Is it Possible to Do All of Walt Disney World in One Day?
Walt Disney World is massive. With four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping district, and 34 hotels on property, trying to get all the attractions done on a weekend trip can feel overwhelming, let alone on a week-long vacation.
But, is it possible to see and do everything at the most magical place on Earth in just one day?
The Four Parks, One Day Challenge
Known as the four parks in one day challenge, it’s common for Disney goers to attempt conquering the world in just 24 hours. The concept is self-explanatory: you’ll be visiting all the theme parks in just a day’s time!
Though it seems impossible, this challenge is doable as long as you get a good night’s sleep. It’s long, it’s tiring, but it’ll allow you to prioritize your personal must-dos and favorites.
You will need a Park Hopper ticket to get from park to park. Ticket prices vary depending on season and day of the week, but a sample Park Hopper ticket on Friday, April 3rd will cost $267.
There are many ways you can go about planning this challenge. Below, you’ll find some helpful tips and itinerary strategies to maximize the most magical day ever!
Rope Drop to Park Close
Getting to all four parks is an all day affair, meaning that you’ll most likely have to be up with the sun. To get the most amount of time, and to try and sneak more time in at each park, I recommend planning on a rope drop to park close day.
Rope drop means that you’ll be at the park gates as soon as they open, and to ensure you make it to each park, your first stop should be the first one that opens.
Hollywood Studios Entrance
Using Friday, April 3rd as a sample day once again, the parks that are open the earliest are Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. Both open at 7:30 a.m. for Disney World Resort guests and 8:00 a.m. for general admission, but you should consider the rest of your day before making a decision.
Since Animal Kingdom closes at 8:00 p.m., long before all of the other theme parks, I’d suggest rope dropping here instead of Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is open the latest on this day, closing at 11:000 p.m., so it may be easier to save the castle for last.
Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Epcot and Hollywood Studios, with Early Entry, open at 8:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. respectively. Since they both close 9:00 p.m., they are great parks for mid-day.
A Sample Itinerary
101 Dalmations Bus
Ideally, a great schedule would be to rope drop Animal Kingdom and then take the bus over to Hollywood Studios. From there, you can use either the boat or skyliner to get over to Epcot, all before taking the monorail over to Magic Kingdom just in time to watch Happily Ever After!
The times in which you park hop will depend on what you want to do: which park would you prefer to eat at? Are you using Lightning Lane with scheduled return times? How much should you do at each park?
One Ride Per Park
With those thoughts in mind, one way you can approach the challenge is by starting with just one ride per park. Of course, if the wait times are low, you’ll be able to sneak on some more attractions, but this is a great starting place.
Purchasing Lightning Lane Multi or Single Pass can help you do more than one ride at each park, plus the return times will keep you on track of how long you should stay at one park. But, opting for low-wait rides, like the Peoplemover or Star Tours, should allow you to get on multiple attractions without the added cost.
PeopleMover
If you want to do E-Ticket attractions, like Guardians of the Galaxy or Flight of Passage, purchasing those Single Passes will guarantee you a ride if the park is busy that day.
Shows and entertainment are also a great use of time during this challenge! If the lines are too long at Hollywood Studios, you can spend your time watching For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration or The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure.
The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure
Everybody’s must dos will be different, but for this type of park day, you should refrain from spending time in long lines. Remember that you aren’t going to be able to do everything, so you have to narrow down your scope of what’s important to you in the moment.
How to Save Time Ordering Food
Rides and attractions are important, but you’ll need to be fueled up to make it through such a long day. While Disney has great table service restaurants, these aren’t ideal for a four parks, one day adventure: they’ll take up too much of your time.
Columbia Harbour House
Quick services and snacks will be your best friend, and more importantly, so will mobile ordering. Mobile ordering will expedite your time, as you can be walking from one side of the park to another while ordering some fish and chips from Epcot’s United Kingdom Pavilion.
You’ll save time that would be spent waiting in line to order by finishing up your attraction or experience. A few example meals that you can mobile order for this challenge can be:
Sat’uli Canteen Breakfast
- Breakfast at Sat’uli Canteen in Animal Kingdom
- Lunch at Regal Eagle Steakhouse in Epcot
- Lunch at Woody’s Lunchbox in Hollywood Studios
- Dinner at Columbia Harbor House in Magic Kingdom
Of course there are a plethora of restaurants and snacks to choose from, but these quick-services offer high quality food at a decent price and efficient speed.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Is Only One Day Enough Time?
If you live near Orlando or frequent the parks a lot, absolutely Walt Disney World can be done in one day. It’s a fun way to spice up your trip, and going in with a game plan of must dos will make the challenge easier.
Plus, whatever you don’t do this trip, you can hit next time you’re on property.
Photo: Disney
However, if you’re bringing your kids for the first time, or you’re the type of vacationer who likes to sleep in and take it slow, this may not be the experience for you.
Park hopping is exhausting, and many naps are taken en route from one park to the next. With the added challenge of catching transportation at the right times, your schedule may be thrown off and require you to take less or more time at each park than you initially thought.
Monorail in EPCOT
The intention of this challenge is not to take in the atmosphere of the parks, but to see as much as you can in a short span of time. So, if your favorite part about Disney is admiring the aesthetics and little details, you might feel overwhelmed or rushed.
It’s not for everyone, but I recommend giving the four parks, one day challenge a try to see if you can do it!
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