How Many Days for Disney World?

How Many Days for Disney World?

average cost disney vacation

How Many Days for Disney World?

This article is your complete guide to figuring out how many days you need at Disney World! From my experience selling tickets at Magic Kingdom park, most families will need six to seven full days to see everything that Disney World has to offer which includes spending a full day at each of the four parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom as well as one day at a Disney water park and a night at Disney Springs. 

SPECIAL NOTE: If you need help picking the best time to visit Walt Disney World for your next vacation, be sure to check out our Disney crowd calendar!

 Disney World Crowd Calendar

How Many Days Should You Stay at Disney World?

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Let’s dive right into the question on everyone’s mind: how many days do I need for Disney World? Our recommendation has always been to give yourself at least six to seven days. Our primary reason is that Disney World is made up of four main theme parks which are Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. They also have two amazing water parks and a shopping and dining district. For this reason, we feel that guests can easily fill in a six to seven-day vacation simply by visiting one of these theme parks on their own day. Now, this doesn’t take into account that we most likely would recommend giving yourself two full days at Magic Kingdom park, especially if you are visiting with young kids below the age of 10, as this park has over 40+ attractions as well as some amazing character meet and greets. Now of course, this doesn’t give you time to relax and enjoy all of the amazing benefits that come from booking a stay at one of the Disney World hotels. 

How Many Days Should You Spend in Disney World?

As you can see above, we just outlined five jammed-packed days and haven’t touched on the two Disney water parks or Disney Springs. So, how many days do you need to enjoy Walt Disney World? We feel seven days should be your minimum stay, especially if you plan on visiting the Disney World water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach) and Disney Springs. The extra day or two between parks will make your trip much more relaxing. Most guests love relaxing at the Disney World resorts, and taking a whole day for just Disney pools! Walt Disney World has some of the best resorts in the country that offer fun and exciting activities like Movies Under the Stars, boat rentals, and more. There is nothing like taking a break between busy theme park days and relaxing and refreshing.

How many days do you need for each Disney park?

  • Magic Kingdom: Two Days
  • EPCOT: One Day
  • Hollywood Studios: One Day
  • Animal Kingdom: One Day

Related Page: Discount Disney World Tickets 

How Many Days When Only Visiting Disney World’s Four Theme Parks?

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From our experience, we would give ourselves five full days to visit all four of the main Disney World theme parks, including Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. As discussed, the main reason is we would almost always give first-time visitors to Disney World or families visiting Disney with younger children two full days to see and do everything that Magic Kingdom Park has to offer. We also feel like families with younger children will need some extra time to take advantage of all of the Disney World character meet and greets spread throughout the four Disney World parks. We would also say that families with older children can upgrade and take advantage of the Disney World park hopper ticket and can spend their fifth day visiting some of their favorite attractions at all of the Disney World parks.

Can you do all 4 Disney parks in 4 days?

As a general rule of thumb, we would recommend a minimum of four days when trying to visit all four of the Disney World theme parks. This is especially true if you are trying to get onto every ride within each of the Disney World parks.

Related Page: Best Day to Visit Each Disney World Park 

How Many Days at Each Disney World Park?

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So now that we have established that most families will need at least five full days to visit all of the Disney World theme parks, we will break down exactly how many days you should spend at each Disney World park for your vacation. As a general rule of thumb, we always recommend spending at least two full days at Magic Kingdom, one day at EPCOT, one day at Hollywood Studios, and one day at Animal Kingdom. This is especially true for families visiting Disney World with young children or first-time visitors to Walt Disney World. Families with older children or who have previously visited might be better suited with a Disney World park hopper ticket, allowing them to mix and match how they spend their days in the parks.

How many days for Magic Kingdom? – 2 Full Days 

We always recommend to spend two full days at Magic Kingdom Park. This is especially true for families visiting Disney World with young children, as Magic Kingdom has over twenty rides and attractions within the park, which do not include minimum height requirements. On top of that, there are also over thirty Disney World character meet and greets, as well as afternoon parades and the nighttime fireworks show. It’s also important to note that Magic Kingdom Park is by far the most visited theme park in all of Orlando, so it can have higher than normal crowds, which might make it challenging to get everything done in one day as well. 

How many days for EPCOT? – 1 Full Day

EPCOT is one of the tougher parks to figure out as it is almost always hosting one of the very popular festivals at this point. However, as a general rule, we would always recommend one full day at EPCOT for families visiting with younger children or for first-time visitors to the parks. You will see that with the right game plan, and possibly upgrading to the Disney Genie+ it’s very possible to be done with all of the rides and attractions in EPCOT by 3:00 – 4:00 PM. However, as discussed, this would not include taking advantage of World Showcase, which is one of the most popular destinations for adults visiting Disney World. So, for guests who are specifically looking to take advantage of every EPCOT ride, as well as eat and drink their way around the world, we would typically recommend two full days. This is especially true when it comes to the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, as it would be impossible to eat and drink everything within one day.

How many days for Hollywood Studios? – 1 Full Day

As a general rule of thumb, the Disney vacation planners at The Park Prodigy always recommend one full day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Still, it also depends entirely on what is most important to you when visiting. For example, for families who are looking to take advantage of everything Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge has to offer, you might consider one day and a half as this will allow you to enjoy the added experiences found in the Droid Depot, Ogas Cantina, and even creating your own Lightsaber. You will also see that although Disney’s Hollywood Studios only has nine major attractions at this point in time, they are all extremely popular rides, and this park also has some Fantasmic shows that guests love, including Fantasmic. So, for that reason, it’s one of our favorite parks to double down on when we are visiting Disney World with park hopper tickets. 

How many days for Animal Kingdom? – 1 Full Day

We generally recommend dedicating one full day when visiting Animal Kingdom Park. With a well-crafted game plan and upgrading to use the individual lightning lane, guests can effortlessly experience all the major attractions, including Avatar Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Expedition Everest. This schedule also allows ample time to enjoy live performances such as the Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo – The Musical. It’s also important to note that Animal Kingdom will typically close easier than the other Disney World theme parks, so for that reason, it’s one of our favorite parks to start our days at when we plan to park hop. 

Related Page: The Slowest Times to Visit Disney World 

Sample Itineraries When Deciding How Many Days to Stay at Disney World With Children Under Ten

Spending three days at Disney World with children under ten

Ticket type:  Disney World Base Ticket

Day 1: Magic Kingdom Park

Day 2: Hollywood Studios

Day 3: Magic Kingdom Park

Spending  four days at Disney World with children under ten

Ticket type:  Disney World Base Ticket

Day 1: Magic Kingdom Park

Day 2: Hollywood Studios

Day 3: Animal Kingdom

Day 4: Magic Kingdom Park (or EPCOT)

Spending five days at Disney World with children under ten

Ticket type:  Disney World Base Ticket

Day 1: Magic Kingdom Park

Day 2: Hollywood Studios

Day 3: Animal Kingdom

Day 4: EPCOT

Day 5: Magic Kingdom Park

Spending six days at Disney World with children under ten

Ticket type:  Disney World Base Ticket

Day 1: Magic Kingdom Park

Day 2: Hollywood Studios

Day 3: Animal Kingdom

Day 4: EPCOT

Day 5: Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach  (or pool day)

Day 6: Magic Kingdom Park

Spending seven days at Disney World with children under ten

Ticket type:  Disney World Base Ticket

Day 1: Magic Kingdom Park

Day 2: Hollywood Studios

Day 3: Animal Kingdom

Day 4: Break at the hotel  and Disney Springs at night

Day 5: EPCOT

Day 6: Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach  (or pool day)

Day 7: Magic Kingdom Park

Related Page: Is the Disney Dining Plan Worth it? 

Sample Itineraries When Deciding How Many Days to Stay at Disney World With Children Over Ten

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Spending three days at Disney World with children over ten

Ticket type:  Disney World Park Hopper Ticket

Day 1: Magic Kingdom Park

Day 2: Hollywood Studios

Day 3: Animal Kingdom and EPCOT

Spending four days at Disney World with children over ten

Ticket type:  Disney World Park Hopper Ticket

Day 1: Magic Kingdom Park

Day 2: Hollywood Studios

Day 3: Animal Kingdom

Day 4: EPCOT

Spending five days at Disney World with children over ten

Ticket type:  Disney World Park Hopper Ticket

Day 1: Magic Kingdom Park

Day 2: Hollywood Studios

Day 3: Animal Kingdom

Day 4: EPCOT

Day 5: Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach

Spending six days at Disney World with children over ten

Ticket type:  Disney World Park Hopper Ticket

Day 1: Magic Kingdom Park

Day 2: Hollywood Studios

Day 3: Animal Kingdom

Day 4: EPCOT

Day 5: Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach

Day 6: Hollywood Studios and EPCOT

Spending seven days at Disney World with children over ten

Ticket type:  Disney World Park Hopper Ticket

Day 1: Magic Kingdom Park

Day 2: Hollywood Studios

Day 3: Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach

Day 4: Animal Kingdom

Day 5: Break at the hotel  and Disney Springs at night

Day 6: EPCOT

Day  7: Hollywood Studios and EPCOT

Related Page: How to Get Discount Disney World Tickets

Tips & Tricks When Deciding How Many Days You Need for Disney World

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  • Don’t expect to do it all. This tip is true no matter the length of your trip and is one of the most common mistakes we see many families make. The entire point of a Disney vacation is to relax and have fun as a family. Maybe you can see it all, but you will be stressed out the entire time. Always plan and be as prepared as possible, but don’t forget to enjoy your trip!
  • Be sure you know all there is to know about the Disney Genie +. Disney has gotten rid of FastPass, which could impact your trip. The Disney Genie is a free planning service that also offers paid services like Lightning Lane.
  • If this is your first time visiting Disney, be sure to check out our free touring plans.
  • Our favorite tip for picking how many days to visit Disney is to pay attention to Walt Disney World ticket pricing for the week you plan to visit. The cheaper the tickets, the more likely the parks won’t be as crowded during that time of year. So we have found that fewer crowds means you need fewer days to spend in the park. Not only that, but this tip will also help you find the cheapest Disney World ticket pricing throughout the year!

How Many Days For Disney World in 2024 FAQ

Q: Disney World in 2 Days For Adults?

If you’re planning an adults-only trip to Disney World—which can be incredibly fun—you might be pondering how many days adults should spend in Disney. We recommend at least two days for an adults-only Disney World adventure. Why two days? We’ve found that Epcot alone can quickly fill an entire day, especially if you’re keen on exploring the World Showcase and partaking in the ‘drink around the world’ experience. This park offers a unique blend of cultural experiences, fine dining, and entertainment that adults often appreciate. Adding a second day to your itinerary allows you to experience that quintessential Disney magic at the Magic Kingdom or unleash your inner Star Wars fan at Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios. So, when considering how long to stay at Disney World, especially for an adults-only trip, two days offer a good balance between leisure and excitement. But let’s not forget, the question of how many days do you need in Disney World can vary greatly depending on your interests. Whether it’s the thrill rides, the culinary experiences, or the myriad of shows and parades, Disney World has a lot to offer that can’t always be condensed into a short trip.

Q: How many days are there for Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach?

We’re big fans of Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, and based on our experience, you can accomplish a lot with just one day at each water park. That said, if your primary objective is relaxation rather than ticking off a list of attractions, you could easily extend your stay to more than one day, particularly at Typhoon Lagoon, which offers a serene tropical atmosphere perfect for unwinding. So, don’t overlook the water parks when calculating how many days in Disney World you’ll need for your trip. They offer a different kind of Disney magic, one that’s more laid-back but no less enchanting. Whether you’re a thrill-seeker looking to conquer every water slide or someone who wants to float along a lazy river, these parks have something for everyone. Therefore, while one day might be sufficient for a whirlwind tour, additional days would allow for a more leisurely and comprehensive experience.

Q: Is seven days at Disney too much?

Another question you might be pondering is, is seven days at Disney too much? To answer this, let’s consider what Disney World encompasses: four main theme parks, two Disney Water parks, a shopping district, and over thirty Disney World hotels offering diverse dining options. Given this extensive array of attractions and activities, seven days at Disney is far from excessive. It may not be sufficient to experience all that Disney World has to offer fully. So, you might be wondering, how many days should you spend at Disney World? The primary reason for recommending a week is the sheer scale and variety of Disney World. Therefore, we believe seven days is the ideal duration, mainly if this is your inaugural visit.

To put it another way, how many days Disney World indeed requires for a comprehensive experience remains debatable. However, our consistent answer is that a week offers a well-balanced time frame for a fulfilling and magical Disney experience.

Q: Is one day enough for Disney World?

Although you might have seen videos on YouTube of guests visiting all four Disney World theme parks in one day, it’s simply not enough. Guests might be able to visit one of the four main Disney World theme parks in one day. But for parks like The Magic Kingdom, it might be stretch and an extremely long day.

Q: Can I visit Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios in one day?

On average, it will be almost impossible to visit Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios in one day and get on every ride. The Magic Kingdom theme park alone is one of the most popular theme parks, and our suggestion would be to plan two full days to see it all! Hollywood Studios is also a full-day event, especially if you are trying to see all of the main attractions, including Toy Story Land and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.

Q: How many days to visit Disney World and Universal Studios?

We recommend planning for at least six full days if you are trying to see Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. This would allow you one full day at each of the four Disney theme parks and two full days at Universal Orlando.

When is The Best Time to Visit Disney World?

Our Disney  World Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices, and average temperature. We also break down the best time to visit Disney World based on specific times of the year and special events.

Are You Ready to Plan Your Next Disney World Trip?

Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Be sure to speak with a Disney World Travel Agent for the most recent deals and promotions. The Park Prodigy will provide a Free Quote for all Disney World Vacation Packages. The Park Prodigy can also help you save up to $20 per ticket when purchasing your Walt Disney World Tickets, and we offer promotional discounts for special events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tickets and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets. If you’re brand new to Disney vacation planning we recommend our Walt Disney World Planning Page! Learn more about Disney hotels by reading our Walt Disney World Hotels Review page.

Don’t forget to check out our wonderful friends over at Theme Park Today, as well!

 

Michael Belmont

Michael Belmont is the owner and chief editor at Theparkprodigy.com, an authorized Disney and Universal travel agent. He specializes in Disney and Universal theme park tickets and vacation packages, as well as daily park plans to help optimize vacation time. Michael and The Park Prodigy have been featured on ABC’s Florida affiliate, WTFV, as well as over 10 Disney focused blogs. As owner, Michael manages The Park Prodigy blog and social media, a Disney themed podcast, and a Disney and Universal focused YouTube channel. Prior to starting The Park Prodigy, Michael was a long time Disney and Universal enthusiast, frequent visitor of the parks, and even served as a Walt Disney World Cast Member in Orlando, Florida!