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The BEST Disney World 7 Day Itinerary

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As far as I’m concerned, any amount of time you can spend at Disney World is amazing. However, I think the sweet spot exists somewhere in the 7 to 9 day trip range.

Since a week long trip is probably the most popular, I decided to put together my ideal Disney World 7 day itinerary.

Is 7 days enough for Disney World? In reality, yes it is, though understand you still won’t get to experience everything.

For those on the flip side of that questions, is 7 days at Disney too much? Absolutely not. I really do think 7 days is the ideal amount of time for a Disney trip, especially if it’s your first trip ( updated August 2, 2022 ).

FYI – This whole post is full of links to other posts that will help with planning each of these days. They open in a new page so you won’t lose this one. I really hate when websites do that.

Table of Contents

Why is a Disney World 7 Day Itinerary the Best?

There are several potential answers to this question, but simply, the more time you can be there, the better, right?

But really, most people think of vacations in terms of something you go on for a week, so we default to that a little bit.

In terms of Disney specifically, a 7 day Disney World itinerary gives you enough time to spend a full day at each of the parks plus a rest day to either explore resorts or hit Disney Springs.

Did you know there are so many things you can do besides the Disney parks ? And that’s not even counting what you can do if you leave Disney property!

Whenever possible, it’s always a good idea to plan a long enough Disney vacation that you don’t have to feel so rushed and frantic. Let’s face it, even in a week you won’t even come close to fitting everything in.

However, a full 7 days at Disney World will give you a chance to experience a lot.

And when you’re experiencing a lot, that “rest day” is important. So, let’s get to it!

My Ideal 7 Day Disney World Itinerary

Here’s where I lay out the basic structure of your 7 day Disney itinerary. In reality, you can order things however you want to. However, my biggest recommendation is to insert a rest day smack in the middle of the park days.

Disney vacations are usually pretty exhausting, so everyone will be ready to recharge their batteries by then.

In terms of the park days themselves, truly, you can swap around the parks to whichever day you want. I don’t think there’s necessarily one order that gives you a better experience.

If you have a family full of Star Wars fans, make your Hollywood Studios day earlier in the trip. Looking forward to eating (and drinking) around World Showcase? Same deal.

I have one simple little caveat to this: if this is your first trip to Disney World you MUST make Magic Kingdom your first park day . Quite simply, Magic Kingdom is the foundation of Disney World.

There is nothing quite like rounding the corner onto Main Street and seeing the castle at the end. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for while planning this trip.

Nothing says, “my Disney trip has started” like this moment right here. I’ve been to Disney many times at this point and the feeling never gets old.

Day 1: Arrival Day

Whether you are flying or driving, this is always such an exciting day. Your Disney World vacation is starting! A full week of amazing experiences is before you.

My biggest tip for Arrival Day is to try to arrive at Disney as early in the day as humanly possible. Yes, that might mean getting up insanely early to catch a flight or hit the road, but trust me, you won’t mind once you get there.

Clearly, the goal here is to give you as much time as possible on Day 1 to settle in and start experiencing the fun.

The rest of what you do on this day depends on how much time you have and how “busy” you want to be. These are the two most popular options for arrival day:

• Resort/Pool Day
• Disney Springs

There are pros and cons to doing either option. The good news is you really can’t make a wrong choice!

Depending on your arrival time, your room might not be ready yet. That’s ok, you can leave your luggage with bell services and go about your business.

If you want to hit the pool on day 1, just make sure you pack the swimsuits at the top of the luggage for easier access. You can change in the lobby bathroom and enjoy the day until your room is ready.

Tips for Arrival Day

• Plan for an early bedtime to try to catch up on sleep. You will hit the ground running tomorrow!
• Going along with the above tip, if you make a dining reservation, make it an early one
• If you are renting a stroller, schedule drop off for today (and read all my Disney stroller tips )
• Day 2: Magic Kingdom

In reality, Magic Kingdom is actually a 2 day park if you want to get everything done. However, a well planned out Magic Kingdom day can accomplish a lot.

Take a look at my Magic Kingdom itinerary to get an idea of how to plan out your perfect day at Magic Kingdom.

I know I mentioned it above, but it’s worth repeating: If you’ve never been to Disney World, Magic Kingdom MUST be your first official park day . You just have to see the castle and experience a park that is quintessential Disney World.

Can’t Miss Experiences at Magic Kingdom

Here’s the deal, I’m going to give you this list, but you may very well have to miss some of it. That’s ok! As I said, there’s so much to do in Magic Kingdom it’s not even funny.

But every family is different and has different interests and priorities. Take the parts of the list that appeal to you and forget the rest.

Rides and Attractions

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – this is the most popular ride at Magic Kingdom
• Thunder Mountain
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Haunted Mansion
• PeopleMover – I have an absolute love affair with the PeopleMover. It’s a great way to sit back, relax, take in some great views, and learn some stuff
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
• Country Bear Jamoboree
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• It’s a Small World
• Carousel of Progress

I think everyone should make a point of doing some of the classic Disney attractions, even though they aren’t necessarily as “exciting” as some of the other rides.

It’s a Small World probably won’t be everyone’s favorite ride, but did you really go to Disney World if you didn’t ride it?

There are plenty more rides at Magic Kingdom (the most out of any of the parks), but this core group is a great place to start.

Extra Experiences

• Character cavalcades
• Character meet and greets
• Disney Enchantment fireworks

Good Places to Eat

• Be our Guest
• Skipper Canteen
• The Plaza Restaurant
• Cinderella’s Royal Table
• Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe
• Columbia Harbour House

Seriously, your cup runneth over with this topic. There are so many amazing places to eat at Magic Kingdom it’s not even funny.

Whether you want quick service, table service, or to grab a snack, you can’t really go wrong.

Tips for your Magic Kingdom Day

• Tour the park efficiently by getting as much done in one land before moving on to the next
• Want to take a bit of a break? Tom Sawyer Island and Swiss Family Robinson Tree House are great places to get away from the crowds and have some quiet
• If you have access to it, definitely take advantage of early theme park entry to get on big rides with small lines
• When they are running, attending one of the parties ( Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ) is a great way to sneak in more time at Magic Kingdom without using up a whole park day
• Day 3: Animal Kingdom

For some reason, everyone wants to skip Animal Kingdom (or Epcot) in favor of more time at the other parks. While I understand the desire to spend another day at Magic Kingdom, you don’t want to miss out on Animal Kingdom.

If you absolutely aren’t sold on a full day at Animal Kingdom, you can fit a lot into a half day with the right strategy. Take a look at my Animal Kingdom itinerary to get an idea of what a full day versus a half day looks like.

That post also gives you a very detailed breakdown of rides, timing of things, and so much more, so make sure you read it.

Can’t Miss Experiences at Animal Kingdom

Unfortunately, people tend to view Animal Kingdom as nothing more than a glorified zoo. But it’s so much more than that!

Sure, you can spend a good chunk of the day wandering around and looking at animals in amazingly themed exhibits, but you don’t have to.

There are typically also some amazing street performances throughout Animal Kingdom. My favorite street performances are in Africa. Whether it’s the drummers or the acrobats, they are awesome.

Unfortunately, as I write this, the acrobats haven’t returned yet. However, the musical street performances have returned to liven up the atmosphere.

But what experiences should you absolutely prioritize, especially if you’re only spending a half day at Animal Kingdom?

• Flight of Passage – seriously if you do NOTHING ELSE at Animal Kingdom, you must ride this. Hands down the most amazing experience
• Kilimanjaro Safari
• Expedition Everest
• Festival of the Lion King
• Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…And Beyond
• At least one animal exhibit trail
• Visiting Pandora at night is an absolute MUST if you’re there that time of the day, it’s breathtaking
• Flame Tree BBQ
• Satu’li Canteen
• Tusker House
• Nomad Lounge

Tips for Your Animal Kingdom Day

• Tired and need a place to rest? The seating area of Flame Tree BBQ is one of the prettiest, and calmest, places you’ll find. And you don’t need to order any food to sit there
• Other than riding DINOSAUR, don’t waste much time in Dinoland
• Only do Rafiki’s Planet Watch if you randomly find yourself with a ton of time to kill. Just taking the train out there and back takes a lot of time.
• Day 4: Rest Day

I’m a huge fan of having a rest day. My family is go, go, go when we’re at Disney so throwing a day into the middle of it where we aren’t up before the sun is a good idea.

But more than that, it’s another opportunity to fit in some of the amazing things you can do at Disney World besides the parks .

We’re big fans of resort hopping and eating so those are our frequent rest day activities. We also try to get to Disney Springs for a few hours during our longer trips.

The kids are huge fans of World of Disney and the Lego Store while my husband and I like wandering and eating as much food as possible.

On rest day we also try to plan some time at the pool. Because we are morning to night park goers, there never seems to be time on the park days to squeeze in the pool.

But your rest day is the perfect opportunity.

Where to Eat on Rest Day

Seriously, I don’t even have an answer for you other than, wherever you want. We often use rest day as a chance to try out restaurants at other Disney resorts.

This ties right into our enjoyment of resort hopping. We either pick the restaurants based on where we plan to hop, or hop around the area where we plan to eat.

And that’s not even including all of the options to be found at Disney Springs! If you love good food, I’d recommend planning your day around that.

Research the different restaurants at the resorts and Disney Springs and use that as your spring board to decide your rest day plans.

Day 5: Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios has become an extremely popular park, and for good reason. It houses an amazing new land and perhaps one of the coolest rides around.

However, this comes with one very significant drawback: sometimes it’s not possible to get on everything you want in a single day.

Hollywood Studios does not have as many attractions as you might think. This means the lines tend to get on the long side.

Don’t get me wrong, the attractions they do have are amazing, but there just aren’t too many of them. This has improved over the past couple of years as 2 new rides opened, but it’s still an issue.

In case you haven’t seen yet, Rise of the Resistance no longer has a virtual queue. While this does make life easier in some ways, it means the wait for Rise of the Resistance could be obscene.

The other option to get on Rise of the Resistance is to book Lightning Lane access. If you don’t know what that is, read my guide to Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane .

However, you need to be on the ball when booking opens at 7:00a or your won’t get a time slot. If that happens, revert back to Plan B and wait in the standby line.

I put together a whole post dedicated to tips on how to ride Rise of the Resistance with lower lines . That should tell you how important a good strategy is to get on that ride.

Can’t Miss Experiences at Hollywood Studios

Once upon a time (a few years ago) there wasn’t much to do at Hollywood Studios. It was a construction zone. But times, they are a changing!

Hollywood Studios has seen a few major additions to the park which now makes it the most sought after park at Disney World.

The addition of Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway have upped the ante at Hollywood Studios.

However, Hollywood Studios requires a pretty solid strategy if you want to get on everything. And plan to have some down time too. Even with these new lands, there’s a shortage of rides and attractions.

Because of the complexity of Hollywood Studios, I highly recommend that you take a look at my guide to creating a Hollywood Studios touring plan , as well as how to rope drop Hollywood Studios.

Because of the scarcity of overall attractions, this list contains almost everything at Hollywood Studios. Not quite everything, but pretty darn close.

• Rise of the Resistance
• Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Toy Story Mania
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Tower of Terror
• Rock n Roller Coaster (goes upside down)
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• MuppetVision 4D – because who doesn’t love the Muppets?

Hollywood Studios has some pretty good places to sit down and grab a bite to eat.

• ABC Commissary (quick service)
• Woody’s Lunchbox (quick service)
• Dock Bay 7 (quick service)
• Ronto Roasters (quick service)
• Hollywood Brown Derby (signature restaurant)
• 50’s Prime Time Cafe (table service)
• Sci Fi Drive In (table service)

Unfortunately for everyone, Fantasmic! remains closed at Hollywood Studios. There are always rumors about it reopening, but nothing concrete yet.

Along with that, right now there are no fireworks shows at Hollywood Studios.

However, there are character cavalcades that run through Hollywood Studios throughout the day.

Building a light saber at Savi’s Workshop is an amazing (yet very expensive) experience. Ditto to building a droid at Droid Depot.

Tips for Your Hollywood Studios Day

• Be prepared to be flexible. You need to think on your feet to try to get on all the rides with less of a wait
• The physical park itself has more than a few pinch points. This makes certain sections of the park feel extremely crowded
• Need some quieter time? There are benches over by 50’s Prime Time which are a bit out of the way from the big crowds
• The ride lines can get very long by afternoon. Consider leaving and coming back for the last few hours of the day. This could be a good opportunity for some pool time back at the resort or a meal at another resort

Day 6: Epcot

Epcot is another park that often gets short changed by people who claim there isn’t much to do there, especially for young children. And while I can kind of see their point, I also respectfully disagree.

There is so much to do at Epcot I still haven’t managed a trip where I fit everything into a single day that I wanted to. I ALWAYS end up having to cut things out of the day that I wanted to do.

For ideas on how to spend your day, take a look at my 1 day Epcot itinerary .

Can’t Miss Experiences at Epcot

Epcot is about more than just rides, though there are some truly enjoyable rides as well. So much of Epcot is designed around learning and exploring.

With that in mind, Epcot opens up doors for the imagination and the mind. Each pavilion in World Showcase is its own masterpiece. Many of the countries have short movies or other experiences that help immerse you into the culture.

But a main attraction at Epcot? The food. Go with an appetite (and a lot of money).

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Soarin’
• Frozen Ever After
• Spaceship Earth
• Living with the Land
• Exploring the countries
• Did you know there’s an aquarium?

Epcot has Disney World’s newest ride, at least until Tron opens in Magic Kingdom. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is an absolute blast and a must do at Epcot.

Right now, you can only ride Guardians of the Galaxy by using Disney’s virtual queue system so make sure you know how it works.

And for more information about the ride in general, you can check out my Guardians of the Galaxy ride guide and (spoiler free) review.

Seriously, I can’t even list them all or you’ll be here all day. If you are at Epcot during a festival, you don’t even need to go to a restaurant. You can just snack your way around the park.

• Rose and Crown Pub (table service)
• Space 220 (table service)
• Garden Grill (character meal)
• Regal Eagle Smokehouse (quick service)
• Any bakery in the countries
• Snack booths/outdoor kitchens

Space 220 is now the single most difficult dining reservation to get in all of Disney World. I haven’t managed to get one yet, nor has any of my family and friends.

Someday I will get there!

• International Festival of the Arts
• International Flower and Garden Festival
• International Food and Wine Festival
• International Festival of the Holidays

I think you can see the trend here. Epcot is renowned for its festivals full of food and drink. These festivals add a major boost to any day at Epcot.

Along with amazing food and drink, the festivals bring extras for the whole family. Each festival has it’s own themed scavenger hunt

In addition, Epcot has a new nighttime spectacular, Harmonious, which opened for the 50th anniversary. It’s a solidly entertaining show which gives me all the feels.

Tips for Your Epcot Day

• Bring comfortable shoes, World Showcase alone is about 1.5 miles around – here are my picks for the best shoes for Disney World
• Epcot can be very sunny and hot with not much shade so slather on the sunscreen
• There is a ton of construction going on in Future World right now which diminishes the experience somewhat

Day 7: Departure Day – What a sad day!

Boo! Your last day is here! If you are lucky, you have a later flight. This gives you time to fit in some more Disney fun. However, it seems that more often than not, the flights are early in the day.

Hopefully, you have time to grab a quick bite to eat and maybe take a final walk through of the resort. Or make some purchases at the resort gift shop.

If you have an evening flight, I absolutely recommend you go to one of the parks. We did this once when our flight didn’t leave until the evening.

We had to get back to the resort to catch the bus by 3:00p. So we rope dropped Animal Kingdom and left there by around 1:30p.

In that time we managed to ride EVERYTHING we wanted, including riding Expedition Everest 6 times. It was glorious. My kids still talk about it.

Tip: If you do have a later flight, leave your bags at bell services. They’ll keep them all safe and sound for you while you enjoy your last day.

Alternate 7 Day Disney World Itinerary: More Time at Magic Kingdom

Not surprisingly, many people want to spend more than one day at Magic Kingdom. And this is completely understandable. As I mentioned, you can’t do it all in one day.

So how should you set your itinerary in that case? Well, do you want a rest day or not?

Option #1: No Rest Day

• Day 1: Arrive
• Day 4: Hollywood Studios
• Day 5: Epcot
• Day 6: Magic Kingdom
• Day 7: Depart

In this option, I very deliberately sandwich everything between the two Magic Kingdom days. Beginning and ending your trip at the quintessential Disney park is the way to go.

Clearly, you’ll need a 5 day park ticket for this particular Disney World 7 day itinerary.

Option #2: Keep a Rest Day

• Day 3: Hollywood Studios
• Day 6: Split day Animal Kingdom/Magic Kingdom

There’s a massive argument for keeping a rest day in your schedule. Trust me, you’ll need that rest, and it allows you to explore the rest of the Disney World resort.

If you do want a rest day, I recommend doing a split day between Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. Of all the parks, Animal Kingdom is the one that you can reasonably spend half a day there and still get just about everything accomplished.

That way you don’t feel like you’re drastically short changing your experience at any of the parks. You just need to make sure you are VERY efficient at Animal Kingdom.

With that in mind, make sure you look at my Animal Kingdom touring plan . That gives you more specific details on how to successfully visit Animal Kingdom in a half day.

Also, this allows you to again end your trip with some time at Magic Kingdom.

Yes there are other ways you can split those parks up (Hollywood Studios/Epcot is the easiest in terms of getting from one park to the next), but I think you miss out on too much with the alternatives.

Note: If you plan to do something like this, make sure you have park hopper tickets. I buy my discounted Disney ticket from Undercover Tourist to save a little money.

Other Places to go for Your 7 Day Disney World Itinerary

While I still maintain you should prioritize visiting all 4 of the parks, you certainly have other options you can entertain.

If you don’t want to have a rest day (or decide to skip one of the parks), here are several ideas of what you can do instead:

• Disney World also has two water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon
• Universal Studios is a hop, skip, and a jump away
• Of course, another Disney park day (I recommend a second Magic Kingdom day if you do this)

Do I Need Park Hopper Tickets for my Disney World 7 Day Itinerary?

In truth, you don’t NEED Park Hopper tickets, ever. Your trip will be just as much fun with the standard park tickets. That’s not to say you might not WANT Park Hoppers.

As I’m sure you can see just by going through the Disney World itinerary above, while you don’t need it, it sure would come in handy. If you absolutely want to do an additional half day at Magic Kingdom, you need a park hopper.

What if you run out of things to do at Epcot (I mean, I guess it’s possible…)? Hop on over to Hollywood Studios instead.

While park hopper tickets aren’t necessary, they sure do give you a lot more flexibility in your itinerary. Not only that, they give you spontaneity once you are there.

What if the family learns that Animal Kingdom is there absolute favorite park by day 2? Those park hoppers let them think on the fly and hop over there for an evening after being at another park.

For me, if you can spare the extra money for Park Hoppers, I always recommend them. However, if you are on a tight budget, save that money and get the standard tickets. You’ll still have a blast.

Whether you plan to buy standard park tickets or park hoppers, consider buying your park park tickets at a discount with Undercover Tourist . It saves you some money and is an authorized Disney ticket seller.

Tips for Planning Your Disney World 7 Day Itinerary

There are some general rules of thumb that are a little more on the insider track for you to consider while planning your Disney World 7 day itinerary.

A lot of these tips pertain to specific days of the week and certain parks. So how this lays out is really determined by your arrival and departure dates.

Avoid Magic Kingdom on Mondays

I seriously have no clue why this is, but Magic Kingdom tends to be more crowded on Mondays. Probably because most people fly in on Sunday and leave on Saturday.

And of course, the first park they want to go to is Magic Kingdom. If this scenario sounds familiar to you, then I say just go for it. I truly do think it’s best to start your first visit to Disney World at Magic Kingdom.

Just be prepared that the park will be a touch extra busy that day.

However, if you can shift your arrival and departure dates to be during the week, it can help with setting up park days on less crowded days.

Avoid Epcot Friday Evening through Sunday During Festivals

Epcot is known to be a locals park because of the dining and date night options. However, this is especially true during any of the Epcot Festivals.

Because of this, Epcot tends to be at its busiest from Friday after work through Sunday evening.

Aside from the busy-ness factor, the festivals have a lot of “drink around the world” potential. This increases the likelihood of loud, drunk people wandering around World Showcase as the day wears on.

If this isn’t your scene, don’t go to Epcot on the weekends.

A Split Stay Changes Everything

If you plan on booking a split stay (staying at multiple resorts instead of just one), ignore absolutely everything you read before this.

In the case of a split stay, I always base our park days on the location of that resort.

For example, we recently did a split stay between Beach Club Resort and Bay Lake Tower. Because of their locations, we went to Hollywood Studios and Epcot while staying at Beach Club, and Magic Kingdom while staying at Bay Lake Tower.

Animal Kingdom didn’t matter because there’s not much that’s easy and close about that one. We just shoved that one in when we were at Bay Lake Tower.

Transportation needs are the main reason behind this strategy. We could walk or take the Skyliner to Epcot and HS while at Beach Club. And we could walk to Magic Kingdom from Bay Lake Tower.

Any time you can avoid the bus is a thumbs up in my book.

Final Thoughts

When you’re looking for the best Disney World itinerary, I don’t think you can go wrong by planning a week in Disney World. You truly can do most everything that you’d like to do in that amount of time.

In terms of picking which parks to do when, definitely use this as a guide, but ultimately, trust your gut. If you really think about it, you can’t make a wrong decision as long as you go in with a flexible mindset ready to handle each day.

Seriously, try not to get bogged down in all the tiny details of planning or you’ll take the fun out of it. Look at the big picture and come up with the plan that works best for you.

Your Thoughts

Do you plan to try this 7 day Disney itinerary out? If not, what itinerary did you choose for your family? Let me know in the comments below.

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13 thoughts on “The BEST Disney World 7 Day Itinerary”

I’m so bamboozled by it all!! Please help and advise 🙂 My husband went many many mons ago, and the plan to just arrive, suss it all out and go woth the flow has gone out of the window as reading all the reviews we have too book parks, restaurants and all sorts to make sure we get in! We are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children – my girl will be 7 and my son will be 10) and we have booked 9 days staying at Riverside Port Orleans and then 5 days at Universal, we arrive in August and I have no idea what to do for the best. We’ve got 14 day magic tickets and 3 park explorer tickets too. We want to get the most of the experience, visiting and seeing as much as we can. What would you advise? I’m happy to go with an itinerary, but also need advice on what to book for restaurants, shows etc – I just have no idea at all. We would like to get a character dining breakfast in, as well as a nice restaurant a couple of evening, but also incorporate the water parks and a visit to the shops/malls famous food quarters too – but where do we begin?! There should be a plan set up for novices like me to just say book this book that go here and go there – and I would be ecstatic with that! Looking forward to your reply 🙂

Hi Nicole! My family group of 12 (two newbies to Disney) will be traveling to Disney in December. Since I still don’t know the exact park hours this is how we have planned to go to the parks. We will arrive there by car on Dec. 24 and leave on the 30th. 12/24: Arrive (rest day) 12/25: MK Day! Also my Birthday! <3 (hopefully the park will be open later than usual since there is no Christmas Party on this date) 12/26: Hollywood Studios (we considered making this a rest day, but since we have to drive back home we wanted to rest the day before we left instead) 12/27: Epcot 12/28: Animal Kingdom 12/29: Rest Day (I was thinking of taking everyone to Disney Springs and booking tickets to see Cirque Du Soleil!) 12/30: Check out at 11 and drive back home(:

If you have any other tips or tricks for us during the holiday season, I'm all ears! Thank you!_Mar

I think this looks like a wonderful plan! Just be prepared that Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day is going to be extremely crowded. Frankly, the most crowded day of the year. It is possible they will turn of the ability to Park Hop into MK that day so only people with park pass reservations will be allowed re-entry. That’s what they did on the day of the 50th Anniversary. I was able to leave and come back due to my park pass, but no one could park hop in who didn’t have a park pass.

I think you stand a very good chance of the park hours getting extended. It’s standard practice for crowded days. For example, today the park is open until 11p. I would expect something similar for Christmas day.

Also, with the drive, I think it’s a smart move to do your rest day before you leave. You’ll have to let me know how Cirque Du Soleil is. I’ve been dying to see it but haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

I hope you have a great trip!

Hi! My family is planning a 7 night split stay between the Polynesian resort and the beach club… Saturday to Saturday. Any advice with how we should plan our itinerary? We will have 4 day park hopper tickets and plan to have rest/pool days. We will have a 5 1/2year old and 2 1/2 year old at the time.

I love split stays! They offer such an elegant way to divide your trip. My biggest advice is plan your Epcot and Hollywood Studios days while you are at Beach Club; your Magic Kingdom day while you’re at Poly. Depending on how many night you are where, I’m assuming Animal Kingdom will likely fit into the Poly portion of your trip. Breaking it up this way helps minimize transportation issues and makes life a lot easier. I’m assuming Poly is first and Beach Club is second, but if it’s the other way, just reverse these suggestions.

Overall, I would consider something like this: Day 1: Arrival, pool day if you arrive early enough Day 2: Magic Kingdom Day 3: Animal Kingdom/pool time if you get done early in the day/or hop to whichever park you’d like Day 4: Pool day/Disney Springs if you have any interest Day 5: Epcot Day 6: Rest/Pool day Day 7: Hollywood Studios Day 8: Departure day

This gives you a nice spread of days that also allows for rest for everyone, especially the little ones. Those resorts both have great pools, so definitely take advantage of them. The Epcot and Hollywood Studios days, take advantage of your park hopper if you get bored in one place, switch to the other. What do you think? I hope this helps.

My family (first time) along with my brothers family (been there once) are planning to go in Dec. of this year.

We plan to be in Orlando for 7 days with 4 days of parks (with hopper and possible genie plus) with rest days in between.

My kids will be 6 and 3 and my brothers kids is 13, 6 and 3.

We are still trying to figure an itinerary and which parks we should go in certain days. My sister in law loves MK and want to do a full day at MK and a half day also. I have listed what im thinking but need help with more details, this is a rough draft:

Saturday – arrive/check in REST DAY SUNDAY – Park Day Monday – Rest Day/ explore resorts Tuesday – Park day Wednesday- Rest Day Thursday – Park Day Friday – Depart/ check out

Any advise would be awesome to help in planning this trip. I want to make sure we get the best experience possible. Thank you

I would love to help. I notice that you only listed 3 park days, but mentioned a 4 day park hopper ticket. If you do have a 4 day park hopper, definitely use all 4 of those days for the best experience. Here are my initial thoughts on how to structure your park days:

Saturday – arrive/check in REST DAY Sunday – Magic Kingdom (for people who have never been, it’s always great to start with MK) Monday – Hollywood Studios (if kids need rest, consider leaving the park for the afternoon to rest and come back in the evening) Tuesday – Rest Day/Explore resorts Wednesday – Epcot (again, consider leaving in the afternoon and coming back in the evening if everyone needs rest Thursday – Animal Kingdom in AM/Magic Kingdom in PM (Animal Kingdom can be done in half a day, this allows you to have another half day at MK) Friday – Depart/Check out

Because you have park hoppers, you have a ton of flexibility. For example, if everyone is bored with Epcot, hop to another park. You’ll notice I’ve taken out one of your rest days in order to fit in 4 park days (again, assuming you have 4 days park hoppers). You didn’t mention, but if your arrival is early in the day, or your departure is late in the day, that opens up the ability to use one of your park days on those days. You wouldn’t get a full day at that park, but you could add a rest day back in. That could be a good candidate to get that extra half day at MK.

What do you think of that plan? I hope it gives you a bit of direction in how to start laying your park days out!

Hi! I loved your schedule but now I have a conundrum. I will have access to early entry and extra evening hours, is it worth it on September to choose parks based on this?

I would definitely consider choosing a park based on extra evening hours. While I haven’t used them yet, I’ve heard good things about short waits during that time. However, if you have park hopper tickets you could always hop to the park with extra evening hours if you wanted to. You don’t need to base any park days on early entry, though. Early entry is for every park, every day, so you’ll have that benefit regardless of the park (excluding water parks).

Thank you so much! My biggest stress was switching Magic Kingdom from sunday (first park day) to wednesday because my family has never ever visited MK, they have only been to AK. So I am planning this then: Arrive AK (sunday) Epcot (extra evening hours on monday) Rest (tuesday) MK (extra evening hours) HS MK Depart

What do you think? I haven’t been to WDW in years and I am trying to make it the best family vacation. Children will be 12 and 14 when we visit. 🙂

I think that sounds like a wonderful itinerary! I really do love the late evenings in the park, they are my favorite. There’s just something wonderful seeing them all lit up with not many people around. I think you will all have a wonderful time!

Thank you. This is PRECISELY what I have been looking for!

Good! I’m glad I could help!

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2024 Disney World Vacation Planning Guide

So you’re thinking about a trip to Disney World … ouch, that intro is kind of a cliche, huh? But, it’s what we’re here to talk about today. When should you go? Where should you stay? How much will it cost? How do you even get started?!?!

The vacation planning timeline below should help guide you through the choices you’ll make and when you need to make them. And it has lots of links in case you want to take a deeper dive into individual questions. Keep in mind that you can do almost everything below on a shorter timeline than we’ve shown here. You just might find that some of your options are a bit more limited.

First Things First: Know Thyself

How much planning do you need to do? Some people can go to any destination and never be disappointed by their experience. Everything is an adventure. Missed out on seeing the Vatican because you didn’t buy tickets in advance? Oh well, you’ll be back (maybe), and you still had a great time in the trattorias eating delicious Italian food.

Is that you? More importantly, is it everyone you’ll be traveling with? If so, I have great news. You can have a terrific vacation at Disney World without a plan. Read this article: How to Have a Great Vacation at Disney World Without a Plan . Then come back here and skim for topics where you’d like a little more detail.

If that’s not you, then I’ll leave it to you to work out who in your group is going to do the planning and how questions about what to do are going to get answered. In my family, we try to find a balance between “too many cooks spoil the broth” and “how come you never asked me”? If you’re going with a large group, here are some things to consider:  Traveling to Disney World with Friends or Extended Family: Good Idea or Bad Idea?

7+ Months Before Your Disney World Trip

You can start on most of these activities anytime – as soon as you begin thinking that you might want to visit Disney World.

Is Disney World Right for Us?

As much as I love Disney World, some people just aren’t into it. (Some of those people are my friends and family. It’s OK, I love them anyway.) If you’ve only ever been to your local amusement park, you’ll find that Disney World is pretty different. The rides and entertainment are different and there’s a lot you can do outside of the parks. If our Disney World Attractions by Type and Technology rundown leaves you cold, you may want to plan to mix in some of the activities from  101 Things to Do Near Disney World Without Going into a Park . Or you may (gasp!) decide that a Disney World vacation isn’t for you after all.

If you’re far enough out from your trip, a great way to learn about Disney World is to take a few minutes each day to read the blog. We have lots of useful articles for those who’ve never been. On Mondays, you can read Erin’s Disney in a Minute series that covers all sorts of Disney lingo and basics. On Thursdays, you can see new articles from Bob’s Attractions in Five series that give an overview of individual rides. And you may want to consider whether you should get a TouringPlans subscription:  Five Reasons You Need a TouringPlans Subscription .

Establish a Budget & Trip Length

Start by taking a look at The Cost of a Disney World Vacation in 2024 . That article gives base estimates for your stay including hotel, tickets, and dining. If you’re planning to stay in a Disney World hotel, it’s a good way to make a first cut at which hotel tier you’ll be shooting for. ( Value, Moderate, Deluxe, Villa: What’s the Difference Between Disney World Resort Categories? ).

If those numbers feel like you can just barely manage them, or they feel totally out of range, your vacation might not need to cost that much. You can save quite a bit of money by staying off-site; it’s worth looking into . Even if you need to soak up the cost of a rental car and theme park parking fees, you can realize considerable savings by

• Paying less for your room – it won’t have that Disney theming, but hotel rooms offsite can cost quite a bit less for the same amenities
• Using that car to eat at non-Disney restaurants in the surrounding area, which are often cheaper
• Getting lodging with a kitchen and cutting food costs by preparing your own

Which Disney World Hotel Should You Stay At?

If you’ve decided to stay on-site, you’ll want to give a quick skim at Four Ways to Book a Disney World Vacation . The biggest question you need to answer is whether or not you want to book a Disney World Vacation package . The package is a bundle that comes with room, tickets, and optionally a Disney Dining Plan. ( Should You Buy the Disney Dining Plan? )

One of the biggest benefits is that Vacation Packages are easy to cancel. But you can often save money by assembling it yourself. For instance, our Least Expensive Ticket Calculator can help you save hundreds on tickets by getting them from authorized resellers, no matter how you book your hotel. Don’t forget to check for current discounts . Also helpful:

• Which Skyliner Resort Should You Stay At?
• Which Crescent Lake Resort Should You Pick?
• Which Monorail Resort is Right for You?

Want to be daring and stay at more than one resort?  Disney World Split Stay: Add More Magic to Your Vacation can help you decide whether that’s a winning move or more hassle than it’s worth.

When Should You Go?

How you’ve decided to book might impact your decision; some choices like renting Disney Vacation Club points require a little more lead time. If you’re just looking to avoid the crowds, the TouringPlans crowd calendar can help you find the quietest times. You may also need to consider school schedules and personal events on your own calendar.

Should You Book Your Disney World Vacation Right Now?

If you’ve addressed the questions above then you might be wondering what are the advantages or disadvantages to booking right now. Here’s what to know:

What’s the risk?

There are two possible downsides to booking now. One is the risk if you need to cancel.  FAQ: Canceling a Walt Disney World Vacation . The other is that you’ll need to make a deposit, and you might still need time to save.

If you’re booking at a Disney World hotel, both the risk and the deposit will be minimized. Vacation Packages are fully refundable up to 30 days in advance, and only require a $200 deposit. Room-only reservations are fully refundable up to 5 days in advance, and only require the cost of a single night’s stay as the deposit. (For trips beginning in 2025, the window to cancel a room-only reservation without penalty will be 8 days instead of 5.)

If you can book now, you should think about doing it right away, because it will lock in your rate. You may be able to rebook at a lower rate later on. But if the price of anything goes up, you’ll be protected from the increase. One thing to know: Disney releases room rates and Vacation Packages in June (or sometimes earlier) for the following calendar year. So you will not be able to book for 2025 until sometime in 2024.

If you’re booking a Disney World Vacation Package the cancellation risk will be minimized as they are fully refundable up to 30 days in advance. You should think about booking right away to lock in your rate. Disney World Vacation Packages are released in June for the next year. Depending on when your trip is, you might not even be able to book it yet! But, if you can, you should.

If you’re not staying at a Disney World hotel, or you’re booking one through a third party such as Orbitz or Expedia, deposits and refund policies may be different. You’ll need to evaluate based on your specific circumstances.

Ticket prices

Ticket prices usually go up sometime in February. Aim to buy before any increases. Again, understand what’s refundable and what isn’t, and balance that against locking in your price.

Disney Vacation Club Rentals

If you’ve decided to rent Disney Vacation Club points, you may need a longer lead time to get a bespoke reservation in place or find the perfect confirmed deal for you. ( Don’t Be Intimidated! How to Rent DVC Points )

Other Things to Consider

This is the time to think about whether you’ll want to buy travel insurance . And if you’re traveling from outside the United States, you should make sure to check your passports and apply for any visas you might need. Last but not least, you’ll want to set up your My Disney Experience account. ( Disney in a Minute: What is My Disney Experience? ) If you’re traveling with older kids — your partner does not count, I mean kids in the 13-18 age range — you’ll want to consider Should Your Kids Have Their Own My Disney Experience Accounts?

4 to 6 Months Before Your Trip

If you didn’t already, it’s time to book. Make your hotel reservations. Buy your tickets. Set up your rental car if you’re using one. And make plans for how you’re getting to Disney World too. If you’re traveling within the US, the best time to book a flight is often from 1-3 months in advance (internationally it’s 2-8 months). But a number of factors can affect whether or not that “average” recommendation applies to you. Even if you want to wait on booking, now is the time to start tracking fares.

If you’re going with a large group, or staying for long enough that you’ll have time for some extras, now could be the time to begin discussing what you want to do while you’re there. If you aren’t already, it’s a good time to start checking on the blog weekly or so. The Travel Beat Series on Saturdays covers minor news and all the week’s major headlines and will keep you up to date on points of interest for your upcoming visit.

2 to 3 Months Before Your Trip

Yes, get it booked..

If you still don’t have a hotel reservation or tickets, now is probably the time to get that locked in. Also rental car arrangements, flights, etc. Other things to reserve by the 2-month mark: strollers , as well as wheelchairs or ECVs . Not sure if you want to rent a car?  Renting a Car for Your Walt Disney World Vacation: How Do I Decide?

Beginning 60 days before arrival, you’ll be able to check in online if you’re staying at a Disney World resort.

Get familiar with the tech

You could wait, but from this point on you’ll be using the My Disney Experience app more and more frequently. It’s not a bad time to get familiar with it.  How To Use the My Disney Experience App Like a Pro (Even if You’re a Beginner) . If you’re a TouringPlans subscriber, you’ll also want to download and browse around the Lines app so you know what’s there.  Five Things You Can Do in LINES But Not The Disney World App .

Prepare to make dining and other reservations

If you’re planning to do any Table Service Dining or Extras such as Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, tours, and the like, you’ll want to finalize your plans for that before your booking window opens. If you’re staying onsite you can begin booking dining and extras at 70 days from your arrival date. ( Disney in a Minute: What is the 60+10 Rule? ) If you’re staying offsite, you can begin booking 60 days out.

You can book dining online ( Step by Step: How to Make a Walt Disney World Dining Reservation Online ) or in the app ( Step-by-Step: How to Make a Disney World Dining Reservation On Your Phone ). Dining reservations typically open online between 5:45 and 6:00 am on the morning that you’re eligible, and at 7 am if you’re calling at (407) 939-3463. Unless you’re looking for a hard-to-get reservation, any time that morning will usually net you everything you’re looking for.

Learn about Disney World queues

You might be thinking: “What’s to learn about standing in line?” Well, you’ll want to know about Disney World’s upcharge options for skipping the lines. Step-By-Step Guide: How to Use Genie+ and Lightning Lane at Disney World . Some newer attractions use a Virtual Queue:  Answering All Your Questions About Virtual Queues . If you have kids, you’ll want to know about Rider Switch, which lets parents trade off efficiently when their kids aren’t old enough for a particular ride.  Rider Switch at Disney World: Guide and FAQ . And if anybody in your party has issues waiting in a traditional line, you’ll want to learn about whether Disney’s Disability Access System is an answer for you.  What You Need to Know about Disability Access Service (DAS) at Disney World .

Begin planning your park time

Now is a good time to make preliminary Touring Plans for attractions you’d like to see. If you’re planning to buy Genie+, review the Genie+ priorities for each park. You might also want to know about  Making the Most of Disney World Rope Drop ; arriving early to the parks is a great way to beat the lines.

If you’re a subscriber, you can start with one of our Premium plans. Follow it as written, or customize it to suit you.  Step-By-Step Guide: Make and Use a Touring Plan in the Lines App (Including Lightning Lane) . Thinking about splitting up from your kids for a bit?  Walt Disney World Alone: Is Your Child Ready? .

If your admission media requires it, you’ll want to make Park Pass reservations now. Step-by-Step: How to Make a Disney World Park Reservation .

Start a walking regimen

Most guests to Disney World clock in upwards of 5 miles a day, and as high as 12. Since you’ll be getting your 10,000 steps and then some, get in shape for it in advance.

45 Days Before Your Trip

It’s transportation time! If you’re driving to Orlando, have your car inspected and tuned up. If you’re flying, make sure you know how you’re getting from the airport to Disney World, and make any necessary arrangements.  How to Get from the Airport to Walt Disney World .

If you’re a TouringPlans subscriber, get your automatic room request ready. We’ll send it at the 30-day mark.  How to Send A Hotel Room Request to Disney – Automatically!

Now is also the time to order your pre-arrival MagicBands if you choose. They’re no longer free with your stay, you can get a preorder discount with your Disney World hotel stay. You can order them up to 11 days in advance for shipping to your home, but do you really want to be biting your nails and wondering if they’ll arrive on time? If you’re not using MagicBands (or even if you are), get MagicMobile set up on your phone. Everything You Need to Know About Disney’s MagicMobile .

30 Days Before Your Trip

It’s almost here! But if something has gone awry, and you need to cancel a Disney World Vacation Package, make sure you do it now. You can only get a full refund if you cancel more than 30 days in advance.

If you’ll be using DAS, set up your DAS Advance reservations.  What You Need to Know about DAS Advance .

14 Days Before Your Trip

If you’re planning to do grocery delivery, place your order now. Many services accept orders up to 2-3 days in advance. But you may have a wider choice of delivery windows if you do it now, and it will be one less thing to do later. Not sure about how this works or what the options are?  Grocery Delivery to Your Walt Disney World Resort .

Finalize any plans for hotel, travel, admission, reservations, etc. that you haven’t already locked in place.

Order Memory Maker if you’re planning on it for your trip. Again, you can do this up to 3 days in advance and still get the discount price, but why make yourself crazy in the last few days?  FAQ Walt Disney World PhotoPass and Memory Maker .

Review recommendations for what to pack. We have articles on packing no matter what your travel style, and there’s still plenty of time to pick up anything you need to buy.

7 Days Before Your Trip

Your Disney World vacation is only a week away!

• Check the weather forecast and finalize your packing list.
• Review your Touring Plans and make sure they still match what you want to do. Reoptimize to account for any changes in park hours etc. since you made them.
• Fill in any last-minute dining reservations you were on the fence about. You can always cancel later (up to 2 hours in advance).
• Make sure travel arrangements to the airport are in place, if you’re flying to Orlando.

24-48 Hours Before Your Trip

The homestretch! You’re almost there!

• Check into your flights online and confirm your departure time and gate.
• Consider printing travel or reservation info that you’ll need in transit. At the very least, take a screenshot – there’s no guarantee you’ll have WiFi or cell service if you’re trying to retrieve details from your email to clear up a problem.
• Finish packing.

Take a deep breath. You’re ready. Have a great vacation!

What are your favorite planning tips? Did we leave anything out? Let us know in the comments!

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Jennifer Heymont

Jennifer has a background in math and biology, so she ended up in Data Science where she gets to do both. She lives just north of Boston with her husband, kids, and assorted animal members of the family. Although it took three visits for the Disney bug to "take", she now really wishes she lived a lot closer to the Parks.

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