A traveler's guide to Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World is four theme parks, not one long day. Pick the gate for the morning before you pick the restaurant.
Walt Disney World is the theme park resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Four gates share the property: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Each one is a full day. The buses, Skyliner, boats, and monorail are how you move between them.
When to go
January through April and late fall are the kindest months. Summer is hot, wet, and crowded, and hurricane season can take an evening. Weekdays in the school year beat Saturdays. Party nights at Magic Kingdom replace the usual fireworks and need their own ticket.
How to see it
Give Magic Kingdom the day you want the castle and the night show. Give EPCOT the day you want the lagoon and a festival. Disney's Hollywood Studios is the rope-drop day for Galaxy's Edge. Disney's Animal Kingdom is a morning park: it closes earlier than the other three, so do not leave the animals for evening.
Tickets and time
Buy the date before you book the flight. A one-park ticket for the gate you will enter that morning is enough. A park hopper is a second visit, not the first plan. Lightning Lane changes names; check the app the week you go. A hotel on the property makes the evening bus the way home.
If you only remember this
- One gate a day. Hopping is how a first trip gets thin.
- Disney's Animal Kingdom closes earlier. Do not schedule it as a night.
- The Skyliner does not reach Magic Kingdom. Check the route before you promise a quick hop.
- Rope-drop the park you care about. Midday is for shade and a meal.