How Long Should I Go For?

One of the most common questions about Disney World is how long you need to see everything. The answer: weeks, maybe even months.

The first thing anyone planning a vacation to Walt Disney World needs to realize is that you won’t be able to see everything in one trip. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier your planning will be.

Because the resort is so vast in scope, with four major theme parks, two water parks, a huge shopping district, night time entertainment, restaurants galore … you just can’t see and do everything in one shot. And you shouldn’t try to tackle the trip that way, or you’ll end up needing a vacation after your vacation.

You will of course want to see and do a lot – that’s the type of vacation Disney World is. But if all your trip ends up being is a march from one attraction to the next to the next… you probably won’t come away from Disney World with a positive feeling.

So how long should you go for? It really depends on your budget, available time, and interest level.

While there isn’t a really a minimum amount of time that you have to stay, I always suggest at least four full days for the ability to visit each of the major theme parks and hit most of the major attractions. Shorter than four days, and you’ll either have to skip one or more of the parks, or miss a lot of the attractions at each of the parks.

A weeklong vacation (seven full days) will give you the opportunity to visit each of the theme parks, a water park, and have some time to revisit attractions and have some built in “relax” time – or spend a day or two at Orlando’s other attractions.

If you can stay longer than a week, then that’s great too! This will give you the ability to really explore the parks, take a whole day off to just relax, visit Orlando area attractions, etc.

Disney insiders and travel planners debate how long each of the theme parks will take you to get through. The time you spend in any place will largely depend on what captures your interest, and your specific family or group dynamic. A new couple with a young child may spend a lot of time in Magic Kingdom; a family with teens might spend more time hitting all of the thrill rides; two adults on a romantic getaway may spend a lot of time strolling the World Showcase in Epcot.

In my opinion, to be able to hit the most popular attractions at each of the park you’ll need at least a full day at Magic Kingdom, about a day to a day and a half at Epcot, and more than half a day each at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. These are only recommendations for hitting the majority of the popular attractions at each park, so keep that in mind when you are planning out your trip.

Of course, the time of the year you go will also impact how much you are able to see and do. If you visit during Christmas week, Easter break, or through the busier summer months, you’re going to spend more time moving through crowds and standing in lines. Head to the World right after the winter holidays, in late Spring, or most of the Fall season, and you’ll likely be able to fit in a lot more, as these are the less busy seasons.

However long you decide to spend in the World, remember to take breaks to relax, whether it’s a day off from the parks, afternoon retreats at the resort swimming pool, or even just sitting down at several points and people watching to let your legs rest. Slowing down a little will also let you take in more of the details, which can be just as satisfying (if not more so) than hustling to get in one more ride.