One Week at Disney World 7 Day Itinerary

Wondering what you can get done in a One Week at Disney World? If you’re like most of us, you’re up against limited vacation time from work, and hoping to get to Disney World on budget. All while not missing out any anything important! With 4 theme parks, 25 resorts, and over 200 restaurants, there is A LOT to do at Walt Disney World. As such, just how long should you stay?

As girls on a budget, with jobs of our own, we’ve stayed at Disney World anywhere from 3 days to 12 days, and boy, do we have things to share. Of course, you can learn more about how many days you need for Disney World in another post. In this one, we’re going to break down a list of everything you can do in 7 days at Disney World. And what to include in each day, to help you make the most of it. We consider this a COMPLETE Itinerary for a 7 Day Trip to Walt Disney World, and highly recommend it. Building upon our own personal experiences in the parks, we include things like

• What you should include on each day of your Disney Trip?
• And which days at each Disney Park are best?

We’re breaking it all down here for a weeklong vacation to Disney World. We hope this is helpful to you for planning your next Disney Trip. Let’s get started. 

Walt Disney World Details

Walt Disney World is twice the size of Manhattan. That’s right, it’s pretty big. At about 43 square miles, when people talk about Disney World, they talk about the entire property. Because WDW itself is not actually a park, it does however include 4 theme parks. Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT are the theme parks at Walt Disney World. 

• AK= Animal Kingdom
• MK= Magic Kingdom
• HS = Hollywood Studios
• EP= EPCOT Park

Disney World’s two water parks include Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. And  there are two Disney World Areas that are free to visit, and open to the public; Disney’s Boardwalk and Disney Springs. 

Is one week at Disney World enough time?

The big question we get asked most is… Is One Week at Disney World enough time to really have a good Disney Vacation? Yes. Absolutely. While we think a 9 Day Disney World Vacation is best, to make it feel more like a vacation and less like a giant to-do list, we think 7 days is good too. Or rather, good enough. Especially if you’re up against budget limits, and work and school schedules. So, is 1 week at Disney World worth it? Yes, with time  enough to get in all 4 parks, and maybe even a visit to a water park or Disney Springs, you won’t feel like you missed out on any of the important things at Disney World. 

How much does it cost to go to Disney World for 1 week?

To be honest here, there are many, many things that affect your Disney budget for a one week trip to Disney World. From the time of year you travel, you to the kind of resort you stay in. For a complete break down of everything to know, check out our Disney Trip Budget.

A bare bones Disney Trip cost would include a Value Resort at about $170/ night if you’re visiting during the cheaper times of year. Food costs around $100 per person/ per day. And park tickets at about $85/ per day. Again this is all if you’re staying during in the cheapest times of year, like September or January. So, a trip for 4 people would be about $6000, at the cheapest. And of course staying at a Moderate Resort or Deluxe Resort increases that per night room rate quite a bit. Remember this doesn’t include airfare or travel to and from the parks. 

• $1200 for a room at a Disney Value Resort ( 6 nights/ 7 days)
• $700 per person for food ( 6 nights/ 7 days)
• $425 for 5-days of tickets. per person ( 6 nights/ 7 days)

What are the Best Days to Go to Each Disney World Park?

Planning One Week at Disney World is all about choosing the best days to Visit Each Disney World Park. We’ll assume for convenience that you are tackling one park each day of your vacation. Keep in mind that Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are the smallest parks, so fill up faster, so the weekend will feel extra crowded at these parks.

You will find that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are by far the best days to be in the parks. Still, chances are your vacation will be longer than 3 days, so you will be venturing into the parks Friday through Monday as well. Luckily, we’re breaking down the details for each day of your visit. Read on.

Walt Disney World One Week Itinerary

In 2025, Disney World is offering FREE Water Parks Admission on your Arrival Day, for Disney Resort guests only. As such, we’ve set up this One Week at Disney World Itinerary, with that in mind. And since departure times on your last day at Disney World will vary, we’d recommend skipping the park ticket day, and doing something more flexible. Grab our Disney World Checklists for Each Park, so you can get a quick look at what there is to do in each park, and make a plan. 

• Day 1 – Disney Water Parks 
• Day 2 – Magic Kingdom
• Day 3 – Hollywood Studios
• Day 4 – Epcot Park
• Day 5 – Animal Kingdom
• Day 6 – Magic Kingdom
• Day 7 – Disney Resorts, Disney’s Boardwalk  or Disney Springs

Day 1 – Disney Water Parks

Are you visiting Disney World during the hotter months? If you’re planning One Week at Disney World in 2025, then you’re in for a treat! Because, if you’re staying a Disney Resort, then on your first day you will receive complimentary tickets to a Disney Water Park. As these are typically $70 per person, we think this is a great perk for staying on property at Disney World.

In addition to the rides we’ll share below for each park, we highly recommend being sure to grab some Mini Donuts from Joffrey’s. And if you’re planning to stay all day, you can even get a refillable water park mug. Both parks have a Lazy River that allows you float around the park, and offers the chance to hop out and ride your favorite rides along the way. 

Day 2 – Animal Kingdom

Everyone loves their first day at Walt Disney World to be at Magic Kingdom, but since many people start their first full day of vacation on a Monday, if this is you, we recommend Animal Kingdom instead. Because as most all Disney veterans know, Magic Kingdom is always crowded on Mondays. Animal Kingdom on the other hand just screams, “you’re on vacation.” 

With lush greenery, and leisurely walks through the jungle, you can start your vacation, actually feeling like you’re on vacation, which is such a bonus. For rides we recommend Kilimanjaro Safari, Avatar Flight of Passage, and Kali River Rapids to get you started. And since Animal Kingdom generally closes early, you can head back to your resort for a nice dinner, and an early night to explore your resort. Check out the Top 10 Things to do at Animal Kingdom. 

Day 3 – Magic Kingdom 

There is nothing like walking into Magic Kingdom, complete with sounds of Main street music, smells of cinnamon rolls, and views of the castle. In this one week at Disney World itinerary you get two days at Magic Kingdom for good reason. It may be a small park, but with 25 rides, there is too much to do here to fit it in one day.

On your first day here we recommend getting a lay of the land. Plan to see the Festival of Fantasy Parade at 3 PM, and tackle your must-do rides. We recommend Pirates of the Caribbean, Flight of Peter Pan, it’s a Small World, and Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. If you have Lightning Lane, and can fit even more rides into your day, Haunted Mansion, and TRON are top picks, and we’ll add even more on your second day. 

While it can be tough to fit everything in on your first day at Magic Kingdom, we highly recommend making sure you stay late for the Happily Ever After Fireworks Show. While you will have a second day in this park, it will be the day before you leave, and you will want to make that an early night so, you can get back to your resort and pack. Check out the Top 10 Things to do in Magic Kingdom. 

Day 4 – Epcot Park

For us EPCOT Park is typically a two day park, especially during a Festival. However, in a One Week at Disney World itinerary, you really only have room for one day, unless you have the park hopper, and you’re staying at a Disney Boardwalk Resort, whereas, you can simply walk to the park for a half day every now and then. 

For one day at EPCOT, there are a few absolute must dos. With hardly any line waits, Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and Gran Fiesta Tour with the Three Caballeros are fun rides that should definitely be part of your day. 

If lines are lower, or you have Lightning Lane passes, Soarin,’ Frozen Ever After, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure are all fun and worth the time. Of course the main must-do ride at EPCOT is Guardians of the Galaxy, so be sure to grab a lightning lane pass if you’re not up for waiting in line. EPCOT’s nighttime show is Luminous, which includes a musical lightshow performance on the water of the lagoon, at park close. Check out the Top 10 Things to Do at EPCOT.

Day 5 –Hollywood Studios

In One Week at Disney World you don’t always time to do all the parks multiple times, but luckily, as Disney World’s smallest park , Hollywood Studios is also the easiest to get through. It does, however, have some top notch rides, and a nighttime show that really justifies a full day here. Luckily, since it’s near the Disney Boardwalk, you can always take a break from the park mid-day and return for the evening. 

In Hollywood Studios there is Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, and a whole vintage part of the park worth exploring. Main rides here include the Tower of Terror, Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. These are all must-do rides and we highly recommend trying to ride them all. 

Other attractions in Hollywood Studios we love are the Indiana Jones Stunt Show Spectacular, Unhappily Ever After Disney Villains Show, and Star Tours. Be sure to stay for the evening show, Fantasmic! as it includes Sorcerer Mickey, Disney Villains and some of the best pyrotechnics at Disney. Check out the Top 10 Things to do at Hollywood Studios. 

Day 6 – Magic Kingdom

Even though you are only planning on One Week at Disney World, it is critical that you get in a second day at Magic Kingdom. As we touched on before, this park has the most rides, best snacks, awesome shops, great shows and a bunch of things like fun and free games at Disney World, that make a day at Magic Kingdom magical. As such, during this day, we recommend adding the Jungle Cruise, Mad Hatter Teacups, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, PeopleMover and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin to your day.

This is also a great day to grab a Dole Whip at Aloha Isle, stop by the Main Street Emporium Shop to browse the merchandise or book a breakfast at Crystal Palace with Pooh and Friends. There are so many things to do in Magic Kingdom. While you may not be able to get everything done in 2 days, this list is a great way to add the most important things to your day.  

Day 7 – Disney Resorts

When you’re only visiting for One Week at Disney World, if you intend to do all four parks, and the water parks, there is little extra time left for exploring. As a result, you won’t have any extra time to really explore the remaining three areas of Walt Disney World, that are free to access, and for which you don’t need a ticket.

The Disney Resorts are some of the best, and you are free to visit all of them. Disney Resorts includes beautiful grounds, restaurants, and themed spaces to add more Disney to your trip. And Disney Resort Hopping isn’t as tough as it sounds, when you know how to do it. If you’re going to add visiting a few Disney Resorts to your One Week at Disney World trip, you can pick resort along the same transportation line. Transportation is complimentary at Disney World For instance, Disney Monorail Resorts, are all connected by the monorail, and Skyliner Resorts by the skyliner. Other resorts like the Wilderness Resorts, or Port Orleans Resorts include boat transportation. And of course, any resort is accessible just by hopping on a Disney bus.

Disney’s Boardwalk

Disney’s Boardwalk Area consists of beaches, resorts, restaurants, and entertainment. Located just outside the back entrance of EPCOT Park, this is great place to take a break on your EPCOT Park day. As home to Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Beach Club and Yacht Club, there is a wide array of restaurants, gift shops and spaces to explore. We most like the Ale and Compass and Trattoria al Forno restaurants here. And if you’re visiting in the evening, or on weekends, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn has outdoor entertainment like dancers, hula hoopers, jugglers, and performers of all kinds. You can also play classic state park fair games here. And if you’re up for even more fun, just outside the Disney BoardWalk, near the Swan Reserve Hotel, within walking distance is Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course. Check out the Top 10 Things to do at Disney’s Boardwalk. 

Disney Springs

If you’re adding Disney Springs to your last day at Disney World, then aiming for an early day is best. Shops at Disney Springs open at 10:00 AM and typically close around 11 PM. If you’re driving, there is free parking at the lot and in the garages. And if you’re staying on property then you can simply take a Disney Bus to Disney Springs for some shopping, dining and entertainment. Check out the Top 10 Things to do at Disney Springs.

Walt Disney World One Week Planning

In addition to lineup up your parks schedule and deciding what to do each day, there are some overarching things to remember when you’re planning a Disney World Trip. Everything from how to get to the parks, to how ride lines work, and when you’re allowed to show up at Disney Parks early. Here are some things to know before you go. 

Early Entry into the Parks

If you’re trying to fit everything into One Week at Disney World, we highly recommend taking advantage of Early Morning Theme Park Entry. Days with Early Theme Park Entry are for Disney Resort Guests ONLY and allow you to enter the park 30 minutes before it opens. This offers opportunities to maximize your time! Morning magic hours are still pretty light when it comes to crowds so we definitely recommend it. If you’re a morning family get up early and take advantage of the extra hours. While you can get into the park 30 minutes of head of time, you should technically arrive at the gates about 60 minutes before opening, as they sometimes open them early. 

Extended Evening Hours

Reserved specifically for Disney Deluxe Resort Guests, the Extended Evening Hours are offered on select nights at Disney World Parks and can give you extra time in the parks with fewer crowds. If you’re staying at a Deluxe Resort be sure to check the Disney World Daily Calendar so you can be sure to take advantage of it. 

Lightning Lane Multi Pass

Walt Disney World has a variety of ways that you can access rides; Standby Queue ( aka waiting in line) Virtual Queue- for two rides ( Tian’s Bayou Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy) and by skipping the line with Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass. This is a fee based service, which costs between $20-$35 per person per day.  And for the most part, riding rides is included in your park ticket. However, that is limited to just rides with standby queues, and does require you to wait in line. For context on what that means, popular rides like Flight of Passage and TRON typically have a 120 minute wait during busy times. Flight of Peter Pan is typically around a 60 minute wait in line, and Haunted Mansion about 45 minutes. “it’s a small world,” is generally between a 10-25 minute wait.

As you can see it really depends on which rides you want to ride, that will determine the wait. However, if you’re only visiting for One Week at Disney World, we recommend you plan to purchase Lightning Lane for each person, for at least one Magic Kingdom day. While parks like Animal Kingdom and EPCOT don’t always need a lightning lane, Magic Kingdom has too many rides, to spend half the day waiting in lines. 

Advanced Dining Reservations

Something else to remember when planning your One Week at Disney World, is to make your Disney Restaurant Reservations ahead of time, 60 days before your trip. To do this you can access restaurants you want to try on the Disney Website or on the My Disney Experience App. Then simply choose your date, party size and reserve. We highly recommend booking at least 2 or 3 table service restaurants at Disney World during your trip. Mainly because they are unforgettable experiences, but also because, you’ll want the excuse to take a break and sit down. Our favorite Disney Restaurants include Via Napoli in EPCOT Park, Sebastian’s Bistro at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom. Check out all our Disney Restaurant Reviews to find your favorites. 

Transportation

If you’re flying into Florida to visit Walt Disney World, the closest airport is the Orlando International Airport ( MCO). The airport is about 20 miles from WDW area, or about a 45 minute drive. That  said, there are many ways to get to Walt Disney World from the Orlando Airport. While Disney World does not have any free shuttles, you can book bus transportation, rent a care, or uber/ lyft to your resort. We primarily make the choice to leave for vacation mid-week because flight costs are cheaper.

Walt Disney World One Week Tips 

Okay, now that you have all the details about which parks do tackle, and what to do in each, let’s talk all the tips you need for your One Week in Disney World. While it’s imperative you have things like rides, dining, transportation, your resort, and ticket prices all figured out, these tips will help you streamline your trip and make the most of your time at Disney World. 

Pick One Park Per Day

While you may be tempted to get a park hopper ticket, we’d only recommend this if you really weren’t planning to do the parks to their fullest. Each park has enough things to fill a full day. So, if you choose to grab a park hopper, be aware of the extra time that transportation and waiting in bus lines will add to your day. 

Avoid Epcot and Magic Kingdom on Saturday

As you would expect people that live nearby the parks, and Disney Annual Passholders, typically go to the parks on the weekends. As a result, Magic Kingdom and EPCOT fill up fast and are typically crowded. For your weekend days, we recommend Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios instead. 

Avoid Epcot in the evenings Thursday- Saturday

We love EPCOT. But pretty much every day after 4pm, the local Floridians get out of work, and come to the parks. As such, evenings and weekends are packed. Crowds at EPCOT get very heavy particularly Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, due to the Drinking at Disney Crowds. As such, we usually aim for EPCOT days early in the week.

Avoid Magic Kingdom on Mondays

Magic Kingdom Mondays is a thing. Meaning that since most families fly into Florida sometime on Sunday, to start their vacation week on Monday, everyone heads to heads to Magic Kingdom first. Since we like emptier parks, we recommend, heading to Animal Kingdom on Monday instead, and saving Magic Kingdom for your 2nd or 3 day of vacation. 

Mind How Many Days You Need in Each Disney Park

• Magic Kingdom Requires 2 days. The largest number of rides, crowds, and must see shows, means your Magic Kingdom day will be a long one. We recommend splitting it into two, and only staying late for one of those evenings to see Happily Ever After. 
• EPCOT Requires 2 days if you’re visiting for a festival. We say this mainly because there are so many foods to try at each kitchen, that it’s tough to fit it all in one day. If you’re not really focused on things at all the booths, then 1 day at EPCOT is fine to tackle the rides, shops and World Showcase countries. 
• Hollywood Studios is a 1 Day Park, and sometimes empty on Sunday nights.
• Animal Kingdom is a 1 Day Park. However, since it typically closes early, around 6 PM, be sure you arrive early enough to do everything you can in the park. It’s the largest park, and will take lots of time to cover. 

How to Spend One Week at Disney World

There you have it. Hopefully this post has helped you get a good idea of how you can plan a full week at Disney World, without missing a thing. While there will always be more to do than you can fit into a one week trip to Disney World, don’t let that worry you. You can do a lot in 7 days at Disney World, with some good planning. We hope you love your trip! Let us know if you have any questions!