How to Plan Your Disney World Park Days

Planning your Disney World park days doesn't have to be complicated. You don't necessarily need to visit all four parks once, and you don't have to fill every day of your vacation with a theme park.

The best plan depends on your trip length, your group's interests, and how much time you want to spend in the parks.

1. Decide How Many Park Days

Start by looking at how many full days you have available for your Disney World vacation.

A lot of families choose to spend one day at each park, but that's not your only option. You may prefer to spend two days at your favorite park, skip a park that doesn't interest your group, or add rest days to your schedule.

Rest days can be especially helpful on longer trips. As a general rule, I recommend a rest day for every three park days. You'll be doing about 20,000 steps per park day, so your feet will need a break. You can spend the day at your hotel, enjoy the pool, try out mini-golf, or visit Disney Springs.

If you're staying at a Disney resort, make time for the pool! I've heard many kids say that the pool was their favorite part of the entire vacation.

2. Decide Which Parks to Visit

Each Disney World park offers a different experience, so think about what your group actually wants to do.

• Magic Kingdom: Classic Disney attractions, characters, and a large selection of family-friendly rides. Magic Kingdom is a must-do for many families with younger children. It has the most rides of the four parks, Cinderella Castle, and a nighttime fireworks show.

• EPCOT: World Showcase, international food, festivals, Frozen, and a nighttime fireworks show. EPCOT tends to be the favorite park for adults. Several attractions have height requirements, but Child Swap allows adults to take turns riding while the rest of the group stays with children who don't meet the requirements. And don't worry, there are still plenty of attractions for children!

• Hollywood Studios: Star Wars, Toy Story, thrill rides, and popular attractions like Slinky Dog Dash. This is a great choice for groups who want some of Disney World's more thrilling attractions. This park is very immersive, but has fewer rides for toddlers.

• Animal Kingdom: Animals, nature, Pandora, and a safari through the park's savanna. Animal Kingdom has fewer attractions than the other three parks, so you may not need to spend a full day there. It's a great choice if you want a more relaxed park day, or want to visit the pool after the park.

You don't have to visit all four parks just because they're there. If your group isn't particularly interested in a park, that time may be better spent returning to a favorite or taking a rest day. And if your group is flexible, you can always change your plan throughout your trip based on the weather and your energy levels.

Not sure which parks are the best fit for your group? MouseDays Park Planner can help you compare the parks based on your interests and preferences.

3. Choose a Park to Visit Twice

One of the most common questions I see is "Which park should we do twice?" If you have more park days than parks you want to visit, you'll need to decide which park deserves a second day.

Think about what your group enjoys most. A family with young children might want more time at Magic Kingdom, while a group that loves food and festivals might prefer another day at EPCOT. If your group loves Star Wars, Hollywood Studios could be the better choice. I don't typically recommend Animal Kingdom as the duplicate park since you can usually experience most of its attractions in a single day.

For many families with children, Magic Kingdom is the choice for a second day. There are so many rides and attractions, it's easy to spend a full day there without experiencing everything.

There isn't one universally correct park to repeat. Your second park day should reflect what your group actually wants to experience.

The MouseDays Park Planner can help with this too by comparing your preferences across the four parks and identifying which parks are the strongest fit for your group.

4. Use Crowd Levels to Choose Your Days

Once you know which parks you want to visit, figure out when to visit each one.

Check the MouseDays Crowd Calendar to compare expected crowd levels for your trip dates.

You can also use crowd levels alongside your park preferences. But don't let the crowd levels sway you. Do the parks that your group wants to do even if they're expected to be crowded.

5. Check for Special Events

Special events can affect your park plans, so check the calendar before locking in your dates.

Events such as Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Jollywood Nights, and Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party require a separate ticket and affect park operating hours. On event days, crowds at the park may be lower earlier in the day, but the park will close earlier to regular guests, giving you less time to experience attractions. Nighttime shows, such as fireworks, may also be cancelled due to these events.

If you're planning a Magic Kingdom day, for example, check whether a separately ticketed event is taking place that evening before choosing your date. A party day can still be a good day to visit the park, but you'll want to decide whether the earlier closing fits your plans.

Put Your Park Days Together

A simple way to build your itinerary is:

1. Decide how many park days and rest days you want.
2. Choose the parks that best fit your group.
3. Pick a park to repeat if you have extra park days.
4. Use expected crowd levels to help choose which dates to visit each park.
5. Check for special events and operating-hour changes.

You don't need to plan every minute of your vacation. Start with which parks you want to visit and when, then build the rest of your plans around them.

Try the MouseDays Park Planner to find parks that fit your group, or use the Crowd Calendar to help choose the best dates for your park days.