Welcome to planDisney, Michelle! This is a great question, and I'm happy to help you with it!
When most people think of
Walt Disney World, they think of
Magic Kingdom Park. It has all the classic attractions,
Mickey Mouse and his friends, and of course,
Cinderella Castle. Whether to spend one full day or two half days is totally dependent on you and your travel party, so let's talk about it.
I have a confession: I am not a park hopper. I like to enter Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning (we call that "rope-dropping" around here), and once I'm there, I'm in for the long haul. And if you're staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you'll get Early Theme Park Entry, which allows you to experience multiple attractions before the crowds really start to build. I feel like the transportation to another theme park, as well as the security check and turnstile entrance, all take up valuable attraction time. I could use that energy to race across the park from
Pirates of the Caribbean to
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin!
Alternatively, most of my fellow panelists swear by park hopping. This is a particularly great strategy if you can stay late and have multiple experiences on your list for the evening that can take up a big chunk of your time, such as
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away and
Happily Ever After. If you go this route, don't forget to save an evening for
Fantasmic at
Disney's Hollywood Studios, as well as one for
Luminous: The Symphony of Us at
EPCOT. These are both nighttime spectaculars that are well worth your time!
Here's another idea: Take one day to sleep in and have a later start. Head to
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park around lunchtime. Currently, the crowds tend to be lighter there in the afternoons. Once the park closes, hop on a bus to Magic Kingdom and finish the night there. If you were able to experience everything on your list for Animal Kingdom, you can spend another entire day at Magic Kingdom, which has many more attractions right now.
I hope this helps, Michelle! Honestly, you can't go wrong! Please
let us know if you have any more questions. We love helping guests plan their next magical vacation!
Always Dreaming -
Elizabeth