A 5 Day Plan for Your Disney World Trip

There are so many ways to do a Walt Disney World vacation. Depending on the time of year you visit, your family’s interests, budget your vacation may vary from this trip guide. Still, we are all about giving fellow Disney lovers ideas about how to start planning a Disney vacation. This 5 day park guide was written with a family in mind that is purchasing 4 day park tickets without the park hopper option. While this guide is not an exhaustive one size fits all plan, we hope you can get some great ideas to use as you plan your next Disney vacation!

Day 1: Magic Kingdom

Kick off your Walt Disney World vacation in the most classic of parks, the Magic Kingdom. Arrive at rope drop (park opening) and dash to your top pick of the busier rides, think Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight or Space Mountain. Consider reserving FastPass + times in advance of your vacation and selecting passes for early in the day. After using your passes, you can reserve later ones on the My Disney Experience app while in the park.

Enjoy attraction hopping, photo snapping and treat snacking until midday. Hop on Disney transportation and head back to your resort for a break if you want several hours off your feet. If you want to chill out and enjoy a cool rest for a shorter time, ride the monorail to Contemporary Resort to have lunch at the Contempo Café, browse resort shops and relax on the couches underneath the monorail platform.

After your break, head back to the park to enjoy shows like the Enchanted Tiki Room, the Country Bears and Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor. Visiting these attractions during the hottest part of the day is a great way to break from the heat while still checking attractions off your list. Be sure to snag a Mickey Premium Bar, churro or a Dole Whip for a snack in the parks. Take a ride on the Magic Kingdom Railroad to get the grand circle tour of the park. 

Enjoy an in-park dinner at a quick service eatery like Casey’s Corner on Main Street U.S.A. or Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café in Frontierland. After dark, hit some rides that will give you a good view of the park at night. Don’t miss The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, the PeopleMover and Splash Mountain for great views. Close out your first day with fireworks over the castle.

Day 2: Hollywood Studio

The second day is all about exploring some of the newest updates to Walt Disney World. Arrive at rope drop and dash to one of the most crowded rides like Slinky Dog Dash, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Millennium Falcon:Smugglers Run. When you are ready for a breakfast snack head over to Ronto Roasters in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for a breakfast wrap or to Woody’s Lunch Box in Toy Story Land to get a homemade pop tart.

Again, with your FastPass+ passes stacked in the morning you should be able to spend the next few hours hopping between high traffic rides on your passes and spacing these experiences with standby line attractions and shows. Thrill seekers need to make time for Rock’n’Roller Coaster and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. If you are ready to break from the parks at the end of the day hop the Skyliner and ride to Caribbean Beach Resort for a delicious seafood dinner. Return to the park for more FastPass+ times and of course to close out the day with Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular.

Day 3: Chill Out

After two packed park days your family needs a rest. Take the third day of your vacation to recharge by sleeping in and exploring Walt Disney World outside the parks. My family loves hanging out at the resort pool, sampling food and drinks while resort hopping and visiting Disney Springs. If you are visiting Disney Springs do not miss visiting the World of Disney and an ice-cream at Ghirardelli.

Take a bus to Hollywood Studios and then catch a Skyliner to Epcot and walk the nearby Disney Boardwalk for a fun afternoon in the sun. Finish out the day with a table service meal an all-time favorite Disney restaurant, Ohana. This family style bottomless Hawaiian feast is located at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and is out of this world delicious. Stick around after sunset and head down to the resort beach to watch the Water Parade on Bay Lake and the fireworks from the nearby Magic Kingdom.