How many days for each park???

[DizNee Luver]

Hi WDW Vets!!

I'm new to this side of the boards, as I've only been to Disneyland.

My family is planning a trip for the first part of December & being newbies, thought allowing 2 days for each park would be the way to go. We're very interested in seeing all the different musical/shows, parades, fireworks, etc as well as the rides. I'm hearing that we might not need 2 full days to do that at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. We won't have parkhoppers so would need to pick which park for which days prior to setting dining ressies.

Is 2 days enough to do everything at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot? Would we be happier doing 3 days at those 2 parks & 1 day each at AK & HS.

Any advice would be appreciated!! Thanx!

 

[santadog]

If you're doing park hoppers, I'd recommend starting a couple of days at AK.
We do that each trip: we get there at Rope drop,and after lunch we head to another park.
It's nice because you can take a Disney Bus directly from AK to other parks.

If you're a DL vet, you can probably do MK in 2 days, unless you want to ride/compare EVERYTHING.

If I were splitting 8 days, I'd go
(2) 1/2 days at AK
one full day, and one evening EMH for DHS
2 1/2 Days MK
3 Days Epcot

Bank the extra 1/2 day to revist a park, or go to Downtown Disney for Souvenirs.

 

[redrosesix]

Hi WDW Vets!!

I'm new to this side of the boards, as I've only been to Disneyland.

My family is planning a trip for the first part of December & being newbies, thought allowing 2 days for each park would be the way to go. We're very interested in seeing all the different musical/shows, parades, fireworks, etc as well as the rides. I'm hearing that we might not need 2 full days to do that at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. We won't have parkhoppers so would need to pick which park for which days prior to setting dining ressies.

Is 2 days enough to do everything at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot? Would we be happier doing 3 days at those 2 parks & 1 day each at AK & HS.

Any advice would be appreciated!! Thanx!

For us, 1 day is definitely enough for DHS -- really it's a half day park for us. It's a good park but we find that much of it is either for little kids or a more mature bunch, so very few families are going to want to do every attraction they have. We love AK and it's almost like our downtime -- we relax and watch animals a lot but truthfully there aren't a lot of attractions there so if you don't spend your time the way we do, 1 day is really enough for that too -- the parade rocks though

So I'd definitely agree you don't need to set aside 2 days for each of those parks. Having said that, MK and Epcot are so different after dark that you'll want to have lots of time at each of those. But we honestly spend no more than a day at Epcot -- we don't get to see everything, but we really don't want to.

I'd plan what you suggested but be prepared to change some of your plans if you're not a huge fan of Epcot or MK (somehow, people seem to prefer one over the other).

 

[bcrook]

We get hoppers and usually visit two parks a day. We tend to go to EPCOT and DHS most often. But, we do stay at a Boardwalk resort so it is really convenient to go in and out of these parks.

I would recommend as the pp mentioned to go to AK early and then go to a different park. BUT, I also like arriving at AK at 3:30 in the summer. The crowds drop significantly at that time, and it is easy hit the attractions with little or no wait. Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids and Tough to be a Bug are generally just walk on.

Have fun.

 

[DizNee Luver]

If you're doing park hoppers, I'd recommend starting a couple of days at AK.
We do that each trip: we get there at Rope drop,and after lunch we head to another park.
It's nice because you can take a Disney Bus directly from AK to other parks.

If you're a DL vet, you can probably do MK in 2 days, unless you want to ride/compare EVERYTHING.

If I were splitting 8 days, I'd go
(2) 1/2 days at AK
one full day, and one evening EMH for DHS
2 1/2 Days MK
3 Days Epcot

Bank the extra 1/2 day to revist a park, or go to Downtown Disney for Souvenirs.

Is there a reason why you leave at lunch time at AK? Does it get too busy or are you done with stuff by then?

For us, 1 day is definitely enough for DHS -- really it's a half day park for us. It's a good park but we find that much of it is either for little kids or a more mature bunch, so very few families are going to want to do every attraction they have. We love AK and it's almost like our downtime -- we relax and watch animals a lot but truthfully there aren't a lot of attractions there so if you don't spend your time the way we do, 1 day is really enough for that too -- the parade rocks though

So I'd definitely agree you don't need to set aside 2 days for each of those parks. Having said that, MK and Epcot are so different after dark that you'll want to have lots of time at each of those. But we honestly spend no more than a day at Epcot -- we don't get to see everything, but we really don't want to.

I'd plan what you suggested but be prepared to change some of your plans if you're not a huge fan of Epcot or MK (somehow, people seem to prefer one over the other).

I'm thinking staying flexible & not setting ADR's in a certain park might be the safest thing for us to do. Since we haven't been there & everyone's tastes are different....it's hard to know prior to going what park will fit us best. Our group is 2 of my grown sons (mid 20's), our 10 yr old son, 6 yr old daughter & twin 4 yr daughters who are special needs.

We get hoppers and usually visit two parks a day. We tend to go to EPCOT and DHS most often. But, we do stay at a Boardwalk resort so it is really convenient to go in and out of these parks.

I would recommend as the pp mentioned to go to AK early and then go to a different park. BUT, I also like arriving at AK at 3:30 in the summer. The crowds drop significantly at that time, and it is easy hit the attractions with little or no wait. Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids and Tough to be a Bug are generally just walk on.

Have fun.

We hadn't planned on getting hoppers because of our twins needs....we figured it would be easier just to stay put.....but I'm starting to wonder if that's the right decision.....maybe breaking the parks/days up would be better. Do certain parks tend to empty out after lunch??

Thanx everyone, I appreciate all the input!!

 

[santadog]

Is there a reason why you leave at lunch time at AK? Does it get too busy or are you done with stuff by then?

It picks up a bit, and it gets hotter (almost everything is out-doors).
Also, we like to eat at Flame Tree (arguably the best Bar-b-que in any of the parks) - we do the meal plan, and you can get a half chicken with a quart of soda and a side for one quick service credit.

 

[DizNee Luver]

It picks up a bit, and it gets hotter (almost everything is out-doors).
Also, we like to eat at Flame Tree (arguably the best Bar-b-que in any of the parks) - we do the meal plan, and you can get a half chicken with a quart of soda and a side for one quick service credit.

Great info thanx!! Hubby says thanx for the tip on the BBQ....lol

 

[smitch425]

We generally go for 9 days. Here is what we do...

EPCOT-- 2 full days

AK-- 1 full day (you indicated that you wish to do all shows and parades, so you really would need the full day to accomplish everything they offer)

DHS-- 1 full day and 1 partial day hitting rope drop and leaving around 11:30am (we do this because we always do the Halloween party at MK that evening-- you may want to look into doing the Christmas party)

MK-- 4 full days plus 4pm-midnight for our Halloween party day

I would do NO LESS than 3 full days at MK. That way you can be sure to get everything in. Also, be aware that there will be a few nights of your stay that MK will be closing at 7pm on party nights, so keep that in mind when scheduling. DHS and AK have a large number of shows, so timing your day to hit them all will be the key to visiting those parks. Just remember that if you miss anything, it gives you the perfect excuse to go back.

 

[bcrook]

The park is spread out and hot and lines are pretty intense from 11:00 - 3:30. So that is why I like to show up at rope drop and take advantage of those couple of hours in the morning. Or I like to show up at 3:00 and have a relatively easy experience until closing time (7:00 pm in the summer). I am more refreshed tackling AK with half days.

The best time to ride the safari is first thing in the morning.

But, if you want to stay all day, I would suggest enjoy some rides early, fill your mid day with Nemo and lion king show, and a nice lunch. But if you can stick around, you will be amazed at how short the lines get. Save tough to be a bug until late in the day, crowds disappear.

 

[redrosesix]

We hadn't planned on getting hoppers because of our twins needs....we figured it would be easier just to stay put.....but I'm starting to wonder if that's the right decision.....maybe breaking the parks/days up would be better. Do certain parks tend to empty out after lunch??

We always have hoppers actually, and my DD(now 12 -- was 8 on our first visit) really needs to tour that way. We don't go to parades every day and she likes to chill at the pool in the afternoons. If you go with the hoppers, consider doing what we do -- any park during the day, MK or Epcot every night (but we get there in time for the afternoon parade once each trip)

But I know that many people just don't feel the need for hoppers AT ALL -- in your case, I think you should consider them.

The parks become more crowded around the time of events eg. parades, fireworks. And tbh, most people don't arrive at the parks at opening or stay till closing -- so the middle of the day is the most crowded in any park. Hoppers give us the flexibility to take off to another park as soon as the crowd level encroaches on the fun. We have changed ADRs by phone as we were hopping from one park to another -- it's great to have your most important picks booked, but also good to be flexible.

And yum - flame tree is a regular stop for us

 

[DizNee Luver]

We generally go for 9 days. Here is what we do...

EPCOT-- 2 full days

AK-- 1 full day (you indicated that you wish to do all shows and parades, so you really would need the full day to accomplish everything they offer)

DHS-- 1 full day and 1 partial day hitting rope drop and leaving around 11:30am (we do this because we always do the Halloween party at MK that evening-- you may want to look into doing the Christmas party)

MK-- 4 full days plus 4pm-midnight for our Halloween party day

I would do NO LESS than 3 full days at MK. That way you can be sure to get everything in. Also, be aware that there will be a few nights of your stay that MK will be closing at 7pm on party nights, so keep that in mind when scheduling. DHS and AK have a large number of shows, so timing your day to hit them all will be the key to visiting those parks. Just remember that if you miss anything, it gives you the perfect excuse to go back.

Wow....3 days.....I guess that makes sense....I wouldn't want to do DL in less than 3 days & it's smaller in comparison. Thanx for the breakdown that you work with.

The park is spread out and hot and lines are pretty intense from 11:00 - 3:30. So that is why I like to show up at rope drop and take advantage of those couple of hours in the morning. Or I like to show up at 3:00 and have a relatively easy experience until closing time (7:00 pm in the summer). I am more refreshed tackling AK with half days.

The best time to ride the safari is first thing in the morning.

But, if you want to stay all day, I would suggest enjoy some rides early, fill your mid day with Nemo and lion king show, and a nice lunch. But if you can stick around, you will be amazed at how short the lines get. Save tough to be a bug until late in the day, crowds disappear.

Ah, that makes sense!! We usually are at the parks prior to opening, go all morning, take a break after lunch & then come back for the rest of the day. We do that to avoid the mid day crowds. It's a lot easier to take a break back at the motels at DL...since they're all within walking distance. WDW is just a tad bigger.....lol I'll also make a note to hit the safari first thing!!! Thanx!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

We always have hoppers actually, and my DD(now 12 -- was 8 on our first visit) really needs to tour that way. We don't go to parades every day and she likes to chill at the pool in the afternoons. If you go with the hoppers, consider doing what we do -- any park during the day, MK or Epcot every night (but we get there in time for the afternoon parade once each trip)

But I know that many people just don't feel the need for hoppers AT ALL -- in your case, I think you should consider them.

The parks become more crowded around the time of events eg. parades, fireworks. And tbh, most people don't arrive at the parks at opening or stay till closing -- so the middle of the day is the most crowded in any park. Hoppers give us the flexibility to take off to another park as soon as the crowd level encroaches on the fun. We have changed ADRs by phone as we were hopping from one park to another -- it's great to have your most important picks booked, but also good to be flexible.

And yum - flame tree is a regular stop for us

Parkhoppers at DL/Cali Adventure makes sense since it takes about 2 mins to get from one gate to the other. That's not the case at WDW....so that's why we weren't thinking about getting them.....but the more I'm reading & getting advice....the more I think we might need to reconsider.

With our family & the twins needs....being flexible is our middle name. Thanx for the tips!!

 

[rentayenta]

I didn't think we'd hop during our first trip and we totally did. I find that we hop less the first couple of days but after that it's common to do one park in the morning, break, and do another park at night. It does take longer to get everywhere in WDW than Disneyland so factor travel time between parks and your resort into your planning.

Planning for WDW is an entirely new beast and it's so much fun! Enjoy.

 

[smitch425]

Parkhoppers at DL/Cali Adventure makes sense since it takes about 2 mins to get from one gate to the other. That's not the case at WDW....so that's why we weren't thinking about getting them.....but the more I'm reading & getting advice....the more I think we might need to reconsider.

With our family & the twins needs....being flexible is our middle name. Thanx for the tips!!

We NEVER get park hoppers and we always do the park that has evening EMH. Some people avoid those parks like the plague, but we have never had an issue, and we have gone (since having our children) in Oct. '07, Apr. '08, Oct. '09, Jun '10, and Oct.'11. That's a LOT of EMH nights! Planning for 9 more this Oct.!

 

[lsulindy]

We get 7 day tickets. 3 1/2 days at MK (3 days + evening of arrival), 1 full day at each of the other parks. We've yet to see/do it all at any of the parks. But, we do do favorites multiple times.We miss the most at Epcot. If I'd add a day anywhere, it would be there first. Park hopping takes way too long IMO and you can't use fastpasses you collected earlier in the day if you do. You can add them to your tickets, so you might want to wait until later in your trip and see if you think you need extra half days at any parks.

 

[DizNee Luver]

I didn't think we'd hop during our first trip and we totally did. I find that we hop less the first couple of days but after that it's common to do one park in the morning, break, and do another park at night. It does take longer to get everywhere in WDW than Disneyland so factor travel time between parks and your resort into your planning.

Planning for WDW is an entirely new beast and it's so much fun! Enjoy.

I'm finding out how much more planning is needed but being the uber-planner I am....it's fun & keeps me occupied!!!

We NEVER get park hoppers and we always do the park that has evening EMH. Some people avoid those parks like the plague, but we have never had an issue, and we have gone (since having our children) in Oct. '07, Apr. '08, Oct. '09, Jun '10, and Oct.'11. That's a LOT of EMH nights! Planning for 9 more this Oct.!

I've had people tell me to avoid the parks with the extra hours because that will be the busiest park that day.......lol So many different opinions.....I guess that's just part of the fun in planning is figuring out the best options to do!!

 

[DizNee Luver]

We get 7 day tickets. 3 1/2 days at MK (3 days + evening of arrival), 1 full day at each of the other parks. We've yet to see/do it all at any of the parks. But, we do do favorites multiple times.We miss the most at Epcot. If I'd add a day anywhere, it would be there first. Park hopping takes way too long IMO and you can't use fastpasses you collected earlier in the day if you do. You can add them to your tickets, so you might want to wait until later in your trip and see if you think you need extra half days at any parks.

I don't think it's possible to do & see everything.....but I do have certain things we're interested in doing & basing it on all of our Disneyland trips....I think it's doable. But I've never been to these parks & might find the sheer size of these parks might put lots of kinks in all the best laid plans. I think that's why we originally thought 2 days for each park.

As for the parkhoppers.....it would add almost $500 to our budget to add this & like you said...there's a lot of time involved in doing that. Just more things for us to consider....good thing we have time to get a grip on all of this.

So are you able to gather FP's in the morning & then use them anytime that same day? We do that here at DL....but wasn't sure that was the same policy there. We always do that & use them during the busy times of the day when the standby lines are super long. Works out great that way!!

So into our trip if we want to park hop we can add that in for the day we have left on the tickets? If so, that might be something to consider for the last couple days. Thanx for that tip....I didn't know that!!

 

[smitch425]

I don't think it's possible to do & see everything.....but I do have certain things we're interested in doing & basing it on all of our Disneyland trips....I think it's doable. But I've never been to these parks & might find the sheer size of these parks might put lots of kinks in all the best laid plans. I think that's why we originally thought 2 days for each park.

As for the parkhoppers.....it would add almost $500 to our budget to add this & like you said...there's a lot of time involved in doing that. Just more things for us to consider....good thing we have time to get a grip on all of this.

So are you able to gather FP's in the morning & then use them anytime that same day? We do that here at DL....but wasn't sure that was the same policy there. We always do that & use them during the busy times of the day when the standby lines are super long. Works out great that way!!

So into our trip if we want to park hop we can add that in for the day we have left on the tickets? If so, that might be something to consider for the last couple days. Thanx for that tip....I didn't know that!!

FP can be used later than the given time, but some rides such as Soarin' and Toy Story Mania could have a late afternoon return time even if you got the pass at 9:30 am. This is where hopping could pose a problem.

The hopper option can be added at any time during your stay, but the price is the same whether you have 8 days left or only 2. For us, it is not worth the price. We prefer to spend our money on the hard ticket party. Spending time traveling between parks is just not something we care to do.

Also, I'm kind of glad people try to avoid evening EMH parks. Less crowds for me. In all seriousness, though, the evening EMH may be a bit crowded for that first extra hour, but after that the crowd lessens considerably and if you can stay for the last hour it is AWESOME. Plus, DHS only does their Disney Junior dance party on EMH nights and it is a must do for my kiddos. Good luck with your planning. You will LOVE WDW!

 

[DizNee Luver]

FP can be used later than the given time, but some rides such as Soarin' and Toy Story Mania could have a late afternoon return time even if you got the pass at 9:30 am. This is where hopping could pose a problem.

The hopper option can be added at any time during your stay, but the price is the same whether you have 8 days left or only 2. For us, it is not worth the price. We prefer to spend our money on the hard ticket party. Spending time traveling between parks is just not something we care to do.

Also, I'm kind of glad people try to avoid evening EMH parks. Less crowds for me. In all seriousness, though, the evening EMH may be a bit crowded for that first extra hour, but after that the crowd lessens considerably and if you can stay for the last hour it is AWESOME. Plus, DHS only does their Disney Junior dance party on EMH nights and it is a must do for my kiddos. Good luck with your planning. You will LOVE WDW!

Yay on the FP's!! I hate being tied to a time for doing the rides. I plan a lot of stuff....but never the ride schedule. We know which ones we want to do, but play it by ear on when we'll do them.

Yikes....adding the PH option half way thru for the full price wouldn't work in my budget!! I still am leaning towards my original plan on doing one park a day......but haven't closed the book yet. It all may depend on securing a couple must do dining ressies & when the Christmas parties are.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I grew up at Disneyland. But I've gone to WDW several times too.

You will need a full 2 days to get through all of Epcot and you must move with a purpose through World Showcase. If you really like to browse in the shops and see the impromptu entertainment, it's tight in 2 days. 1 day is usually enough for Animal Kingdom. But, sometimes Rafiki's Planet watch has nothing going on, sometimes there's a ton to do there. 1 day is usually enough for the studios. For you, you may wish to skip Fantasmic. If so, you definitely can get through this in one day. MK normally takes 2 days. But if there is a Christmas party, go to that too.

For our very first trip, as far as the 4 main parks go, we had 2 days each at MK and EP and one day each at DHS and AK. We also had a flex day at the end so we could go back and hit a park again or clean up what we missed. We made dinner reservations at one of the hotels so we could remain flexible as to which park to hit that day. We got through everything and chose MK again for our flex day. Total of 7 full days in the 4 main parks on that trip. We got through everything save a minor show or two duplicated at Disneyland Resort in those 7 days and could have gotten to those had we wanted. We also got to meet characters, listen to some of the little entertainment they have on main street or around world showcase and the like too.