The Disney trip
Day 1 – Arrival Day
I always include our travel days in our Walt Disney World itinerary. Travelling from outside the USA, we tend to land somewhere between 3-4pm EST. By the time we have cleared customs and boarded the Magical Express to take us to our Disney resort, it’s usually around 6-7pm EST. We are ready for our 10 days in Orlando!
Arrival day for us means soaking up the atmosphere, checking in, enjoying some dinner and usually a quick swim in the pool before bed, so we are well rested for our first full day in the parks.
Day 2 – Magic Kingdom / Hollywood Studios
The trick to maximising your trip to Walt Disney World is to split your park time. If you’re wondering how to plan a day at Disney World, then check out my post showing you a typical one day Magic Kingdom itinerary.
We are using Disney transport to get around, however using a car will be almost the same in terms of time used. Day 2 for us is an early start for rope drop at Magic Kingdom. We are on the bus by 7.30am and enjoying time on Main Street before the park opens at 9am.
DON’T FORGET YOUR WATER BOTTLE FOR THE PARKS
I suggest planning your favourite rides and attractions before you visit. Either decide to purchase the new Disney Genie+ to avoid long wait times, or plan to queue at the start of the day and arrive when the park opens. It’s also a good idea to keep your eye on the wait times in the My Disney Experience app.
Lunch will be either a table service or quick service depending on the Dining Plan we’re using. It’s a great excuse to book a character meal, then it’s back to the resort for rest and swimming.
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Well rested, we are out to Hollywood Studios for the evening, and once the fireworks / evening show is over we head back to rest for the following day.
Day 3 – Epcot / Magic Kingdom
Another early start and arrive at Epcot for park opening. We’re only spending the morning at Epcot, so it’s time for Frozen Ever After, Test Track and Soarin’ if we can manage them all.
Don’t forget your cooling towel to stay cool in the parks
As we stop at Club Cool for our drinks tasting, we will also walk around the world showcase for a mid morning snack, a few drinks and then lunch on the way back around.
This is more often than not from Lotus Blossom Cafe in the China Pavilion. It’s a great use of a quick service credit on the Disney Dining plan.
Back to the resort to rest and swim again before a planned dinner in Magic Kingdom before the fireworks. We will check for any good wait times on the My Disney Experience app.
Related Post – Free things at Disney World
Day 4 – Hollywood Studios
Day 4 will be a morning at Hollywood Studios, exploring the park and starting with Toy Story Land or trying for Rise of The Resistance.
By day 4 we have a rest during the evening, so we would normally plan a morning in the parks, swimming and rest during the afternoon, and a meal out in the evening.
We like to explore other Disney resorts as well, so we may book something like Hoop Dee Doe Revue at Fortt Wilderness.
Day 5 – Water Park
By day 5 we are in need of a rest, so we plan a water park day. We try to get to either Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach for park opening, secure a shady spot and set up for a good portion of the day.
Water shoes are a great idea for the hot ground
Water parks are restful, but they can also be tiring as you walk around them all day, so we plan another meal out in the evening, usually in a resort rather than the parks. Perhaps you might like to try out Trails End buffet restaurant at Ft Wilderness.
Day 6 – Disney Springs / Epcot
No Disney holiday is complete without a visit to Disney Springs. Every time we visit it changes slightly as more is added.
We enjoy a later start to the day and a quiet morning and lunch at Disney Springs. The afternoon is spent in the pool or resting with an evening at Epcot.
We will plan a table service meal such as at Via Napoli, and then enjoy the World Showcase before setting up our spot in time for the evening fireworks show. We like to set up camp in between the Canada and UK Pavilion. This is a great spot for being able to leave the park ahead of all the crowds when the fireworks finish.
Day 7 – Animal Kingdom
As the holiday wears on we become tired, so these later planned mornings help us to recover to enjoy the evening entertainment and also acts as a small break in the plan.
A lazy morning by the pool and into Animal Kingdom for lunch, and a table service dinner at Yak and Yeti for example. The evening can be spent enjoying the sights Pandora has to offer and catching the Festival of the Lion King show.
Day 8 – Animal Kingdom / Resorts
An early start to the day back to Animal Kingdom to finish off those Pandora rides. Navi’ River Journey doesn’t command such high wait times as Flight of Avatar.
After a morning of getting wet on Kali River Rapids and exploring more of the park, it’s a quick service lunch and back to the resort for more swimming.
Don’t forget your cooling towel to stay cool in the parks
The evening is spent exploring a different resort. Usually this is on the monorail loop as we like to ride the monorail at least once during the holiday, and then we can also enjoy the Magic Kingdom fireworks from one of the resorts.
Day 9 – Magic Kingdom / Hollywood Studios
Magic Kingdom always features heavily in our Disney itinerary planning as it’s my favourite park. Back to the Magic Kingdom for breakfast this morning. We like to visit Be Our Guest at least once during out holiday, and breakfast is a very good value quick service meal so worth booking at 60 days.
A morning of finishing off all the rides we haven’t managed to enjoy, and also revisiting our favourites such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Lunch is usually another quick service before back to the resort for rest and swimming.
At this point in the holiday, the one evening attraction we haven’t managed to see is Fantasmic, so we have learned that being on the dining plan, we can book a Fantasmic dinner package which allows us priority seating as well as a meal at either Hollywood and Vine, Mama Melrose, or The Hollywood Brown Derby.
Fantasmic is a brilliant show in a huge open air theatre at the end of Sunset Boulevard. It’s well worth a visit during your holiday.
Day 10 – Animal Kingdom / Magic Kingdom
Where has the holiday gone? It’s the last day already. We try to pop back to the one park that we want to finish, perhaps there is something we haven’t seen, or a restaurant we want to try out for lunch such as Rainforest Cafe in Animal Kingdom.
After some organisation of our room, and making sure we are packed for the travel day tomorrow, we head out to Magic Kingdom for our last night. For me it’s always going to be Magic Kingdom on our first and last day as it’s my favourite park.
We spend the evening on rides we haven’t already experienced and generally soaking up the atmosphere.
If you’re planning a trip to Disney World, I hope this post has helped you. This has been the best itinerary for Disney World that works for us. Are you all Disneyed out after 10 days? Or could you stay for even longer and enjoy more Disney?
There is never enough time to see and do everything no matter how long you stay or how many times you visit. Things are always changing with new attractions opening and old favourites closing.
The most important piece of advice I could give anyone is to enjoy what you’re doing and don’t worry about what you’re missing.
How would you spend 10 days in Disney World?
FAQ’s
How many days do you need at Disney World?
With four main Disney World parks and two water parks, I would suggest a minimum of five days at Disney World if you want to visit each park and one water park. There wouldn’t be any time for rest within this time frame however.
Where to start creating a Disney travel plan?
I would suggest picking your favourite parks / rides and places you want to eat. Generally you will have made your dining reservations in advance, this will help you start plan your park days.
Is 10 days enough at Disney World?
I believe 10 days is a good amount of time to spend at Disney World. You will never see it all no matter how long you stay.
How many days do you need at Hollywood Studios?
I would suggest 1-2 days spent at Hollywood Studios if you’s planning on experiencing all the new Star Wars attractions and Toy Story Land.
Epcot or Magic Kingdom if you have a couple of hours spare?
If you have children with you then Magic Kingdom, but if it’s just adults, then definitely Epcot for a nice meal.
Check out our Walt Disney World resource page for plenty more tips and tricks
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