Planning a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL can be a daunting experience even for someone who has been many times. One of my favorite things to do is to talk about my trips to Disney and plan out every detail. This varies depending on how many days we’re going for and what you’re looking to get out of your trip.
One of my favorite things to do when working with clients is to develop a plan that fits their needs. I have different resources for the parks for traveling with littles. My tips, tricks and advice change depending on when you’re going, so keep that in mind when reading this post. Regardless of when you go, to make the most out of your trip, make sure you have the My Disney Experience App downloaded before you arrive.
Day 1: Arrival
Travel days can be tough for anyone. Giving yourself the chance to settle in on your first day can make a huge difference on the trajectory or your trip. I like to arrive earlier in the day and go to the resort to check in. This allows you to drop off your bags if your room isn’t ready yet to lighten your load before exploring for the next few hours.
After checking in and dropping off my bags, I typically head to the bus stop – depending on where you’re staying – to head to Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney). I usually call an early night to arrive first thing to Magic Kingdom the next day.
Day 2: Magic Kingdom
To make the most out of your Magic Kingdom day, I recommend arriving BRIGHT AND EARLY to get the most magic in. I highly recommend buying the Lightning Lane, especially if you have littles as it helps with the wait times a lot. If you choose not to purchase one of the options for Lightning Lane, it helps to make a list of your “must do” attractions (I usually do this even with having the Lightning Lane Multi Pass/Single Pass).
Magic Kingdom is probably my favorite park – there’s so much to do! Between the rides, entertainment, characters and dining, I can spend multiple days here.
My “Must Do” Attractions as a mom to a 2.5 year old include: TRON, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Jungle Cruise, Space Mountain, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, and Dumbo. For the ones that my son is too short to go on, we utilize rider swap. For characters, we usually prioritize meeting Tiana and a “visiting princess” who has usually been Rapunzel in my experience but is subject to change. We also like to do the Crystal Palace Character Dining Buffet to meet the Winnie the Pooh characters.
Some of my other “must do” entertainment pieces are the Festival of Fantasy parade, Disney Starlight and Happily Ever After. Depending on what your priorities are, I have different recommendations for each of these as well.
- Morning: Plan to be there BEFORE early entry if you’re staying on property. Have a plan of what you definitely want to do. Keep in mind, if you are utilizing Rider Swap it can take more time to do certain attractions. If you’re staying on property, I highly recommend using the provided transportation as driving your own car means you’ll have to get a second mode of transportation from the Transportation and Ticket Center (plan for this to take 30 minutes from when you get out of your car). Guests with Early Entry have access to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, so it’s smart to start there and prioritize one or 2 of the following: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight or Space Mountain. TRON is not currently a part of Early Entry, but you can get in line for it. I would recommend starting with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train then heading to Peter Pan’s Flight. If you’re not staying on property, I recommend watching the welcome show (which starts about 5 minutes before park open) as you’ll be held outside of the lands. After the park officially opens, I’d go to It’s a Small World, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise to check those off your list. We usually do a 10:30 time for Crystal Palace as they’re usually still serving breakfast and end up switching over to lunch while you’re still there – this gives more options for people in your party for food.
- Afternoon: After lunch, I’d recommend heading over to Frontierland to do Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and, when open, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. They are in the process of a lot of construction, so unfortunately you’ll have to walk over to Tomorrowland after this instead of taking the train to StoryBook Circus. I would do Under the Sea and the Mad Tea Party before heading to Dumbo which can get kind of long. The good news for littles – there’s a play area! It’s a nice little break and has air conditioning. In Tomorrowland, I like to do Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (currently closed), Space Mountain, the People Mover, and TRON (I really do recommend a Lightning Lane Single Pass for this). My son LOVES Tomorrowland Speedway, and this most recent trip was the first time I actually went on it. The Festival of Fantasy Parade is typically around this period of the day, so I recommend doing that and then taking a break at the resort if that’s important to you.
- Evening: In addition to riding TRON at night, I recommend NOT SKIPPING Disney Skylight parade and Happily Ever After.
Everything I listed in this section is really hard to do in 1 day, so I recommend looking at each thing and making a decision on if it’s what you want to do. We try to pick 3 things per person that we want to prioritize (we’re a family of 3) and usually there is some overlap. Anything else we get done is a bonus. If you want to see the Hall of Presidents, it does close early so keep that in mind. The MDE app is really helpful for planning your day when looking at entertainment show times. This is a really brief overview, and I typically will go more into detail with what a client is looking for.
Day 3: Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios is a park that I think you can do almost everything – depending on your priorities.
Morning: If you’re staying on property and using Early Entry, plan to start in Toy Story Land as it typically gets the most crowded. We were able to do 2 rides before the park opened by starting here. We usually start with Toy Story Mania, Alien Swirling Saucers, and Slinky Dog before heading into the back entrance of Galaxy’s Edge. If you haven’t been to Galaxy’s Edge before, I recommend doing this last as the other entrance is more immersive.
Afternoon: I would prioritize the shows and spend some time over at Galaxy’s Edge. There are 2 new shows – The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure and the villain-themed stage show Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After. I highly recommend seeing For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. It’s not just for kids. Indiana Jones™ Epic Stunt Spectacular! is also a good one that keeps kids pretty entertained. At Galaxy’s Edge, if you’re a Star Wars fan, definitely download the Play Disney App which makes the land so much more interactive. I love Oga’s and Rise of the Resistance. The line for Rise can get a little bit long, so I recommend the Lightning Lane Single Pass if it’s a priority for you.
Evening: End the day with Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror and Fantasmic. I love Fantasmic! It’s my favorite nighttime show, followed closely by Happily Ever After. I recommend doing the dining package to get reserved seating – this is something I can help with.
Day 4: Rest Day
I highly recommend taking a day to enjoy the resort that you’re staying at and/or swimming in the pool – especially if you’re traveling in the summer months. Doing back to back park days can be a lot. If you still want something to do, check out my list of Underrated Things To Do at Walt Disney World.
Day 5: Epcot
Plan to divide your time between the Future World Area and the World Showcase to maximize your time. This is definitely a park I recommend buying the Lightning Lane for – if you do choose to buy this, I recommend to get the times as early as possible so that way you can modify them. As your travel advisor, I can help you with this.
- Morning: Plan to arrive early, especially if staying on property to take advantage of those extra minutes of magic that you get. Prioritize popular rides like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind during the early entry period. Stroll through the 11 country pavilions in the World Showcase and explore the exhibits and entertainment offered in each country.
- Afternoon: Explore Future World by visiting The Land Pavilion to enjoy the attractions Soarin’ and Living with the Land as well as a Quick-Service lunch at Sunshine Seasons on the Lower Level. After, head to The Seas with Nemo & Friends, making sure to visit the large aquarium, and then walk through Journey of Water, an interactive, water-themed trail inspired by Moana. Don’t forget to ride the iconic attraction inside the park’s landmark geosphere to learn about the history of communication (currently closed – check dates on My Disney Experience App).
- Evening: Once you finish in Future World, head back to the World Showcase to continue your journey. End your day by watching the nighttime spectacular over at the Showcase Lagoon. My favorite places to watch are between the Port of Entry and Disney Traders gift shops or the Italy Pavilion.
Day 6: Animal Kingdom
- Morning: Head straight to the Safari to see the animals when they’re typically active. After, enjoy a breakfast buffet at Tusker House meeting some of your favorite characters.
- Afternoon: Enjoy the Festival of the Lion King show followed by exploring either Rafiki’s Planet Watch (involves a short train ride) or Gorilla Falls Exploration trail. After you finish up with Africa, head over to Asia to refresh on Kali River Rapids and see Bakso on The Maharajah Jungle Trek.
- Evening: Right before the park closes, head to Pandora – The World of Avatar for the popular Avatar Flight of Passage ride.
- Extra Activity Ideas: become a Wilderness Explorer by completing nature-themed activities and learning about conservation and animal behavior throughout the park. You could also add on a memorable behind the scenes tour like the Wild Africa Trek for animal enthusiasts and families with children aged 8 and up to get a more unique, close-up animal encounters, exclusive access to hidden areas of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, adventurous experiences like crossing rope bridges, professional photography, educational content, and a meal.
- Note about the Wild Africa Trek: You’ll be walking on uneven paths and crossing bridges, so comfortable, closed-toe shoes are required.
Day 7: Check Out
On my check out day, I like to either spend time around the resort – shopping, swimming or just walking around as you have access the entire day. Depending on what time my flight is, I will take a trip to Disney Springs to try to get any last minute souvenirs that I may have missed.
Overall, there are so many way to experience the magic of Disney. It comes down to what you’re looking for as an individual or family which is why working with a travel advisor can be beneficial. If you’re ready to plan your next magical vacation, reach out to me at courtney@remembermevacations.com to get started today! My services are available at no extra cost to you.
Adventures by Begley 