Planning a Disney World Vacation can be a little scary and overwhelming. There are many things to consider and many, many options. One of the first things to decide is how long to stay for. I always prefer longer stays, but it is not always in the budget. So here are the basics.
Animal Kingdom is the easiest park to discuss. This is definitely a one day park. It can even be less than a full day. In just one day, guests can enjoy nearly every ride and attraction, and also visit all the animal exhibits. I usually plan on a night at the resort pool after a day at Animal Kingdom. The park closes earliest of all parks and there is just the right amount of time to finish off the day with some swimming. This guideline is true for families with children of all ages.
Time at EPCOT is dependent on the ages of the children in the family. There is not too much to do for families with exclusively young children. EPCOT would definitely be only a one day adventure. If time was short, EPCOT is the park I would skip until the kids are older. With older kids, which is what I have now, we spend the better part of 2 days at EPCOT. World Showcase is now enjoyable with them as they like learning about the other countries and trying new foods. Test Track and Guardians of the Galaxy are thrill rides that they love.
Hollywood Studios is a park that can be experienced all in one day. There a fun things for young children, like Disney Junior Play and Dance. Then there are the thrill rides that the older kids love, like Tower of Terror and Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land have so much to keep guests of all ages busy. So while one day is enough to feel like you saw everything, the attractions are so good you will want to do it all over again.
Finally, we get to Magic Kingdom. Here, there are just so many classic attractions. No matter the ages of the kids, or adults, you really want to spend 2 days at Magic Kingdom. And why wouldn’t you, Magic Kingdom really is the happiest place on earth. The experiences throughout the different lands are so unique magical, you will not want to leave.
What does it add up to…
So we have 1 day at Animal Kingdom, 1 day or less at EPCOT, 1 or 2 days at Hollywood Studios and 2 days at Magic Kingdom. So when planning a vacation to Walt Disney World, you really should be looking at staying at least 4 nights and 5 days. There are some planning tricks to help maximize your time. Carefully decide which park to go to on the the day of your arrival. If you get in early enough, there may be enough time to see everything at EPCOT or count that as your second day at Animal Kingdom. I also recommend considering adding the park hopping feature. This will allow you to visit 2 parks in one day. So maybe you will go early to Animal Kingdom and finish the day at Hollywood Studios to ride Tower of Terror again.
