Is one day at Epcot enough?

[JeremysDisney]

4-Day Magic Your Way Park Hopper Plus Water Park Fun & More

Day 1-Epcot 9am-9pm
9am-11am-Epcot Future World (Soarin’, Test Track)
11am-1pm-Epcot World Showcase (Maelstrom)
1pm-5pm- Water Park Fun & More
5pm-9pm-Epcot (Illuminations)
9pm-11pm-Magic Kingdom

Day 2-Animal Kingdom 8am-8pm
8am-12pm Animal Kingdom (Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids)
12pm-4pm Water Park Fun & More
4pm-8pm Animal Kingdom (Mickey’s Jammin” Jungle Parade)
8pm-11pm Magic Kingdom

Day 3-Hollywood Studios 9am-9pm
9am-1pm Hollywood Studios (Toy Story Midway Mania, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror)
1pm-5pm Water Park Fun & More
5pm-9pm Hollywood Studios (Fantasmic)
9pm-11pm Magic Kingdom

Day 4-Magic Kingdom 9am-11pm
9am-1pm Magic Kingdom (Peter Pan’s Flight, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Space Mt, Big Thunder Mt, Splash Mt)
1pm-5pm Water Park Fun & More
5pm-11pm Magic Kingdom (Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party, Main Street Electrical Parade Magic, Electrical Water Pageant, Magic Kingdom Wishes Nighttime Spectacular Fireworks)

We are attempting a similar strategy this Easter. You will have 3 extra days to relax, visit Downtown Disney, Boardwalk, and a Disney Resort, or attend a Disney Park again.

See Disney Easter under Pre-Trip Reports.

 

[amym2]

We have tried multiple times to do EP in one day but have never been successful. We always end up going back for at least part of a second day. It's our kids' (DS12 and DD10) favorite park and always has been. In addition to Test Track, Soarin, and Mission Space, they love Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Turtle Talk with Crush, the rides in Mexico and Norway. They enjoy the Agent P adventures in WS. And Sum of All Thrills in Innoventions. Plus of course you have to eat at EP. We haven't been to Food & Wine yet, but the kids are looking forward to our Oct trip to try out new foods. We could easily spend 2 days in EP taking time to check out the aquariums in The Seas, the trains in Germany, the activities in Innoventions. There is so much more to EP than the 3 major rides.

I agree that I'd keep that last day open.

 

[amym2]

4-Day Magic Your Way Park Hopper Plus Water Park Fun & More

Day 1-Epcot 9am-9pm
9am-11am-Epcot Future World (Soarin’, Test Track)
11am-1pm-Epcot World Showcase (Maelstrom)
1pm-5pm- Water Park Fun & More
5pm-9pm-Epcot (Illuminations)
9pm-11pm-Magic Kingdom

Day 2-Animal Kingdom 8am-8pm
8am-12pm Animal Kingdom (Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids)
12pm-4pm Water Park Fun & More
4pm-8pm Animal Kingdom (Mickey’s Jammin” Jungle Parade)
8pm-11pm Magic Kingdom

Day 3-Hollywood Studios 9am-9pm
9am-1pm Hollywood Studios (Toy Story Midway Mania, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror)
1pm-5pm Water Park Fun & More
5pm-9pm Hollywood Studios (Fantasmic)
9pm-11pm Magic Kingdom

Day 4-Magic Kingdom 9am-11pm
9am-1pm Magic Kingdom (Peter Pan’s Flight, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Space Mt, Big Thunder Mt, Splash Mt)
1pm-5pm Water Park Fun & More
5pm-11pm Magic Kingdom (Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party, Main Street Electrical Parade Magic, Electrical Water Pageant, Magic Kingdom Wishes Nighttime Spectacular Fireworks)

We are attempting a similar strategy this Easter. You will have 3 extra days to relax, visit Downtown Disney, Boardwalk, and a Disney Resort, or attend a Disney Park again.

See Disney Easter under Pre-Trip Reports.

While this may sound like fun to you, I would never suggest such a strategy to people who aren't frequent WDW visitors. Have you done this before? I can't imagine hopping to water parks mid-day multiple days. I assume you have a car so you aren't having to carry swim suits, etc with you in the parks, but all of that travel time is really going to eat into your plans. If you stay for Illuminations, you likely won't get out of EP until 9:45pm and into MK at 10:15 best case scenario. We've done 3 parks in a day before but not multiple days in a row.

OP, stick with your original plans and just plan to cut back to a half-day at some point if you need rest.

 

[JeremysDisney]

While this may sound like fun to you, I would never suggest such a strategy to people who aren't frequent WDW visitors. Have you done this before? I can't imagine hopping to water parks mid-day multiple days. I assume you have a car so you aren't having to carry swim suits, etc with you in the parks, but all of that travel time is really going to eat into your plans. If you stay for Illuminations, you likely won't get out of EP until 9:45pm and into MK at 10:15 best case scenario. We've done 3 parks in a day before but not multiple days in a row.

OP, stick with your original plans and just plan to cut back to a half-day at some point if you need rest.

I respectfully disagree. First, some visitors from abroad want to see and do as much as possible, quantity vs quality. Second, it is a waste of time to be in the park in the afternoon because it is too hot and too crowded. Third, the best time to visit attractions is in the morning and evening. I think we both can agree that the prices and crowds are the worst things at Disney World, and this strategy minimizes those things.

 

[amym2]

Again, for seasoned park visitors, that might be a strategy worth trying, but for people new to the parks, I wouldn't recommend it. Have you actually done it or are you just planning to?

Personally, for my family with two kids, that's just too much time on our feet. Afternoons are better spent indoors or back at the resort pool where at least we can sit while the kids are swimming. Water parks are draining. People who haven't done WDW often underestimate the exhaustion that comes with park touring. I always suggest people slow down (something I have learned the hard way) than trying to cram more in.