Hey there, Jennifer, and welcome to planDisney!
Your East Coast adventure is just days away. I just know that you’ve already got your bags packed to visit the Most Magical Place on Earth. I absolutely loved my last visit to Disneyland in California, but there’s no place like home for this Florida gal. Let’s make sure that you’re all set up for the best day ever!
Park hopping is definitely the way to go if you have one day but multiple experiences that you just can’t miss. So, you’re already heading in the right direction. First, make sure that you’ve made your
theme park reservation if your ticket is undated. Then, I highly recommend that you purchase
Lightning Lane access (faster lines for rides and attractions). The Multi Pass includes most park attractions, the Single Pass includes the most popular rides (like Cosmic Rewind—a must do!), and you can make your selections in the
My Disney Experience app before your vacation even begins. If you’re staying at an eligible Disney Resort hotel, you can make the Lightning Lane selections as early as 7 days before arrival and up to 3 days if you’re staying somewhere else.
Okay, so, let’s say that you want to visit all four theme parks in one day. I’ve done this before and it’s a lot of fun! But be warned, you’ll need super comfy walking shoes, a solid to-do list (the Lightning Lanes will help with that), and a good spirit for a Disney adventure. I highly recommend visiting
Animal Kingdom first. It usually opens the earliest of the four parks and has some great breakfast and snacks options. Rope drop (go first thing in the morning) one of your must-do experiences and then start redeeming your Lightning Lane selections. Once you’ve scanned into your first experience, head to the app and make another selection at Animal Kingdom or at another theme park.
From there, park hop to
Disney’s Hollywood Studios (especially if you’re a Star Wars or Toy Story fan), then take the
Disney Skyliner or bus to
EPCOT, and then take the Monorail over to
Magic Kingdom for a magical nighttime spectacular. Magic Kingdom usually stays open the latest, but make sure that there aren’t any very early park closings on your chosen day.
AN EXTRA GEM: If you’re staying on property, take advantage of Early Park Entry. Take a look at the video I’ve added for you to see what that’s all about!
I hope that you have an amazing visit, Jennifer. I’m sending pixie dust your way! Please give us a holler
here at planDisney if you have any other Disney vacation planning questions.
Magic always,
LeAndra