How to get the best of all four Disney World parks in three days

Written by Lauren

Contributions by Ashley

From finding Mickey pretzels to picking which rides to ride to exploring dining options at all the resorts and parks, planning your trip to Disney World is an art. And I will be the first to admit, it is not my medium. Ashley, a Disney World veteran several times over, planned our entire trip. Thanks, boo!

For all my love of planning and Virgo tendencies, I simply did not want to do it. Because the intricacies of Disney World is complex, to say the least. But I was happy to give some input every now and then. And honestly, so appreciative of just being able to show up and have fun!

So, here’s our breakdown of how to cover all four Disney parks—Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios—in three days (complete with Pocket Guides and Wonderlists).

Plus, how we spent the few days leading up to and after, if you’re looking for some more inspiration.

Onwards, to the most magical place on earth!

Accommodations

With more than 30 resorts to choose from, deciding where to say at Disney is not a task for the faint of heart—but considerations like budget, dog-friendly or not, kid-oriented or not, easiest transportation options, and proximity to your favorite park will all help narrow down your choices.

For this trip, we stayed at the Disney Yacht Club primarily because it is one of four dog-friendly Disney resorts. It’s also walking distance to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and the Disney Boardwalk.

I’ve also previously stayed at the Contemporary, which has a huge glass atrium and is the only resort that the monorail passes through.

Some of the other resorts at the top of my list:

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

There are some other resorts such as the Riviera, Grand Floridian, Old Key West, and Caribbean Beach that are beautiful and nice, but just don’t quite have the pizzazz, the character, the immersion experience I’m looking for for my Disney stay.

Itinerary Overview

The vibe: adults only, fast paced, all the food, all the alcohol, all the fun!

Itinerary

On the itinerary:
Travel Day
Day 0 | Disney Boardwalk
Day 1 | Epcot
Day 2 | Hollywood Studios + Magic Kingdom
Day 3 | Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom + Epcot (again)
Day X | Disney Springs

In the event that you don’t have your own personal Ashley to plan your perfect Disney itinerary for you (how very sad for you), you can use a Disney Authorized Travel Agent for free or you could just ask ChatGPT to plan your itinerary.

Travel Day

On the itinerary:
Taxi to hotel
Dinner at Rosa Mexicano at the Dolphin

Day 0 | Disney Boardwalk

On the itinerary:
Breakfast from Beach Club Market
Coffee from Fuel at the Dolphin
Lunch at Kona Cafe at the Polynesian
Boardwalk for mid-day drinks
Ale & Compass Lounge at the Yacht Club

I had actually arrived a day earlier than planned for this trip due to a snow storm that was rolling through Tennessee. As pre-race day, the days itinerary revolved around going to the race expo to pick up everything Ashley needed for the half-marathon.

We started off the day with take-out breakfast (gluten-free Mickey waffles!) in our room from the Beach Club Market next door, and then I moseyed on over to The Dolphin for a latte and some dedicated writing time while Ashley took a Zoom meeting in the room.

On behalf of dolphins everywhere, I am offended by the statuary at The Dolphin because THAT’S NOT A DOLPHIN,
but the lobby here is an excellent choice for your morning work routine

For lunch, we drove over to Kona Cafe at the Polynesian. I know I’m partial to those Hawaiian vibes, but I highly recommend planning a meal at this resort, it is beautiful!

I love it here

After picking up all the race day gear at the SportsCenter Expo center—and dropping an unexpected $75 on some new shades—we went back to the room to get Buddy and head to the Boardwalk for a mid-day drink in the sun.

With its turn of the century, Atlantic vibe, the quarter-mile
promenade that is the Disney Boardwalk is a lovely spot for a leisurely afternoon sip and stroll along the water.

Eat an ice cream cone, grab a slice of pizza, explore the decadence of The Cake Bake Shop, pop into Abracadabar for a cocktail, or grab a drink from BoardWalk Joe’s Marvelous Margarita’s and set up shop on one of the benches overlooking the water while you sip.

Buddy on the Boardwalk

Day I | Epcot

On the itinerary:
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Soarin’ Around the World
Living with the Land
Mickey pretzel
Spaceship Earth
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Rose and Crown for drinks and fish & chips
Back to room
Explore the Pavilions
NUTELLA CREPES
Fireworks — The Symphony of Us

Believe it or not, it was also race day for Ashley—covering an astonishing 13.1 miles before we’d even scanned our watches at the gate to start our epic three days at Disney.

And no, she could not feel her legs by the end of our stay.

Epcot, for those who don’t know (I didn’t), is divided into two halves: The World Showcase and World Celebration.

The World Showcase, a collection of 11 country pavilions, allows you travel (and eat and drink) your way across the world as you walk around the lake.

World Celebration is home to World Discovery, World Nature, the giant globe that is synonymous with Epcot (home to the classic ride Spaceship Earth), and most importantly— Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

Opened in 1982, Epcot was originally an imagined city of the future. Its name, Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, says its all.

It’s an absolute time-capsule of what we thought the future looked like in 1982. And I love it.

Epcot, is hands down and probably not a surprise to anyone, my favorite park out of all four!

We walked to Epcot from our hotel and made a beeline for France (as one does).

Along the banks of the Seine and under the art nouveau awning, we traveled to the cobblestoned, lamp-lined streets of France.

Mimosa’s in hand from Crêpes À Emporter (remember this place, it’s important), we walked under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower to our first ride of the day—Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

(Please be advised: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a 3D ride. Take your Dramamine an hour beforehand. I did not, and I have regrets.)

Afterwards, we then participated in as many midday French things as one could think of (because we are nothing if not experts at pretending to be French and in France when we’re not in France): listing as many French words as I know (I think I’m up to fifteen now—oui), sipping the absolute most crisp French cider from Crêpes À Emporter at an outdoor bistro table, and enjoying a lovely sit down lunch of ratatouille (what else does one get after Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure? Tell me I’m wrong) at Chefs de France, before heading over to the World Celebration portion of the park.

Next: a stop in the Canada Pavilion—one of the best in all it’s plaid flannel maple syrup glory—and a cinematic view of the monorail

Iconic!

Soarin’ Around the World—ask to be in the front row for the most immersive experience as you fly across the globe.

Living with the Land is a quaint boat ride through Disney’s greenhouses. Be on the lookout for: tiny lettuce’s—you will not be disappointed.

Grab a quick Mickey Pretzel before heading to the giant globe, home to Spaceship Earth—an absolute blast from the past that is not to be missed in all its 80s futuristic glory.

And then, the moment you have all been waiting for—your long-anticipated time slot for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind—has finally arrived!

Cosmic Rewind is Disney’s first Omnicoaster, with seats that rotate for a full head-on experience.

One of the newest additions to the Disney line-up, it is absolutely the best, in my opinion! (So much so, we rode it twice!) Each ride gets a different song from the soundtrack.

Song selection: Conga!

Before heading back to the room for a break, we got a late lunch/early dinner (regularly scheduled eating times go completely out the window when in Epcot—I don’t make the rules) at Rose and Crown in the UK Pavilion.

The Rose and Crown is rowdy, cram-packed (get your elbows out!) pub in the traditional English style. Make your way to the front of the line and order you drinks. You can also order fish & chips at the bar. And they even have veggie fish & chips!

Good luck finding a spot to eat in the tables behind the pub, and better luck fighting off the marauding seagulls just waiting for a chance to descend.

Cut for: a quick break back in the room.

Returning to the park later that evening, we explored the Morocco Pavilion—a true gem! The astonishing candy and treats and toy selection in the Japan Pavilion, completely skipped over the America Pavilion, ate pizza and tiramisu ordered from a young gentleman from Rome in the piazza at the Italy Pavilion, looked at Christmas ornaments in the Germany Pavilion, walked through the semi-confusing sad African-inspired Outpost, felt like Mulan in the China Pavilion, got in touch with our ancestors and ordered Viking Coffee from the Norway Pavilion, and went inside Chichén Itzá in the Mexico Pavilion.

And finally, we ended our Epcot day with Nutella crepes along the Seine river before watching the beautiful and emotional Symphony of Us fireworks showcase (Disney got us good with this one—real good, right in the feels).

Epcot has the best fireworks and fountain display of all four parks

Day II | Hollywood Studios + Magic Kingdom

On the itinerary:
Hollywood Studios
Breakfast at Ronto Roasters at Galaxy’s Edge
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Tower of Terror
Oga’s Cantina
Lunch at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
Rock n Roller Coaster
Skyliner
Back to room
Magic Kingdom
Pirates of the Caribbean
Mickey pretzel
Haunted Mansion
Boat to the Grand Floridian
Citric Lounge for dinner

In a galaxy far, far away . . .

We started off the morning of day two with a lovely boat ride (check ✔ ) across the lake to Hollywood Studios.

Whereupon a small lad next to us kept going on about the Tower of Tear. Little did I know the foreshadowing happening in that moment. But, we’ll get to that later on.

First order of business: breakfast wraps from Ronto Roasters (not to be missed) in Galaxy’s Edge.

We continued our travels through Batuu’s Black Spire Outpost, with a ride on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, a trackless ride where the line itself is half the journey (from getting shuttled in a space craft to being harassed by the First Order).

And then, the moment foretold by the great small boat prophet was upon us—The Tower of Terror.

Or should I say, Tear?

I’d never been on the Tower of Terror before (had never stepped foot inside Hollywood Studios before that day, in fact), but its reputation precedes it.

Thankfully, we had Lightening Lane Passes. I barely had time to take in the Tower in all its old, dusty Hollywood glamour glory as we wove through its halls to the gate, let alone dwell on what was about to befall me.

Ashley—my personal Disney guide extraordinaire—requested the back row for whatever the opposite of suspension of disbelief is. The thinking was: if we could see people in front of us, some part of our brains that weren’t busy screaming their heads off and fighting for its life would see that, Hey, look, we’re just on a ride. Not actually plummeting to our death in a haunted hotel elevator. This is fun. Right?

Right?

It was just as we’d entered the elevator shaft—you know the one—that I managed a brief glance over at Ashely, and had just a moment to think, “This is payback for that time I made you go hiking on an active volcano in Iceland, isn’t it?” before we dropped, Ashley’s purse levitated to eye level (she caught it), and our souls were unceremoniously torn from our bodies as we plummeted up and down.

Actual footage of my soul being torn from my body

Alas, we survived.

The horrors persist, but so do we.

As if it wasn’t enough to have survived my soul being yeeted out of my body by the Tower of Tear, I then got accosted (and almost arrested) by the Order back in Galaxy’s Edge.

It was an eventful morning for me.

what had happened was

We were sitting on a bench across the way from Oga’s Cantina, waiting for our reservation time (highly recommend, make reservations). I was very innocently and very naively minding my own goddamn business, when a First Order guard and two stormtroopers walked by.

The lady down the way from me made, shall we say, an outward display of distaste towards the Order.

“Who said that?” The mustachioed Order guard demanded, turning on his heel on a dime.

Lady whose remarks will remain nameless, pointed at me.
👉🏻 👉🏻 👉🏻

Ashley, on the other side of me, pointed at me.
👈🏻 👈🏻 👈🏻

This is what I get for believing for a moment that the world is a safe place.

The armed trio approached.

“On your feet,” he demanded.

I stood, coming nose to nose with him and his mustache. My sunglasses mirroring his reflection back to him.

“Can’t even see the whites of your eyes! Such insolence,” he remarked. “Pledge your allegiance to the First Order.”

There comes a time in everyone’s life when you must stand up for what you in believe in. Pledging my allegiance to the First Order? Everyone has a line they won’t cross. I shook my head.

“Arrest her!” He barked to his troopers, walking away.

Shoulder to shoulder, the two stormtroopers stepped up, forming a white impenetrable wall in front of me.

“Today’s your lucky day,” one said. “We’ve got no more room in the brig. We’re full up. We’ll let you go this one time with a warning.”

“Behave yourself,” the other said.

“I make no promises.”

And then, our table at Oga’s Cantina was ready for us.

Reservations at Oga’s Cantina are for forty-five minute time slots. Some tables here are community style. We got sat at a table with a rotating crew of other parties. But it was fun getting to meet and chat with everyone! And the drinks are amazing.

Sufficiently inebriated, we left Oga’s Cantina and we popped into Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo for lunch, an excellent spot for a quick, but delicious, counter-service meal.

And then, we were off to our final Hollywood Studios destination: Rock n Roller Coaster, a blast from the past Aerosmith-themed roller coaster whose pre-ride spiel, hilariously, did not age well.

Skyliner ride (check ✔ ) back to Epcot and our hotel

That evening, we took the bus to the Magic Kingdom.

Here’s the thing about the Magic Kingdom—it’s the park people think of when they think of Disney World. The Magic Castle, Main Street, Mickey Mouse and gang, the parade. The whole shebang.

But it really, truly is the most boring park out of the four.

I said what I said.
And the only park you can’t get alcohol to go. So there’s that.

On tonight’s itinerary, my two personal favorites (as far as the classics go): in Adventureland, we set sail on Pirates of the Caribbean and then rode through the Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square (where someone did a no-no and we got stuck in the fortune telling room for an extra five minutes while they got sorted out). With a Mickey pretzel snack in between.

We made our way out to the boats as dusk descended to make our dinner reservations at Citric Lounge, a rather classy affair styled after Mary Poppins Returns, at the Grand Floridian.

But we weren’t done with the Magic Kingdom just yet.

Tomorrow we’d come back for, you guessed it, Tomorrowland.

Day III | Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom + Epcot (again)

On the itinerary:
Animal Kingdom
Joffrey’s
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Expedition Everest
The Dino Institute ride
Nomad Lounge for drinks and snack
Pandora walkaround
Magic Kingdom
Tomorrowland
TTA PeopleMover
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Space Mountain
TRON Lightcycle / Run

We spent the morning at Animal Kingdom, starting off with strong latte’s (make that a triple) from Joffrey’s at the gate.

And then, behold . . . the Tree of Life!

In all her glory

Traveling our way through the outposts and shops of Africa, past drum circles and performers, we got in line for our ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Before leaving Africa, we popped into a shop for some souvenirs. And then we were on to Asia and on to Expedition Everest—Legend of the Forbidden Mountain.

A final ride

For the sake of historical preservation, we embarked to Dinoland USA to ride The Dino Institute’s DINOSAUR (It’s fast! It’s a blast! It’s in the past!) one last time before it’s eminent extinction.

And let me tell you, this absolute relic from the 90s did not disappoint—from it’s blatant borderline copyright infringement of Jurassic Park to the pre-ride film hosted by none other than our beloved Claire Huxtable (actress Phylicia Rashad) to the rip roaring adventure to save our dinosaur (“That’s not our dino!” “Forget about it!”)—I can confirm: It is fast! It was a blast! And it is definitely a thing of the past!

Sad to see it go, but glad I got to enjoy one last final ride aboard.

Dinoland is going the way of its namesake to make room for Pueblo Esperanza, a Tropical Americas-themed section of the park anchored by a large fountain in the village center and two signature attractions: Indian Jones and Encanto rides!

Pueblo Esperanza, translates to “Village of Hope”, is set to open in 2027

As it was nearing noon, we made a last-minute reservation at Nomad Lounge, on the cusp of Discovery Island, for a delicious drink and snack before exploring Pandora—The World of Avatar.

I had not seen Avatar prior to this (I know! I know! I’ve watched it since), but even still, this part of the park is impressive in its scale and immersion experience. An absolute must.

Day X | Disney Springs

If you’re not quite ready to leave just yet, spend your last day shopping and dining through Disney Springs to stock up on all the souvenirs you were too busy to buy the last few days.

Costs

3 Day ticket (with Lightening Lane Multi and Single Passes and Park Hopper): $633 pp

Food + alcohol: $780 pp

Souvenirs: $54

Hotel (for four nights with fees and taxes): varies greatly ~ $2500 for five nights

Cab ride to and from airport (with tip): $192

Uber rides around Disney: $24

Disney World: 4 Parks, 3 Days

Credit where credit is due, Disney does not fuck around when it comes to creating an immersive experience (hear that, Graceland?)—and, no matter your age, it’s impossible to not get caught up in the absolute magic of it all from Galaxy’s Edge to Pandora to Everest and Africa and the World Showcase.

To get the best out of all four Disney World Parks in three days (for childfree adults), absolutely pay for the Lightening Lane Multi-Pass and Lightening Lane Single Pass, and Park Hopper option if you can.

The Disney World App is your key to the kingdom.

Prioritize time at Epcot: eat and drink your way around the World Showcase, travel back through time on Spaceship Earth, and blast your way through the galaxy on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Stay late for their fireworks and fountain show, it’s the best of all the four parks.

Plan for a morning at Hollywood Studios: travel to Batuu’s Black Spire Outpost at Galaxy’s Edge and stop by Oga’s Cantina for a drink while you’re there. And if you feel so inclined, The Tower of Terror awaits you.

And as for Magic Kingdom, it’s our least favorite and honestly, kind of boring, but you gotta do it. Spend the afternoon and evening at Magic Kingdom: walk down Main Street USA, catch the parade, pass the turret’s of Cinderella Castle, ride Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, then travel to the future of Tomorrowland, and ride Space Mountain and TRON Lightcycle / Run.

Animal Kingdom is an absolute treasure: from the Tree of Life to Kilimanjaro Safaris to the heights of the Himalayas and Expedition Everest to the stunning Pandora—The World of Avatar. Give yourself at least half a day here.

No trip to Disney World is complete without a ride on the monorail and Skyliner (and several Mickey pretzels).

And if you have the time, definitely check out the dining options at other Disney resorts while you’re there.

From the most magical place on earth,

Adventure Awaits!