Are you planning to visit Walt Disney World and wondering how long you need to spend at the resort to enjoy all the attractions? Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer to this question. In this post, we will consider how you can plan how long you need to spend at Walt Disney World.

Walt Disney World is massive! The resort is similar in size to San Francisco and over 52 million guests visit annually.
Walt Disney World has eighteen themed resort hotels, ten Disney Vacation Club Resorts, nine other hotels, four theme parks, two water parks, several golf courses, a camping resort, and various other entertainment venues. It is impossible to experience all Walt Disney World has to offer during any regular vacation.
In addition, Walt Disney World is changing all the time, and even on an extended trip or repeat visits, you are likely to find something new.
However, you can have a great time at Walt Disney World even if you only visit for a weekend.

The biggest drivers for how long to spend at Walt Disney World is the time you have available and your budget. Walt Disney World Vacations are not cheap but longer trips do work out cheaper per day.
Also, the distance you have to travel will probably be a determinant in how long your visit should be. International guests do usually visit Walt Disney World for more extended vacations with the average UK guest often booking a 2-week vacation.
The main reason most guests visit Walt Disney World is to experience the Big 4 Theme Parks. While there are a host of other activities to experience at Walt Disney World it is unlikely you will be visiting primarily for these.
Despite regular online forum and blog post claims, there are no half day parks at Walt Disney World. Each of the 4 theme parks requires a minimum of 1 day.

The majority of first-time visitors should probably consider allocating a minimum of 2 days to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot & Animal Kingdom plus 1 day for Hollywood Studios. Once Star Wars Land opens Hollywood Studios will return to a 2-day park.
Also, if you want to visit a water park or explore Disney Springs, then additional time will probably be needed. Unfortunately, bad weather can hit vacations in the summer months and a bit of spare time in your plan would also help.
In our opinion, first-time visitors should budget for a minimum of 10 days especially if they are traveling long distances. However, you will have a great time even if you can only manage a week.
If you can only visit for a shorter period make a list of must-do attractions and be prepared to not achieve everything. Consider attractions you would be happy skipping if time is tight.
If this is your first visit to Orlando are you only planning to visit Walt Disney World? There are other fantastic attractions at Walt Disney World which are worth visiting including Universal Orlando, Lego Land & Sea World. In our opinion, you will need a couple of days to explore any of these additional attractions.

Learn more
Visit our guide Walt Disney World for Beginners for more essential tips.
If you want more Walt Disney World Tips & Tricks we have lots of them here on Modern Life is Good. Here are 201 Tips & Tricks to have a great vacation at Walt Disney World.
Are you considering to visit Universal Orlando? Our Guide to Universal Orlando Resort has fantastic planning tips and trips to plan a great vacation.
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