3 Day Trip to Disney World
Some Disney vacation agents will tell you that you have to spend at least a week in Orlando in order to experience Disney. This is simply not true. If you’re on a budget or short on time, you can have a great experience with a 2 night stay at Disney World. Get a 3 Day Disney Park Pass and visit one park per day, or get a 3 Day Park Hopper pass and double up on parks to make the most of 3 day Disney World vacation. We are Disney experts, so we will walk you through two different Disney itineraries to make the most of a 3 day Disney trip.
You’ll want to arrive to Orlando in the morning on your first day if you plan to do 3 full days of at the parks. Plan your trip ahead of time and the experiences you want to prioritize at each park to maximize your time. If you would like to have any special dining experiences such as breakfast at Cinderella’s Castle, you’ll need to reserve these at least 6 months in advance.
All parks open at 9 AM except on days with Extra Magic Hours, when they open at 8 AM or earlier. Parks have different closing times, so see below to help plan your trip.
1 Park Per Day Disney Pass
Day 1: Epcot Itinerary
Park Hours: 9 AM to 9 PM
Future World Hours: 9 AM to 7 PM
If you are taking advantage of a 3 day 2 night Disney package, we recommend heading to Epcot your first day. The pace is slightly slower than other parks, so if you’re arriving with jet lag, this is a good place to start. Also, the park stays open until 9 PM, so you’ll have time to see all or most of the park in one day.
Epcot has two sections, the World Showcase and Future World. The World Showcase is set up as a tour around the world with dining and entertainment in each country. Future World is known for its rides and shows themed around innovation and technology. In order to get the most out of your visit, we recommend starting with the World Showcase and visiting as many countries as possible before working your way back to Future World. That’s because most people will do the opposite, starting at the front of the park and working their way to the back. You will find shorter lines in Future World later in the day.
After you have finished at Future World, you still have two more hours to enjoy back at the World Showcase. We recommend finishing your day with dinner at Via Napoli in Italy, Tangierine Café in Morocco, or one of the many other excellent restaurants. If you make a reservation right at park closing time, you can extend your time in the park a little that way.
In Future World, we recommend hitting the attractions in this order:
- Test Track
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
- Spaceship Earth
- Mission: Space
- Living with the Land
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Soarin’ Around the World
Day 2: Magic Kingdom Itinerary
Park Hours: 9 AM open, closing times vary from 6 PM to 3 AM
You’ll want a full day for Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is the oldest, largest and most famous Disney park where you’ll meet the full cast of Disney characters including Mickey, Minnie, the princesses and recent movie characters. There are five lands within the park and multiple rides for every age group. Just like at Epcot, head to the back of Magic Kingdom, which is Frontierland, early in the morning and then work your way forward to the front of the park. This way you will have shorter wait times throughout the day and be able to experience more of the park.
We recommend hitting the rides and shows in this order:
- Splash Mountain roller coaster in Frontierland
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Take the Jungle Cruise to Adventureland
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Haunted Mansion
- It’s a Small World
- Space Mountain in Tomorrowland
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Back to Fantasyland for Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Barnstormer
- Mad Tea Party
- Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train
Be sure to check the parade times on the day you visit. The Festival of Fantasy parade is at 2 or 3 PM daily in Fantasyland. You won’t want to miss it!
Day 3: Animal Kingdom Itinerary
Park Hours: 9 AM to 5 PM
During busy months, the park may stay open until 8 PM.
We recommend visiting Animal Kingdom on Day 3. If you get to the park at 9 AM, and you will be able to get the full Animal Kingdom experience. Alternatively, you can substitute Disney’s Hollywood Studios as your third park. Animal Kingdom is an adventure park featuring shows with live animals, thrilling rides, and incredible Broadway-style shows.
Here is an example of an itinerary for Animal Kingdom:
- Expedition Everest
- Kilimanjaro Safaris early in the morning or late in the afternoon when more animals are out and about
- DINOSAUR
- Up! A Great Bird Adventure
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug
- Kali River Soaking in the afternoon when it’s hottest
- Maharajah Jungle Trek
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Pandora – World of Avatar at the end of the day when the lines are the shortest
Be sure to make time for some delicious snacking and dining. We recommend the Baked Mac & Cheese at Eight Spoon Café and the Flame Tree Barbeque.
Park Hopper Plus Option
For an extra $75 on your 3 Day Disney ticket, you can convert your ticket to a “Park Hopper” pass. This will allow you to visit multiple theme parks per day. If you upgrade to a Park Hopper Plus Option for a slight increase per day, you can visit multiple parks per day, plus a certain number of visits are included to Disney’s water parks Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. With the itinerary below, you’ll get to experience each park. You won’t have a chance to see everything, so we recommend choosing your top three rides and shows at each park.
Here is an example itinerary with the Park Hopper pass:
Day 1: Magic Kingdom and Epcot
Day 2: Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach
Day 3: Hollywood Studios and Typhoon Lagoon
3 Day Disney World Vacation Packages
We offer the best 3 day Disney World Package in Orlando. If you are looking for great deals to save money on your stay in Orlando and a reliable booking agency that will ensure your trip is smooth, fun, and affordable, book a Disney World vacation package that includes accommodations and tickets today. Various suite sizes and lengths of stay are available.
