How many days for each park?

[missypie]

The only way I'm getting through not having a "real" summer vacation this summer is to focus on our WDW trip next summer. We should have 9 full (non-travel) days in the World. DH is a real "have to see and do everything" kind of guy. We'll be traveling with kids who will be 14, 12 and 9 at the time.

My question is, with 9 full days at a crowded time, will we be able to hit just about everything at the 4 parks and still have some time to relax a bit and enjoy the resort? I've heard that AKL is a "one day park." Is that a one day death march, or one enjoyable day?

If you had 9 full days to spend, how would you divide your time among the parks? (Don't factor in the water parks or DTD.)

 

[kild]

Our next trip is nine days and this is what we are doing.
2 days of parks, one day of resting at the resort/pool

AK is a full day if you want to ride all the rides and see all the shows, plus look at all the animals in and around the park. If the park is very crowded, you may be pushed for time, due to it closing earlier than the other parks. So yeah, it could be a full on march to get it all done.

We usually plan a day for each park. Then add a couple of days to go back and do whatever we wanted to do that we may have missed or just wanted to do again.

 

[cobbler]

I find that everytime I go to Disney I just don't have enough time to do what I want to do


I have found that I can easily be 2 days at the MK, 1 day at AK, 1 day maybe 1.5 days at MGM and 1-2 days at Epcot. Our plan this year is 9 nights so I have 2 days at MK planned, 1 off day, 2 at Epcot, 1 at AK and 1 at MGM plus one day where dh and kids can do whatever they want as I am spending the day with a friend.

Don't try to rush, take your time and enjoy things. Besides it will give you something to look forward to on your next visit

 

[wannabee princess]

I would do the 2 days on, one day off of parks. Depending on the days of week you are there and EMH, enights, etc for the summer months. Here is my ideal for 9 days.

Day 1 MK watch Wishes.
Day 2 AK start until it got too hot - maybe by noon - with park hop to Epcot to stay for Illuminations.
Day 3 Relax at resort, swim, shop at DD and have nice meal.
Day 4 MGM watch Fantasmic.
Day 5 AK start until too hot. View the parts you didn't have time for on day 2. Park hop to Epcot spend rest of day.
Day 6 Relax at resort, swim, mini golf, go to Boardwalk for nice meal.
Day 7 MK
Day 8 MGM/Epcot - would split the day.
Day 9 MK - always like to end and begin with MK. Take it easier today as you have been here 2 times and you can just see the things you may have missed or redo favorites. If you haven't seen the parade do it today.

 

[cmonroe]

I am complete agreement with cobbler.

 

[DizBelle]

I like to start and end at MK also - 2 full days will be plenty
One full day should be enough at AK - you may have to go back for another 1/3 of a day to catch a show you couldn't work in the first time
2 full days are needed at Epcot to see all of FW and WS - at a busy time maybe another half to full day to see everything
I think that you will need 1.5 days at MGM just to work in all of the shows that are only at specifically scheduled times

So 2 + 1.33 + 2 + 1.5 is less than 7 days. Your 9 full days should be PLENTY to see everything and also have time to relax at the pool.

I usually go for 8 days/7 nights and find myself seeing things twice and three times because I have time to. I usually have 1 non-park day in there too.

Enjoy!

 

[HaleyB]

We have 8 full park days this time. We are doing 2.5 days in MK (1 full day and 3 half days)
1.5 in AK (Eating at RFC and hiting favorites on .5 day)
1.5 in MGM (3 half days)
1.5 Epcot (1 full and 1 half day)
.5 Disney Quest

I still have .5 day open... I think it will be Epcot, unless we hit a bad snag somewhere and need to add time.
I do more mornings in MK, more afternoons in Epcot. But I make sure to have one morning and one afernoon in each park.
I really wish we had 9 days because I feel like I am not giving Epcot enough time... I love Epcot.

 

[missypie]

I've just been seized by panic...this year dance recital is this coming weekend. I've just remembered that it is only then because someone waited too late to book the convention center and that all other years the recital has been the weekend after Memorial Day, which would have been day 8 and 9 at WDW! Now I'm on pins and needles to find out when it is next year!!!

 

[liznboys]

We might have 9 days in the park for our next trip, so I'm trying to decide this as well. I know we'd spend 3 full days at MK, that's a given. Then probably 2 days at each of the other parks. Maybe a bit more at Epcot...probably do half days split here and there.

 

[DNBois]

DH and I are heading there for eleven days, ten nights with a total time of 10 1/2 days of WDW fun. We will most likely park hop but we have decided to do 2 1/2 days at Epcot, 2 1/2 days at MK, 1 day at MGM, 2 days at AK, 1 day at Universal, and 1 day at Sea World and perhaps 1/2 day of rest in the sun (we just love the parks so much that any more than a 1/2 day at the pool is too much Good luck planning!!!