excellent Entrees Under $15 at Walt Disney World for some budget friendly options !

If you’re looking at flying to the parks, you may be able to save money by driving and in turn stay in a deluxe resort instead of a value or moderate tier as a tradeoff. In the big picture, this is what we tend to decide first. The budget may change a little as the planning progresses, but starting with a basic idea of what you can spend and how you plan to spend it will play a big role in how your itinerary is altered or changed in comparison to ours. See my Flying to Disney World post for more tips on that topic! 

One last thing you’ll want to consider is that our Disney trips tend to be pretty fast paced. With the exception of really long trips 7+ days, we tend to spend long hours in the parks, and make the most of the park hopper option. Also worth noting is that we’ve almost mastered Disney’s transportation systems and as a result it makes our park hopping a bit more efficient than many first time guests. I don’t say that to discourage anyone, but it’s something to consider as you attempt to jump from park to park.

Don’t let that missed bus or missed fastpass+ selection destroy your trip. Unfortunate circumstances are inevitable at Walt Disney World every once in a while, but above all else try to enjoy every little moment of the experience and don’t let the trivial problems be what you remember long after your trip draws to a conclusion. 

With all those little things out to the way, here’s a closer look at the plan I recommend in order to get the most out of 4 days at Walt Disney World! I call it a Disney World 4 Day Itinerary but it’s infinitely customizable and should be customized!    

Day 1 – Partial Day at Magic Kingdom

For most four day stays a majority of guests will lose either part of the first day or part of the last day traveling. If you’re arriving on any other day than Monday I would recommend heading straight to Magic Kingdom after dropping off your luggage at the hotel (Mondays are incredibly busy at Magic Kingdom) . Magic Kingdom is typically the park that most guests want to accomplish the most attractions, shopping, and shows in throughout their stay. By utilizing this partial day, you can really accomplish quite a few things in a short amount of time. I don’t recommend doing this on Mondays because crowds tend to be the heaviest on Mondays.  

Something that is important to note is that if you make your fastpass+ selections far enough in advance you can manipulate the times in My Disney Experience so that each of your selections fall in the afternoon/nighttime hours of the day. If you can work out the times just right you’ll guarantee yourself rides on some of the most popular attractions even if the park is ridiculously crowded on your arrival day. 

In a simliar way, if you can manage to stay late (near park closing time) you can catch a few more attractions as many guests leave directly after the nighttime performance of Happily Ever After concludes. You wont find a short wait for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, but you may catch a short queue at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin or Dumbo before the park officially closes. If you’re staying until close you wont want to miss these two articles: 

• A One of A Kind Disney Experience: Shutting Down the Magic Kingdom! 
• The “Kiss Goodnight” – A Unique Disney Experience Many Guests Completely Overlook

These things can truly be a highlight and a perfect add on item to your Disney World 4 Day Itinerary!

Our plan for our first day consisted of an early dinner at the The Plaza Restaurant at around 3:45, followed by our first fastpass+ selection of the day, Peter Pan’s Flight. After that experience we hopped on the train for a quick ride around (considering on this particle day even the Peoplemover had a 20 minute wait) the entire loop starting and ending in Storybook Circus. At that point, we checked a few wait times in Fantasyland but ultimately ran out of time before our second fastpass, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Upon exiting the attraction (one of our favorites) we headed to Frontierland for our final fastpass of the day, Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Day 2 – A Full Day at Epcot  

From our experience, the best case scenario for our needs is to head straight to Soarin and get a fastpass+ reservation for Test Track. After riding Soarin you may have a few minutes to ride Journey Into Imagination with Figment, The Land, or even the Seas with Nemo and Friends before your designated fastpass+ timeframe. If you’re looking for a great breakfast options to throw in the mix, we highly recommend Garden Grill !

Once you complete the attractions you would like to experience, head to the World Showcase to spend the afternoon or to eat your way around the countries and take your time exploring the little details as they unfold before your eyes. While a more in depth plan of our ideal day at Epcot can be found in the article –  Our Tried and True “Epcot in a Day” Touring Plan  this should give you a quick idea of what to expect out of day two!

Day 3 – Split Day at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom… And Even Animal Kingdom!  

As day three arrives, you’ll really start to make the most of the park hopper option. In our case, we started our day with early extra magic hours at Magic Kingdom. If you get there when the gates open, you’ll be shocked at how much you can get done in a very short amount of time. The first 90 minutes will be your most successful and productive time of the entire day and quite possibly the entire trip. If you’re careful about managing your time, you can  Ride 6 or More Attractions in 90 Minutes or Less: With Only 1 Fastpass+!  That particular article is one of my favorites because it really puts into perspective how important those early hours can be for those looking to ride as many attractions as possible.

After making that grand 6+ attraction run, take a break and head to breakfast. In our plan we went to Crystal Palace because it truly is one of our favorite breakfasts on property. It even made our list of top character dining options on property . If you want to follow our plan step by step, at this point we left Magic Kingdom and went over to Hollywood Studios. It feels like a short time at Magic Kingdom, but you’ll be surprised by what you can get done in a few short hours.

As a bit of a side note… on this particularl day, we avoided using our fastpasses in Magic Kingdom in order to guarantee rides late in the day at popular attractions and shows in Hollywood Studios. Our first fastpass was Voyage of the Little Mermaid, but before that experience began we made a quick trip into Star Wars Launch Bay for a quick look at the exhibits and to make a pass through the gift shop (a great place to pick up unique merchandise) before enjoying the Little Mermaid show.

As soon as that was finished we were ready for our Toy Story Mania Fastpass. Toy Story Mania is a fairly quick attraction, so once it concluded we caught a quick show and still had plenty of time to head to our final fastpass at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.

I know that sounds like a quick trip through Hollywood Studios, and in all reality it is. However, we did leave the park at this point in order to arrive at a Whispering Canyon reservation for dinner that night. Truth be told, if you spent a few more hours at Hollywood Studios you could really accomplish nearly every attraction and show offered in that park minus Rise of the Resistance. Later that night we went straight to Animal Kingdom to take in the miraculous spectacle that is Pandora – The World of Avatar at Night!

Another great option is to stick around in Hollywood Studios and tour Star Wars – Galaxy’s Edge. The land truly comes alive at night and the crowds really fall off in Hollywood Studios as closing time approaches. The crowds tend to make their way to Fantasmic at the end of the day leaving attraction queue much shorter.

Day 4 – Split Day at Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and Magic Kingdom 

Can you do animal kingdom in half a day.

On our final day we started at Animal Kingdom and made every effort to enjoy our favorite attractions early on in the day. For years, Animal Kingdom was a half-day park for us. It wasn’t that way because you could do everything in half a day, but rather because we wanted to spend more time at Epcot or Magic Kingdom.

To an extent, that same concept remains true with this length of stay and considering this is a Disney World 4 day itinerary with things that will have to get cut. Some sacrifices will sadly have to be made. To me, Animal Kingdom is not a “half day park” but it is the one park I’d personally devote less time to if you are short on time during your vacation. Of course that is simply personal preference and I’ll explain exactly how we manipulated this particular day.  

We spent the morning riding Kilimanjaro Safari, Expedition Everest, catching breakfast at Yak and Yeti (their quick service option), enjoying Na’vi River Journey, and of course Festival of the Lion King! To an extent, the order you complete these attractions and shows doesn’t entirely matter, but I highly recommend going to Na’Vi River Journey first. If you can secure a fastpass for Flight of Passage it’s your best bet to go ride Na’Vi River Journey early in the day. If not, go straight to Flight of Passage when the gates open.

To make this day unfold a little easier, we had secured a fastpass for Flight of Passage and in turn managed to avoid the line for that attraction. It was the last thing we did in that park before leaving and heading to a late lunch reservation at Homecomin’ Kitchen over at Disney Springs . After the meal (or any other number of dining options at Disney Springs you would like to choose) we explored the area a bit and went in a few of our favorite stores before moving locations one last time and heading to Magic Kingdom to round out the vacation.

At the end of that last day I recommend one final thing that so many guests overlook. Take a moment upon returning to your resort to find a quite place and reflect on the vacation. Our accommodation of choice for this trip was the Boardwalk Resort . In my opinion, it was the ideal place to think back on the events of our short stay. No matter what resort you’re at, find a quiet place, sit and enjoy the moment, and reflect upon the memories you’ve created with friends and family. In my opinion, it is the very best way to end a trip of any length.                 

Things to Consider As You Plan Your Itinerary: 

Can you really do disney in 4 days with a “template” plan.

So, to be quite honest the answer to this question is no. I know that sounds weird coming from the guy that pushed out an article touting a “Disney World Vacation in 4 Days” article, but stick with me for a minute. You can experience a truly incredible WDW vacation in 4 days. Heck, I even served up a template for you to do just that here in a round about way. However, the important thing to note is that you can never see and do everything at Walt Disney World. You certainly can’t do so in 4 days, or 7 days, or even 10 days. I’ve been doing this for a lifetime (quite literally touring the parks my entire life) and I still haven’t seen and done everything at WDW.

The important thing to remember in all of this is that you can’t go into your short vacation with the expectation of seeing and doing everything. There is no “perfect” touring plan for a day in Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or even Magic Kingdom. You have to be infinitely adaptable and if you are you’ll have a far better experience in the parks. Avoid over planning at all costs! If you plan down to the minute you’ll miss out on the subtleties of your vacation more often than not! Just enjoy being there in the moment and it’ll be more than worth it in the end. Savor the memories, not your attraction count for the day.

Check Park Hours Before Planning Days 

Are disney park hopper tickets necessary .

Disney Park Hopper tickets are 100% worth it in most cases. Especially if you’re following our Disney World 4 Day itinerary. For those of you who may be asking “What is a Park Hopper Ticket at Walt Disney World?” you are certainly asking a good question and one that can be so difficult to understand when planning your first WDW vacation. A park hopper ticket is an add on option to any Walt Disney World ticket that allows you to visit multiple parks on the same day and “hop” from park to park all you want to. Essentially, it allows you to visit all 4 Disney parks in one day.

Would I recommend visiting all four parks in one day? No, probably not, in most cases. However, visiting two parks in one day is a really good plan for shorter days in case you overlooked something in one park or missed your favorite show due to rain or some other issue. The park hopper ticket option also gives you the amazing opportunity to manage your time more effectively and allocate time at the parks you enjoy the most while still being able to visit all four parks on a short stay.

It’s also worth noting that the park hopper and park hopper plus option are different. Ultimately, the park hopper plus option includes access to Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. I would not recommend visiting water parks on a 4 day trip. For longer trips and summer trips it can be an incredible option and an amazing way to escape the heat for a day or even a few hours.       

If you want to use our plan or a variation of it, the park hopper option is a must when buying tickets. If you don’t buy it you’ll be limited to whatever park you start the day in and will have to visit just that one park for the day. You can come and go as you please, but any other park is off the table. 

So there you have it, all the details of our Disney World 4 Day Itinerary!

Let Someone Guide You

Modify the plan as you go.

Even if you follow every single element of this plan, you will have to modify it along the way. Alter your plans as you go and do what works best for you as the situation unfolds. Be a bit spontaneous in your travels and the results may genuinely surprise you!

Your Thoughts

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The Perfect 4-Day Walt Disney World Itinerary

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Sure, you could certainly try to spend every minute that you're at Walt Disney World eating, drinking, or snacking, but we'll grudgingly admit that there are other attractions at the resort, as well.

While locals will often drop in for dinner at Epcot and some ride-or-die families plan elaborate weeks-long residencies in the resorts, the average visitor to Disney World tends to spend four days checking out all the parks have to offer. Here's our opinionated breakdown of the most perfect way to use your time on that trip. Haven’t booked fastpasses in advance? We’ve put suggestions below, but if you can, reserve them online or even via the app the morning before.

Day 1: Epcot

9 am: First get the three fast passes for the day: Mission Space, Soarin', and either Spaceship Earth if you need some quiet A/C nostalgia time or Turtle Talk with Crush if you want to blow the minds of some children.

9:15 - 9:45 am: Beeline straight to France (bypassing the tempting Starbucks) for a leisurely breakfast and coffee to set the tone and feel superior.

10 am - 1 pm: Head back to Future World for a couple of hours: Do Journey Into Imagination, Soarin', Living with the Land, Turtle Talk and Nemo.

1:15 pm: Walk back through the countries to Morocco's Tangierine Cafe. Get a lamb, falafel, or shawarma wrap for lunch and grab a Sultan's Colada from the stand outside to drink as you make you way to Mexico (for another drink).

Clockwise from top left: The Living With the Land ride, France, poutine at Le Cellier steakhouse in Canada, shopping in Japan.

2 - 3 pm: Work your way through your choice countries — the shopping in Japan, France, and China is especially on point.

3 - 4 pm: Take a tequila break at La Cava de Tequila and go on Gran Fiesta Tour, the Mexico ride.

4 - 6 pm: Finish off Future World: Mission Space, Living with the Land (hydroponics!), Test Track.

7 - 9 pm: Head to Canada’s Le Cellier for dinner. Get the cheese soup, a steak, poutine, the charcuterie board.

9 pm: Illuminations.

9:30 pm: Still have energy? Check the schedule to see if any park is offering Extra Magic Hours. If not, head to Disney Springs for some margaritas at Dockside Margaritas dessert at Amorette’s Patisserie.

Day 2: Magic Kingdom

8 am: Decide on breakfast before arriving to the park, which now allows guests inside Main Street, U.S.A. prior to opening. Character breakfasts include Cinderella’s Royal Table (Cinderella and princesses in the castle) or Crystal Palace (Winnie the Pooh et al, buffet), with a couple other options scattered across the park.

Then go straight for the fast passes: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and Splash Mountain (or Peter Pan's Flight for the kids because that line is always ridiculous).

You'll probably want to organize your attack based on your Fast Pass timing, the demographic of your party, and any must-see favorites. But make sure to do the following food stops: Starbucks on Main Street for a coffee reboot, an ice cream sandwich at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, and a Dole Whip or Citrus Swirl as a second snack.

Get out of there for dinner. None of the restaurants are all that remarkable and there's no wine to take the edge off. Head off to Flying Fish on the Boardwalk or California Grill at the Contemporary. Finish with a nightcap at Trader Sam's in the Polynesian resort.

Day 3: Hollywood Studios/Pool time

The peanut butter and jelly milkshake at 50's Prime Time Cafe

9 am: Arrive at Hollywood Studios and get those Fast Passes: Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster, and Toy Story Mania or Slinky Dog Dash, if either are available.

9:30 am: Caffeinate at Starbucks

9:45 am - 1 pm: See how many of the primo rides you can hit before lunch; the four above, along with Star Tours are best, and Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Muppet*Vision 3D are good low-key ways to escape out of the sun.

1 pm: Lunch and drinks at 50's Prime Time Cafe.

2:30 - 4 pm: Finish up the rides you didn't get to before lunch.

4 - 7 pm: Go back to the hotel for some pool time.

7:30 pm: Have dinner at one of Disney Springs ’ many spots, a hotel (California Grill) or, if you have park-hopper admission, just head back to Epcot and get some pizzas at Via Napoli.

Day 4: Animal Kingdom/Epcot

9 am: Given the new Avatar- themed land’s popularity — yes it’s a thing, and it’s unexpectedly gorgeous — your main task will be gauging when to brave the Flight of Passage line. Sort your morning meal and grab Fastpasses for Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest or Kali River Rapids on-the-go.

10 am - 1 pm: Hit up as many of the other attractions in between Fast Pass appointments, especially the walk-through zoo exhibits Pagani Forest Exploration Trail and the Maharaja Jungle Trek.

1 pm: Go to Harambe Market in Africa for ribs and gyro or Pandora’s Satu’li Canteen for a chicken thigh or crispy tofu-topped grain bowls. Dessert is Pineapple Whip spiked with dark rum at Tamu Tamu right around the corner from Harambe or the Canteen’s freaky orb-shaped cakes.

Above: A feast at Harambe Market. Below: Pineapple Whip soft serve with rum at Tamu Tamu and t una tartare at Monsieur Paul in Epcot's France pavilion.

4 - 5:30 pm: Wrap up the attractions you missed and Fast Pass reservations. Then hop in a cab over to Epcot.

6 pm: Get an apertivo in Italy at Tutto Gusto Wine Celler. We recommend the Red Passion (Campari and grapefruit juice) or Carpano Punt e Mes with a twist of orange.

8 pm: Have dinner at Chefs de France with ice cream made next door at Les Glace.

Finish with another nightcap at Trader Sam's in the Polynesian resort.

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Best & Worst Days to Visit Every Park at Disney World in 2024

Looking for the best and worst days of the week to visit each park at Walt Disney World? This strategy guide covers Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, offering info about when the wait times are lowest and highest, plus commentary about weekdays vs. weekends, special events, and more. ( Updated February 13, 2024 .)

When it comes to choosing the best and worst times to visit Walt Disney World, there’s a lot to consider. If you’re singularly focused on avoiding long lines, we recommend consulting our 2024 Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar to choose travel dates. That gets updated fairly regularly, with each individual month receiving a refresh right before it begins for optimal accuracy.

If you’re more concerned with the quality of the overall experience, we also have something more holistic and, frankly, practical: our list of the 10 Best and 10 Worst Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World in 2024 & 2025 . Once you narrow down the week you want to visit Walt Disney World, it’s time to start thinking about which days of the week to do each park. That’s where this post and its updates come into play…

For much of the last three years, conventional day of the week advice for Walt Disney World was irrelevant or flat out wrong. Capacity constraints and park reservations were big factors. Even though the Park Pass system is no longer needed to limit attendance, it’s still being used to redistribute crowds and normalize numbers among the parks. All of this has upended our normal recommendations.

Thankfully, attendance and crowd dynamics have started to normalize. With park reservations going away for many guests in January 2024 and good-to-go dates for Annual Passholders and Cast Members, we do expect more changes–but not major ones–in the first half of 2024. Consequently, typical weekly attendance and crowds patterns among the parks have also started to normalize.

Accordingly, here’s our new advice for best days of the week at Walt Disney World in 2024…

Wonky Weekends at Walt Disney World?!

Before we get to the park-by-park recommendations, we want to start with an interesting trend that emerged around one year ago, which we dubbed Wonky Weekends at Walt Disney World, for lack of a better term. In a nutshell, weekends were the slowest days of the week at Walt Disney World! 

Last year, the average wait time across all of Walt Disney World was 44 minutes on Monday, which has been the busiest day of the week. By contrast, Saturday had an average wait time of 39 minutes and Sunday was 38 minutes. That might not seem like a huge difference, but over the entire day at every attraction, it adds up.

This is all past tense for a reason. Thus far in 2024, this trend has largely vanished. Sunday is still one of the better days of the week to visit, but Saturday has become far worse. Admittedly, there isn’t a ton of consistency to this. Some weeks, Saturday is right on par with Monday; other weeks, it’s worse; others still, it’s far better.

The reasons for this are multifaceted, from weather to long weekends to locals upgrading APs to conventions and youth events. Other factors have not changed, though. (For a thorough explanation, see Why Are Weekends So Slow at Walt Disney World? ).

The biggest change is the 2024 Florida Resident Walt Disney World Ticket Deal . For the last several years, this has been weekday-only and had blockout dates. This year, it’s valid on weekends and has no blockout dates. That’s a  huge  difference and, unsurprisingly, a lot of Floridians who have normal Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 jobs previously didn’t buy the resident tickets. Now they are, and are using them disproportionately on weekends.

Consequently, that one variable is alone moving the needle on Saturday and (to a lesser extent) Sunday crowd levels at Walt Disney World. The reason we aren’t removing this section entirely is because the current Florida resident ticket deal ends on March 11, 2024. After that, we’re anticipating weekends to slow down a bit; most of the other variables that pushed people away from weekends last year will still exist.

With that said, we do expect weekends to be busier throughout 2024 some degree. And when the summer ticket deal inevitably includes weekends, you can expect Saturday to return to being one of the worst days to visit and Sunday climbing up the ranks. For reference, last year’s summer deal was valid for May 16 through September 29–we’d expect similar dates for 2024.

Basically, if you’re visiting between now and March 11, you can expect worse weekends (especially Saturday). If you’re visiting during Spring Break season, weekends shouldn’t be as bad. During shoulder and summer season, weekends will most likely go back to being busier–but that’s dependent upon the dates and details of the next ticket deal. We’ll continue monitoring this trend and will provide a more thorough update before the start of summer. For now, we wanted to provide this update so you can adjust your plans accordingly.

Now, here’s our regular day of week advice, starting with DHS…

Hollywood Studios

When we recommend doing Disney’s Hollywood Studios depends on whether weekends return to being wonky. For the past several years, the best days to do DHS has been, by far, Saturdays or Sundays. That has started to change as of Winter 2024, and honestly, there’s not yet a ton of consistency.

Currently, Sunday is still usually a good day to do DHS. Breaking it down even further, Sunday nights  are the absolute best time to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you’re arriving late (after 4 pm), you can accomplish a surprising amount in that half-day at DHS. Frankly, it’s difficult to explain the ‘why’ of that at this point. One possibility is that locals still do Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Sunday, but do so during the middle of the day and depart early.

This causes a big spike in midday wait times, resulting in both those guests and others bouncing early…and shorter wait times in the afternoon and evening. It’s also possible that locals are less inclined to do rides, especially ones with higher wait times.

DHS is a bad option on Mondays and Tuesdays. This is because it’s usually the #2 priority park (after Magic Kingdom) for most guests, so guests end up doing Disney’s Hollywood Studios earlier in their trip…which usually means Mondays or Tuesdays.

If you don’t do DHS over a weekend, Wednesday or Thursday are the best options. If neither of those days work, Friday is usually an okay option. Basically, crowd levels start out strong to begin the week and drop progressively starting on Wednesday.

Epcot is the worst pick on weekends because it’s the biggest “local’s park” at Walt Disney World, and Epcot is more popular with Floridians than tourists. Although the gap has closed a little with the debuts of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, it’s still true.

This is an example of where analyzing wait time data would get you into trouble, as you would (incorrectly) conclude that it doesn’t really matter which day you do Epcot. That couldn’t be further from the truth, and there’s arguably no park where choosing the right day of the week is more important from a  qualitative  perspective, but not a  quantitative  one.

Wait times don’t tell the full story–or even the main one–when it comes to Epcot on weekends. Since locals are less likely to do rides, they add to ‘feels like’ crowds and congestion without making attraction wait times noticeably worse. This is still a negative, as lines for food booths are longer and World Showcase is generally less pleasant on the weekends.

You’re also more likely to encounter groups Drinking Around the World on Saturday and Sunday. For those of you who want to relive your glory days by attending an open air frat party, this might sound appealing. However, those days are long behind us, and we suspect many families don’t want their kids in that environment.

We’re not kidding. Weekends are prime time for college students with disposable incomes to descend upon Epcot’s festivals to get sloshed. (It’s noticeably worse when UCF doesn’t have a home football game.) Likewise, locals turn out to drink, sometimes to excess. Now, we are far from teetotalers, but this sometimes can be a tad too much for a family-friendly theme park. Even if it doesn’t cross the line (and it very well may not for you), World Showcase is significantly more crowded and congested on Friday nights, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Again, this is is largely a qualitative assessment, and not a quantitative one. Wait times are not significantly worse at Epcot on weekends. Since most of the aforementioned audience is visiting to drink, they have minimal impact on the wait times for rides. (Lines for food booths are a totally different story!)

As such, you might be able to “beat” the weekend crowds at Epcot simply by arriving early, doing World Showcase first, and then doubling-back into Future World (or whatever they’re calling those “neighborhoods” now) in the early afternoon. That’s a savvy strategy, and one we recommend in our Epcot 1-Day Itinerary .

With that said, our actual advice is visiting Epcot on a weekday. Mondays through Wednesdays are all equally good. We’ve noticed a slight uptick in crowds on Thursdays, and a more significant one on Fridays. Still, not nearly as bad as Saturday or Sunday.

Even though the impact on wait times isn’t terrible, Epcot is the one park we try to avoid on Saturday and Sunday if at all possible. I’d much rather deal with the crowds and longer waits on Saturday in Magic Kingdom than those in Epcot. To each their own, but it’s just not our scene.

Animal Kingdom

As a general matter, Animal Kingdom is the park that requires the least strategy and is the easiest place to beat the crowds in all of Walt Disney World. It doesn’t require Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes, and is pretty easy to knock out everything–and then some–if you stay for a full day.

Objectively, the best days to visit Animal Kingdom are weekdays. Across the board, average daily wait times are lower Monday through Friday than they are Saturday or Sunday. However, that comes with a pretty huge asterisk or caveat.

Weekend wait times are only “worse” at Animal Kingdom due to the middle of the day. If you’re staying on-site and taking advantage of Early Entry (or even going in the first couple hours the park is open), it’s pretty easy to beat the crowds.

Moreover, there’s a pretty steep fall off in wait times during the last couple hours Animal Kingdom is open. This one does vary by season (during the holidays, it’s less likely to be true) but is accurate to some degree throughout the entire year.

That makes Animal Kingdom trickier than other parks at Walt Disney World in terms of our recommendation. Statistically, it’s a “bad” park to do on Saturday or Sunday. Personally, we don’t hesitate to visit it on either of those days because it is so easy to outsmart the crowds–just arrive early and/or stay late, and do shows or animal exhibits midday when crowds peak.

If you’re able to follow that advice, Animal Kingdom is a solid Saturday or Sunday choice. That early opening time coupled with a late closing time—and a limited slate of attractions—makes Animal Kingdom easy to knock out.

Even on crowded days, the strategy for Animal Kingdom is relatively simple, as covered in our 1-Day Animal Kingdom Itinerary . Just be sure not to fight the midday crowds or try to swim upstream and you should be fine! (Honestly, the best practice is to choose your days for Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Epcot first. Whatever is left over can be “assigned” to Animal Kingdom. Don’t worry too much about this park.)

Magic Kingdom

Historically, the worst days of the week at Magic Kingdom are Saturday, Monday and Tuesday.

Outside of Party Season, Magic Kingdom is a great pick Wednesday through Thursday. The best day of the week in Magic Kingdom from an objective perspective is Wednesday. This is true even following the debut of Extended Evening Hours in Magic Kingdom, which have not noticeably moved the needle on daytime crowds.

Locals tend to visit on weekends, with Saturday being more likely than Fridays or Sundays. All three days see elevated attendance among Floridians. Then there are Southerners who take long weekend trips, impacting all three days (but again, Saturday disproportionately). Still, these demos are all smaller than tourists, so none of them are truly terrible.

Finally, tourists most frequently start their trips on the weekend, and Monday is the most common first day in the parks for them. In disproportionate numbers, out-of-state vacation-goers do the most popular or their favorite park first, and that’s usually Magic Kingdom.

Due to its rising popularity with Star Wars and Toy Story fans, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is increasingly becoming a #1 or #2 choice for many guests, which means Magic Kingdom has fallen to #2 for some visitors. As a result, it can still see elevated crowds on Tuesdays, when those tourists are doing their #2 park. (For the exact same reason, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is also seeing higher crowds on Tuesdays as it’s become a #2 park for many people.)

This leaves Wednesday and Thursday as the least busy days of the week at Magic Kingdom. Sunday has also emerged as a surprisingly uncrowded day at Magic Kingdom. We’re hesitant to recommend visiting on Sunday because historical wait time data suggests this will change, but it has certainly been a good option lately.

Magic Kingdom can be more challenging when it’s busy, but it’s still possible to have a satisfying and productive day in the park. We’d recommend buying Genie+ in Magic Kingdom, or at least using Early Entry. Follow our 1-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary if you want to beat the crowds without either.

Party Season

Party season in Magic Kingdom encompasses early August through late December–a pretty big chunk of the calendar–when the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) special events are held.

On days when the party is held, Magic Kingdom opens at 8 am or 9 am and closes to regular ticket holders at 6 pm. On non-party days, Magic Kingdom opens at 9 am and closes at 10 pm or 11 pm. In other words, the park stays open 5 hours later to regular guests when MNSSHP and MVMCP are not held.

Most visitors behave accordingly, making the intuitive choice and visiting Magic Kingdom when they can spend 4-5 extra hours in the park. That seems like the “obvious” decision, as more time in the park–not to mention actually being able to see the fireworks and Magic Kingdom at night–is the smarter strategy.

Unfortunately, that is not true. Everyone making the intuitive decision throws a monkey wrench into attendance and crowd dynamics during the party season. The consequence of that guest behavior should likewise be obvious: Magic Kingdom is significantly less busy during the day time hours on dates when parties are held in the evening, and much more busy on non-party days.

To put this into context, Magic Kingdom regularly has 9/10 or 10/10 crowd levels on non-party days, with Saturdays being the worst. By contrast, Magic Kingdom typically has 1/10 to 4/10 crowd levels on party days. That amounts to an average wait time differential of about 20 to 30 minutes per ride , which adds up over the course of the day to the point that you can accomplish more in the party-shortened days when Magic Kingdom closes at 6 pm.

As a result, we strongly recommend  doing Magic Kingdom during the days shortened by the Halloween or Christmas, and then Park Hopping to another park before 4 pm. Guests of the events can start entering Magic Kingdom at 4 pm, and this ‘mix-in’ time with regular day guests is when the park goes from blissfully uncrowded to busier. (We usually aim to leave by 3 pm.)

Even though non-party days offer significantly longer hours, you’ll still come out ahead by avoiding Saturdays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and other non-party days. Despite far few hours on a party day, you will almost always come out ahead thanks to the time saved waiting in lines.

There’s another upside to visiting Magic Kingdom during the day when a party is held at night: earlier opening times on many/most dates. This is a huge  advantage, as covered in  Photo Report & Strategy: Magic Kingdom Early Entry at 7:30 am . Suffice to say, there’s a big difference in crowds for Early Entry on a day when Magic Kingdom opens to the public at 8 am v. 9 am.

The big downside to attending Magic Kingdom on a party day is having to leave by 6 pm. This means missing the fireworks and usually evening in the park. The upside is that you can see fireworks from outside the park–or you can Park Hop back to Magic Kingdom on a non-party night. Just brace yourself for significantly higher crowds than what you experienced on the party day, as many people will have the same idea!

There’s also a flip side to all of this, which is that the other 3 parks are less crowded on non-party days and more crowded on party days. If you think about it, this makes sense–Magic Kingdom crowds don’t exist in a vacuum. If less or more people are in one park, the opposite is true in the others.

As a result, Saturday is a great day to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom during party season. That’s not the case for EPCOT, since it’s the ‘party park’ (different kind of party in this context), and many Floridians and local college students visit on the weekends to drink around World Showcase.

All three other parks become good options on Mondays and Wednesdays. The converse is also true: EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom are worse options on days when the parties are held in Magic Kingdom. None of this is as pronounced as it is with the roller coaster crowds in Magic Kingdom, though. With 3 other parks to absorb the displaced guests, the impact is lower on each of them than on Magic Kingdom itself.

With that said, our experience with crowds at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during the most recent Party Season is that it’s the park absorbing most of guests who are not doing Magic Kingdom on MNSSHP days. This makes sense, as DHS has emerged alongside Magic Kingdom as the top priority park for most guests due to its many recent additions (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway), so it’s typically the park guests do earlier in the week and usually not the park people cut from their plans if they only have 3-day tickets.

Wait times data doesn’t fully corroborate this yet, but anecdotally, we’ve done DHS on Saturdays (the best day to visit) and then the following Tuesdays (MNSSHP dates at Magic Kingdom) and it is a night and day difference. This is  especially true first thing in the morning–we’ve been able to accomplish a ton during Early Entry and rope drop at DHS on days when Magic Kingdom is open until 10 pm.

Currently, wait time averages are “only” 5-6 minutes better at DHS on Saturdays than Tuesdays during Party Season, but that’s over the course of an entire day. In our experience doing this a few times, the gap is much more pronounced in the mornings and there is a distinct advantage at Disney’s Hollywood Studios before the afternoon on days when Magic Kingdom is hosting a Halloween party.

If Saturday isn’t an option, the best days to do DHS during Party Season are going to be other days when Magic Kingdom is not hosting MNSSHP or MVMCP. During the earlier half of Party Season, that means Thursdays are best. Once that becomes a party day at MK, Wednesday is the second-best option after Saturdays. Presumably, the same will be true when Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party rolls around, but we’ll keep you posted. Beyond that, normal day of week advice applies to DHS, as discussed below.

Apologies for this lengthy explanation, but this is the most important consideration in choosing your day to visit each park. More than anything else, the ‘party season’ crowd dynamic is the most consistent and predictable–this same dynamic has played out with MNSSHP and MVMCP for years.

It’s also where most guests ‘goof up’ and choose the intuitive-but-incorrect approach. While it doesn’t encompass the entire calendar, it does apply to 5 months of the year–if you’re visiting during this stretch, we’d highly recommend buying Park Hopper tickets and following this advice!

Best & Worst Days at WDW Recap

We’ve covered a lot of ground and it can be overwhelming, so let’s try to break down the best and worst days to visit each park at Walt Disney World in a more concise manner:

Visit on These Days: 

• Wednesday and Thursday do Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Wednesday and Thursday do Magic Kingdom
• Monday through Thursday do EPCOT
• Any weekday do Animal Kingdom
• Party Days do Magic Kingdom  if  able to Park Hop elsewhere
• Non-Party Days do Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Okay to Good Days:

• Sunday is okay at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, especially if staying late
• Sunday is also decent at Magic Kingdom, with nights again being best
• Friday is fine at EPCOT  if  arriving early
• Saturday and Sunday do Animal Kingdom  if  arriving early or staying late

Avoid These Days: 

• Saturday, Monday and Tuesday don’t do Magic Kingdom
• Monday and Tuesday don’t do Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Saturdays and Sundays don’t do EPCOT
• Saturdays and Sundays don’t do Animal Kingdom  if  arriving late and leaving early

With it laid out like this, you should see that some days are consistently the best and worst for multiple parks. This means that during the course of an average vacation, you might have no choice but to do certain parks on days that are not objectively as good. Don’t worry about that, as explained in the final section…

How Much Does Day of the Week Matter?

Average wait times can vary by 3 to 10 minutes on the best versus worst days of the week at each park. That may not seem like much, but a 10 minute difference is actually huge. Over the course of the day, that can means spending an hour (or more) less time waiting in line if you choose correctly.

However, it’s not usually a 10 minute difference–that’s an extreme example. You also probably wouldn’t choose the worst days if picking at random, nor would you accidentally go at only the time of day when crowds are heaviest and the gap is highest. So in practice, you can probably expect to save only a few minutes per ride by making good choices with the day of the week you visit each park. That’s not a ton of time, but it does add up over the course of a trip.

With that said, there’s typically much more of a difference in crowds between weeks rather than within them. Accordingly, choosing a good time to visit Walt Disney World is significantly more important than how you allocate your days within the week.

Even more important is arriving early and/or staying late, which is the simplest way to beat crowds at Walt Disney World. Late morning to mid-afternoon is the busiest time of day at every single park, and when wait times are the worst.

Just as crucial is having savvy strategy. Picking a great day or week to visit can make touring the parks significantly easier, but so too can having a good itinerary that zigs when others zag.

Then there’s the option of buying your way out of crowds with Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, which is another good fail safe option. (See our Walt Disney World Itineraries page for options with Genie+ and without it.)

Choosing the best days of the week–and avoiding the worst ones–at each Walt Disney World theme park comes after all of those things. To be sure, it’s a good practice and worth keeping in mind that Magic Kingdom is best on Sundays, or that Epcot should be avoided on weekends.

It’s also useful for those boxed into less than ideal travel dates due to school or work schedules. Same goes for anyone who realistically won’t have the option to arrive early or stay late (there’s a reason those times are most advantageous–because it’s simply not feasible for many families with small children). Ditto anyone who doesn’t want to pay extra for Genie+ on principle, or because it’s not in their vacation budget. For anyone this describes, carefully choosing days of the week for each park can relieve some pressure and result in shorter wait times.

With that said, we wouldn’t upend our previously-planned schedules to account for this. In the past, we’ve offered day of week recommendations and have received frantic questions from readers who already have their Advance Dining Reservations set, and have made meticulous plans for each park, wondering if they should throw it all away and start from scratch.

The answer, without exception, is a resounding “no.” Day of the week matters, but not that much. Moreover, day of the weeke recommendations are pretty easy to disrupt. All it really takes is inclimate weather (relatively commonplace in Florida) or inordinate attraction downtime. Either of those things can be enough to turn a “bad” day into a “good” one in terms of wait times, or vice-versa.

Ultimately, simply by virtue of researching and reading a post about the best and worst days of the week to visit every park at Walt Disney World, you’re better equipped to avoid crowds than 95% of guests–but because you’re almost certainly not reading just this strategy. While the advice here is theoretically useful, it’s pretty far from make or break.

You’re much better off using the other resources on this blog to choose good months or weeks to visit. If that’s not an option (or even if it is), remember to arrive early or stay late. Failing that, use our itineraries to prioritize attractions in the best order. Don’t want to do that for some odd reason, spend the money on Genie+ and buy your way out of lines. If you’d rather not spend money and go with the flow during a midday-only visit…I guess this is the best advice for you!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews . To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

Your Thoughts

Which days are your favorites for each of the parks? Think it’s good advice to avoid Epcot on weekends, even if it’s not supported by wait times? What about weekends at Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Any other best or worst days at each of the Walt Disney World theme parks? Do you agree or disagree with our picks? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

Written by Tom Bricker

Hello Tom! Thanks for your analysis. My family and I (3 young kids) were planning to visit Monday of Labor Day – which is a MNSSHP night. Think the party might make the crowds lower during the day despite it being Labor Day? Wondering your prediction. Thanks!

I compared 3 sites each recommending different days for each park to visit There seems to be some consistency around Wednesday and Thursday but that’s it. I guess it’s normal as methodology must differ

Dear Anne, For what it’s worth I’ve found Tom’s suggestions to be the best out there. We’ve made a dozen trips in the last 4 years that last from 2 weeks to a month. Today I began planning our days for our upcoming trip and I reviewed both Tom and Park Prodigy. They’re not all that different just minor things like one will suggest Wed then Thursday while the other has them Thursday, Wednesday. Tom however does a deep dive explaining his reasoning and the nuances. From my own experience he’s 99% of the time he’s spot on. Yes Tom there’s room for improvement. Best advice, if you can swing it, is Park Hoppers. Doing MK on a party day makes a real difference. Catch fireworks another day after another Park (AK being a great choice). Stay calm. You’ll figure it out.

Mickey 1928, Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, that’s incredibly useful feedback. I am always puzzled when I find discrepancy in what should be factually equivalent. I also find the quality of the information on the blog exceptional- hence my presence here ☺️ And hopefully you’re right, I’ll figure it out. Since you seem to have a good overview on that, what do you think of touring plans ?

Hello Tom, thank you for the article. We’ll be in Disney World from 7/28 Sunday to 8/1 Thursday this summer for the 1st time and have a four-day pass to visit one park per day. Could you recommend us what day is the best day to visit which park? And would you also recommend dining reservations and genie + or fast pass? Thank you!

Thanks for this super helpful article! I’ve been to Disneyland a bunch of times, but I’m planning for my first Disney World trip this September. I have a 5 day pass (thinking 1 day per park, and 2 days at MK), and have to use my tickets between Sept 1 and Sept 7. I know it’s a long weekend plus MNSSHP will be on Sept 2 and 6. Could you give me recommendations on which days you would go to each park? I feel a tad lost and not sure what the best form of action would be. Thanks so much!!

I know Tom does not write about them, but hopefully someone else will know: what is the best day to visit the water parks? Should we avoid the sunniest days? Or are they just busy at the weekends because they are popular with locals?

We are coming from somewhere where sleet is more common than sun, so the children are very excited to swim outdoors without needing to break the ice first!

Water parks are popular with locals, so weekends are generally busier.

Weather is also a huge factor–the hotter and sunnier, the more likely the water parks are to be busy. If it’s colder, they’re often dead (or closed!).

Thank you very much for your reply! Anything above 20° (68°) is warm for us, so we shall be happy to go on the coldest weekday and have the pool to ourselves!

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Disney World Itinerary: The Best Days to Visit Disney Parks

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Now that you’ve picked the dates of your trip and hopefully have your hotel booked, it’s time to turn your attention towards picking the best days to visit Disney parks. This is a very important aspect of your Disney World itinerary!

What we are looking for here is how to fabricate a Disney touring plan that will best meet your needs, however many days you plan to be in the parks.

There really are certain tips and tricks to be aware of to try to stack all of the odds in your favor when creating the layout of your trip.

This step is necessary before you book your Disney park passes. And trust me, you want to book your park passes as soon as you can. Why risk the parks hitting capacity? Make sure to read my Disney park pass guide if you haven’t heard about the park pass system yet.

If you want to see an example of a solid Disney World itinerary, check out my ideal Disney World 7 day itinerary . It is full of additional tips for each of the days.

Towards the end of this post I have a sample 5 day Disney World itinerary to give you a peak at how all of this comes together.

Table of Contents

Choosing the Best Days to Visit Disney Parks

Let’s take a look at the general factors you should consider when planning your Disney World itinerary. Taking all of these things into consideration should give you a hand in picking your Disney World park days.

On the flip side, it’s important to note that you can choose to ignore all of these factors and simply pick the order of parks that seems best to you. If this is your first trip and you absolutely want to start everything off with a day at Magic Kingdom, then spend your first day at Magic Kingdom. 

Honestly, if you have the right attitude and plan you can make any Disney World itinerary work .

When are you going?

The time of year you go to Disney has an effect on various aspects of your Disney World itinerary. If you haven’t done so already, make sure you learn about the best time of year to go to Disney World . This will help give you an idea of pros and cons about different times of the year.

The main way the time of year impacts your Disney itinerary will be via crowds and park hours. Different times of year offer different park hours, and ultimately controls the amount of time you can spend in each park.

Special events that are unique to different times of the year will also impact your park experiences. But more on all of the below!

What Kind of Disney Park Ticket Do You Have?

The type of park ticket you purchased (or will purchase) has a pretty significant impact on your itinerary. Obviously, the length of the ticket has the most apparent impact on your Disney World itinerary. From the get go, the length of your ticket determines how many days you have to spend in the parks themselves.

The type of park ticket you choose impacts whether or not you can visit more than one park a day. Only people with Park Hopper tickets or Annual Passes can hop from one park to the next in a single day. Anyone with 1 park-1 day tickets are limited to visiting one park a day.

There is a pretty significant price difference between the ticket types, so you definitely pay extra for the added flexibility of a Park Hopper ticket.

Make sure you read my guide to the Disney World park tickets to make sure you understand your different options. Your choice will be important once you get to this stage of planning.

Park Crowd Levels

Now we get into the nitty gritty. Let’s face it, most of us are worried about the crowds. Maybe you chose your dates based on crowds in the first place, maybe not. Either way, taking a look at predicted crowds is a good way to choose your Disney World park days.

Undercover Tourist has a great crowd calendar you can use as you figure out your Disney World itinerary. They even recommend which park will be least crowded and most crowded on a given day.

However, even all of your careful planning to avoid crowds could be for naught. Disney World has been very crowded in general, even during historically “slow” times of the year. It’s best to just assume that crowd levels will be high and plan accordingly.

What Are the Busiest Days of the Week at Disney World?

In general, there are some days that are recognized as the busiest days of the week at Disney World. I’ve ranked them here in order, but really, they aren’t terribly surprising.

• Sunday and Saturday

Clearly, the least crowded days of the week will be Tuesday through Thursday. However, it’s not really ideal to jam all of your park days into those three days. Unless you are taking a trip with only 3 park days, then I would absolutely schedule the whole trip around this premise .

Special Events

There are certain special events throughout the year which impact the experience of a park during the day. This impact might be on crowds or on park hours.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Any day that Magic Kingdom has one of it’s hallmark seasonal parties scheduled equals a 6:00pm closing time for that day. 

Both Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party have an official start time of 7:00p. At that point, all guests without party tickets must leave.

This is a double edged sword. On one hand, if you go to Magic Kingdom on that day you miss out on Magic Kingdom at night, which is a major downside. However, crowd levels on party days are notoriously some of the lowest crowds you’ll find at Magic Kingdom during your trip .

If you are okay with missing out on the evening at Magic Kingdom, party days are great days to go to Magic Kingdom. However, if you only have one day at Magic Kingdom on your first ever Disney trip, I wouldn’t go there on a party day . There is too much you would miss out on.

Epcot Festivals

Any of the Epcot Festivals are immensely popular with Orlando locals. Because of this, Friday nights and Saturdays tend to draw a big local crowd who want to enjoy themselves.

This leads to higher crowds during this time, and an increase in the odds of drunken revelry. The general rule of thumb is to avoid going to Epcot on Friday night and Saturday when there is a festival going on.

Epcot Festival Dates

As you can see below, there’s hardly a time of the year that DOES NOT have a special festival going on at Epcot. There used to be a break during the summer, but no more!

Now the gaps in festivals are really down to a week or two here and there throughout the year. To be safe, just assume that there is an Epcot festival going on during your trip.

• Epcot International Festival of the Arts : Mid January to late February
• Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival : Early March to early Julu
• Epcot International Food and Wine Festival : End of July to mid November
• Epcot International Festival of the Holidays: Day after Thanksgiving to end of December

Best Days of the Week for Each Disney Park

Ok, let’s get into some of the nitty gritty for each park, shall we? Remember, all of this is dynamic, but I’ll talk about basic trends that you can use to make an informed decision.

One thing you’ll notice is that there is a lot of overlap in which days are the best for each park. This means that inevitably you’ll need to go to at least one park on a higher crowd day. Please, don’t sweat this. You will be fine and still have a wonderful time!

Please know that no matter what days you choose to be where, you can make any of it work as long as you are smart.

If you know you’ll be at Disney during a busy time of year make sure you have a good strategy going into each day and you’ll be able to do fine.

Best Day to Visit Animal Kingdom

We start the discussion with the most forgiving of all the parks. Sadly, this is partly due to the fact that there aren’t as many attractions at Animal Kingdom. But, this does make it easier to successfully do everything that you want!

In general, the best days to go to Animal Kingdom are Monday through Friday. That’s right, you can go there on any weekday and be in a pretty good position.

But honestly, you can go to Animal Kingdom ANY day of the week, including weekends, and it’s fairly easy to have a successful day .

Because of this, I recommend that you plug Animal Kingdom into your schedule on whatever day you have left after you choose the days for the other parks. They are much more fiddly than Animal Kingdom.

In general, Animal Kingdom is the park with the earliest opening time on any given day. This is a huge advantage because people don’t like to get up early.

This allows you to get a head start on all of the rides. On the flip side, Animal Kingdom sees a good size drop off in crowds in the evenings for various reasons.

That makes the mornings and evenings wonderful times to be at Animal Kingdom on any day. That is why you don’t need to stress over which day to visit Animal Kingdom.

Just go in with a good touring plan for the day and you’ll be good to go. With that in mind, take a look at my Animal Kingdom 1 day itinerary for a solid strategy.

Best Day to Visit Epcot

Epcot is very much considered a local’s park. This is especially true during any of the Epcot festivals, which as I’ve pointed out, is pretty much most of the year.

Because of this, Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday are bad days to visit Epcot . This is when all of the locals flock to Epcot to eat and drink their way around the world. It’s a popular date night location, or a hang out with friends nights. Or like a very expensive frat party.

I kid you not.

The drunken revelry can get high on the weekends at Epcot. Clearly, this is not necessarily the most family friendly atmosphere. So between the higher crowds and the frat party atmosphere, it’s best avoided.

Ride lines might not necessarily be longer on the weekends, which I suppose is one bonus. The locals aren’t necessarily there to get on the rides. They are there to eat and drink! But while the ride lines aren’t impacted, the crowd feel in World Showcase is huge.

This also means that the lines for any of the food booths are much longer. And really, that’s a huge part of going to Epcot in the first place!

On the plus side, of all of the parks, Epcot is the best for absorbing crowds. It is huge! This allows everyone to spread out a bit more so it at least doesn’t feel like you are in a can of sardines.

After all of that long windedness, I bet you’d like to actually know what the best days to visit Epcot are. In general, the best days at Epcot are Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday .

Many families with small children avoid Epcot entirely because they think there isn’t enough to do at Epcot. This works in your favor as it just makes the crowds better for you.

Others view Epcot as only a half day park. I vehemently disagree with this. I never seem to be able to fit everything I want to do at Epcot in a single day!

Take a look at all of my thoughts about how to maximize your day at Epcot with this itinerary .

Best Day to Visit Hollywood Studios

With the addition of Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Hollywood Studios has quickly become the second most popular park in Disney World.

Unfortunately, this isn’t backed up by having enough rides to absorb all of the crowds! In my opinion, Hollywood Studios is a park that has a very high crowd feel. There are pinch points all over the place and sometimes it just feels downright crowded. Add high wait times to the mix and it can make for a frustrating day.

With that in mind, make sure you have a solid plan for how to tour Hollywood Studios . It can really help with navigating the crowds and getting on all of the rides that you want.

In general, you want to avoid going to Hollywood Studios on Monday and Tuesday. After Magic Kingdom, this is the park that everyone wants to go to. Hence why Monday and Tuesday are more crowded.

Ironically, Hollywood Studios is a good park to go to on Saturday and Sunday , as long as you plan to arrive early and leave late. This allows you to take advantage of the two best times of the day in terms of crowd levels.

Wednesday and Thursday could be good alternate days to go to Hollywood Studios.

Best Day to Visit Magic Kingdom

Here we are at the main attraction. EVERYONE wants to go to Magic Kingdom, as they should. Magic Kingdom is the quintessential Disney World experience.

Because of this eagerness, there is a distinct trend that emerges when it comes to Magic Kingdom crowds. Most people make their vacation run from Sunday to Saturday/Sunday. Magic Kingdom is usually the first park they want to go to, making Monday a very crowded day at Magic Kingdom .

On the flipside, people like to also end their trip at Magic Kingdom, making Friday and Saturday higher crowd days . The Saturday crowds are compounded by locals and long park hours.

Locals tend to flock to Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and southerners taking a quick trip for a long weekend also go to Magic Kingdom on Saturday. Then in the evenings people park hop over to Magic Kingdom to take advantage of the long hours. So really, you have a major double whammy here.

In general, try to avoid going to Magic Kingdom on Saturday whenever possible .

So, what is left? This means that Wednesday and Thursday are the best days to visit Magic Kingdom .

Magic Kingdom is also a good park to buy Disney Genie+ to take advantage of the line cutting abilities. With the high volume of rides and the high popularity, Genie+ is a good splurge for Magic Kingdom to allow you to get on more rides with less fuss.

In addition to all of this, make sure you look at my 1 day Magic Kingdom itinerary to get an idea of how to structure your day.

Magic Kingdom and Party Days

And to throw a monkey wrench into all of this, we have the special parties that take place in Magic Kingdom from mid-August through late December.

As I mentioned above, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are to huge events at Magic Kingdom. This results in Magic Kingdom closing early, by 6pm, a few days a week, every week, for months.

This takes up a massive part of the calendar.

In general, most people make the obvious choice of avoiding going to Magic Kingdom on a non-party days so they can experience Magic Kingdom at night. And believe me, Magic Kingdom at night is awesome.

However, this means that non-party days from mid-August through late December automatically become the busiest days of the week at Magic Kingdom.

This is where you could benefit by weaving when everyone else bobs. Wait times are significantly shorter on party days. On top of that, Magic Kingdom opens an hour earlier on party days. For those with early entry, this equals an extra hour and a half in the morning, which is the best time to go to Magic Kingdom.

This alone makes the party days at Magic Kingdom a good option. Not as many people want to get up early enough to make it to Magic Kingdom before 7:30a. That makes this your moment!

Since the park closes by 6p on party days, it’s a good idea to park hop from Magic Kingdom to one of the other parks around 4p so you can still enjoy the rest of the day at a park. Clearly, this strategy only works if you have park hopper tickets.

The number one downside of this strategy is missing the evening hours at Magic Kingdom. This is a major ding because the Magic Kingdom fireworks are a great experience. And I’m just a fan of being in any of the parks at night. They are just magical.

You can always choose to park hop over to Magic Kingdom on a non-party night to experience Magic Kingdom at night. Just be aware that tons of other people will have this idea as well.

Alternately, you can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from outside of the park too. The beach at the Polynesian resort is a popular location, for example.

Disney Rest Days

With any Disney World touring plan that lasts for more than 5 nights, planning a rest day at Disney World is highly recommended. This is recommended for two reasons.

The first reason is because you will all simply need a slower paced day. Most people, my family included, tend to jam as much as they can into their park days. This is a lot of walking and long hours for little kids. Deliberately planning at least one rest day allows everyone to have a day that isn’t so hectic and exhausting.

The second reason to take a non-park day at Disney is simply because there is so much to do outside of the parks that shouldn’t be missed! From frolicking in the resort pools to checking out Disney Springs there is so much to do.

In fact, I have an entire post with over 70 things to do at Disney World besides the parks . Even better, quite a few of those things are free!

Disney Arrival and Departure Days

Depending on what time you arrive and depart from Disney World, your arrival and departure days are great opportunities to do some of these outside the park activities.

On shorter trips, or if you have unused park days on your ticket, these days can also be great opportunities to visit the parks for a few hours.

I almost always try to do this to eke out every possible second of my time at Disney World. Animal Kingdom is a good option for departure day because it tends to open earliest. Conversely, Magic Kingdom is often a great option for arrival day since it stays open until 11p on some days.

The Disney Journey’s Formula for a Good Disney World Itinerary

Now that we’ve looked at all of the different factors in play when picking your Disney World park days, what do we do with it? First off, I highly recommend that you have a visual tool to help you with this. Blocking things off visually can really help.

Also, while it’s not impossible to only pick your park days based on predicted low crowds, find a blend between doing that and what makes sense for the flow of your trip. Sometimes I choose the busier park on one day because it allows me to have a low crowd day at a different park another day.

It’s a fluid process that really has no right or wrong way to do it.

Basic Tips for Picking the Best Days to Visit Disney World Parks

• Fly in and out mid-week : Flights are typically cheaper on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
• Check the Park Ticket Calendar for Crowd Levels: when going through the park ticket calendar on Disney’s website, the cheaper the starting price of the tickets, the lower crowd level time of year it is. Same goes for looking at 1 day ticket prices for individual parks. That means Disney expects lower crowds at that park on that day.
• Prioritize Park Order vs. Low Crowds : Hopefully the stars can align and you can get both, but figure out which is more important to you
• Magic Kingdom is #1 : Not that it needs to go first, but Magic Kingdom should never be on the chopping block. It’s too important to the overall experience
• Park Days with a Split Stay: If you have a split stay scheduled (staying in more than one resort) plan your park days based on which parks are easiest to get to from each resort you stay at
• Don’t skip any parks : Try your hardest to at least spend some time in all 4 parks during your trip, especially if it’s your first or only trip. Each park has its own flavor and amazing experiences.
• Take Advantage of Early Entry: If you are staying at a Disney resort you can enter the parks 30 minutes before park opening. This is prime time to get on rides with little to no line. DO NOT miss early entry.
• Avoid Major Holidays: This isn’t always possible, but if you can go during a time when there isn’t a major holiday, you’re already in a better position in terms of crowds. Even holidays such as Columbus Day or President’s Day can be insanely crowded because of school breaks

Sample 5-Day Disney World Itinerary

With a shorter trip like this, my priorities shift big time. I strategically chose these days of the week to take advantage of the fact that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the least crowded days of the week.

Also, room rates tend to be a little cheaper during the week so why not take advantage of that as well?

With a 5-day Disney World itinerary I highly recommend either park hopper passes OR a flight time that allows you to go to a park on either arrival or departure day.

Day 1 (Monday) – Arrival Day (Pool and/or Disney Springs)

Day 2 (Tuesday) – Magic Kingdom

Day 3 (Wednesday) – Hollywood Studios

Day 4 (Thursday) – Animal Kingdom then Epcot

Day 5 (Friday) – Departure Day (Disney Springs if time)

Really, you will want to choose which parks to split on that last day. However, the main parts of Animal Kingdom can be reasonably done in one morning, especially if you follow my Animal Kingdom rope drop strategy .

By using that strategy you also start the day in the park that tends to open the earliest, helping you to stretch those days as much as humanly possible.

Do not spend only half a day in Magic Kingdom. Of all the parks, Magic Kingdom is easily a 2 full day park.

Final Thoughts

There you have it, my thoughts on how to choose the best days to visit Disney parks. Picking your Disney park days is such an important part of the trip.

In the end, pick the order that makes the most sense for you and your family. What works best for my family might not be what works best for yours. Though I think we can all agree that if we could manage lower crowds we’d do it in a heartbeat!

Your Thoughts

Do you have any other factors that go into choosing your Disney park days? What is your golden rule for picking your park days? Let me know in the comments below.

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A magical guide for how to plan a trip to Disney World this year

Editor's Note

If you want to know how to plan a trip to Disney World, you've come to the right place. This guide includes tips for choosing the right Disney World hotel for your budget, deciding which ticket type is right for you, determining which extras are worth splurging on and how to plan a trip that's fun and memorable without too much stress along the way.

With four theme parks, two water parks, more than 25 on-site hotels, over 200 dining locations and more attractions, experiences, shows and shops than we can list here, the best way to build a magical Disney World vacation is with planning, preparation and realistic expectations.

Planning a trip to Disney World should be fun and build excitement for your upcoming trip, and this guide can help.

How to start planning your trip to Disney World

There are a few questions you will want to answer early in the process of planning your Disney World vacation.

• What is your budget? Your budget will determine most other factors of your vacation, including where you stay and how many days you visit. How much it will cost you to go to Disney World really can vary widely based on the choices you make.
• When will you go? You may be at the mercy of work or school schedules, but if you have the flexibility, you can plan your trip when crowds are smaller or the weather is better. The summer can be very hot and rainy, the week between Christmas and New Year's is one of the busiest and weekdays when most kids are in school are often the least busy days.
• Where will you stay? You will typically pay more to stay in one of Disney's on-site hotels, especially at the moderate and deluxe tiers, but you'll also get perks like early theme park entry. Before you choose, you'll want to consider your budget, whether you want a themed room like the Royal Guest Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside and if you want to be located near a certain Disney park. Pro tip: Renting Disney Vacation Club points can help you stay at a deluxe hotel for a moderate price.
• Which parks will you visit on which days? Depending on the length of your vacation, you may need to prioritize which parks you plan to visit. This will also influence whether you purchase one-park-per-day or Park Hopper tickets that allow you to visit multiple parks daily. If you have little kids, be sure your family will have the stamina for multiple parks per day before shelling out the extra cash to hop.
• Where will you dine? Popular Disney dining reservations are snatched up almost as soon as they become available. You'll want to plan ahead for any character dining or other table service restaurants, so you don't miss out.

It is important to book your hotel, dining and theme park tickets as early as possible for the best rates and availability. Disney also periodically releases special offers on hotels and vacation packages that you can often apply even if you have already made your reservations.

Related: Are the Disney Visa credit cards worth it?

We will dig deeper into each of these topics in this guide. Once you have a rough outline of your vacation based on the questions above, here are important dates to keep in mind so you can make your Disney dream a reality.

How soon can you book a Disney World hotel?

Disney releases hotel availability periodically, so there is no exact date that Disney hotel reservations become available. You can currently book Disney World hotel stays through Dec. 31, 2024.

Disney typically opens reservations for the following year around May or June, so you can expect to see 2025 availability around that time. If your plans change, you can cancel your room-only reservation up to five days in advance of arrival for a full refund. Ticket and hotel vacation packages must be canceled 30 days in advance to receive a full refund.

When can you purchase Disney World tickets?

Disney World tickets follow the same availability calendar as Disney hotel reservations. You can purchase tickets (or vacation packages including a hotel and tickets) through Dec. 31, 2024. Disney typically releases tickets for the following year around May or June, so you can expect to see 2025 availability around that time.

All tickets are date-based, and the price of one-day tickets also varies by park. You can purchase your tickets any time before you visit; the price won't change regardless of how long you wait. Theme park tickets are nonrefundable, but you may be able to change your ticket date if your plans change.

Until Jan. 9, 2024, you must have a Disney ticket and make a theme park reservation to enter a Disney park.

When do Disney World dining reservations become available?

You can begin making dining reservations 60 days prior to your visit. If you are staying in a Disney World hotel, you can make dining reservations 60 days before your check-in day for your entire stay (up to 10 days).

Reservations open on Disney's website or the My Disney Experience app between 5:45 a.m. and 6 a.m. EST or you can call 407-939-DINE beginning at 7 a.m. EST, but coveted reservations may already be snatched up by that time. You can cancel most Disney World dining reservations up to two hours before your reservation. Exceptions will be noted in the confirmation email you receive at the time of booking.

If you're not yet sure where to eat, here are our favorite restaurants at Disney World .

FOR NO-COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR NEXT DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

What are the 4 parks at Disney World?

Each of Disney World's four theme parks is uniquely themed and packed with fun. You can learn more about each park, including attractions, shows, parade times and interactive maps to help you find your way around in the My Disney Experience app.

Here's a bit more information about each and some tips for choosing the right ticket type to visit them all.

Magic Kingdom

Open since 1971, Magic Kingdom is Disney World's original theme park. This park is a world of fairy tales and fantasy, where you'll find five themed lands — Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland and Liberty Square.

Magic Kingdom is home to some of Disney's most iconic attractions, including Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter Pan's Flight and the Haunted Mansion, but also exciting new rides like Tron: Lightcycle Run and the soon-to-open Tiana's Bayou Adventure .

Epcot opened in 1982 and has changed drastically in the four decades since. Epcot's core message, however, hasn't changed: sparking visitors' imaginations through science, technology, nature and the human experience. The park is sectioned into "neighborhoods" — World Celebration, World Nature, World Discovery and World Showcase, where you can visit pavilions that celebrate the arts, culture and customs of 11 countries around the world.

There are a lot of new things to see at Epcot, including Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind , Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana and the all-new fireworks spectacular Luminous – The Symphony of Us .

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios is a movie-themed park that has lands and attractions inspired by blockbuster films and beloved Disney characters. In Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge , you can pilot the Millennium Falcon and meet familiar (and furry) faces like Kylo Ren, Chewbacca and Rey.

In Toy Story Land, visitors shrink to the size of Woody, Buzz, Jessie (who you can meet here, by the way) and Andy's other toys. The land's Slinky Dog Dash coaster is a family-friendly ride that's perfect for a kid's first roller coaster.

Outside of the lands themed to specific films, much of the park evokes an old-Hollywood glamour that makes you feel like a bona fide movie star. In these areas, you'll find some of the park's most iconic shows and attractions are also some of its longest-running, like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror drop ride, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular .

Disney's Animal Kingdom

More than 2,000 animals — from about 300 species — call Disney's Animal Kingdom "home," but this is not a zoo. However, you can visit many of these animals via walking trails, the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride and even a petting zoo.

In addition to the creatures and landscapes found on Earth, you can visit another planet at Pandora — The World of Avatar or go back in time at DinoLand U.S.A. The animals aren't the only things that are "wild" at Animal Kingdom — Expedition Everest is a thrilling coaster; Avatar Flight of Passage puts you on the back of a banshee as you fly over Pandora; and Dinosaur sends you careening through the Cretaceous Period in an off-road vehicle.

What type of Disney tickets should I buy?

Disney world base tickets.

You can purchase one-day or multi-day Disney World tickets. All tickets are date-based, and the price varies depending on the date of your visit. If you purchase a one-day ticket, the price will also vary based on which park you plan to visit, with Magic Kingdom being the most expensive.

Disney World Park Hopper tickets

A base ticket only gets you into one park per day. If you want to visit multiple parks on the same day, you will need to purchase the Park Hopper option with your ticket (you can also add it on in person after you arrive). You can save money by only visiting one park per day, but it does limit how much you can see and do during your vacation.

A Park Hopper Plus ticket includes two visits to either Disney's golf courses, miniature golf courses or water parks, but this is only worth it if you know you will use it all.

Disney World special event tickets

Some of Disney's after-hours events , like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party , require a separate ticket. The park is only open to guests with special event tickets during these events. If you plan on visiting for one of these parties, you may be able to forgo a general admission ticket that day and utilize your special event ticket, as you can usually get into the park a few hours before the party starts.

Disney World ticket add-ons

There are two major ticket add-ons that you should consider. Both can be worth it but will add to the cost of your vacation.

The first add-on you might want to strongly consider is Disney Genie+ . This skip-the-line service allows you to skip the standby line and enjoy shorter wait times for rides by utilizing Disney's Lightning Lanes.

Currently, you can only purchase it on the day of your visit beginning at 7 a.m. and the price ranges between $15 and $35 per person, per day. A handful of attractions at each park require a separate individual Lightning Lane purchase to skip the line, often for the newest rides, but many rides are available with Genie+. You don't need to purchase Genie+ to buy individual Lightning Lane selections and vice versa. The individual Lightning Lane attraction pricing varies by attraction but typically ranges between $7 and $25 per person per attraction for rides like Tron: Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

Another popular add-on is Disney's Memory Maker . Memory Maker gives you unlimited downloads of pictures taken by PhotoPass photographers during your vacation and on-ride photos. You can purchase a one-day Memory Maker for short visits or a multi-day Memory Maker which covers your entire vacation. You can save $25 on a multi-day Memory Maker when you purchase at least three days prior to your visit, so it's best to purchase it when you buy your tickets.

How to get discounted Disney World tickets

Aside from Disney's own discounts, you can sometimes save money on Disney tickets by purchasing them from an authorized third-party reseller. There are a few reputable sources out there for Disney World tickets, but our go-to is Undercover Tourist . Depending on your ticket type, you can usually save between $5 and $100. One of the best ways to save money with Undercover Tourist is when Disney World raises ticket prices , which usually happens at least once per year. Undercover Tourist typically has a limited number of existing ticket stock available at the old prices while supplies last.

Related: We saved every receipt — here's how much it actually costs to go to Disney World

If you are a Florida resident or are an active or retired U.S. military member , there are generous discounted Disney World tickets available directly through Disney's website.

You can also use points to pay for your Disney tickets , and that's a strategy we strongly recommend to keep costs down. For example, with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card , you can earn a welcome bonus of 75,000 points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of having the card. You can use those 75k points as the same as $750 towards travel . And while ticket-only packages from Disney World typically don't code as a travel charge, buying them from Undercover Tourist — or as part of a larger hotel and ticket package directly from Disney — typically does code as a travel charge, so you could save $750 just like that.

Is booking a Disney vacation package a good idea?

If you are staying in one of Disney World's on-site hotels or a certified " Disney World Good Neighbor " hotel, you have the option to bundle your hotel stay and theme park tickets into a Disney vacation package. Normally, these packages are not discounted, but they can be a great value if Disney runs any special vacation package promotions .

Aside from discounts (and the fact that it all likely codes as a travel charge for point-redemption purposes), there's one major reason to book a vacation package: When you purchase your tickets and hotel together, you only have to pay a $200 deposit at the time of booking. Payment in full is due 30 days prior to arrival. If you purchase your tickets separately from your hotel stay, you will have to pay the full amount at the time of purchase.

This is another great example of why you should book through an authorized Disney travel planner who can compare prices for you and keep an eye out for discounts.

When is the best time to visit Disney World?

Do you want the lowest crowds or the best weather? Do you want to attend a Halloween party or see Magic Kingdom's 65-foot-tall Christmas tree ?

The best time to visit Disney World depends on your reason for visiting.

If you want moderate temperatures and less chance of rain, you may want to plan your visit between October and December. If you want shorter waits, your best bets are late January, early May or just after Thanksgiving before the crowds descend upon the parks for winter break. Of course, weekdays typically see lower crowds than weekends and school breaks.

Or, if you are planning a Disney World vacation on a budget, opt for midweek dates in August and September 2024, when prices start at $109 for a one-day ticket.

Read our full guide on the best times to visit Walt Disney World .

What's the best way to get to Disney World?

Getting to Orlando and getting to Disney World after arriving are two different topics, so let's look at each.

What is the closest airport?

The closest airport to Walt Disney World is Orlando International Airport (MCO). Most major airlines fly into MCO, and you can reach Disney World in about 25 to 30 minutes from the airport, depending on traffic. If you are flying Allegiant or Sun Country Airlines, you'll fly into Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB). SFB is smaller than MCO and farther from Disney World. From SFB, it is about a 45-minute drive to Disney World.

What is the best way to get to Disney World from the airport?

Because of its size and proximity to Disney World, MCO has more and better options to help you get between the airport and Disney World.

From Orlando International Airport or Orlando Sanford International Airport, you can rent a car or use a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft. If you do rent a car from MCO, you can forgo paying tolls through the car rental company (which often comes with an additional fee) and pick up a Visitor Toll Pass to save on tolls during your trip.

Disney no longer charges a parking fee for overnight hotel guests, so if you rent a car, you can park at your hotel and drive to Disney's theme parks without additional fees. Keep in mind that you may not need a car if you don't plan on leaving Disney property after you arrive. Disney has a robust internal transportation system that operates between its on-site hotels and theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs.

You can also use Disney's official airport shuttle, Mears Connect , from MCO.

Mears Connect is a shuttle service that picks you up from MCO and will drop you off at official Disney World hotels and a handful of nearby hotels. Pricing starts at $16 one-way for adults and $13 one-way for children. Mears Connect offers shared shuttles, where you will stop at multiple Disney hotels on the way to your own. You can pay an additional fee for an "express shuttle" that takes you direct to your resort. The easiest way to reserve your ride is online through the Mears Connect website.

What is the best way to get around Disney World?

If you are staying on Walt Disney World property, you can utilize Disney's complimentary transportation for travel between your resort and Disney's theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs. Disney offers transportation by bus, boat, Monorail and Disney Skyliner gondola system. Which transportation options you have access to will depend on which hotel you are staying in.

All Disney hotels offer regularly scheduled bus transportation around the resort. Transportation begins 45 minutes prior to the theme park opening and up to one hour after the theme park closing.

Guests of Disney's Magic Kingdom area resorts — Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa — can use boat or Monorail transportation to travel to the Magic Kingdom. There is also a monorail line that will take you to the Transportation and Ticket Center, where you can transfer to a separate Monorail line that goes to Epcot. These hotels also offer a walking path to Magic Kingdom.

Guests of Disney's Riviera Resort, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney's Art of Animation Resort and Disney's Pop Century Resort can use the Disney Skyliner gondolas to travel to Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot. All Disney World visitors can also use Disney Skyliner to travel between these two parks, regardless of where you are staying. It's a fun and scenic way to get around the resort.

Many Disney World hotels also offer ferry boat transportation to nearby parks. The BoardWalk area hotels, for example, offer boat transportation to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Fort Wilderness, Disney's Wilderness Lodge and others offer boat service to the Magic Kingdom. You can view a full list on Disney's website . You can also walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios from any BoardWalk area hotel.

Whichever transportation option you choose, you can view the schedule, routes and stop locations in the My Disney Experience app or on video monitors at each stop location.

You can also utilize Disney's Minnie Van service for door-to-door (or door-to-front gate, as it were) service between your hotel and Disney's theme parks. You can book these private rides in red-and-white polka-dot vans directly through the Lyft app. Accessible rides and child safety seats are available.

Though not "official" Disney World hotels, Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotel guests have access to Disney's complimentary ferry boat service to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. A walking path is also available. These resorts also operate their own shuttles to Disney's theme parks, which pick up approximately every 20 to 25 minutes throughout the day.

Disney Springs hotels operate their own shuttle services, independent of Disney's transportation. If you are staying at one of these hotels, you can inquire about scheduling and pick-up times at the front desk.

What's the best place to stay on a Disney vacation?

There are more than two dozen Disney World hotels to choose from, so your main considerations will be your budget and what type of hotel experience you are after. Whether you want over-the-top Disney theming, an upscale cabin in the woods or a luxury villa with access to a club lounge, you can find it at Disney World.

Disney offers three hotel tiers: Value, Moderate and Deluxe.

Value Disney resorts are the most affordable, with prices ranging between $125 and $300 per night. Value resorts offer quick-service, cafeteria-style dining outlets and large pools but don't have full-service restaurants or pool amenities like waterslides and hot tubs.

On average, Moderate Disney resorts run between $250 and $400 and offer amenities you won't find at Value Disney resorts. Some have full-service restaurants, and the pools are better-themed and equipped with waterslides. Many of them are more centrally located near Disney's theme parks, as well.

Deluxe Disney resorts are the most expensive, ranging between $400 to $700 per night and up for a standard room, but they also have the best locations, amenities and dining. You can expect large, well-furnished guest rooms, pool complexes with hot tubs, waterslides and beach areas, multiple full-service restaurants, spas and more.

Regardless of which hotel you choose, Disney's on-site hotels offer perks to enhance your stay:

• A 30-minute jumpstart on your day with Disney's Early Theme Park Entry benefit
• The ability to purchase individual Lightning Lanes for eligible rides begins at 7 a.m. on the day of your visit (non-resort guests can't do this until the park opens)
• Complimentary hotel and theme park parking
• Extended Evening Theme Park Hours for guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels on select nights (this benefit is also available to guests of Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotels, as well as Shades of Green)

Best hotels at Disney World

The best Disney World hotel for you depends on what you are looking for in a hotel stay. If you don't plan on spending much time in your room, you can save a lot of money by staying in a Value resort. If you plan on spending part of your vacation enjoying hotel amenities like the pool and restaurants, you may want to choose a Moderate or Deluxe resort. Or, if you have a large family that won't be comfortable in a standard room, one of Disney's family suites might be your best bet.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Best Disney World resort if you are on a budget: Disney's Pop Century Resort may not be the most glamorous hotel at Disney, but the kitschy 1950s through 1990s theming and the starting price of around $200 per night will surely put a smile on your face. This resort has three pools, a playground and an arcade. Guest rooms are furnished with either one king bed or a queen bed and a space-saving table that folds out into a bed. It is also one of two Value resorts with Skyliner gondola access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

Best Disney World resort for large families : Disney's Art of Animation Resort is in Disney's more affordable Value category and has family suites themed to popular Disney films like "Cars," "The Lion King" and "Finding Nemo" that sleep up to six guests. The pool here is the largest at any Disney World resort, and you can take the Disney Skyliner gondolas to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Standard rooms are also available.

Best Disney World resort for swimming : Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts are sister properties near Epcot. The two resorts have rooms that average around $600 per night and share access to Stormalong Bay, the best pool at Disney World . Stormalong Bay is really more than a pool, it is a water park with sand-bottomed pools, a lazy river, an activities pool with a volleyball net and daily pool games and a shipwreck-themed waterslide.

Best Disney World resort for a luxury stay : If the sky is the limit for your Walt Disney World vacation budget, the Copper Creek Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge are some of the finest accommodations you can choose. With two bedrooms, a fireplace, a screened-in porch, a hot tub and lakeside views, these cabins are anything but rustic. The privacy offers you a chance to wind down after a long Disney day, but you are still close enough to take a boat ride to Magic Kingdom and enjoy the amenities and dining in the resort's main lobby.

If you are leaning toward a luxury Disney stay, you may be able to save money by renting Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points. DVC is Disney's version of a timeshare program. DVC members can rent out their points to non-members through sites like David's Vacation Club Rentals , helping you to save hundreds of dollars versus booking directly through Disney. The trade-off is that availability is limited and that the cancellation policies are much less flexible than if you make the reservation direct through Disney.

Read our full guide on the best hotels at Walt Disney World .

Best hotels near Disney World

Disney World also partners with a handful of off-site hotels where you can still take advantage of certain benefits like Early Theme Park Entry and complimentary transportation while also paying less than you would for an official Disney World hotel. These hotels also participate in major hotel points programs, so you can earn or redeem points for your stay.

The Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotels all participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program. While not technically Disney hotels, they are located on Disney property between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. If you are a Marriott Bonvoy elite member , these hotels offer benefits like complimentary upgrades, a welcome amenity and more.

Related: This affordable new Disney Springs hotel includes free hot food and 6 nightly drinks

Disney Springs has seven hotels from brands like Wyndham, Hilton, Holiday Inn and others. All of these are adjacent to the Disney Springs shopping and dining district, and some have room rates that start at close to $100 per night. These can be a great option if you want to save money and don't mind leaving the "Disney bubble" at the end of the day.

Read our full guide to Disney Springs hotels here .

What are the best restaurants at Disney World?

With more than 200 restaurants to choose from, you are going to have to decide which Disney World restaurants you most want to visit. Dining options run the gamut from the predictable burger and fries to an out-of-this-world restaurant in space.

Read our full guide to the best restaurants at Disney World .

Hardest Disney reservations to get (and how to get them)

Many of these restaurants are quick-service or snack stands that don't require advance reservations, but there are a few popular restaurants that book up almost as quickly as reservations become available. If you want to dine with Disney royalty at Cinderella's Royal Table, for example, you'll want to make your reservation as soon as you can. Remember, that is 60 days prior to your visit — if you are staying at a Disney World hotel, you can make reservations for your entire vacation 60 days prior to your check-in day.

Related: 'Be our guest' at these 5 best character dining meals at Walt Disney World

Other reservations that book up quickly include Storybook Dining at Artist Point , Space 220 at Epcot, California Grill, 'Ohana, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Hollywood Studios and Topolino's Terrace, especially for the character breakfast. All of these have great food and atmosphere, making them popular for new and returning guests.

Best quick-service restaurants at Disney that don't require a reservation

Luckily, there are plenty of Disney restaurants with delicious food you can get your hands on without a reservation. Satuli Canteen in Pandora — The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom is consistently ranked as one of the best quick-service restaurants anywhere at Disney. The food is fresh, flavorful and surprisingly inexpensive. You can get a build-your-own bowl with beef, chicken or fish for less than $20.

Other must-try quick-service restaurants include Ronto Roasters at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (the Ronto Breakfast Wrap is the best handheld meal at Disney!), Columbia Harbour House at Magic Kingdom for New England-inspired fare and Regal Eagle Smokehouse at Epcot for all things barbecue.

Using the Disney app to improve your dining experience

The My Disney Experience app is a must for your Disney World vacation for checking wait times, finding your way around and more. When it comes to dining, you can use it to find walk-up dining availability, score last-minute reservations, see what restaurants are nearby, and place mobile orders at select quick-service restaurants.

When you place a mobile order via the app, you choose what time you would like to pick up your order (with the option to modify if plans change). When you arrive at the restaurant, you can click "I'm here. Prepare my order," and you'll receive a notification on your phone when your food is ready.

Should you buy a Disney Dining Plan?

The cost of dining at Disney can add up quickly, and Disney offers two dining plan options that may help you save money. The Disney Dining Plan lets you prepay for a specified number of meals and snacks for your Disney World vacation. You receive a certain number of meal and snack credits for each night of your stay.

The Disney Dining Plan is both convenient and flexible. By prepaying for your meals and snacks, you won't have to pull out your wallet for every meal and snack, and you aren't required to use a set number of credits each day. You can redeem them anytime during your stay in the way that best works for you.

There are two options — the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan and the Disney Dining Plan. The first is a bit less expensive and allows for more flexibility. The second is best if you plan on more sit-down dining and character meals during your vacation.

Whether or not you can save money with a Disney Dining Plan depends on how you utilize the credits. It is possible to break even or come out ahead if you maximize the value of your credits and actually eat all of the food available on the plan. If you don't use all of your credits, you are essentially leaving money on the table, but our guide can help you out with the math.

Read our full guide to the Disney Dining Plan .

How to save time in line at Disney World

Most Walt Disney World attractions offer a standby line. The only exceptions are new attractions, which will often offer a virtual queue for a limited time after opening. When Disney World is busy, though, standby lines for popular attractions can climb as high as two hours. Luckily, Disney has a service called Disney Genie+ that helps you skip the standby line and get on more attractions with shorter waits.

With Disney Genie+, you can skip the standby line and utilize a much shorter "Lightning Lane" for most attractions. You can only purchase this add-on service on the day of your visit, beginning at midnight (though you will likely be safe waiting until you wake up in the morning except on Disney's busiest days).

The cost of Disney Genie+ varies per park and per day. The service starts at $15 per person per day and occasionally reaches a per-person price of $35 per day during the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season or in April during spring break. You can purchase Genie+ for one of Disney World's four theme parks or a "multiple park" option valid at all four parks when you purchase through the My Disney Experience app.

Most attractions are included in the Disney Genie+ service, but one or two attractions at each park require a separate Lightning Lane purchase to skip the line. It's not necessary to purchase Genie+ to buy individual Lightning Lane selections and vice versa. The individual Lightning Lane attraction pricing varies by attraction but typically ranges between $7 and $25 per person, per attraction.

Read our full guide to Disney Genie+ .

If you are staying in one of Disney's on-site hotels or in select "Good Neighbor" hotels, as mentioned in the section above, you can also save time in line by utilizing Early Theme Park Entry and/or Extended Evening Theme Park Hours. You can get into the parks 30 minutes early with the Early Entry benefit, but you actually want to arrive at the front gates 30-45 minutes before that time. This will give you time to get through security and to the roped-off area where they hold guests, making you one of the first in line to rush to your favorite ride when early entry starts.

Related: Your guide to visiting Disney World with a child on the autism spectrum

If you or someone in your party has a disability that makes it difficult for you to wait in a traditional standby queue, you can also save time by registering for Disney's Disability Access Service (DAS). You need to start the registration process before your visit, and full instructions are available on Disney's website .

How to plan a Disney World trip on a budget

While sensational stories about $2,500 meals at Disney make for good headlines, it is totally possible to visit Disney World on a budget .

Related: Yes, you can visit Disney World on a budget: Here's how I did it

Here are some of the most important things you can do to make your Disney vacation budget manageable:

• Stay at a Disney Value resort like Disney's All-Star Movies Resort or use Marriott points to stay at the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve. Here are the best cards to get those points.
• Utilize Disney's complimentary parking and transportation for on-site guests instead of renting a car.
• Purchase groceries for some meals and snacks, and only buy one or two meals in the parks each day.
• Don't visit the parks every day you are at Disney and stick to one park per day, avoiding park hopping. You can save on tickets by spending a day swimming or visiting Disney Springs.
• Don't forget to periodically check Disney's website for discounts. Even after you book, you may be able to apply a hotel or vacation package discount that can save you even more money.
• Be on the lookout for discounted Disney gift cards to help cover the cost of your trip and/or use points for the tickets.
• Visit during less busy times of the year. Ticket prices are cheapest in August and September, with one-day tickets starting at $109.

Disney World pretrip checklist

Now that you've determined your budget, purchased your tickets, booked your hotel and made a few dining reservations, your trip is nearly planned. There are some other details you'll need to consider to make your trip as magical as it should be. Here's our ultimate Disney World pre-trip checklist:

• Pack accordingly : Depending on when you visit, you could be dealing with heat, humidity, afternoon showers, chilly temperatures or a mix of all of the above. It's important to pack comfortable shoes and clothing no matter when you visit, but you may also want rain gear, sun protection or a warm jacket, depending on the weather. You can read our full Disney World packing guide here .
• Download the My Disney Experience app : This app is an invaluable tool that you will use daily during your visit. You can use it to check everything from wait times to walk-up dining availability. You can also use it to navigate the parks with turn-by-turn walking directions, purchase Disney Genie+ and individual Lightning Lanes and even open your hotel room door.
• Check the park hours before your visit : You can view the park hours on the Walt Disney World website or the My Disney Experience app. Each park has separate opening and closing times, and parks occasionally close early for special events like Halloween and Christmas parties. When you view the park hours, you'll also be able to see times for any parades or fireworks shows happening each day of your visit and plan for early entry or extended theme park hours for eligible on-site hotel guests.
• Check the height requirements for attractions: If you are traveling to Disney World with young children, you can check the height requirements for attractions on Disney World's website or in the My Disney Experience app. There are also measuring stations at all attractions that have a minimum height requirement, but it's better to know ahead of time to avoid tears if your child isn't quite tall enough.
• Know where to find your favorite characters : Most Disney characters have designated meeting times and locations, which you can find in the My Disney Experience app. Booking a character meal can be a great way to meet multiple characters at once, but you can also meet many characters in the parks. Popular meet-and-greets also offer Genie+ Lightning Lane access, which can cut down on the time you spend waiting to meet Mickey, Moana or Cinderella.
• Decide if you want to purchase PhotoPass photos : You can save money on Disney Memory Maker by purchasing in advance before you visit. It's the easiest way to capture your vacation memories and an add-on we highly recommend. You can view and download your photos in the My Disney Experience app.
• Study up on Genie+: As helpful as Genie+ can be, there is a bit of a learning curve. Study up using our Genie+ guide and Disney's own overview before your visit. It's good to know which attractions participate in Genie+, how to reserve Lightning Lane access and how to make the most of the service.
• Plan for downtime: One of the biggest mistakes people make at Disney World is overscheduling their trip and leaving no time for rest and relaxation. If you are visiting for more than a few days, try and schedule a day away from the parks where you swim, explore the other resorts or just lounge around the hotel. It'll help rejuvenate you for the rest of your trip. For shorter trips, you may want to schedule a slow morning or return to your hotel early one day instead of being at the parks from opening to closing every day of your trip.

Read all of our best Disney World tips here .

Bottom line

There you have it — the ultimate guide to visiting Walt Disney World.

In addition to the planning and preparation you've now mastered, there are two very important things you must do during your Disney World vacation — don't overplan and have fun. It's much better to have a short list of "must-do" rides, restaurants and activities than to have a minute-by-minute itinerary that most certainly will not play out exactly how you planned.

Keeping a loose itinerary leaves room for magic moments like stumbling upon a favorite character, noticing a super-short line for a ride or deciding last-minute to watch a parade you happened upon. You can't do everything in one trip anyway, so do the things you can and save the rest for next time when you are a certified Disney pro.

FOR NO-COST-TO-YOU ASSISTANCE IN PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

Related reading:

• The best Disney World hotels for your stay
• The 21 most underrated things at Disney World: What to see, do and eat that many guests miss
• Forgetting to do this 1 thing could ruin your Disney trip
• Disney's take on timeshares: Guide to Disney Vacation Club
• 8 Walt Disney World experiences that don't require a park ticket

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Musings of a happy traveler

Florida , Itinerary , United States · May 21, 2020

Four Days in Walt Disney World

My husband and I are HUGE Disney fans. When we used to live in Los Angeles, Disneyland was our favorite place to visit every time we needed a little pick-me-up. We’ve always talked about going on a trip to Walt Disney World someday, so when the opportunity presented itself, we just had to go for it. And let me tell you guys, spending four days in Walt Disney World was everything that I thought it would be – magical and exciting!

How to prepare for your trip

What to bring:.

Comfortable shoes – You’re going to be on your feet for 12+ hours a day so make sure you wear something comfortable and with good support!

Sunscreen – Always protect yourself from the sun even on a cloudy day.

Rain jacket or poncho – It rained sporadically throughout our four days at Disney World. I’m glad we brought our ponchos or we would’ve been drenched.

Handheld fan – Since Florida is so hot and humid, this will help you cool down while you wait in line. Make sure you get the rechargeable one.

Reusable water bottle – Drinking water in the parks is free. If you want to save some money, bring a reusable water bottle that you can fill up almost anywhere (drinking fountains, restaurants and food stands).

Portable charger – Your phones (+ handheld fan) are gonna be working overtime throughout the day. From checking FastPass times and wait times to taking your insta stories, you need your phone ready to go.

FastPass+ is an electronic system that allows you to reserve rides at Disney World. Unlike Disneyland’s MaxPass, FastPass+ is free and is included with the cost of your park admission.If you book a room at one of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, you get to reserve rides or attractions 60 days in advance, which trust me helps a whole lot! Keep in mind that you can only make up to 3 reservations per park each day and the hours can’t overlap.

Another important thing to remember is that they divided the rides/attractions into “tiers”; from most popular to least popular rides. I will list down below the most popular rides that you need to use a FastPass on.

TIP: If you don’t see availability on some rides, just check everyday. Someone will eventually let go of their reservations and you can snatch them up for yourself. We actually didn’t have any FastPass reservations for Avatar until 15 days from our trip. We were prepared to rope drop and line up for 2+ hours.

MAGICBANDS:

MagicBands are collectible wristbands that you can use to enter the parks electronically, unlock your Disney Resort hotel room, gives you FastPass+ access and charge food/merchandise purchases to your hotel room. It’s waterproof and even customizable with your name and favorite color! Make sure you have it all set up before you arrive.

How to get around

Disney’s transportation system is reliable and easy. We only rented a car to get to Orlando from Ft. Lauderdale. From there, we dropped off our car at their very own rental car service station and took the shuttle to our hotel.

They have a wide array of complimentary transportations: bus, water taxis, monorail, aerial gondolas and motorcoach service to and from Orlando International airport and select Walt Disney World Resort hotels.

All Disney resorts have their own assigned shuttle bus outside each park. The lines do get long especially during peak hours but they try to get everyone back to their resorts as fast as they can.

GOOD TO KNOW: Complimentary Resort transportation begins 45 minutes prior to Disney theme park opening time and up to 1 hour after Disney theme park closing time.

Where to Stay

There are more than 25 Disney World hotels that you can choose from depending on your budget. We chose to stay at two hotels: Pop Century Resort and All-Star Movies Resort . Originally, we planned to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge but after talking it over and realizing we won’t be spending most of our time inside the hotel, we opted to stay at the value resorts.

Just to give you guys an idea of how much you can save if you book at one of the value resort hotels, Animal Kingdom Lodge is usually around $386 per night as opposed to the Pop Century Resort at $158 per night and All-Star Movies Resort at $119 a night. If you plan on being inside the parks most of the time, then I highly recommend the value resorts. They’re clean and have great amenities for everyone. (prices as of 03/2020)

Animal kingdom

If I had to pick my favorite Disney World park, it would be a toss up between Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. I really enjoyed the whole vibe of Animal Kingdom. The design and creative team behind this park deserves an applause because their artistry and attention to detail is truly remarkable. They really spared no expense when they created this park! Right when you pass the turnstiles, you are immediately transported to a jungle like oasis in the middle of Africa – that is if that jungle had food stalls and souvenir shops.

MUST RIDE: My absolute favorite ride in Animal Kingdom is… surprise, surprise – Avatar Flight of Passage. I was very excited when we got a FastPass to this ride because wait times usually take more than 2 hours. The ride was very immersive and colorful. If I could, I probably would’ve done it twice!

Another park favorite is the Na’vi River Journey. Although it’s not as thrilling as Flight of Passage, the bioluminescent rainforest will definitely leave you in awe. We loved it so much that we ended up going on it twice!

BEFORE YOU GO: I did have some reservations about this park because I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t some glorified zoo. I try to be more conscious about places that I visit so I did try to do some research to see if it’s ethical or not. From what I read, they do have high standards of animal care and that animal welfare is a big priority. But on the other hand, they do have a mixture of captive animals and rescue/rehabs. It’s always hard for me to see animals in enclosures so the only thing we did that involved animals was the Kilimanjaro Safaris. Personally, I think the park attractions and rides itself are interesting enough to hold their own without the animals. There might be less stuff to do but maybe they could just add more rides instead?

Rides/Things to do:

• Avatar Flight of Passage ( FastPass priority ! usually a 100+ minute wait)
• Navi River Journey ( FastPass priority ! usually a 80+ minute wait)
• Expedition Everest
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Kali River Rapids
• Rafikis Planet Watch

• Festival of the Lion King
• UP! A Great Bird Adventure
• Rivers of Light: We Are One
• Finding Nemo – The Musical

• Flame Tree BBQ $ (ribs, chicken and pulled pork sampler w/ baked beans and coleslaw)
• Satu’li Canteen $ (combination bowl: grilled beef and chicken OR chili-garlic shrimp bowl)
• Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafe $ (american kobe beef hot dog)
• Eight Spoon Cafe $ (baked macaroni & cheese w/ pulled pork OR shrimp & sweet chili sauce)
• Harambe Market $ (chicken or beef and lamb gyro)

magic kingdom

Magic Kingdom was such a nice surprise. I didn’t really expect to love it as much as I did. I thought it was going to be repetitive since most of the rides are pretty much the same as Disneyland’s but I couldn’t be more wrong. Although there are a lot of similarities between the two, Magic Kingdom has incredible shows you guys have to check out! One of my favorites was the Festival of Fantasy Parade. Not only did they have incredible floats and amazing performers, they also have a fire-breathing dragon! It was pretty cool to see it up close.

To end our night, we watched the Happily Ever After fireworks at Cinderella’s castle. It was so beautiful and magical that it nearly brought me to tears. It’s definitely one of my favorite moments during our time at Disney World.

MUST RIDE: Space Mountain will always be one of my favorite rides ever!

• Space Mountain ( FastPass priority! usually 80+ min wait)
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ( FastPass priority! usually 120+ min wait)
• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Railroad
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Jungle Cruise
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Haunted Mansion
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Under the Sea
• Buzz Lightyear
• It’s a Small World
• Festival of Fantasy Parade
• Happily Ever After Fireworks Showcase
• Once Upon A Time
• Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party

• Aloha Isle $ (dole whip soft-serve OR pineapple float)
• Caseys Corner $ (chili cheese all beef foot long hot dog)
• Pecos Bill Tall $ (fajita platter OR pork carnitas nachos)
• The Friar’s Nook $ (loaded buffalo chicken tots)
• Plaza Ice Cream Parlor $ (brownie sundae)
• Sleepy Hollow $ (sweet and spicy chicken waffle sandwich
• The Diamond Horseshoe $$-$$$ (smoked beef brisket sandwich OR cowboy macaroni OR barbecued pulled pork)
• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe $ (mickey cheeseburger)
• Columbia Harbour House $ (trio platter OR lobster roll)

Hollywood studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios reminds me a lot of Disney California Adventure. If Magic Kingdom is for kids, Hollywood Studios is definitely for adults. With the addition of two Star Wars rides, they now have some of the best rides at Disney World. My favorites are: Slinky Dog Dash, Rock n Roller, Twilight Tower of Terror and Smugglers Run. Don’t forget to also check out some of the shows inside the park, such as Frozen Sing Along and Voyage of the Little Mermaid, both equally fun and entertaining!

MUST RIDE: If you love fun and thrilling rides, Slinky Dog Dash is the crown jewel of Hollywood Studios.

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Slinky Dog Dash ( FastPass priority! usually 80+ min wait)
• Toy Story Mania
• Twilight Tower of Terror
• Aerosmith Rock n Roller
• Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run ( FastPass priority! usually 120+ min wait)
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ( FastPass priority! usually 120+ min wait)

• Voyage of the Little Mermaid
• Beauty and the Beast LIVE
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt
• Frozen Sing Along
• Wonderful World of Animation
• Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular

• Woody’s Lunch Box $ (bbq brisket melt and chocolate-hazelnut lunch box tart)
• Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo $$ (smoked kaadu pork ribs OR endorian fried chicken tip yip)
• Fairfax Fare $ (empanadas platter OR mojo pulled pork sandwich)
• Ronto Roasters $ (ronto wrap OR endorian chicken wrap)
• Neighborhood Bakery $ (num num cookie)
• PizzeRizzo $ (meat lover’s pizza)
• Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant $$ (sci-fi appetizer sampler, drive-in bbq burger OR pan-seared shrimp pasta)

We planned our trip to Epcot around the International Food and Wine Festival. We’ve been wanting to attend this event for years and we’re so happy it finally happened! It’s perfect for travelers and foodies alike because it showcases different cuisines from around the world. Food can get a little pricey especially if you end up going to every booth (we almost did) but in my opinion, it was totally worth it because almost every dish we tasted, highlighted the countries they represented.

In between bites, we ended up checking out the rest of the park. Although some of the rides are subpar and outdated compared to the other parks at Disney World, I did enjoy walking through the World Showcase. As a traveler, I loved that they incorporated different architectures and landscapes from around the world, transporting you from the streets of Paris to the temples of Japan. What Epcot lacks in exciting and thrilling rides, they certainly made up for it by celebrating community and culture through this innovative World Showcase attraction.

MUST RIDE: If there’s one ride that you guys have to do, it’s Test Track. You’ll get to design and test your own prototype vehicle. It’s very fun and immersive!

GOOD TO KNOW: Epcot is definitely due for an update! Not only are they adding a new and interactive pavilion, they are also getting two new rides: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

• Spaceship Earth
• Mission Space (not recommended if you’re claustrophobic or have motion sickness)
• Frozen Ever After
• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends
• Livin with the land
• Journey into imagination
• Meet and Greet with Baymax

• Food and Wine Festival
• Katsura Grill
• Restaurant Marrakesh
• Biergarten Restaurant
• Coral Reef Restaurant
• La Hacienda de San Angel
• Monsieur Paul
• Yorkshire County Fish Shop

Four days in Walt Disney World is a dream come true for any Disney fan like myself. I love that they cater not only to families but also to adults that are young at heart. Each park has something unique to offer and I highly recommend that you guys set aside some time to visit all four of them.

Planning to visit Walt Disney World? Pin for later!

Four days in walt disney world.

other florida related posts:

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• UNIVERSAL STUDIOS – THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER (HOGSMEADE)
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Four Days in Orlando: The Perfect Itinerary

By: Author Kim

Posted on Published: September 20, 2018  - Last updated: May 31, 2024

Sometimes you don’t need a week long vacation to relax and have fun. Which is a good thing because it can be nearly impossible to take off an entire week from our schedules. Thankfully, a long weekend can be great for building memories. Especially when you spend four days in Orlando!

When Spirit Airlines asked us to try out their brand new service from Asheville to one of three Florida cities (including Orlando), we were definitely interested! We fly back and forth between Asheville and Orlando a lot trying to keep in touch.

Yet the flight options hadn’t always been great before Spirit Airlines came to Asheville Regional Airport. Trust us. We know. We’ve been flying this route for over a decade. (Edit: Spirit Airlines no longer flies from Asheville, North Carolina)

Carrie, my nephew, and our Mom flew from their home in the Asheville, NC area to come see me in Orlando for a much needed vacation! We had so much fun, even though it was a short amount of time. Here’s our best tips on how to create a fun-filled Four Days in Orlando!

Table of Contents

Day One – Orlando – Pool Time and Shopping!

Spirit airlines from asheville to orlando.

My family flew on the very first flight from Asheville to Orlando on Spirit Airlines . There was still a lot of excitement in the air at Asheville Regional Airport, especially after the very first Spirit Airlines flight ever from the airport the day before.

And it was my nephew’s first flight that he could remember. The Spirit Airlines’ staff took such great care with him. The pilot even let him sit in the cockpit!

The morning flight meant that they could be in Orlando by lunch time, so we could still do a lot of fun things on the travel day.

After getting lots of cute photos from Carrie before getting on the flight (she texted me an adorable photo of the Spirit staff entertaining my three-year old nephew before his flight), I was anxious to meet them in the airport at MCO.

When my family walked out of security to meet me in Orlando International Airport , my nephew ran over to me and said “I went on a plane! It went fast!”

Oh, how I miss this kid! And I just want to see him more! With his Toy Story backpack and dinosaur hat and Hawaiian tourist shirt, my heart melted!

After I got some long-overdue hugs and kisses, my family couldn’t wait to tell me about their flight. Seriously, that never happens usually when I pick them up at the airport.

“That was the best flight ever!,” Carrie and mom said.

Which makes me feel good, because I was nervous how they’d like it. My family couldn’t stop raving about how comfortable the seats were, they had plenty of space and the flight was smooth and on time. In fact, Spirit Airlines is among the leaders in on time performance. Something that I appreciate both flying myself and waiting to pick someone up at the airport.

My mom especially loved that the pilot said the plane had only been in service for 30 days. That’s something that really impressed her. Spirit Airline’s Fit Fleet is one of the youngest in the United States.

Orlando International Airport Shopping

After grabbing lunch at MCO, we did a little shopping in the airport. Sounds strange, but it’s a great idea!

Orlando International Airport highlights everything that central Florida is known for. So it’s a great place to shop, because they have official stores from all of the major attractions, including:

• Walt Disney World
• Universal Orlando
• Kennedy Space Center

We had fun browsing the stores, especially stores from the destinations we wouldn’t be visiting. It’s a chance to buy cool souvenirs that you can’t find anywhere else. Plus, there are a lot of great photo ops!

Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort

Then we headed to check into our hotel, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort. Since I had already stayed here once before, I knew it would be a great place for our entire family. In fact, it’s one of my favorite hotels in all of Orlando. ( This Disney area hotel was my second choice, because I enjoyed it so much, too.)

As one of the Orlando hotels with a lazy river , my nephew could play in the pools, Carrie could enjoy poolside drinks, we didn’t have to worry about going out to dinner since there are several delicious restaurants, and our Mom could rest and relax in a beach chair or go shopping in the Universal Studios store.

Insider Tip: Florida resident deals are awesome at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort! That’s how we’ve afforded to enjoy this fun resort for less money! If someone in your party has a Florida driver’s license or owns property in Florida, be sure to use their Florida Resident Rates!

After a lengthy time waiting to check in (Tip: Don’t arrive at 3 p.m. with all of the other people checking in! Get there earlier or later to save some time), we finally got to our room, put up the luggage and went on a hunt for characters.

Did you know that Universal Studios has amazing characters – and they often appear in the lobby of Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort in the evening? It’s a great way to get photos without the lines in theme parks.

We were surprised to find only a couple families in line to meet a Minion. We’re used to waiting 15-30 minutes for character experiences elsewhere. My nephew loves Minions, so he was overjoyed. In fact, we stuck around to meet the Minion twice since there were no lines. It was great!

After getting up early for a flight, my family just wanted to rest and relax. So we went to the pool and played in the water until the sun went down.

And quite honestly, I think we need to do more of that for fun family vacations. Just time to chill and relax by the pool without a crazy itinerary. Be sure to schedule in some hours where you can do what you feel like doing, whether it’s pool time, taking a much needed nap or enjoying a coffee while people watching.

Day Two – Orlando – Disney World

Orlando visits almost always involve a theme park, right?

And there are so many to chose from, including Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld.

We chose to go to Disney World for Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. This annual event is one of the most anticipated festivals at all of the theme parks. And it’s delicious, too!

If it wasn’t Epcot Food and Wine Festival time, then we might have headed over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see Toy Story Land again ( here’s our favorite tips and tricks for Disney’s newest land and a brand new way to enjoy Toy Story Land without crowds !).

There’s so much to do at any Disney theme park. Especially for Food and Wine Festival. It deserves a post all its own. So check out our recap of all of the food and drinks we enjoyed in our Guide of How to Survive Epcot Food and Wine Festival with Kids .

Before any Disney World theme park visit, these are the tips and tricks we use to save time, save money, save our sanity, and keep cool:

• 9 Best Water Bottles for Disney World
• Best Disney World Transportation Tips
• Best Shoes for Disney World

Day Three – Orlando – Universal CityWalk and Disney Springs

Universal citywalk.

One of the benefits of staying at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort is being able to walk or take boat transportation to Universal’s CityWalk.

It’s paid parking to go to CityWalk during the day, and at night I really don’t feel like battling the crowds. So the chance to enjoy this Universal Orlando benefit is fun!

We took a boat to Universal CityWalk (hop on the boat at Sapphire Falls resort just across from Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort). Then it was a leisurely stroll around the shopping and dining complex.

The interesting thing about Universal CityWalk is that there are so many different types of stores that sell nothing related to theme park merchandise. There is one store for Universal Orlando souvenirs. But the other stores really are independent brands which makes shopping unique and different.

You’ll be strolling by the entrances to Universal Orlando’s two theme parks, too. Which means fun photo ops, even if you’re not going into the theme parks.

Lunch was at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen . If you’ve never been in this crazy restaurant, you’ve GOT to try it!

Yes, it’s a restaurant. The name sounds like a chocolate factory, but there’s a full menu of delicious foods, including appetizers, brunch, entrees, salads, and more. The portions are huge, and they truly are delicious.

Of course, you can’t go to The Chocolate Emporium without getting one of their huge milkshakes (you get to keep the plastic glass!) or sundaes! These sweet treats are a meal in itself. So make plans to share!

Disney Springs

Our afternoon included a visit to Disney Springs to get our Disney souvenir fix. Parking is free at Disney Springs and there are so many more stores and entertainment options to enjoy compared to Universal CityWalk.

Plus, Carrie checked a bag on their flight. Which allowed her to buy as much as she wanted (well, within reason!) since she had room in the luggage. Spirit Airlines allows you to pay for options that you chose, such as extra bags. Usually we save money by not opting to pay for luggage. But this vacation was different. It’s nice to have a choice to customize your travel options and pay for what you want and need for each individual trip.

Carrie and I headed to Amorette’s for mimosas. Nothing like shopping and strolling while drinking champagne 😉

A stop in Uniqlo gave us all a chance to spin a prize wheel (just like on The Price is Right !). We only won free candy, but had fun nonetheless. And it’s a GREAT place to score Disney clothing for great prices! Seriously great prices!!

We could have spent all night in Disney Springs. Seriously. But with a storm heading in, we went back to the resort to hunker down and enjoy some comfort food in the diner as the rain poured down.

The diner at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort is so fun because you can watch old-timey 1950s commercials and cartoons while you eat. It’s like being in a drive-thru movie!

Day Four – Pool Time, Shopping and Heading Home

Universal’s cabana bay beach resort pools.

What do you do on the day that you have to fly back home? Usually pout, right?

Thankfully, the flight back to Asheville on Spirit Airlines was around dinner time. Which meant we had a good part of the day to enjoy being together.

A late check out time (after we called to see if we could get an extension – and we did!) meant that we spent a few more hours in the pool.

Early morning pool visits are always so nice. There’s few people in the pool because they are all at the theme parks. And the heat hasn’t built up to being too intense yet.

We loved Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort’s pools because they have sand. Which means that it feels more like a beach. And there are two distinct pools on separate sides of the resort. So plenty of space for everyone.

My nephew had just as much fun building sand castles as jumping in the pool.

After a stop at Target at Mall of Millenia (sadly we didn’t even buy anything – how is that physically possible?), we headed back to the airport. Orlando International Airport is so much more convenient to get to from the theme park attractions area.

Flying from MCO to Asheville on Spirit Airlines

Everyone got checked in, the Spirit Airlines’ employee was patient as my nephew say “bye bye” to the checked bags, and we headed back to the shopping and dining area to grab an early dinner. With Spirit’s A La Smarte option, you can choose to pay for refreshments on board or not. So my family chose to get what they wanted before boarding the flight.

Of course, Carrie took one last look in the theme park shops (to pick up those little gifts that we didn’t get at the theme parks)! 😉

Important Tip: Orlando International Airport (MCO) is a super busy airport. It’s the 11th busiest in the United States. Which means it can have long lines. Be sure to allow PLENTY of time to go through TSA checkpoint. There was a delay in my family’s line (everyone else seemed to be moving through security fast) and it took them a very long time to get through. They raced to the gate and were the next to the last guests on the flight. So BE SURE to give yourself plenty of time to get through security and get onboard the tram that takes you from security to the gates.

My family said it was another great flight on Spirit Airlines heading back home to Asheville. The crew was nice and the flight left on time.

Have to say, we are all so impressed with Spirit Airlines as an affordable, reliable and comfortable way to fly back and forth between Florida and North Carolina. My family is definitely sold on the convenience of getting between Asheville to Orlando in less than two hours. And the unbundled fares mean we can afford to travel more often.

I fly from Orlando, and I’m impressed with all of the routes and destinations that Spirit Airlines has from MCO. I’ve flown on Spirit Airlines to Atlantic City, New Jersey once a few years ago. And I really enjoyed my flight then. Of course, I paid extra for the Big Blue Seat® and it was totally a great upgrade!

So I’m excited about seeing what other routes I can enjoy with direct service from Orlando (Spirit Airlines flies to 67 destinations in the United States, Caribbean and Central and South America). See if you can enjoy a convenient flight on Spirit Airlines by checking their route maps now.

In fact, I’m so excited about this new route from Asheville to Orlando that I’m ready to join the $9 Fare Club (it costs a nominal fee to join, but the rewards are pretty sweet). I’m already a member of the complimentary FREE Spirit frequent flier program, which lets you earn rewards for miles flown and select purchases with other travel and dining partners.

I can even get more work done while flying back and forth on the plane thanks to Spirit Airlines’ new Wi-Fi on planes soon. Which means more time having fun with my family and less time having to keep up with work when I’m there.

Related Post: What to Carry on a Plane

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FindingHappyinHealthy

Thursday 27th of September 2018

What a great post! That is so cool that you have a direct flight home (both homes ;-) ). And what adorable pictures of your nephew!

Friday 28th of September 2018

We are so happy! And this itinerary was so nice! A little bit of everything that's fun in Orlando!

Disney World Itinerary: The Perfect Plan for Your Family Trip

By: Author David Reeve

Posted on July 1, 2023

Imagine the perfect Disney World itinerary for your family vacation at Walt Disney World, where every day offers a new adventure and unforgettable memories.

What if I told you that it’s possible to experience the best of Disney World in just 5 days?

Well, I’m an Orlando local with a lot of Disney World experience under my belt. And I’m here to help you out.

My meticulously crafted itinerary will guide you through the magic of all four Disney World parks, plus a relaxing day at a water park, ensuring that you and your family make the most of every enchanting moment.

Ready to embark on the ultimate Disney World adventure?

Let’s dive in!

Short Summary

• Embark on a magical Disney World adventure with thrilling attractions, character meet-and-greets and unforgettable memories!
• Explore Future World, the African Safari at Animal Kingdom and classic Hollywood Studios attractions for an incredible experience.
• Relaxation spots, delicious dining options & transportation tips help make your family’s vacation perfect!

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Day 1: Magic Kingdom Adventure

There’s no better place to start your Disney World adventure than at the iconic Magic Kingdom. Filled with classic Disney attractions, mouth-watering snacks, and loads of character meet-and-greets, Magic Kingdom offers a magical experience for all ages.

Begin your day with a visit to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, one of the most popular attractions in the park. As the day unfolds, make sure to check the wait times in the My Disney Experience app and take advantage of Disney Genie+ for the optimal experience.

Morning Attractions

As you step through the entrance gate of Magic Kingdom, the excitement begins! Head straight to Discovery Island and marvel at the park’s iconic Tree of Life. With the morning sun shining bright, take a spin on Tomorrowland classics like the PeopleMover and Astro Orbiter.

When you’re ready for a break from the heat, explore the incredible indoor shows at Magic Kingdom, such as Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Hall of Presidents, Country Bear Jamboree, and Carousel of Progress.

Remember, planning is key to making the most of your time at Magic Kingdom, so use Genie+ to buy Lightning Lanes and maximize your morning fun.

Afternoon Thrills

As the afternoon unfolds, don’t miss out on Magic Kingdom’s thrilling attractions like Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Experience the spine-tingling adventures of Haunted Mansion, soar away to Neverland on Peter Pan’s Flight, take a flight on Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and take a thrilling mine car ride on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

Remember to stay cool and hydrated, and don’t forget to capture those magical moments with your favorite Disney pals.

Evening Entertainment

As the sun sets on your first day at Magic Kingdom, prepare to be dazzled by the evening entertainment. Character meet-and-greets, the spectacular Festival of Fantasy parade, the awe-inspiring Happily Ever After fireworks, and the magical Cinderella’s Royal Table are all waiting to enchant you.

Indulge in savory spring rolls, regular and specialty Dole whips, and corn dog nuggets with plastic cheese as you explore the park at night. The magic of Disney World comes alive at night, so be sure to soak in every unforgettable moment.

Day 2: Exploring Epcot

On Day 2, it’s time to journey into the realms of imagination and innovation at Epcot. With Future World’s exhilarating attractions and the World Showcase’s cultural experiences, Epcot offers a unique blend of entertainment and education for visitors of all ages.

From the breathtaking Soarin’ to the exhilarating Test Track, you’ll discover a world of excitement at every turn.

Future World Adventures

Epcot’s Future World is home to some of Disney World’s most thrilling attractions. Experience the adrenaline rush of Soarin’ Around the World, the high-speed action of Test Track, and the captivating journey of Spaceship Earth.

For the more daring, take on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – a thrilling backwards launch with 360-degree vehicle turns and a unique soundtrack that’s random every time you ride.

Be sure to make the most of your time in Future World by utilizing Genie+ to access Lightning Lanes for popular attractions.

World Showcase Exploration

The World Showcase at Epcot invites you to embark on a fascinating exploration of 11 pavilions representing different countries around the world. Be sure to experience Frozen Ever After in the Norway Pavilion, a thrilling family boat ride featuring your favorite characters from Frozen.

As you wander from pavilion to pavilion, take time to uncover the unique side exhibits and galleries that act as a mini self-guided tour through each country’s history and current culture. Don’t forget to indulge in a variety of delectable dining options, including the Rose & Crown Pub in the United Kingdom, La Crêperie de Paris in France, and Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar in Italy.

Nighttime Spectacular

Finish your day at Epcot with the mesmerizing nighttime show, Harmonious. This awe-inspiring performance combines global influences, incredible special effects, and breathtaking fireworks to create a truly unforgettable experience.

For the best views, head to the front of the World Showcase, between the Mexico and Canada Pavilions. As the night sky lights up with dazzling colors and classic Disney songs, you’ll be reminded of the magic that only Disney World can create.

Day 3: Animal Kingdom Safari

Day 3 takes you on an African safari adventure at Animal Kingdom, where you’ll encounter exotic animals, lush landscapes, and thrilling attractions. Start your day with a visit to Pandora – The World of Avatar, and then head to Kilimanjaro Safaris for an up-close encounter with the wildlife of the African savanna.

Experience the sights and sounds of the African savanna, and get a chance to see some of the most iconic animals in the world, including giraffes, elephants, zebras, and more. Enjoy the thrill of the thrill.

Pandora – The World of Avatar

Step into the breathtaking world of Pandora – The World of Avatar, where you’ll find two awe-inspiring attractions: the tranquil Na’vi River Journey and the exhilarating Flight of Passage. Be sure to take advantage of the a la carte selections for a Lightning Lane for Flight of Passage, as they’re not available with the regular Genie+ choices.

As you explore the bioluminescent landscape, you’ll feel as if you’ve been transported to another world.

African Safari

Next, embark on an unforgettable African Safari at Kilimanjaro Safaris. This 20-minute adventure takes you across an expansive savanna, where you’ll encounter a variety of incredible animals. The best time to experience Kilimanjaro Safaris is during a light rain, when many animals are most active.

After your safari, explore the walking trails such as the Maharajah Jungle Trek and the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail to see even more amazing animals up close.

Asia and Dinoland U.S.A.

Continue your adventure in Asia, where you’ll find thrilling rides like Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids. Be prepared to get soaked on the exhilarating Kali River Rapids, or take on the heart-pounding Expedition Everest roller coaster for a different kind of thrill.

In Dinoland U.S.A., step back in time to experience the prehistoric world on the exciting Dinosaur ride. Animal Kingdom offers a unique blend of excitement and exploration that you won’t find in any other Disney park.

Day 4: Hollywood Studios Action

On Day 4, it’s time for some Hollywood Studios action. This action-packed park is home to Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and classic attractions like the Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

Get ready for a day filled with excitement, adventure, and a touch of Hollywood magic.

Toy Story Land

Venture into the world of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and all your favorite Toy Story characters at Toy Story Land. Here, you’ll find two exciting rides: Toy Story Mania and the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster. Be sure to arrive early and head straight for Slinky Dog Dash, as wait times can get quite intense.

Toy Story Land is a fantastic place for both kids and kids-at-heart, with larger-than-life decorations and plenty of photo opportunities.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Next, step into a galaxy far, far away at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Here, you can pilot the Millennium Falcon on Smugglers Run, join the Resistance on the thrilling Rise of the Resistance ride, and immerse yourself in the intergalactic world of Star Wars.

Be sure to plan ahead and aim for the best ride-throughs, as this immersive land is incredibly popular.

Classic Attractions

Don’t forget to experience the classic attractions that make Hollywood Studios a must-visit park. Plunge into the Twilight Zone on the Tower of Terror, race through the streets of Los Angeles on the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and journey to a galaxy far, far away on Star Tours.

With so much action and adventure, Hollywood Studios is sure to leave you starstruck.

Day 5: Water Park Fun

After four action-packed days, it’s time to unwind and enjoy a day of relaxation at one of Disney World’s water parks. With thrilling attractions, serene relaxation spots, and delicious dining options, a day at a water park is the perfect way to recharge before continuing your Disney World adventure.

Attractions and Slides

Whether you’re visiting Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach, you’ll find a variety of attractions and slides that cater to all ages and thrill levels. From family-style raft rides to adrenaline-pumping waterslides and wave pools, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Remember to follow safety guidelines and keep an eye on little ones, as water park attractions can sometimes be intense.

Relaxation Spots

When you’re ready for some downtime, Disney’s water parks offer a range of relaxation spots, such as hot tubs and spas. Find a comfortable lounge chair on a sandy beach or float along a lazy river, soaking in the sun and the soothing sounds of the water.

These serene spots provide the perfect opportunity to recharge and reflect on your Disney World adventure so far.

Dining Options

A day at a water park wouldn’t be complete without some delicious dining options. Both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach offer a range of quick-service restaurants, snack stands, and even full-service dining options.

From classic theme park fare like burgers and hot dogs to more unique options like tropical-inspired dishes, there’s something to satisfy every craving.

Transportation Tips

Navigating the vast expanse of Disney World can be a little overwhelming, but with the right transportation tips, you’ll be able to move between parks and resorts with ease. From buses and monorails to boats and the Skyliner gondola ride, Disney World offers a variety of transportation options to help you make the most of your vacation.

Whether you’re looking for a quick way to get from one park to another or a leisurely ride to your resort, there’s a transportation option that’s perfect for you. With a little planning, you can make the most of your time in Disney World.

The Disney bus service is a convenient and efficient way to travel between the parks, Disney Resort hotels , and the Disney Springs area. Buses run approximately every 20 minutes, ensuring that you’ll never have to wait too long to get to your destination.

Be sure to allow for some extra travel time, especially during peak hours, and remember to check the bus schedules in the Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date information.

The monorail system is another fantastic transportation option at Disney World, providing a unique and scenic way to travel between the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and select Disney Resort hotels. With three different routes to choose from, the monorail offers a convenient and enjoyable way to explore the resort.

Be sure to take advantage of this iconic mode of transportation during your Disney World vacation.

Boats and Skyliner

For a more leisurely journey, consider taking a boat ride between select Disney parks and resorts. The water taxis offer a relaxing and scenic way to travel, providing a unique perspective on the resort’s beautiful landscapes.

In addition, the Skyliner gondola ride offers a thrilling bird’s-eye view of the resort as you soar between Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and several Disney Resort hotels. No matter which mode of transportation you choose, you’re sure to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

Accommodations and Dining

With so many exciting experiences to be had at Disney World, it’s important to choose the right accommodations and dining options for your family. From luxurious Disney Resort hotels to memorable character dining experiences , there’s something to suit every budget and preference .

Choosing a Resort

When planning your Disney World vacation , consider the three tiers of resorts available: Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. Each tier offers a range of accommodations , from standard rooms and suites to extravagant villas and cozy cabins.

Choosing a Disney Resort hotel allows you to take advantage of the many exciting amenities and services offered, such as convenient transportation, delicious dining, and thrilling entertainment.

Character Dining

For a truly unforgettable dining experience, consider booking a character dining experience at one of Disney World’s many restaurants. Character dining allows you to come face-to-face with some of your beloved Disney characters while savoring a delectable meal. Options include Chef Mickey’s, Tusker House, Hollywood and Vine, and the Garden Grill, to name just a few.

Be sure to book dining reservations well in advance, as character dining experiences are extremely popular and can fill up quickly.

Quick Service and Snack Options

In addition to table service restaurants and character dining, Disney World offers a wide range of quick service and snack options to satisfy your cravings throughout the day. From classic theme park fare like burgers and hot dogs to more unique options like cultural cuisine and specialty treats, there’s something to satisfy every palate.

Be sure to try some of the must-have snacks at Disney World, such as Dole Whip, Mickey-shaped pretzels, and churros.

Additional Experiences

Beyond the four main theme parks and water parks, Disney World offers even more exciting experiences for you to discover. From the vibrant shopping, dining, and entertainment complex of Disney Springs to special events and festivals throughout the year, there’s always something new and exciting to explore at Disney World.

Disney Springs

Disney Springs is a must-visit destination during your Disney World vacation. This bustling shopping, dining, and entertainment area offers a unique experience away from the parks, with no admission fee required. Browse an array of shops, enjoy a delicious meal at one of the many restaurants, or catch a live performance at one of the entertainment venues.

Don’t forget to stop by World of Disney, the largest Disney merchandise store in the world, for the perfect souvenir to remember your trip.

Special Events and Festivals

Throughout the year, Disney World hosts a variety of special events and festivals that offer unique experiences for guests. From the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival to the Food and Wine Classic, there’s always something new and exciting happening at Disney World.

Be sure to check the event calendars when planning your trip to see what special events might be taking place during your visit.

Disney World Itinerary for [currentyear]: My Parting Words

My Disney World itinerary has taken you on a magical journey through the four theme parks, a relaxing day at a water park, and a variety of additional experiences at Disney Springs and special events. By following this carefully crafted plan, you’ll be able to make the most of your time at Disney World, ensuring that you and your family create memories that will last a lifetime.

So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your perfect Disney World vacation today and get ready to experience the magic, adventure, and unforgettable moments that only Disney World can offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 7 days at disney world too much.

Disney World is the ultimate vacation destination, so going for 7 days will ensure you don’t miss out on any of its exciting activities. You’ll get enough time to explore all the rides and attractions and make magical memories that will last a lifetime.

Spending 7 days at Disney World will certainly be an unforgettable experience!

Is 10 days at Disney World too much?

It really depends on what you want to do at Disney World. Ten days is plenty of time to experience the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios, but if you want to truly immerse yourself in all that Disney has to offer, it may not be enough.

Enjoy your time and create magical moments!

How to do all 4 Disney parks in one day?

Experience all four Disney parks in one day by making a park reservation and utilizing the 2:00 pm park hopping time. Take full advantage of your ‘home’ park before you move on to exploring the other three.

With careful planning, you can conquer all of them in a single day!

Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Hollywood Studios EPCOT Magic Kingdom Planning Tips

How to do disney in 4 days.

The Walt Disney World property covers 42 square miles of land . It is equal to the size of the city of San Francisco. There is so much to do, even if you are there for a month there is no way to cover absolutely everything. But you would be surprised how much you can fit in just a 4-day trip!

Booking shorter trips makes it more economical and provides more flexibility on when you can go. A long weekend is much more manageable than a week-long trip. Here are a few tips on how to make a Disney vacation work in just four days!

Travel in the evening

To start your trip, take an evening flight from home to Orlando. This way, you won’t have to take the entire day off of work or school. It will give you a chance to get checked in and settled so you can get to the parks right at opening on your first full day. Plus you won’t have to worry about waiting for your room to be ready.

At the end of your trip, take a later flight! It gives you all day to get a few more attractions in, or do some last-minute shopping. You can leave your bags with the front desk of your resort so you don’t have to lug them around all day.

Take advantage of early entry

When you stay at a Disney resort you get a 30-minute head start in the theme parks every day. The morning hours are CRUCIAL to the efficiency of a Disney vacation. The largest crowds come in around 10 a.m. so it is possible to get a large chunk of rides done first thing in the morning.

Do EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom on the same day

In terms of the number of rides, these two parks have the least amount. Since Animal Kingdom closes earlier , start your day there! It’s best to start in the back of the park, so head to Expedition Everest, grab some breakfast, go on Kilimanjaro Safaris, and then fill in whatever else suits your fancy.

This is also a great opportunity for the family to go back to the hotel for a little rest before closing the night out with some fun at EPCOT. The dining here is some of the best, and the fireworks show at night is one you shouldn’t miss!

One day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

This park has really progressed over the years. What used to be a half-day park has turned into a spot that can fill your entire day! I can’t emphasize this enough – get there before the park opens! This will be essential to get everything done here. Decide which attractions are most important to you and do those first. Lightning Lane reservations are highly recommended for this park, but you may not need to buy Genie+ for the whole day. Pick and choose the individual rides that are most important to you. And be sure to see Fantasmic! at the end of your day!

One day for Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom has the most rides out of all of the parks, and usually tends to close the latest. Early Entry provides access to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, so start knocking out rides in Fantasyland right away. These are the rides that have the longest lines for the shortest rides. Plus the rides are close together, so doing this land first will be the most beneficial. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan’s Flight tend to have the longest lines through the day. Try to get these done right away!

After that, head over to the far West side of the park, Frontierland. When the regular park hours start, most people head over to Tomorrowland first, so this side of the park stays pretty empty for a few hours. During the parade is the best time to hit Space Mountain.

If it will be beneficial for the group, there is plenty of time to go back for some rest in the middle of the day. The evening hours in the park after the fireworks is another time to knock out lots of rides with short waits! BE SURE to hit Big Thunder Mountain when it is dark outside. It is my favorite rollercoaster, and doing it in the dark is a fully different experience.

Another big Magic Kingdom tip is to try and do it on a weekday! The weekends usually end up showing the largest crowds here. This tactic could save you a lot of time and stress.

Set priorities

I would HIGHLY recommend not planning out every single minute of every day. Trying to hit every mark on time creates more stress than needed. Prioritize what is most important for the trip. Is it rides? New ones? Hitting classic family favorites? Is it spending more time at an EPCOT festival tasting food and drink around World Showcase? Only your family knows what is best. Build your trip around what is most important and it will be successful no matter what!

To recap: late-evening travel is best , take advantage of early morning and late evening hours at the parks, it’s okay to rest in the middle of the day, and most important – you will have fun no matter what! You will not be able to fit everything into such a short trip, but that isn’t the point! It’s important to go and make family memories.

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Here’s How to Plan Out Your Day at All Four Disney World Parks!

A vacation to Walt Disney World takes a lot of planning, organization, and patience! Don’t fret. We’re here to help!

We created in-depth itineraries for all four Disney World theme parks to get your adventures started. That way, you can spend less time planning and more time getting excited about your vacation! Haven’t visited Disney World in a while? We can help you too! A lot of things have changed since the parks reopened and implemented new health and safety guidelines . Our updated itineraries reflect some of these changes!

There’s a lot to cover at each of the four Disney World parks. Each itinerary will give you an idea of the best restaurants, attractions, and events that you might consider checking out. While you may not get to everything on each itinerary, it will definitely help get your plans in motion!

Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is you’ll find classic Disney attractions, iconic snacks, and loads of Disney characters.

For many guests, this is the most magical theme park at Disney World! Here are some of our favorite must-do’s at Magic Kingdom.

Check out the Magic Kingdom Itinerary here!

EPCOT  is a haven for unique food and drinks inspired by countries from all over the world.

It’s also home to some awesome attractions! You’ll need to know where to go, eat, and play at this park. Here’s our plan of attack for Disney World’s EPCOT!

Check out the EPCOT Itinerary here!

Disney’s hollywood studios.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge changed the game when planning a trip to Hollywood Studios.

The popularity of the new land and hard-to-get boarding pass for Rise of the Resistance makes it fairly difficult to navigate. You’ll need a rock-solid plan when visiting Hollywood Studios!

Check out the Hollywood Studios Itinerary here!

Disney’s animal kingdom.

Animal Kingdom is home to the breathtaking Pandora – The World of Avatar attractions and LOTS of furry animal friends!

You’ll need to know how to fit in the most popular ride, Flight of Passage , and still have time to visit the animals. We put together a plan that should help you experience most of the attractions and exhibits.

Check out the Animal Kingdom Itinerary here!

We hope our itineraries help you get started on planning your awesome vacation to Disney World! Hopefully, some of these ideas take some stress away from the process. Feel free to leave any questions you have about your upcoming vacation in the comments below!

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Have questions about visiting Disney World? Drop them in the comments below!

Join the AllEars.net Newsletter  to stay on top of ALL the breaking Disney News! You'll also get access to AllEars tips, reviews, trivia, and MORE! Click here to Subscribe!

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Here’s How To Visit All 4 Disney World Theme Parks In 1 Day

A theme park writer shares her “four-park challenge” tips and hacks.

The most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World, covers over 25,000 acres in Central Florida. The house of Mickey Mouse is not only home to the adorable characters of our childhood, but also four different theme parks — Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. For the true Disney connoisseur, the happiest visit can be accomplished by visiting each and every park. However, considering current restrictions mean you can’t park hop until the afternoon, you might be wondering how to do all four Disney World theme parks in one day — and if it’s even possible.

Known as “the four-park challenge,” this popular feat for Disney fans requires the ambitious guest to ride at least one attraction and eat one snack in each park. While the current regulations, which restrict you from park hopping until 2 p.m., make it a little harder to accomplish, I’m a theme park writer who visits Walt Disney World once a month with my family, and I’ve come up with some Disney insider tips and tricks — as well as an itinerary — that helps me hit all four parks during my visits.

Are you up for the challenge? Armed with a little faith, truth, pixie dust (and comfortable shoes), you can visit all four Disney theme parks in one day. But first, you’re going to want to get familiar with some key Disney lingo to help you navigate your magical day.

The Disney Dictionary

• Park Reservations: Walt Disney World requires advanced park reservations for your visit. After purchasing your park tickets, you’ll have to reserve a starting park for each day of your vacation.
• Park Hopping: This is Disney speak for starting at one theme park and then visiting another in the same day. At Walt Disney World, guests can park hop to the next park beginning at 2 p.m. After that, they are free to visit the other parks.
• Disney Genie+: This paid service replaced the former FastPass system. Disney Genie+ allows guests to book time slots for expedited access to select attractions beginning at 7 a.m. on the day of visit for resort guests and every 2 hours or after checking into current selection.
• Lightning Lane: This is the expedited line used to enter the attraction. You can access the Lightning Lane for most attractions via Disney Genie+ but certain high demand attractions are surcharged and available on an a la carte basis.
• Virtual Queue: Disney World’s newest attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind , can be accessed through a virtual queue for free or by purchasing an a la carte Lighting Lane. Within the Disney mobile app, guests can enter the virtual queue at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.. Disney Deluxe resort guests will have a third opportunity to access the virtual queue at 6 p.m.
• Advanced Dining Reservations: Guests can make advanced dining reservations up to 60 days in advance. Last minute available tables are able to be reserved via a walk-up feature in the Disney app.

Now that we’ve gotten the basics over, let’s dive into how you and your unwavering enthusiasm can successfully complete the four-park challenge. In addition to a list of the must-dos in each park, I’ll be sharing some attractions and food offerings you can skip if you’re crunched on time. After all, Walt Disney World is literally a world and while you won’t cover everything in one day, this schedule offers a nice taste of the very best it has to offer.

How To Do All Four Disney Theme Parks In 1 Day

12 a.m.: Yes, you’re on vacation, but the makings of your magical day begin as soon as the clock strikes midnight. And no, you won’t turn into a pumpkin. This is when guests can purchase the Disney Genie+ service. It is subject to availability, so it is highly recommended to purchase thhis immediately when it becomes available.

7 a.m.: It’s go time, and those without the fastest fingers will be left behind. This is when Disney resort guests can begin booking attractions via Disney Genie+ as well as individual lightning lanes. Keep in mind that the first virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is only available for guests starting at EPCOT.

Morning: Begin your day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. After snacking on a breakfast Ronto wrap from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, it’s time to knock out some of the most sought-after Disney park attractions. Here, you can use Disney Genie+ service to experience in-demand attractions, like Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, while also using traditional standby queues for attractions with shorter ride times.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Must-Do Attractions:

• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Must Eats:

• Ronto Roasters’ Ronto wraps
• BaseLine Tap House’s charcuterie board and pretzel
• Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge’s signature cobb salad and grapefruit cake

Things To Skip At Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
• Hollywood & Dine
• Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano

Lunch: The Florida sun is no joke, and since you have a long day ahead of you, it’s wise to take a moment to recharge with a sit-down lunch. Most of the table service options at Disney’s Hollywood Studios leave much to be desired but there are some delicious options for those in the know. Use the app’s walk-up feature to reserve a table at The Brown Derby Lounge or enjoy the casual vibes and standout food and beverage offerings at BaseLine Tap House (get the beer flight). As you’re making your Disney Genie+ reservations, begin considering attractions for the late afternoon and evening at the other theme parks.

1 p.m.: Join the virtual queue for EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

1:30 p.m.: With park hopping opening shortly, use Disney Parks bus transportation to visit your second park of the day, Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

2 p.m.: Start at Jambo from Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Here, you can explore the illuminating world of Pandora ­– The World of Avatar, ride the steel roller coaster Expedition Everest using the single rider lane, and snack on globally-inspired bites. After experiencing Avatar Flight on Passage using Lightning Lane, a ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris provides breathtaking views of Disney’s largest theme park and the thousands of live animals that call it home.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Must Do Attractions:

• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Avatar Flight of Passage
• Expedition Everest

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Must Eats:

• Nomad Lounge’s gluten free churros
• Satu’li Canteen’s fire-grilled meat bowls and cheeseburger pods
• Eight Spoon Café’s pulled pork mac and cheese

Things To Skip At Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

• Kali River Rapids
• It’s Tough to be a Bug!

4 p.m.: Use Disney Parks bus transportation to visit your third park of the day, EPCOT. Experience Disney World’s newest attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and classic attractions, like Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land. Instead of reserving a sit-down meal, snack (and drink!) around World Showcase pavilions or take part in one of the park’s food and wine festivals.

EPCOT Must Do Attractions:

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Frozen Ever After
• Spaceship Earth

EPCOT Must Eats:

• La Cava Del Tequila’s avocado margarita
• Spice Road Table’s hummus fries
• Les Halle Boulangerie-Patisserie’s pastries

Things To Skip At EPCOT:

• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Mission: SPACE

7 p.m.: At the main entrance of EPCOT, hop aboard the highway of the sky, the iconic monorail, to venture to your fourth and final park of the day, Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park. Ride classic attractions, like Space Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean, before enjoying their new nighttime spectacular, Disney Enchantment. Snack on DOLE Whip or enjoy small plates from Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen by snagging a last-minute table through the mobile app’s walk-up function.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom Must Do Attractions:

• Space Mountain
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• The Haunted Mansion

Disney’s Magic Kingdom Must Eats:

• Aloha Isle’s coconut pineapple swirl DOLE Whip
• Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen’s secret menu Pao de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread)
• Sleepy Hollow’s fresh fruit and Nutella waffle sandwich

Things To Skip At Disney’s Magic Kingdom:

• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Casey’s Corner
• Be Our Guest

Late: Following fireworks, take the monorail to one of Magic Kingdom’s surrounding resorts along the Seven Seas Lagoon. Throw back a tiki concoction at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Grog Grotto or enjoy a glass of wine from the Beauty and the Beast -themed Enchanted Rose Lounge. You’ve earned it.

Four-Park Challenge Tips:

• Stay hydrated by bringing a reusable water bottle with you. There are free water refilling stations in all theme parks.
• A portable phone charger will be your new best friend. A successful Disney day relies heavily on using the mobile app, which unfortunately is a battery drainer.
• Don’t get caught up in trying to ride every attraction possible. Disney is so much more than just rides — expand your palate with a new-to-you snack or take in a show inside an air-conditioned theater.

This article was originally published on 05.28.22

Disney World Crowd Calendar

Our Disney World Crowd Calendar helps you find the best times to visit Disney’s theme parks in 2024 and 2025. Lower crowd levels mean less time waiting in line and more time enjoying your vacation. Walt Disney World crowds fluctuate throughout the year, so it’s really important to choose your dates carefully.

We’ve designed our crowd calendar to show you just how crowded Disney’s theme parks will be each day of the calendar year.  We predict Disney’s theme park attendance for the next 12 months so that you’ll be able to narrow down the months, weeks, and days of your next vacation. Our Disney crowd calendar updates on a monthly basis and currently features the remainder of 2024 and portions of 2025. Check back frequently!

How do we forecast the crowds at Disney World? Our methodology tracks past attendance data in order to predict future crowds at Disney’s four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. Hopefully, these estimates will help you focus on the dates that best suit your Disney vacation goals in the coming year. So let’s begin!

Want Free Help Deciding When To Travel? Get Personalized advice from Our Favorite Disney Travel Agency!

• Magic Kingdom » [3]
• Epcot » [3]
• Hollywood Studios » [4]
• Animal Kingdom » [3]
• Epcot » [4]
• Animal Kingdom » [4]

Calendar updated through May 2025

* Guests ages three and up with certain ticket types may be required to have a park reservation in addition to valid admission for the same park.

** Advance Dining Reservations become available to book starting at 6 AM on the date indicated.

***  COVID-19: Face coverings are optional for Guests, but are not allowed while Guests are in the water or on water slides.

The Disney World Crowd Calendar provides information on crowd sizes, updated information regarding the average daily temperature ranges for Orlando, and when you are eligible to make your Advance Dining Reservations. Let’s review some background information so that you understand how our crowd calendar is organized.

We trust the Travel Agents at  The Vacationeer  for all of our Disney travel planning needs. 

We hope you’ll consider working with them too, what is a crowd calendar.

The best time to go to Disney World depends on many factors, including the weather, which time period fits into your busy schedule, and, of course, how crowded the theme parks will be. After all, who likes waiting in long lines when you could be enjoying the rides?

Crowd calendars predict how busy a theme park will be on any given day of the year. By using data compiled from recent years, Disney crowd calendars help us determine which theme parks will have the shortest lines and which parks will have the longest lines.  While not every traveler has the flexibility to plan their trip around the least-crowded dates, this can still be a valuable tool. Knowing what to expect will allow you to plan accordingly and help you to maximize your Disney experience.

Rating System for the Disney World Crowd Calendar

Our Disney World Crowd Calendar uses a rating system from 1 to 5 for each of the Walt Disney World theme parks. We compile this information using historical data from the past several years. Our rating system also takes variable factors (like seasonal events and new in-park openings ) into account. While ride refurbishments and temporary closures don’t necessarily influence crowd levels, they are usually scheduled during slower times of the year.

Please note that past attendance figures are not always reflective of future attendance, and there may be slight differences between our prediction and the actual crowd sizes. We do our best to give you the most up-to-date and accurate predictions so that you may know what to expect when you arrive at Disney World.

Ratings based on Park Attendance:

1 = Light Crowds ( minimal lines ) 2 = Below Average Crowds 3 = Average Crowds 4 = Above Average Crowds 5 = Heavy Crowds (long lines)

How the Disney Crowd Calendar is Organized

Let’s look at how we’ve set up this valuable trip planning tool.

Crowds at each Disney Theme Park

Our Disney World Crowd Calendar predicts the crowds at Walt Disney World for every day in the next 12 months. Our estimates are broken down by Disney World theme park: Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom.

Weather at Disney World

Orlando, Florida is known for its nice weather . That said, there are some seasonal differences that you may want to take into consideration when booking your Disney vacation.  For example, August is historically the warmest month while January is the coldest. July is typically the wettest month and June has the most sunshine hours.

We list the average temperature range for each day of the calendar year. This will give you an idea of what to expect (and what clothes to pack) when you vacation at Walt Disney World.

Dining Reservations

Our Disney Crowd Calendar lists the specific date you will be eligible to make your Advance Disney Reservations.

Guests can book their dining reservations up to 60 days in advance (starting at 6 AM on the date indicated in the calendar).  The Disney Crowd Calendar lists the specific date you should start booking your Walt Disney World dining reservations.

Newbies are often surprised by the lack of dining availability once they get to Disney World. You shouldn’t expect to just walk into a full-service restaurant at Walt Disney World and get seated right away. It usually won’t happen.

It’s why it’s imperative to book your reservations well in advance to ensure your spot at some of Disney’s outstanding dining establishments. Certain restaurants are more difficult to book, and traveling at peak times means there will be more demand for full-dining options. We recommend that you book your Advance Dining Reservations as soon as you are able (60 days out).

The Disney Reservation Calculator is another tool you can use to find the dates you will be eligible to make your dining reservations.

Do you need help booking your Advance Dining Reservations? How about some advice on where to eat? Contact the Disney travel agents at The Vacationeer today.  There’s no charge to use their planning services!

Get Free One-On-One Help Planning Your Trip

When is Disney World Least Crowded ?

Walt Disney World’s parks are typically least crowded:

• January 2 nd until just prior to Presidents’ Day week (third Monday in February)
• The week after Labor Day until just prior to Thanksgiving week
• The week following Thanksgiving weekend until the week prior to Christmas .

The reasons for this are that parents typically plan Disney World vacations around two major factors, school schedules, and Summer heat.

Labor day is typically around the time U.S. schools get their year started, so the month or so after that is the least crowded time of year.

July and August can also be good times to go if you don’t mind the typically higher heat and humidity.

When is Disney World Most Crowded ?

Walt Disney World parks generally experience their highest attendance around:

• Presidents’ Day week (third week in February)
• the Spring Break period from mid-March through late April
• Memorial Day weekend, Summer (mid-June through Labor Day)
• Thanksgiving week
• Christmas week through January 1 st
• Weekends are typically more crowded than weekdays
• When it comes to weekdays, Mondays and Fridays tend to be slightly more crowded than Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

How bad are the crowds at Disney on a “most crowded” day versus a “least crowded” day?

The difference between a “least crowded” day and a “most crowded” day can be significant.

What are crowds like on Least Crowded days?

On the least crowded days at the parks, you might find that you’re able to walk straight through the line for at least a few of the rapidly-loading rides in the parks.  Many middle-tier rides will have waits around 10-15 minutes, with the most popular attractions like roller coasters having waits of around 30 minutes.  Dining is usually easy to obtain, with short waits for quick service dining and even the ability to get same-day reservations at some table service locations.

What are crowds like on Most Crowded days?

During the parks’ most crowded days, even quickly loading rides routinely show wait times of 15-45 minutes.  60+ minute waits for the most popular rides are not unheard of.  Fortunately, the implementation of theme park reservations and other entry restrictions has eliminated many of the nightmare scenarios we used to see, such as 3-5 hour waits on Christmas Day or New Years Eve.   Dining can also be a bit more challenging on crowded days, with longer waits (and occasionally having to “hover” to snag an empty table) at some quick service restaurants during peak lunch and dinner hours.  Same-day reservations at table service restaurants may not be available.

Should I avoid the parks on Most Crowded days?

All of the scenarios listed above are just representative samples.  Individual days have their own individual quirks; you might have shorter than expected waits on a “most crowded” day or longer than expected waits on a “least crowded” day.

It’s obviously best to plan your trips during less crowded times whenever possible, but we all know that it’s not necessarily possible due to work and school schedules.  If you do find yourself traveling during a more crowded time, you’ll still have a good time on vacation.   You’ll just want to plan ahead and take advantage of all the tools at your disposal – extended park hours, advance Park Pass reservations (when required), advance dining reservations, Genie/Genie+, our Disney World Crowd Calendar, and the like – to make the most out of your time in the parks.

If you need help planning and booking your magical Walt Disney World vacation, then please contact the Disney Travel Agents at  The Vacationeer . Their services are always helpful and totally free of charge. Call 833-4MY-TRIP  (833-469-8747) or click the button below for a free, no-obligation price quote today!

When are the best days to visit Walt Disney World?

The best time to visit Disney World depends on many factors, including the weather, each traveler’s busy schedule, and, of course, how crowded the theme parks will be.

Our Disney travel planning experts regularly analyze past park attendance data, special events, attraction openings/closures, travel trends, weather, and many other elements in order to forecast and predict future crowds at Disney World’s four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios.

We’ve taken some of this data and compared the average temperature predicted on each day to the predicted crowd level. Temperature range (F) and average crowd levels were converted to scores between 1-5. Temperature and crowd scores were then weighted and converted to a total score out of 100 to reveal the best days to visit each park. The best days to visit each park were determined based on the combined score.

According to the crowds-to-weather score, there are a few particular days to visit each park at Walt Disney World over a 12-month period which tend to offer the best balance. The data revealed that Magic Kingdom, for example, historically has three days to visit for the best crowds-to-weather ratio: October 26th, 31st, and November 1st. In comparison, Epcot has six perfect days (October 24-26 and 31, plus November 1 & 2).  Hollywood Studios has 5 (October 24-26 and 31, plus November 1). And Animal Kingdom has the most, with 12 (October 23-27, October 30 – November 3, and November 7-8). Interestingly, the dates are similar for each park, highlighting that the last week of October is the best week to visit Disney World.

Of course, crowd levels can vary from year to year, and weather can most certainly depart from averages.

So why pay attention to these scores? MagicGuides Editor Jaimie Michaels explains:

“By using data compiled from recent years, Disney crowd calendars help us determine which theme parks will have the shortest and longest lines, to discover the best times to visit the parks for fewer crowds and beautiful weather. While not every traveler has the flexibility to plan their trip around the least-crowded dates, this can still be a valuable tool for all, as knowing what to expect will allow you to plan accordingly and help you to maximize your Disney experience.”

Still concerned about crowds? Or maybe you have other questions? Fortunately, there’s a way to get expert help at no additional cost.

Connect With a Disney Super Fan Who’ll Plan Your Trip for Free

Planning a Disney World vacation can be overwhelming. You’re bombarded with confusing choices: dozens of hotels, hundreds of restaurants, and endless ticket options. It’s easy to feel helpless.

Now imagine getting personalized advice and help from an expert who’s visited the parks dozens of times and knows all the tips and tricks. And better yet, they’re willing to handle all of it for you, for free !

That’s exactly the idea behind  The Vacationeer — a group of 100+ Disney Super Fans who are also highly-trained travel professionals .

Why not let them take the stress out of your Disney vacation ?

Why Use The Vacationeer For Your Disney Trip?

No Planning Fees

The Vacationeer never charges you for their services. Your trip won’t cost a penny more than if you’d booked it yourself.

One-on-One Service

One dedicated agent handles everything from start to finish. No impersonal call centers and no waiting on hold.

Hassle-Free Booking

Don’t sweat the logistics. Your  Vacationeer arranges hotels, tickets, dining, and activities so you don’t have to.

The Best Price

They’ll find the best possible rate for your trip, and keep searching for new discounts to add as they’re announced.

What Their Clients Have to Say

“I can’t thank them enough”

“Emily did an AMAZING job planning my Disneymoon. The attention to detail is absolutely spot on! I can’t wait for her to plan our next vacation!”

“We had a wonderful vacation”

“Much of that had to do with the help we received from JoMarie! Disney can be a little overwhelming when you’re new to it, but she made it very enjoyable and low stress !”

“I could not be happier”

“Carla worked side by side with me to plan the perfect shows, rides, fireworks and places to stay with our group. We saved the most money possible .”

Here’s What To Expect

Step 1: Answer a few easy questions Just tell The Vacationeer who you are, how to reach you, and what your dream vacation looks like. They’ll assign a dedicated agent to handle your vacation from start to finish.

Step 2: Let them handle the details Your agent will help you pick the best options for your needs and budget. They’ll make your reservations and keep watching for better deals. And they’ll be there to answer any questions or concerns that arise.

Step 3: Pack your bags! Scream it out loud: “I’m going to Disney World!”  Thanks to your Vacationeer ‘s know-how, you’re off on an unforgettable adventure during the vacation of a lifetime!

The Vacationeer Advantage

Hotel Reservations: Your agent will help you pick the right place for the right price and arrange everything.

Dining: They’ll run the numbers on the Disney Dining Plan and secure tables at your choice of 100+ restaurants.

Theme Park Tickets: They’ll find the best ticket option for your family so you don’t waste money.

Recreation, Events, & More: You name it — golf, fishing, shows, backstage tours, ground transport — it’s all handled!

Virtual Queue, Genie+, & Lightning Lane Tips: They’ll help demystify these line-skipping strategies for you.

Peace of Mind: You’re booking through an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner agency.

Unparalleled Expertise: As an Earmarked Diamond agency, they’ve booked more than 25,000 Disney vacations.

Personal Experience: They visit the theme parks often and can’t wait to share their insider tips with you!

Disney’s Lowest Prices: They’ll use their knowledge of discounts and deals to find the best rates.

New Discounts As They’re Announced: Your agent never stops looking for a better price, even after you’ve booked.

Ready To Do Disney The Stress-Free Way?

The MagicGuides Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar keeps you updated on all the special events happening at Disney. Check back often so you won’t miss out!

If you enjoyed our Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar page, be sure to check out our other articles like our Disney World Cost Calculator , Disney Dining Plan Calculator ,  Disney Dining Plans , Disney World Free Dining , Disney World Planning Timeline , Disney World Map ,  Tips and Tricks , Disney Travel Planners , How To Become a Disney Travel Agent , and our Secrets and Reviews pages. Also check out our in-depth article on the Best Days to Visit Magic Kingdom .

Thank you for reading our page, and we hope you have a magical Walt Disney World vacation!

Related Posts:

You Have Four Days at Disney World. Should You Go to All Four Theme Parks?

The question, “You have four days at Disney World. Should you go to all four theme parks?” was recently asked by a follower of our Instagram account and we thought it merited more discussion than we could cover on social media.

As a quick refresher, Walt Disney World is home to four distinct theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While there are some general commonalities between the parks (they all have rides, restaurants, character sightings, entertainment, and shopping), the feel and pace of these parks varies widely.

If you have only four days in Central Florida, does it make sense to visit all these areas, or should double dip on one or more, or skip some of them for other endeavors?

Spoiler alert: as with most things Disney, the answer is, “It depends.” Here are some things to think about as you decide.

Are your “four days” really four days, or are the first and last days curtailed because of travel time?

There is a big difference between four full days and two full days plus two partial days. If your four days is not actually four days, then it may make sense to skip one of the four parks.

How old are the members of your party?

Conquering four parks in four days requires a hefty helping of stamina – both physical and mental. If your party includes an older person or someone with mobility constraints who needs to move slowly, or if it includes a toddler with a short attention spans and a hair-trigger temper, then you might be better off taking it slowly at just two or three parks rather than zooming through all four.

Do you have a Park Hopper ticket?

Some people find that they’re able to accomplish everything of interest at Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios in a partial-day visit. If you have a Park Hopper ticket, you could use that surplus time to go back to a park (such as Magic Kingdom) with enough attractions to merit a longer than one-day visit.

Does anyone in your party have a particular affinity (or dislike) of any Disney/Marvel/Pixar/Star Wars intellectual properties?

Many of the WOW attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios are heavily themed to Star Wars or Toy Story. If you happened to have a dislike of both those properties, then skipping DHS likely makes sense. Take a look at the list of attractions at each park to see if any are heavily populated by themed attractions that don’t feel compelling. On the other hand, if you LOVE LOVE LOVE Star Wars, that might make DHS a two-day park – and thus having it make sense to skip Animal Kingdom or Epcot.

Are there other strong entertainment interests in your party?

A budding zoologist would put Animal Kingdom on their must list, but others might be fine skipping this. An avid gardener might prioritize a trip to Epcot during the Flower & Garden Festival. If you have a specific passion, doubling up on visits to the park that matches your interest could make more sense than visiting all four parks just for the sake of completion.

Have you been to the parks before? Are you coming back soon?

If you’ve been to WDW before, you may find that you don’t need to circle back to some one-and-done attractions, freeing up time to delve more fully into those at other parks. Similarly, maybe you’re coming back soon to experience a new attraction, for example, maybe you can save that park for next time.

Do you like to eat for entertainment?

If you have a preschooler or toddler, some folks will tell you that Epcot is not a necessary part of your trip. However, if your family loves to eat for entertainment, then skipping Epcot would be a shame. Particularly during festival seasons, you can expose your family to a huge range of yum during a day at Epcot. On the other hand, if you have several small kids and not much interest in international cuisine, then passing on Epcot and doubling up on Magic Kingdom could be your best bet.

Do you want to leave time for things like shopping at Disney Springs, sleeping at your resort, or visiting another area attraction

Given the massive scope of Walt Disney World, it’s simply not possible to fully explore all four theme parks plus ancillary areas like Disney Springs, the Boardwalk, water parks, sports, or even to spend much time at your hotel pool. If you only have four days and want to experience the World outside the parks, then you may have to skip one of the parks.

What are the park hours? How early are you willing to wake up?

The number one way to experience the most attractions at Walt Disney World is to wake up early and be at the parks well before they open. If you arrive later in the day, you will experience longer waits and will be able to enjoy fewer attractions. If you don’t want to wake up early, then you may want to skip one of the parks so you can do more of the ones remaining. This goes double during the times of the year when the parks close particularly early.

What will the crowds be like?

Visiting during Christmas week and visiting during mid-September are entirely different experiences. If your trip takes place during a high-crowd time such as a major holiday, EVERYTHING will take longer simply because you have to wade through thicker crowds. This may be the time to bypass one park so that you can have a fuller experience at another by visiting it twice.

What will the weather be like?

Some people prefer to avoid Animal Kingdom during the rain because so many of the attraction have an outdoor component. If your trip takes place during a week of 24/7 downpours, you may want to adjust your park selections accordingly.

Will I be using a Touring Plan? Am I willing to pay for Genie+ or Individual Lighting Lanes?

Using a Touring Plan will save you time. And using Genie+ can possibly save you even more time. Both of these items will allow you to get more done in a day, potentially making four parks in four days a less daunting proposition.

Long-time Touring Plans readers may remember a story I’ve often told. Several years ago, a neighbor was planning her first WDW trip with her family. At the time I was a veteran of more than a dozen recent visits. I took her to lunch and talked for two hours about every aspect of planning a trip to all four WDW theme parks – what to ride, where to eat, how much time to spend, and so on. My neighbor has children the same ages and gender as mine, and we have similar socio-economic backgrounds, so I assumed that my advice would work for her.

After their trip, I asked them how they liked all the parks. With a bit of prodding, I uncovered that they went to the Magic Kingdom on the first day of their trip. They loved it so much, they spent all five of their vacation days there and never made it to another theme park. They went on the Carousel and Small World a dozen times each and loved every minute of it. Though our families have much in common, what I didn’t know is that while I tend to be a completist, not satisfied unless I’ve checked everything off on a to-do list, my friends prefer to be immersive with experiences, having no internal pressure to go wide rather than deep.

So, moral of the story … while I would go to all four theme parks, that might be completely wrong for you.

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Erin Foster

Erin Foster is an original member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel (now PlanDisney), a regular contributor to TouringPlans.com, and co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line. She's been to WDW, DL, DL Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Aulani, DVC Vero Beach, and DVC Hilton Head. She's a Platinum DCL cruiser and veteran of 10 Adventures by Disney trips. Erin lives near New York City, where she can often be found indulging in her other obsession - Broadway theater.

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This year I tried the Park Hopper tickets for the first time ever. On all my trips to Disney World, I’ve always done one park = one day, with successful touring results. This time, the trip was shorter but it was also my boyfriend’s first time at Disney World, which meant that he had to have at least a glimpse of the 4 parks! So with that in mind, I started planning 4 parks in 2 days, with as many attractions and rides as possible (or at least the ones I knew he was going to enjoy).

Remember that these are the steps that I took for the attractions my party was interested in, which may not necessarily be the ones you want to do. However, my planning gave great results and I strongly recommend it for any rides and attractions you’re looking for 🙂

1. Research, research, research

• Research starts with getting to know what YOU want to do in your trip. I can give you thousands of tips for the attractions I did, but it’s all about you. Start by listing all the attractions that everyone at your party wants to do and prioritize them. In that way, you will know what is a must on your trip.
• Then, look at the opening and closing times for each park on the days you are going to be at Disney World. This includes, of course, checking Extra Magic hours. I had 2 days, so I wrote down the information about each park on each of the days I was going.
• Check which attractions will be closed by the time you arrive there.
• I also checked all the attractions that had a FastPass+ option, and which ones belong to Tier 1 or Tier 2. I have a super cool and clear FastPass+ attraction and recommendation list, which you can see here and download for free.

2. Let the planning begin!

• With the whole info on park hours, Extra Magic Hours, schedules and FastPass+ rides we wanted, I made a preliminary plan with Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom on different days so I could get FP+ for Flight of Passage and Slinky Dog Dash. IMPORTANT: remember that when you park hop, you still get 3 FP+ selection on one park before you can start making choices for another.
• With the MyDisneyExperience app, I started looking for the FP+ selections I wanted for the days I was going to be at Disney World. With less than a month before my trip, I actually managed to get some cool FP+ selections:

I got Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest and Kilimanjaro Safaris from 9:15 am to 12:40 pm, all in the morning of day 2. Unfortunately, no Slinky Dog Dash – no matter how hard I tried, it never became available, Buuuuut, I did get Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom in the afternoon of day 1, which was awesome because I could rope drop Hollywood Studios that same day.

So, these are the FastPass+ selections I got:

3. Go to the parks!

After making all the FP+ selections and listing all the attractions we wanted to do, we went to the parks:

Hollywood Studios

• Slinky Dog Dash (9:30 am)
• Toy Story Mania (11 am)
• Tour An Incredible Celebration area
• Star Tours (11:30 am – no queue for this one!)
• A “Frozen” Celebration Sing-Along (12 pm)
• Lunch at Rosie’s All American Café (1 pm)
• Rock n Roller Coaster (2 pm)
• Tower of Terror

We skipped Tower of Terror because I hate elevators and my boyfriend had already done the attraction at Disneyland Paris. I’m not a huge fan of Hollywood Studios, to be 100% honest, so we focused on the attractions we definitely wanted to do.

After Rock n Roller Coaster, we walked all the way to the park’s entrance through the Hollywood Boulevard and exited. Aaaaand, bus to Magic Kingdom at 14:25.

Magic Kingdom

Our first FP+ was at 4:10 pm and we got to MK at 2:40 pm, so after security, we took a few pictures at the entrance and visited the shops on Main Street. We also took some photos with the castle and after that, we started our attraction itinerary.

• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Festival of Fantasy Parade
• Mickey’s PhilarMagic
• Splash Mountain (FP+)
• Walked around Frontierland and headed to Tomorrowland
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (FP+)
• Walked around Fantasyland and headed to Frontierland again
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (FP+)
• Ate a churro at Liberty Square
• Haunted Mansion (4th FP+ choice)
• Happily Ever After from Main Street

I don’t do Space Mountain (I don’t like it, and my boyfriend is not a huuuuge fan of roller coasters) and we had already done it’s a small world in Paris. We never got a FP+ for Peter Pan’s Flight, and we weren’t going to wait that long.

Animal Kingdom

• Expedition Everest (FP+)
• Quick breakfast at Creatures Comfort
• Flight of Passage (FP+)
• Tour of Pandora
• Festival of the Lion King
• Shopping at Discovery Island
• Caught the Hakuna Matana Time Dance Party
• Kilimanjaro Safaris (FP+)

I believe Na’vi River Journey is overrated. I did it on my previous trip and fortunately, I had managed to grab a FP+ for it that time, otherwise, I would’ve hated myself for queuing more than 2 hours just for a boat ride. After Kilimanjaro Safaris, we exited the park at 12:40 pm but the bus to Epcot took ages to arrive, so we got to the second park after an hour.

We took some pictures at the entrance, especially because it was my first time at Epcot’s Festival of the Arts. We looked at some of the amazing artwork that was exhibited and available to buy, as well as the Living Statues and chalk art on the floor. After that, we walked directly to World Showcase and did a quick tour of all the countries. We stopped in Germany to have some quick lunch and we continued until we reached Canada. We moved to Future World West to redeem our Soarin’ FastPass+. IMPORTANT: you usually get FP+ choices for Epcot on the same day, except for Frozen Ever After, it’s quite rare to grab one of those.

• Soarin’ (4th FP+ – I got a Soarin’ FP+ the minute I sat on the safari vehicle in Animal Kingdom)
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Mission Space
• Test Track (5th FP+)
• Paint Brush Churros at Taste Track
• Spaceship Earth (6th FP+)
• World Showcase again
• Early dinner in Italy
• Broadway on Stage
• Frozen Ever After (we just queued for this one, no FP+ available)
• More walking around World Showcase
• IllumiNations

Was it a successful experience?

I have to tell you that I didn’t think we were going to do 4 parks in 2 days, but I was wrong! Look at how many attractions we covered! And the important part here is that I never felt we were running. If you feel you’re rushing everything, then you aren’t enjoying the parks. And how can you prevent rushing?

• Use the MyDisneyExperience app to check waiting times
• Manage to grab some of the important FastPass+ selections

Do all of these things and I’m sure you will be able to do 4 parks in 2 days!

Do you think you will use any of these tips? Have you ever park hopped before? Leave your comments below!

I'm Bell, an all-time Disney fan with a passion for organizing trips, which is why I want to help you plan the PERFECT Disney trip. You'll find guides, reviews, and printables that will make the planning stage A LOT easier. I hope to see around here!

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I want to buy tickets for 4 days but I do not want to go to each park per day. I want to to visit one of the parks 2 days of our trip. How do I select this option? I only see the promotional offer for 4 parks, 1 each day. ”

Hello, Christina! Welcome to planDisney. It won't be long before Mickey and Minnie Mouse greet you as you pass the gates into the Most Magical Place on Earth.  The  4-Day, 4-Park Magic Ticket  is such an amazing deal to experience each of the four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. It includes one admission to each park—Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios— on four separate days. With this offer, you get one admission per theme park and one theme park per day. You cannot use one of the days to enter multiple parks in one day or to repeat a park you have already visited. If you want to repeat Hollywood Studios, EPCOT or Animal Kingdom, you may want to consider the  Special 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket  and purchase a fourth day as a single-day ticket to one of these parks. If you are hoping for multiple days in the Magic Kingdom, a standard 4-day theme park ticket is the way to go. With this option, you can select the number of days you want to visit a theme park and the start date to begin your fun in the magic. If you want to visit more than one park in a day, you might consider adding the  Park Hopper option .  With your trip in July, you also may want to check out the Disney Parks Blog for  Top Tips for Staying Cool at Walt Disney World Resort . The planDisney team shares ideas to chill out in a place worth melting for. 

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Countdown to Magic

How to Do Disney World in One Day – 1 Day Itinerary Tips

Suppose you find yourself in the Orlando area with only one day to visit Disney World. Can you maximize your time well and get your money’s worth?  Of course you can! Even one day at Walt Disney World is better than none, so in this article, I’m going to show you exactly how to do Disney World in one day.  I’ll also provide a helpful Disney World checklist PDF that you can download or print out that will help you maximize your one day at Disney!

How to Do Disney World in One Day – Park Reservations

Unfortunately, a completely spontaneous trip to Disney World isn’t really possible these days. So the first step of your “one day at Disney plan” is going to be making sure park reservations are available for one day you’ll visiting.  

To enter any of the Disney Parks, both a theme park reservation and valid admission for the same park on the same date are required for all guests ages 3 and up.  You can check on the Disney World website to make sure reservations are available for the day you want to visit. 

Admission: One Park or Two?

The first decision you’ll have to make for your Disney day is what park you want to visit, and if you want to park hop to a second one.  A one-day admission ticket to any Disney World park is going to be more expensive than buying tickets for multiple days. There just isn’t any way to get around that. The price of that ticket can vary a little bit depending on the day and time of year.  

Just how much are Disney World tickets per person for a one day experience as an adult?  Well, here are average prices for a ticket in January (at the time of publication): Magic Kingdom – $154.00 Epcot – $139.00 Hollywood Studios – $149.00 Animal Kingdom – $134.00 If you’re going to drive yourself, there is also a $25 parking fee. If you want to attempt to visit two parks during your one Disney day, you can buy a Park Hopper option in addition to your regular admission ticket. This will add an average of $60-$70 to the price of each regular admission ticket. A Park Hopper allows you to visit a second park on the same day (subject to park capacity), anytime after 2:00 PM. When considering if you want to visit one park or two, you should also factor in that hopping to a second park will cost you a little bit of time to get there. Walt Disney World has many excellent free transportation options to help guests get around the parks. Depending on which parks you’re traveling between, you can choose to travel by bus, monorail, boat, or the new Skyliner option. 

While Disney’s free transportation options are fun and reliable, they might take up more time than you’d like. If you have your own car, it might be quicker to drive yourself to a second park. Another option is to take a taxi or ride-share service. While this option isn’t free, it can save you some valuable time.

Do You Need A Magic Band?

If you’ve been to Walt Disney World before, you probably have a Magic Band. In most cases, you can link your existing band to the My Disney Experience app . If you don’t have one, it really isn’t necessary to purchase one. You can use the Mobile Magic feature on the My Disney Experience app to gain park admission, check into Lightning Lanes , and utilize mobile food ordering. It might not be as convenient as having a Magic Band, but for just one day it’s probably a better choice. The basic Magic Bands are selling for $15 to $20. That’s not a huge expense by itself, but it’s an unnecessary expense for a one-day visit. For a family of four, that’s a savings of $60, minimum. A better use of your money would be to purchase Genie+ for everyone in your group, which will save you valuable time during your Disney day.

Which Park(s) To Visit?

If this is your first visit to Walt Disney World, I would recommend visiting Magic Kingdom . You’ll be able to see Cinderella’s Castle, maybe catch a parade, ride many of the most iconic rides, and see the incomparable fireworks . Be aware that Magic Kingdom is always going to have slightly higher crowds than the other parks. If this isn’t your first Disney trip, go ahead and prioritize your favorite park! It’s a good idea to check the website calendar to verify park hours on the day you plan to visit. Magic Kingdom is usually open the latest of any of the parks, with a closing time of 11 PM on most nights. 

If you’re thinking of park hopping during your Disney day, a good strategy to maximize your park time might be to visit another park early in the day, then hop to Magic Kingdom and stay until it closes.

My Disney Experience App and Genie+

When you only have one day at Disney, anything you can do to make the most of your time is invaluable. One of the best time management tools you’ll have available is the My Disney Experience App. The app is free to download to your smartphone. With it, you can gain park admission, check wait times on any ride or attraction you’re interested in, and take advantage of mobile food ordering. Download the app before your Disney day, and spend some time getting familiar with all its features. It’s pretty user-friendly, but you can find help online to learn more about it.

Let’s talk for a minute about Genie+ . Yes, this will be another added expense (the price varies a bit, but begins at about $15). But if avoiding long lines at Disney World and riding as many rides as possible is your priority, you’ll need this service (and, as a result, you’ll need to often utilize your smartphone at Disney ).  You can buy Genie+ through the My Disney Experience app the day of your visit. Be sure to purchase it for everyone in your group.

With Genie+, you can book “Lightning Lanes” which will let you avoid waiting in overly long standby lines for popular rides and attractions. It’s very similar to the old FastPass system.  You can make your first Lightning Lane selection at 7:00 AM on the day of your visit. After that, you can book another selection two hours after park opening, or two hours after you check in for your first Lightning Lane (whichever comes first). With a little planning, you can “stack” your Lightning Lane choices to get as many as possible throughout your day. Basically, prioritize the most popular Lightning Lane choices for early in the day, and pay attention to that two-hour rule for when you can book your next one! Set your phone to remind you when it’s time to book the next Lightning Lane if it helps. If you consistently book your choices as soon as you can, you can maximize the number of rides you can experience in one day.

With Genie+ you can also purchase “Individual Lightning Lanes” (ILLs) for some of the newer, most popular rides. Rise of The Resistance in Hollywood Studios and Guardians of the Galaxy-Cosmic Rewind in Epcot are two of the most popular ILLs at this time. The prices will vary, but seem to average around $15 per person.

Planning Ahead – The Night Before

Okay, you’ve bought your tickets (and perhaps park hoppers), chosen what park(s) you want to visit, and downloaded the app to your smartphone. What now? Now it’s time to plan your Disney Day Strategy! The night before, be sure to charge up your phones, and a portable phone charger to take with you. You’ll be using your phone to utilize the My Disney Experience app as well as take lots of photos. Make sure that the tickets for everyone in your group are linked on the app. Go ahead and pack your park bag ahead of time to save time in the morning. Here are some of the basics that you should have with you for a full Disney day:

• refillable water bottles
• non-perishable snacks (trail mix, crackers, protein bars, etc)
• portable charger for your phone(s)
• sunscreen (yes, even in Winter)
•  ibuprofen, or your painkiller of choice
• extra pair of socks (if your feet get wet or you start to get blisters, changing socks will help)
• any childcare items for babies/small children

Set your alarm for 6:30-6:45 AM so you can purchase Genie+ and make your first Lightning Lane selection. Lastly, take some time to look at the park map(s) online. You’ll want to plan your day so that you won’t waste time walking back and forth across the park needlessly.  Try to arrange your ride plans to do as much as possible in one area of the park, then move on to another area.

For example: Let’s say you’re going to Magic Kingdom. You make your first Lightning Lane selection for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at 10:00 AM. It’s located in the Fantasyland section, so take a look and see what other rides or attractions might be close by. If you get to the park before opening (and you should make that your goal!), you can possibly ride The Mad Tea Party and Dumbo the Flying Elephant rides (both of these are fun and usually have short wait times early in the day) before your scheduled Lightning Lane.  

The Voyage of the Little Mermaid is also in this section, and you can probably also ride it before moving on. Just remember to pick your next Lightning Lane as soon as you check in for your first one, then plan around that selection. Now you should get a good night’s sleep because you’ll need to start your one day at Walt Disney World bright and early!

Beginning Your Disney Day

One of the first things you’ll want to do is get on the My Disney Experience App and (1) purchase Genie+ for everyone in your party, and (2) select your first Lightning Lane at 7:00 AM. You should plan to arrive at the park approximately 30 to 45 minutes before the official opening. If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort you’ll be allowed in the park 30 minutes before opening anyway, but still plan to be there early. 

If you’re staying on Disney property, you have the option of taking Disney transportation to the park. Be aware though that the buses and monorail are very crowded in the early morning.  It might be a big timesaver to drive yourself or use a ride-share service. Also allow time to go through the security line before being admitted to the park. Disney World has this system streamlined so the line moves very quickly, but mornings are crowded so it could take a little while. Once you’re inside the park, grab a coffee and breakfast snack and start heading toward your first destination. Don’t rush so much that you don’t enjoy the magical scenery all around you!

Use Mobile Food Ordering To Save Time

Another time-saving strategy you should consider is mobile food ordering. This service is available through the My Disney Experience App for many of the quick-service food restaurants. There are many great table service restaurants in all the Disney Parks. Unless you have your heart set on eating at one of them, consider sticking to quick-service meals instead. The table service meals – especially character meals – will take up a larger part of your day. The options for quick-service meals are just as delicious and you’ll still have a variety of choices. When placing a mobile food order on the app, you can select a time window for when you want your food, place your order, then simply notify the restaurant when you’ve arrived so they prepare your meal fresh. Usually, you’ll have your food within minutes of letting them know you’ve arrived. You can still sit down and enjoy a nice meal during the day, but it won’t take up as much of your time as going to a table-service restaurant. 

Disney World Checklist PDF (1 Day Itinerary)

You can download the 1 Day Disney World Checklist in PDF format that I recently created to help you properly plan and enjoy your one day visit to Disney World.

One Day At Disney World – You Can Do It!

Those are our basic tips for how to do Disney World in one day. It will take some planning, but it’s absolutely possible to have a magical time with just one day to spend at Walt Disney World! Does it seem a little overwhelming? No problem! We’ve also created a basic checklist to help keep you on track for your Disney Day.

• If you enjoyed this article, please “like” our Countdown to Magic Facebook page !

Michael has been visiting Disney World since he was a kid. He's also been to Disneyland and sailed on the Disney Dream. Michael is the owner and editor of Countdown to Magic.

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I've been going to Disney World for 30 years. Here are 7 tips for surviving the parks in the summer heat.

Posted: June 11, 2024 | Last updated: June 11, 2024

• I've been going to Disney World for 30 years, so I know that summers in Orlando can be brutal. 
• I've learned to bring a small handheld fan into the parks to beat the heat .
• I also love to hit the water parks late in the afternoon instead of in the morning.

Disney World is one of the most-visited theme parks in the world, and during the summer, the crowds and heat can both be high.

I love going to the parks to ride my favorite attractions and eat at some of the best restaurants , but the harsh Florida heat can greatly impact a trip.

After visiting Disney World for more than 30 years, I've learned how to survive the dog days of summer. Here are my top tips.

I like to visit the water parks in the afternoon.

One of my favorite things to do at Disney World is visit one of the two water parks, which alternate being open throughout the year. This summer, Typhoon Lagoon is open.

As the days get longer in June and July, there are certain nights when the water park is open until 8 p.m.

I love getting to the park around 5 p.m. when most people are packing up and the heat of the day is starting to cool down. It's a great time to hit some big water slides and the lazy river for a few hours.

Additionally, Typhoon Lagoon hosts H2O Glow After Hours , a separately ticketed event during which the park is open until 11 p.m. on select summer nights.

This is a great way to spend time in the park without the blazing sun making the water feel too hot.

A small handheld fan is a lifesaver while walking through the parks.

Summer temperatures in Florida can reach over 100 degrees, and that's not even factoring in the high humidity.

One of my theme-park essentials is a handheld, rechargeable fan. I like ones that can fold to fit into a small fanny pack or purse, but neck fans are also popular around the parks.

I whip out the fan whenever I start feeling too hot. But I'll also use it in air-conditioned queues since the fan can direct the cold air right to my face.

Skip afternoons at the park and go in the evening to watch the fireworks.

Afternoons are going to be the hottest time at the theme parks. After doing a few things in the morning, I like to head back to my hotel for a few hours before returning to the parks in the evening.

Once the sun starts to go down, the air feels slightly cooler, which makes theme-park activities much more enjoyable.

My general rule of thumb is to get to the park by 5 p.m. to maximize my evening time. I usually hit a few rides and watch any nighttime shows, like Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom

Finding longer shows or rides is a great way to cool down.

If you plan on being at the parks in the morning or afternoon, I suggest prioritizing longer shows and indoor rides. Sitting for a while can be extremely satisfying on a hot day.

Some of my favorites are Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom , "Festival of the Lion King" at Animal Kingdom, and The American Adventure at Epcot.

I like to alternate between one indoor attraction or show and one outdoor activity to avoid getting too hot.

Look for water rides and splash pads.

If you need an instant refresh, water rides are a great option. You may get wet, but the instant cool-off is worth a few wet splotches on a T-shirt. Plus, you'll inevitably dry quickly in the sun.

A few of my favorite water attractions are Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom and Journey of Water at Epcot.

There are also some children's splash pads around the parks, like the Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak Station at Magic Kingdom.

If you're staying all day, consider making a table-service dining reservation.

I don't recommend staying in the parks all day in the summer, but if you must, consider making a sit-down reservation for lunch .

If you aim for any time between 1 and 2:30 p.m., you should get the opportunity to relax, cool off, and take a break from the crowds while avoiding the big lunch rush.

I've had an easy time grabbing last-minute reservations at places like The Plaza in Magic Kingdom , Via Napoli in Epcot, and Yak & Yeti in Animal Kingdom.

Avoid driving to the parks, if you can.

It may be tempting to drive to the theme park for the day, but if you're staying at a Disney hotel, I think the complimentary transportation is a better option.

The parking lots can be exceptionally hot when the heat starts radiating off the tarmac, and you're car will likely be scorching by the end of the day.

Instead, I prefer to hop on one of the Disney buses, the monorail, or a boat.

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How much is a ticket to Disney? Cheaper than usual this summer

Summer can be scorching hot in Florida, but if you can take the heat, you can score some of the best deals of the yea r at Walt Disney World. 

Special three- and four-day Magic Tickets bring prices down to under $100 a day for adults, which at Disney and other theme parks means anyone age 10 and up.

Disneyland in California is also offering a summer promo slashing prices in half for kids ages 3 to 9. Admission is always free for children under the age of 3 at both resorts.

Here’s what to know about saving at Disney parks this summer.

How much do tickets to Disney World cost?

Disney World tickets vary by date and park. This year, starting prices for one-day, one-park admission for adults range from $109 at Disney's Animal Kingdom to $124 at Magic Kingdom. Next year , the cheapest one-day, one-park adult tickets will cost $119. On most dates, prices are significantly higher than the starting price. 

However, the resort is offering two ticket deals through the summer. The 4-Day, 4-Park Magic Ticket starts at $396, which works out to $99 a day. That includes one day at each of Disney World’s four theme parks, without park-hopping or repeating parks. Tickets are valid through Sept. 22 and must be used within seven days of the start date.

The 3-Day, 3-Park Magic Ticket starts at $267, which works out to $89 a day. It includes one day each at EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, without park-hopping or repeating parks. Admission to Magic Kingdom is not included. Tickets are valid through Sept. 24 and must be used within five days of the start date.

Disneyland vs. Disney World: What's the difference? How to choose.

How much does it cost to go to Disneyland?

Disneyland ticket prices also vary by date. One-day, one-park admission starts at $104 for adults and $98 for kids ages 3 to 9. However this summer, child prices drop down to less than $50 per day with a special 3-Day Disneyland Ticket offer.

Guests visiting Monday through Thursday can save the most. Three-day tickets cost $249 for adults and $149 for children, which works out to $83 per day for adults and less than $50 per day for kids with no park hopping. Monday to Thursday tickets may not be used on Fridays or weekends.

Guests who want more flexibility can get 3-day tickets valid any day of the week for $299 per adult (less than $100 per day) and $199 per child (less than $67 per day), without park hopping.

Both types of tickets are valid from June 10 through Sept. 26 and are subject to park reservation availability. Unlike Disney World, Disneyland still requires park reservations for all tickets.