How much time do you spend at each park?

[Albertan mom]

How much time do you think would be good to spend at each park?
Especially for a first-timer?
thanks!

What about Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon?
1/2 day? Full day, open to close?
thanks!

Edited to add-my kids are 8 (boy) and 11 (girl) if that makes any difference!

 

[wdwrich]

My recommendations:

MK - 2 days
EPCOT - 2 days
MGM - 1 day
AK - 1 day

I also highly recommend you break the days up to rest/swim. We typically spend a half day in one park (from opening to early afternoon), take a break back at the resort, then spend the rest of the afternoon/evening at another park.

 

[sistertrip]

I voted 1/2 days for AK and MGM, although sometimes I end up doing another 1/2 day at those parks, if I want to go back and doing something again. (Gotta love park hopping!)

 

[The Mick]

My recommendations:

MK - 2 days
EPCOT - 2 days
MGM - 1 day
AK - 1 day

I also highly recommend you break the days up to rest/swim. We typically spend a half day in one park (from opening to early afternoon), take a break back at the resort, then spend the rest of the afternoon/evening at another park.

That's the advice I'd give a first-timer.

 

[OKW Lover]

My recommendations:

MK - 2 days
EPCOT - 2 days
MGM - 1 day
AK - 1 day

I also highly recommend you break the days up to rest/swim. We typically spend a half day in one park (from opening to early afternoon), take a break back at the resort, then spend the rest of the afternoon/evening at another park.

I've got to agree with this recommendation, especially the suggestion about the afternoon break.

 

[newholidayx2]

Our first week DS14 & I have a morning and a night planned for each park. Not the same parks, we're planning on hopping.

Then we'll take 3 days to rest at the AKL

Our 2nd wk (DH joins us our last night at AKL) we're planning on a morning at each park and 4 nights at EpCot. Two full days will be for Stormalong Bay, etc

 

[Albertan mom]

When you say 2 days at Epcot, is that one day at World Showcase and one day at Future World?
Or does one require more time then the other?
thanx!

 

[eblack0409]

We usually get park hoppers and do 2 parks each day...we go to one park until lunch, then go to whichever park we are having dinner......

 

[slo]

I voted for:

MK - more than one day
MGM - one day
EPCOT - one day

 

[bigferrell]

With small children:

AK 1/2 day

MK 2 days

MGM 1 day

Epcot 1/2 day

 

[LadyLuc361]

MK - 2 days
Epcot - 2 days
AK - 1/2 day ( I guess it depends on how long we are their for)
MGM - 1 day

We usually do the waterparks for at least a 1/2 a day each and go to downtown Disney too usually for an evening.

I guess I'd have to be there at least a wekk for all that

 

[doc hog]

We have two small kids 5 & 2, so the MK is the biggest park of our trip.

 

[goofy4tink]

I seldom spend an entire day in one park. This would be a sample schedule for our family...

Arrive on Sat morning....head to Epcot for the remainder of the day (we stay a BW so it's an ease of travel thing)
Sun...morning at MK, lunch at BW, afternoon at MGM
Mon..MGM, lunch, AK
Tues..Epcot lunch MK
Wed..Typhoon late lunch Epcot
Thurs...AK, lunch MK
Fri...Blizzard, lunch, ????

However, this works for us because we have park hoppers, have been to WDW many times and know exactly what we want to do. We don't rush madly from thing to thing. Just take our time.
For a first time visitor I would recommend not trying to fit in too much. Lately, we haven't been going to the water parks. They tend to take a huge chunk of time out of your day, and we enjoy the pools at our resort. But, I have just the one child, 13 y/o dd, if I had a bunch of boys, it might be different.
Anyway.....2 days total in MK
2 days total in Epcot
1 day in MGM
1 day in AK
You can break the days up as you see fit, in order to take advantage of EMHs or ADRs.

 

[momandseandodisney]

My recommendations:

MK - 2 days
EPCOT - 2 days
MGM - 1 day
AK - 1 day

QUOTE]

I would say this too - but we are staying 11 nights
we also do a water park one day and DTD another day - then the parks a bit more then the above

 

[MJMcBride]

This is hard since we often hop to 2 different parks each day during a week's vacation. I will spend more than a full day's time at each park I think with the possible exception of MGM.

 

[willis37862]

My recommendations:

MK - 2 days
EPCOT - 2 days
MGM - 1 day
AK - 1 day

I agree with this. To get the most out of MK and EPCOT you would need two days. We don't always have enough time so this trip we are doing

MK-1 and 1/2 days ( the other half at epcot, using the monorail)
Epcot- 1 and 1/2 days
AK- 1 day
MGM- 1 day

 

[Bunchkin]

We have younger kids so we tend to give MK & Epcot more days to allow to see everything we want to see.

MK 3-4 days
Epcot 2 days
MGM 2 days at the most
AK 1 day

MK is our favorite!!!
We might not go to AK this trip.

Plus, we always have off days from the parks to do other things. Like explore the resort and fishing. Or go to FW for pony rides, petting zoo, HDDR and the campfire program. A day of shopping at DTD!!!

 

[Albertan mom]

When you say 2 days at Epcot, is that one day at World Showcase and one day at Future World?
Or does one require more time then the other?
thanx!

Just wondering about this.....

 

[bigferrell]

I seldom spend an entire day in one park. This would be a sample schedule for our family...

Arrive on Sat morning....head to Epcot for the remainder of the day (we stay a BW so it's an ease of travel thing)
Sun...morning at MK, lunch at BW, afternoon at MGM
Mon..MGM, lunch, AK
Tues..Epcot lunch MK
Wed..Typhoon late lunch Epcot
Thurs...AK, lunch MK
Fri...Blizzard, lunch, ????

However, this works for us because we have park hoppers, have been to WDW many times and know exactly what we want to do. We don't rush madly from thing to thing. Just take our time.
For a first time visitor I would recommend not trying to fit in too much. Lately, we haven't been going to the water parks. They tend to take a huge chunk of time out of your day, and we enjoy the pools at our resort. But, I have just the one child, 13 y/o dd, if I had a bunch of boys, it might be different.
Anyway.....2 days total in MK
2 days total in Epcot
1 day in MGM
1 day in AK
You can break the days up as you see fit, in order to take advantage of EMHs or ADRs.

I like your touring plan! Don't rush and enjoy yourself; that is the way to go.

 

[ReneeA]

When you say 2 days at Epcot, is that one day at World Showcase and one day at Future World?
Or does one require more time then the other?
thanx!

I would say that we devote about equal time between the two. We spend mornings at Future World, go back for rest/pool time, then afternoons at the World Showcase.

My recommendations:

MK - 2 days
EPCOT - 2 days
MGM - 1 day
AK - 1 day

I also highly recommend you break the days up to rest/swim. We typically spend a half day in one park (from opening to early afternoon), take a break back at the resort, then spend the rest of the afternoon/evening at another park.

This is exactly how we go about it too. Sometimes we don't spend a FULL day at AK or MGM, but instead get there early, tour until midafternoon and then go back to relax for the rest of the day. I wouldn't miss Fantasmic as a first timer.