if you only have one day....

[Sarahsmom85]

we will be 2 adults, no kids to hold us back, been to Disney several times before (last time 2004)
have a hopper pass, wanting to start at Animal Kingdom,
want to try the new attractions, love space mountain and COP, how much do you think we could do in a day? Has anyone gone for just a day? Any suggestions?

 

[DisJosh]

I would think it depends on your stamina!

I think there was someone on the forums who undertook the challenge of hitting all four parks in a day...not sure.

If you plan well I don't see why you couldn't get a lot accomplished...especially if you know the parks well.

 

[yankspy]

Since you only have one day I would not waste too much time going from park to park. If you start at AK I would finish off at Epcot.

 

[One Lil Spark]

Well, are you staying on property and does MK have an EMH that night? You could start in AK and quickly run through what you're looking to see there, then hop over to MK and to SM and CoP. Please keep in mind though, SM is going down for a major refurb in April. If you're going after then, you might want to enjoy your 'sans kid' situation and hit up Epcot!

 

[Upgrade117]

I live 20 minutes from the World so we usually go for only a day and a park at a time.. but one day we parkhopped all four of the parks in a day, and it wasn't enjoyable to us... but perhaps we are just spoiled to be able to go to any WDW park and devote a full day to one, because of our close residence.

However, if you are looking at doing stuff at other parks, I'd suggest sticking to as few parks as possible.. traveling to each park takes up a large sum of time from your day. And don't waste too much of your precious time.. get to where you want to be and see the things you want to see, but keep in mind that no one can ever see everything during their trip to WDW... so enjoy it!

Have a great time!

 

[Philo]

How much you get done will depend on when you are going.

I wouldn't try and hit too many parks as you will spend half your time travelling and getting orientated.

If you really want to start at AK then get there early and hit the attractions. If your not interested in doing the 'smaller' attractions or seeing shows then you can be in and out within a couple of hours (depending on crowd levels). Then head straight for MK and hit the attractions you want till the park closes.

If your only there for a day I wouldn't bother making any ADR's as this will significantly eat up your time (no pun intended). Just grab counter service food to keep yourself going.

 

[WWallaceII]

My wife and I managed to do all 4 parks on our last day of our holiday/vacation 2 years ago, it was good fun. Only achievable really because we were there in mid September so it was quiet.

• We started at DHS, did RRNC and ToT.
• Then onto AK, hit Everest, Tough to be a bug and Kali.
• Then MK, at this point it was lunchtime so went to Caseys for a quick snack. Triple-mountain whammy (using FP on Space Mountain), Philharmagic, POTC and Jungle Cruise. Dole Whip then onwards...
• To EPCOT, where we FP'd Soarin', did TT, Mission Space, The Seas and UOE (purely to relax for a bit :lol. Dinner in Morocco and a wander round World Showcase in time for Illuminations.

All in all, we did it because it was just 2 adults and it was very quiet in the parks, so queues were only about 5-10mins for most rides.

Would we do it again? Probably :lol:

 

[danpam1024]

My wife and I managed to do all 4 parks on our last day of our holiday/vacation 2 years ago, it was good fun. Only achievable really because we were there in mid September so it was quiet.

• We started at DHS, did RRNC and ToT.
• Then onto AK, hit Everest, Tough to be a bug and Kali.
• Then MK, at this point it was lunchtime so went to Caseys for a quick snack. Triple-mountain whammy (using FP on Space Mountain), Philharmagic, POTC and Jungle Cruise. Dole Whip then onwards...
• To EPCOT, where we FP'd Soarin', did TT, Mission Space, The Seas and UOE (purely to relax for a bit :lol. Dinner in Morocco and a wander round World Showcase in time for Illuminations.

All in all, we did it because it was just 2 adults and it was very quiet in the parks, so queues were only about 5-10mins for most rides.

Would we do it again? Probably :lol:

Holy cow! I'm tired just reading that day! I think at a reasonable pace you could enjoy DAK and DHS, stay for Fantasmic!

 

[Sarahsmom85]

Thanks for the info. We are staying in Bradenton so we have a 1 1/2 hour drive. Plan on being there when the gates open and staying until the end. We are going the 17th of March. My brother wants to do AK. We have no problem in riding singles either. Fast pass as much as possible.
Question should we leave the car at the last place we plan to visit? I think we will do some planning and use the "if we get there we do" mind set. This is just a bonus trip, didn't plan on being in Florida. Oh by the way it is strange calling MGM = Hollywood now.

 

[scpergj]

I would think it depends on your stamina!

I think there was someone on the forums who undertook the challenge of hitting all four parks in a day...not sure.

If you plan well I don't see why you couldn't get a lot accomplished...especially if you know the parks well.

My wife and I did it last year on our bi-annual no kids trip (they get to go the other 8 times a year we go...), and we didn't really start the hard part until 4PM!

Started at the studios, then AK, EPCOT, and MK (MK was the EMH park that night). While tiring, it was fun!

Now, since you have not been since 2004, it might not be as fun - you can only do a few things in each park. In that case, I would either start at MK or EPCOT (depending on your favorite night show), then end at the other...but that's just how I would do it. Pick the two parks you want to see the most of, and have fun!