Preparing to visit Walt Disney World for the first time, we had leaned on the expansive knowledge of one of our aunts who had visited Walt Disney World a few years straight. Mind you, we knew we wanted our first trip, just in case it was our only trip, to be AMAZING. And needed as much expert advice as we could get. So we pulled together Walt Disney World Attraction Checklists for all four Disney parks. We are big planners and pretty much needed the outline of all things to do, see and eat, and figured you might too! These lists were a godsend and made our trip so much better than we could have managed on our own.
Planning Your Disney Trip
After sharing our pending Disney trip with family, our aunt prepared four pages of handwritten notes on notebook paper littered with a few post-its that told us everything we needed to know. Seriously, this was pretty comprehensive. These notes went with us everywhere and shared where to eat, what to ride, and where we could afford to wait in line. They told us about the parades and where to sit, the evening events at each park, and which things to skip altogether. Everything was broken down by theme park and completely invaluable. We felt like insiders. While others stumbled around with maps, we skipped the lines, had reservations, and arrived everywhere on time with the best views. We were amazed.
We used these notes the first and second year we visited Disney until they began to crumble and now share them here with you so you can be sure to have as much fun on your Walt Disney World trip as we did. We’ll break down specifics by the theme park in the Walt Disney World Checklists.
Your First Disney Vacation
If this is your first Disney Vacation these lists will be your lifeline for making great choices. If you’re a seasoned Disney expert you’ll recognize these as the tried and true always awesome choices. Know that this isn’t everything ( not even close) you can do at Walt Disney World. But it’s the big stuff. Get ready to Plan Your Vacation with tips, guides, and checklists.
Walt Disney World includes 4 theme parks, over 25 resorts, more than 200 restaurants, 4 golf courses, a shopping center called Disney Springs, the Disney Boardwalk, and the ESPN sports complex.
Walt Disney World Parks
Figure out which Disney Parks to visit during your stay. With over 25 rides at Magic Kingdom, the newer Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios, festivals at EPCOT Park, and Pandora in Animal Kingdom there is plenty to occupy your time! Take a look at our pages specific for each park to get a lay of the land and choose how to best lay out your trip.
Walt Disney World Resorts
Choosing your Disney Resort is as much part of your vacation as everything else. Decide where to stay with our Disney Resorts Reviews. And check out the different kinds of resorts you can explore below. With over 25 resorts on Walt Disney World’s 40 square miles of land, there are a lot of options.
- Disney Value Resorts: Bus transportation. Pop Century and Art of Animation also have Skyliner transportation.
- Disney Moderate Resorts: Bus Transportation. Caribbean Beach Resort also has Skyliner transportation.
- Disney Deluxe Resorts. Bus transportation. Some offer monorail, ferry, and Skyliner transportation.
- Disney Boardwalk Resorts: Within walking distance of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
- Disney Monorail Resorts: Within walking distance of Magic Kingdom.
- Disney Ferry Boat Resorts: Ferry boat resorts are located near EPCOT and Magic Kingdom
- Disney Skyliner Resorts: Includes Skyliner access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
Walt Disney World Restaurants
Book your Advanced Dining Reservations at the best Disney Restaurants. The Restaurant Legend noted on the checklist legend are as follows; S= Snack, QS= quick service ( which means you can walk right up and order, no reservation needed), and TS = Table Service which often means you’ll need a reservation. Read up on Disney Dining.
- Animal Kingdom Restaurants
- EPCOT Park Restaurants
- Hollywood Studios Restaurants
- Magic Kingdom Restaurants
- Disney BoardWalk Restaurants
- Disney Resort Restaurants
- Disney Springs Restaurants
What’s on Our Disney Checklists?
These lists compile our tried and true items for each park. And yet even these lists will provide you with too many things to do in one day, BUT they will help you narrow down the choices.
If you’re a frequent Walt Disney World visitor looking for something a little edgier, never fear, this blog is full of Disney experiences to be had. Here are some things to keep in mind.
- Disney World doesn’t have to be stressful.
- You can still have fun at Disney World in the rain.
- This is what you’ll need in your Disney day bag.
- Hop on the Disney monorail if the parks are too crowded.
The Walt Disney World Checklists
No matter when your next visit to Walt Disney World, grab our Walt Disney World printable planner for lists of attractions, restaurants, touring plans, comparison pages, and more. Everything you need to get started planning a Disney vacation. And grab the Printable Walt Disney World Checklists to print or save to your phone. You can also save this to your iBooks app which is super handy for in-the-park access!
Hollywood Studios Checklist
Hollywood Studios has several major claims to fame! As home to Toy Story Land, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, and Mickey’s Runaway Railway, there is plenty to do here. We like visiting the most popular rides before the crowds set in, and taking a break in the afternoon on the Disney Boardwalk, which is within walking distance. If you’re hoping to catch Fantasmic or Wonderful World of Color you can plan to head back to Hollywood Studios in the evening to see the shows or grab dinner. Check out the Hollywood Studios Checklist for everything we recommend including in your Hollywood Studios Day.
Animal Kingdom Checklist
Animal Kingdom Park typically closes earlier than other parks at Walt Disney World. As a result, we recommend planning to tackle important rides like Flight of Passage in the morning. The newest land in Animal Kingdom is Pandora and includes Satu’li Canteen, arguably one of the best places for lunch in Animal Kingdom. Check out the Animal Kingdom Checklist for everything to look forward to in Animal Kingdom.
EPCOT Park Checklist
EPCOT park offers up a year of themed festivals, rides, restaurants, and more. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and La Creperie de Paris in EPCOT France are the newest additions to the park with Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind Rollercoaster opening in Spring 2022. Check out everything you can do on the Epcot Checklist.
Magic Kingdom Checklist
Magic Kingdom is home to Cinderella’s Castle and has more rides than any other park. Here you can experience Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train. If looking for a signature dining experience, Cinderella’s Royal Table is always a favorite, but not our best recommendation. Check out everything you can do on the Magic Kingdom Checklist.
Walt Disney World Checklists
Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be as simple as printing our Walt Disney World Checklists and choosing everything you want to do in each park. From there, you can choose one park per day and decide your favorite things you hope to do in each park. Hopefully, this quick guide has been helpful! Enjoy planning!
Rochelle Mariah is a writer, designer and photographer with an MLIS in Information Science and a B.S. in Arch and Design. Determined to make Planning a DIY Disney Vacation easier she makes lots of lists and drinks lots of coffee. When not designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's watching old movies and planning the holidays. She has been traveling to Disney destinations since 2010.
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