How Many Days Do You Need for Each Disney Park?

Are you visiting Disney World Orlando and wondering how many days you need for each park?

The answer may depend on several factors. With four major theme parks, water parks, and other attractions, deciding the perfect duration to visit each park can be tricky.

This article talks about the duration it may take to visit each of the four theme parks at Disney World. It also outlines some important factors to consider when planning the duration of your visit.

Things To Consider When Deciding Your Disney World Visit Duration

Let’s get one thing out of the way first. Disney World is huge, as it comprises Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT.

Then there are the two water parks, golf courses, and other resort experiences. If you want to try everything, you’ll need a long vacation and a lot of money.

So don’t worry about exploring everything on your trip. You’re there on vacation, so relax and do the most you can with your time, even if it’s short.

While the parks differ significantly in size, attractions, crowds, and the time it takes to cover them, the ultimate decision on how long you want to explore each park depends on you.

Season

If you’re visiting in the off-season, there won’t be long queues. That means you’ll have less waiting time and more time to explore the parks.

So you may be able to explore more of the parks during this time. The off-season for Disney World is January through March (before spring break) and September through mid-November (except Halloween).

On the contrary, the parks may be crowded if you visit during the busier times, say, June or July. You may need more than one day to explore your favorite park, especially Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.

Budget

The main consideration should be your budget for the Disney World vacation.

While you can spend days or weeks at the resort, each day adds to the expenses, as you have to pay for accommodation, parking, tickets, food, etc.

So when deciding how long to spend at Disney World and each of the parks, also factor in how much you want to spend.

Do your homework, check the ticket prices for the time you plan on visiting (ticket prices vary), see the hotel prices both in and out of the resort, and then decide accordingly.

Preferences

The excitement to visit all of the Disney parks is understandable.

You don’t know if or when you’ll visit again. You want to try a ride your friend posted on Instagram. Or perhaps you’re just someone who likes to experience it all.

However, even though all four parks (and water parks) are incredibly fun in their unique way, they aren’t for everybody.

For instance, kids may not have the same level of enjoyment at EPCOT as they would at Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom.

Similarly, some may find Hollywood Studios more enticing even though Magic Kingdom is often claimed as the “must-visit” of the four.

I recommend reading up on the parks and what they offer and choosing the ones that excite you the most.

How Many Days Do You Need To Visit Each Disney Park?

Considering that you want to explore each of the parks as much as possible, let’s talk about how long it may take to visit each one.

Magic Kingdom

Duration: Two days

Magic Kingdom is hands down the most popular of the four theme parks at Disney Orlando.

It’s also often the park that visitors don’t miss out on even when they are going for a shorter journey and must skip one or two parks.

So how long do you need for Magic Kingdom? Two days is a good duration to cover most of Magic Kingdom.

Although, in all honesty, you may not be able to see all of it, experience all the rides, or eat at all the restaurants.

However, in two days, you should be able to say, “Yep, I’ve seen all of Magic Kingdom.”

I say two days because Magic Kingdom is huge, with six themed lands, dozens of rides, and many restaurants.

You’ll need two full days from when the park opens to when it closes to experience most of the offerings. And it’s worth it, especially if you’re visiting with kids.

That said, if you’re going for a shorter trip to Disney World, you can give one day to Magic Kingdom.

Even one day is good enough to ride the most sought-after rides, do character meet and greets, and maybe even grab fancy dinner at one of the table service restaurants (that is, if you make a reservation in advance).

Animal Kingdom

Duration: One day

Although some may argue that Animal Kingdom deserves two days, given the long lines for Avatar Flight of Passage, I think one day is more than enough for this park.

You can enjoy a few rides and walk the trails to view many exotic animals.

It also has some great restaurants where you’d want to spend an hour or two enjoying a delicious meal.

Hollywood Studios

Duration: One day

You need a full day to experience most of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

However, many visitors pressed for time combine it with one of the other parks, typically EPCOT or Animal Kingdom.

Normally, you need a full day for it, given the addition of more attractions, like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, that deserve a visit.

Again, if you’re visiting during busier seasons, you’ll need the full day as waiting time for the Star Wars area.

In addition, Toy Story Land can also consume a long waiting time.

EPCOT

Duration: One to two days

Depending on your liking and the time of the year, EPCOT may need more than a day to explore.

It is also home to festivals that can take up a whole day. It frequently has particularly attractive festivals for adult visitors, such as the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival or the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts.

Normally, one day is enough to see EPCOT’s cultural, geographical, and gastric world, with rides mostly suited for teenagers and adults.

However, if you happen to visit around the time of a festival and want to attend that, you should add another day.

Conclusion

Each Disney World theme park is an experience in its own right and may be treated as a separate vacation.

Many visitors experience parks over several visits to Orlando. So if you’re wondering how many days you need for each park, that may vary by park but, most importantly, by your preference and budget.

Generally, Magic Kingdom takes two days, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios require one day each, and EPCOT can take one day or two if there’s a festival.

Again, you can shorten or extend your stay or even skip a park as per your plan.