Welcome to planDisney, Valeria! It sounds like you're in for a really amazing vacation, and a dash of Disney will just put it right over the top. Let's figure this out together!
Each trip to the Walt Disney World Resort should focus on the group's priorities. As such, I'd recommend taking a look at
the attractions at the resort and letting that help you decide which parks would be best suited for your group. That being said, there are a few ways for you to optimize and maximize your time at the resort. So let's get into it!
- Decide if you want to add the Park Hopper Option to your ticket. While there is more than enough to do at each park to fill a day, if you have a short amount of time and want to get a taste of a few of the parks, adding this option to your ticket allows you to bounce between parks in one day. If you end up doing 2 days with a Park Hopper, I'd do a full day at Magic Kingdom Park and split EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios into one. If you have 3 days, I'd try to get Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park in there for half a day.
- Look into purchasing Lightning Lane Passes. These passes allow you to reserve access to a shorter wait time through the Lightning Lane at many of the attractions across the resort. With a Park Hopper, I would recommend a combination of Lightning Lane Multi Pass, which the majority of the attractions fall under, and Lightning Lane Single Pass, which covers the most popular attractions at the resort.
- If you're going to stay at a Disney Resorts Collection Hotel for the Disney World portion of your trip, take advantage of Early Theme Park Entry. This gives you access to the parks 30 minutes before other Guests, giving you more time to get attractions done with fewer people in the parks.
Now, when it comes to that list of must-dos for your group, let me give you a head start. Here are my priorities for each park:
- Magic Kingdom: TRON Lightcycle / Run, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Honestly, I could go on and on because this one has the most attractions of all the parks, which is why at least a full day is recommended here.
- Hollywood Studios: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, Toy Story Midway Mania, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster featuring the Muppets, and Tower of Terror. If you have thrill-seekers in your group, this is the park to prioritize.
- EPCOT: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Frozen Ever After, and Test Track.
- Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, Avatar Flight of Passage, and Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Valeria, you're going to have an amazing time no matter what you decide. If you have any other questions,
I'd be happy to answer them!
Remember, there’s no limit to how far you can go when you have dreams that soar,
Matt