People often ask me, “How many days should we plan to spend at Walt Disney World?” My response is, “It depends. A bare minimum is 4 days. Better is 5 days, and the best is a full 7 days.” Let’s look at options for each of the scenarios.
Bare Minimum – 4 days
You are going to be able to go to each of the parks, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. You will be able to see just about everything at EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios. Animal Kingdom, you might see everything, but you will be rushed. Magic Kingdom – no way. There are so many shows and attractions in the Magic Kingdom, you are going to have to pick and choose. And, you will be rushed all 4 days.
If you plan wisely, or use a planner (Disney Tips and Tricks 101), you can do all 4 parks. You will have great memories with your family and lots of pictures to share. If it’s go for 4, or not at all. Go for 4! Another option is to prioritize what you want to see and do. This can help save time, and maybe cut out one of the parks. For ticket options, I would suggest a 4 day base ticket. If you opt for park hopping over the 4 days, you spend some of your precious time on Disney transportation that could have been spent in the park.
Better – 5 days
If you can go for 5 days, you will be able to see and do just about everything in all 4 of the parks. You might prioritize and skip some things that your family isn’t interested in, to be able to spend more time on a preferred activity. A 5 day trip would allow for 2 days at Magic Kingdom, 1 day at EPCOT, 1 day at Hollywood Studios, and 1 day at Animal Kingdom. You wouldn’t need to rush quite so much. You may even have a little down time to lounge near the pool in the afternoons, or evenings. For ticket options, I would suggest a 5 day with park hopper. This allows you to have flexibility with dining reservations.
Best – 7 days
Why 7 days? You can see and do everything you want. You can have a day to just hang out at the pool, or to do something besides the parks. When you rush through a vacation, you are really pushing it with the kiddos. Mine would have major melt downs if we went at a 4 day pace. Melt downs don’t make for a great vacation. A good planner will help you create an itinerary that’s just right for your family, thus minimizing the melt down opportunities. Having the flexibility of 7 days allows for your family to have some down time. For ticket options, I suggest at least a 5 day with park hopper option. This would allow for the 5 day park plan (2 at Magic Kingdom, 1 at each of the other parks). If you go with a 6 day ticket, you can visit your favorite park the last day! My boys always choose Hollywood Studios, thanks to Toy Story Mania and Rock ‘n Roller Coaster.
No matter what you choose, you will have a great time. It is the happiest place on earth!
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Pixie Dust Queen 