Walt Disney World Touring Plan: Three Day Park Hopper

Introduction and Overview

Walt Disney World is simply huge. Housing four theme parks as well as golf courses, water parks, and many other recreational activities, Walt Disney World is a place where one could vacation for a month and still not see everything. Nevertheless, three days will allow you plenty of time to see all of the highlights of all four gated theme parks. Careful planning is required, however.

With three days to see the parks, it is generally best to see two parks on each of the first two days, then spend the third day seeing the things that you missed or re-visiting old favorites. In order to visit two parks per day, it is necessary to have your reservations in order and to remember that Park Hopping starts at 2 pm.

Day One - Animal Kingdom and Epcot

Animal Kingdom and Epcot Center

Arrive early at Animal Kingdom, at least an hour prior to park opening. Enjoy The Awakening, which is a lighthearted show that takes place 15 minutes before opening each day. Then make your way directly to Kilimanjaro Safaris for an early morning ride with active animals and low crowds.

After the Safari, explore the park as you see fit, making judicious use of Genie+. Try to keep moving in a circle rather than backtracking or crisscrossing the park. Animal Kingdom is the largest of the Walt Disney World parks in terms of square footage, so remember to move quickly to cover the distance. However, Animal Kingdom is a half-day park in number of attractions, so with a reasonable pace you should be able to visit all of the major attractions by 2 pm.

Make your way directly to Epcot. Grab lunch from a counter service restaurant (the food court at The Land is highly recommended) and continue your touring. Remember that pavilions at Epcot are huge, and most contain several small attractions in addition to a major attraction, so keep an eye on the time.

For popular rides such as Cosmic Rewind or Remy get your virtual queue or Lightning Lane at 7 am before you come to the park so you can utilize them after 2 pm. Remember to make your reservations for the parks in advance.

Harmonious is great seen from the center or the lagoon. So simply start at one end and continue around. You will likely not have time to see most of the World Showcase attractions. Get dinner from a counter service place just before Harmonious starts and watch the show from the restaurant’s outdoor seating area.

Day Two - Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom, Day Three - Flex Day

Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom

Get your desired lighting lanes at 7 am, then head to the parks. Start your day at Hollywood Studios, arriving at least an hour prior to park opening. When the gates open, make your way directly to Galaxy's Edge to Rope Drop Rise of the Resistance.

Enjoy your morning in Galaxy's Edge with the shops, food, and a single-rider ride on Smuggler's Run. Then proceed to the rest of the park to whichever Lightning lanes you wanted.

Be done by 2 pm to be able to head out. Make your way over to the Magic Kingdom and grab lunch. Casey’s Corner is fun and well-themed, the service is usually fast, and the food is great.

After lunch, turn left into Adventureland or right into Tomorrowland. Try not to backtrack, instead finish the attractions in each land as you arrive at them. Realize that you will not possibly be able to see everything, so have a list of the attractions that you definitely do not want to miss.

Skip the parades and enjoy reduced wait times at popular attractions. Just keep in mind that the parades bisect the park, so be sure that you are on your preferred side of the route before the parade starts.

Enchantment is a popular nighttime fireworks show, and many people save spots for an hour or more. Rather than taking time to do that, simply keep touring the park until the five-minute warning then find a spot near where you are. Your view may not be perfect but you will be able to see.

Day Three - Flex Day

This is your free day to do the things you missed previously or re-visit favorites. Day three is a great time for a table service meal or shopping expedition as well. Start the day early and plan to stay out late, and you can cover quite a bit of distance. Remember to have your reservations set.

End the day early and spend the rest of your time in the pool and enjoying a fancy resort meal.