It’s an exciting time – you’re planning your holiday to Orlando! While you’re going to be full of questions about what to do, where to eat, and how to make the most of your time, first things first: how long should you spend at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida?
You’re going to need enough time to fully explore the magical theme parks and exciting water parks, plus a bit of downtime. We’ve put together this article to help you decide how long you need to spend in the Most Magical Place On Earth.
Read on for our complete guide to working out how many days you’ll need at Walt Disney World Resort.
How many days do you need at Walt Disney World Resort?
We would recommend spending 14 days at Walt Disney World Resort. This will give you enough time to spend a day at each of the theme parks and water parks, plus some much needed time for relaxing or seeing other sights in Florida. You’ll also have enough time to revisit some of the parks as sometimes there’s just too much to do in one day!
We recommend spending two full days at Magic Kingdom Park, especially if you’re travelling with children, as there is just so much to do there. It’s the Disney Park with the most attractions, and there are spectacular shows, Disney Characters to meet, and live entertainment to enjoy.
If you’re on a tighter schedule, you could see all of the theme parks and water parks in one week. However, this would be quite a full-on week without any time for chilling out – you might well need another holiday once you get home!
Of course, if you’re planning an extended trip to Orlando, you may want to spend more time at the Disney Parks.
Sample itinerary for two weeks at Walt Disney World Resort
This sample itinerary gives you some ideas for how to spend your two weeks at Walt Disney World Resort.
- Day 1: Arrive, check in and relax
- Day 2: Magic Kingdom Park
- Day 3: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- Day 4: Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park
- Day 5: Souvenir shopping
- Day 6: EPCOT
- Day 7: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Day 8: Character Dining
- Day 9: Beach day
- Day 10: Behind-the-scenes tour
- Day 11: Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
- Day 12: Pool day and Disney Springs
- Day 13: Park hopping for any attractions you haven’t had the chance to do yet
- Day 14: Magic Kingdom Park
Be sure to factor in some time to enjoy the facilities at your hotel. The Disney hotels have incredible theming and excellent facilities like swimming pools with slides, and restaurants. Some of the hotels also have entertainment or activities to enjoy. For example, you can take a safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Other things to do in Florida
As well as Walt Disney World Resort, there are lots of other amazing days out in Florida. Here are some of our top suggestions:
- Other theme parks: Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, and Busch Gardens are all well worth a visit if you and your family love theme parks
- Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex: Learn more about humankind’s space exploration and meet real-life astronauts. If you’re lucky, you might even time it right to see a rocket launch!
- LEGOLAND Florida Resort: If you’re travelling with younger children, they will love this theme park, inspired by the famous bricks
- Gatorland: Meet Florida’s snappiest residents and learn more about their care at this incredible alligator attraction
- Airboat ride: Get into the great outdoors and do something typically Floridian with an airboat ride in the Central Florida Everglades. Keep your eyes peeled for exotic birds, turtles, and of course, the alligators
How many Walt Disney World Resort parks are there?
There are four amazing theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort:
- Magic Kingdom Park
- EPCOT
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
There are also two adventurous water parks with rip-roaring slides, relaxing lazy rivers, and fun splash zones for the littlest in your party:
- Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
Park | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
Magic Kingdom Park | Disney’s most magical park with the iconic Cinderella Castle at its centre. | Everyone – but especially Disney fans, families, and children |
EPCOT | A theme park showcasing scientific progress, nature and culture. It’s home to the recognisable Spaceship Earth (the large “golf ball”!) and World Showcase, where you can eat your way around the world. | People interested in science and culture, and foodies |
Disney’s Hollywood Studios | Theme park inspired by the movies and home to franchises like Pixar and Star Wars™. There are also some sensational thrill rides here. | Adrenaline junkies, bigger kids, movie fans |
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park | Alongside extraordinary rides, you’ll find hundreds of exotic animals. There’s an emphasis on conservation and learning more about the care of animals. | Animal lovers, families |
As well as the incredible theme parks and water parks, there’s also Disney Springs, a shopping, entertainment, and dining complex with restaurants, live entertainment, and experiences like 10-pin bowling.
How many days for each Disney Park?
Here’s how long we recommend spending at each Disney Park:
- Magic Kingdom Park: at least one day (ideally two!)
- EPCOT: at least one day
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: at least one day
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park: at least one day
- Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park: at least half a day
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park: at least half a day
Every person has their favourite Disney Park, and you’ll find that you want to spend more time in some parks than others.
How to make the most of your time at Walt Disney World Resort
If you’re wondering how you’re going to fit it all in, we’ve got some advice to help you maximise your time. Here are our time-saving top tips.
- Book Lightning Lane passes. Lightning Lane passes allow you to skip the standby line and join a shorter queue for certain rides and attractions. This can save time or allow you to ride your favourites more than once. You can choose from Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Single Pass, and Premier Pass, and all these can be booked on the My Disney Experience app
- Buy your tickets online before you travel. This saves you from having to visit the ticket office when you arrive at the parks, where there might be a line. It also avoids disappointment – did you know that entrance to the parks can sometimes sell out?
- Stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. You get quicker access to the parks with some hotels even being within walking distance, and all offer free transport between the hotel and the parks
- Plan your visit. Write down all the things that you definitely don’t want to miss and have a bit of a plan for visiting the parks. This can also help you get excited for your trip beforehand. Why not get the whole family involved and make a night of it with themed snacks and music and maybe a glass (or two) of wine for the adults?
- Get to the parks early. We always recommend arriving at the parks just before they open so you can really maximise your park time. Guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels get early entry to the theme parks for every day of their stay*, getting to go in 30 minutes before the gates open to the public
- Avoid peak times for eating. You’ll spend longer waiting for food if you decide to eat at peak lunchtime or dinnertime. Choose to eat a little earlier or later for a quicker meal
How much does a Walt Disney World Resort trip cost?
The cost of a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida varies depending on where you stay, when you travel, and how much you plan to spend once you get there.
A trip like this can be done on more of a budget, or you can choose to go all out on the luxuries and spend a lot more.
To help with budgeting, we’d recommend booking a Walt Disney World Resort holiday package where hotel and tickets are included. Packages include accommodation in a Walt Disney World Resort hotel.
With a package booking, you pay a deposit upfront and then the rest of the cost can be split into instalments. You can pay as much or as little as you like, as long as the final balance is paid off six weeks before your check-in date.
To book a package, simply add your tickets during the hotel booking process.
Ticket and hotel packages are also protected by ABTOT, so you can rest assured that your money is safe.
How to save money on your Walt Disney World Resort trip
These top tips will help you cut costs on your once-in-a-lifetime holiday:
- Try to travel outside of school holidays
- Consider self-catering for the time when you’re not in the parks. Some of the Disney Hotels have apartment or villa-style accommodation with kitchen facilities
- Set a budget for your kids: this saves spending a fortune on souvenirs and any disappointment by setting expectations upfront
- Take advantage of special offers: at AttractionTickets.com, we often have special offers available on tickets and packages
Walt Disney World Resort tickets
There are two options for Walt Disney World Resort tickets available at AttractionTickets.com:
- Walt Disney World Resort 14 Day Disney Magic Ticket with Memory Maker
- Walt Disney World Resort 7 Day Disney Magic Ticket with Memory Maker
Both ticket options include:
- Unlimited access to the theme parks and water parks during the validity period
- Park Hopper Access – explore multiple parks on the same day
- Memory Maker – unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads for you to save and print out
Orlando Combination Ticket packages
If you’re going to visit different theme parks during your Orlando trip, it’s worth considering an Orlando Combination Ticket. These combo tickets give you access to multiple theme parks in one.
If you’re ready to book a magical trip to Orlando, Florida, then buy tickets for Walt Disney World Resort now with AttractionTickets.com. You can also add your Disney tickets to your Walt Disney World Resort hotel booking to create a package holiday.
*Valid theme park admission required
