Hi there, Elizabeth, and welcome to planDisney! I'm absolutely thrilled that you've found us here with this great question about your upcoming vacation to the Most Magical Place on Earth! You will be arriving in just a few short weeks and you must be getting so excited!
Elizabeth, my family visited Walt Disney World Resort at the end of January last year, and we had a blast. You've chosen a great time of year for your vacation! If you're planning to visit the Disney Theme Parks from January 27 to January 31, you have tons of options. I suggest visiting the parks in this order, and I'll explain in more detail below: Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Magic Kingdom Park, Magic Kingdom Park again, and finally EPCOT. There is, of course, no wrong way to build your itinerary!
I like starting at Disney's Hollywood Studios because it's where you'll find lots of thrills and show-stopping moments. It's a great way to start your vacation! You'll be entertained all day, especially if you choose to end your day by watching Fantasmic!
After an action-packed day at Disney's Hollywood Studios, a more relaxed day at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park would be a nice change of pace. This park is a feast for the senses. You'll find so many amazing dining options and beautiful places to stroll and take in the scenery. Since it closes at 6:00pm (times are subject to change), you'll be able to head back to get some rest.
Magic Kingdom Park is one where you'll want to take advantage of the morning hours. There are so many attractions to experience, so it's helpful to get there early and beat the crowds. If your family needs to take a mid-day break, you can always come back and enjoy the nighttime spectacular. If you're hoping to see fireworks, this is my favorite place to view them!
Many Guests say that crowds are lower when a park is closing early. If that's the case, then spending your fourth day at Magic Kingdom Park might be a great idea! Since it's closing early, you'll be able to go back and get some rest so that you can finish strong on your last day.
EPCOT is a great place to finish your vacation, especially since you'll be able to enjoy the
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts! I have kiddos around the same ages as yours, and they love it when we visit EPCOT during a festival because there is so much to do and see on top of the attractions they love! You'll find multiple Food Studios throughout the park that offer small portions of artful snacks and drinks. This is a great way for your kids to try new things without the size and price tag of a typical entree. They'll feel like one of the adults as they get to try new flavors! I highly recommend purchasing Lightning Lane Single Pass for
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind as well as joining the Virtual Queue. If your family is anything like mine, you'll want to experience this attraction as much as possible during your visit!
Elizabeth, you'll notice that I have mentioned getting lots of rest during your visit. Since you have five days and you want to visit a park each day, I recommend taking breaks at mid-day or heading to bed extra early so that you don't run out of steam by the end of your vacation. My family likes to plan one full day of rest for every two days in the parks. We also like to have an Advance Dining Reservation at each park to give us a dedicated time to rest and recharge.
I hope this is helpful to you as you plan your visit! Please stop back by planDisney with any other questions you have!
See you real soon!
Jennifer