Don't know how to plan your time in Orlando? So check out this Disney travel itinerary, with suggestions of what to do in 7, 10 and 15 days in the land of magic.
Despite being a lot of fun, planning a trip to Orlando is not a simple task. You need to think about air tickets, cost-benefit between accommodation options, transportation, food and, finally, the ideal Disney travel itinerary.
I decided to create this post with suggested itineraries for those who are staying from 7 to 15 days in the land of magic. They include the main parks, both Disney and Universal, shopping, resting when possible and other attractions.
When I created each one, I thought about first-time travelers who would like to do the most popular programs.
If you already know Orlando (you suddenly went on a tour or weren't responsible for planning the trip), feel free to adapt the itineraries according to your tastes or those of your group.
Personally, I believe that every Disney park should be visited at least once. Normally, when you buy a 4-day ticket, you get the fifth day for free. I always choose to repeat the Magic Kingdom, as it is the one with the greatest number of details, stops, characters and the one with my favorite attractions. I like to start and end the trip with “Disney magic”, so it's usually my first and last park.
To make the most of it, remember to arrive before each park opens, as there is no longer a free queue-skipping service. What you can also do is stay at one of the Disney hotels (or nearby partners) that have early entry to all the parks. This way you can do the main attractions before other visitors. If you are going during peak season, consider the possibility of purchasing the services of Genie+ and Lightning Lane, paid queue skips.
At Universal, this service is called Express Pass, and is paid separately. I believe it's worth paying only during high season, as outside of that it's possible to enjoy all the rides in each park (or even both on the same day) without waiting in long lines.
If you've already done some initial research, you might be surprised by the absence of Sea World. Personally, after all the information about how animals are treated in the park, I do not include it in my planning nor do I recommend it. It's up to you to read the reports, watch documentaries and make your own decision on the matter.
Below are suggestions for Disney travel itinerary! If you want more details, with tips on what to do in each park, the best rides, strategies for enjoying the Magic Kingdom in one or two days and even shopping tips, I do too I created a free PDF with all this information.
Disney Travel Itinerary – 7, 10 and 15 days
7 DAYS
7 days is not enough time to visit Orlando. There are six main parks, and you will only have five full days to enjoy the city.
If you want to see them all (and I highly recommend it if it's your first time), the ideal solution is to visit both Universal parks in the same day. The PDF has a more detailed guide to this “tactic”, but I also suggest that you Read the blog post that gives several tips for you to make the most of this day.
To do this, you need to buy a special ticket with the right to park hopper (change parks). This type of entry is also required to ride the Hogwarts Express.
If you don't care about Disney magic, however, and are just going for the extreme attractions, it's best not to follow this route. Universal parks have the best simulators (with the exception of Avatar's Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom), as well as some of the best roller coasters. In that case, make one day for Universal Studios and one for Islands of Adventure, and choose a Disney park to skip. I used to recommend skipping EPCOT, but with the new Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster, it's hard to choose.
About purchases: I suggest going to Walmart on the first day to buy snacks and bottled water to take to the park, as well as do some shopping. If you arrive early, you can still stop by the Florida Mall and cross off some items from your wish list. As the Universal parks close early, I fit in a trip to the outlet after them. If your flight is late on the last day, you can also visit them in the morning or early afternoon (just don't leave your bags in the car while shopping, as there are a lot of thefts).
| Route | |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival + Walmart |
| Day 2 | Magic Kingdom |
| Day 3 | EPCOT |
| Day 4 | Animal Kingdom |
| Day 5 | Universal Studios + Islands of Adventure + Outlet |
| Day 6 | Hollywood studios |
| Day 7 | Last purchases + departure |
To my readers, I always recommend buy travel insurance! If you go to the United States this is even more important, because there Healthcare is very expensive, and a single trip to the emergency room to pick up antibiotic prescriptions can cost $300 or more. No one deserves to blow their budget for a situation like this, right?
With travel insurance, you contact your insurer in any medium emergency, and they will direct you to the nearest hospital or emergency room. The main companies already resolve everything with the location and cover all expenses, and you don't need to pay a penny.
Travel insurance also protects you in situations such as flight delay or cancellation, as well as lost luggage.
10 DAYS
Ten days is enough time to get to know Orlando without too much rush. It is possible to fit all Disney and Universal parks on different days, and even separate two days for shopping, rest and tours like Disney Springs.
My suggestion for changing the itinerary is if you have purchased a special Disney ticket, which entitles you to visit a fifth park for free. In this case, I would choose to visit Hollywood Studios instead of a day of shopping, and on the ninth day I would go shopping at some o in the morning and return to Magic Kingdom to spend the rest of the time.
I put a visit to Walmart on the day of arrival, and I recommend you go there even if you arrive late. This is when you will buy snacks to take to the parks, as well as water bottles that can be refilled at the drinking fountains. See other ways to save on your trip to Orlando in this post.
Since there is only one day for shopping, you can return to Walmart or go to Target at another time to purchase the rest of the items on your wish list.
I tried my best to alternate park days with shopping days, so that the Disney travel itinerary wouldn't be so tiring. Either way, don't be fooled: visiting the malls or Disney Springs isn't much of a rest, you'll still be walking a lot, rs.
| Route | |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival + Walmart |
| Day 2 | Magic Kingdom |
| Day 3 | EPCOT |
| Day 4 | Florida Mall + Disney Springs |
| Day 5 | Animal Kingdom |
| Day 6 | Universal Studios |
| Day 7 | Outlets |
| Day 8 | Islands of adventure |
| Day 9 | Hollywood studios |
| Day 10 | Last purchases + Departure |
15 DAYS
15 days is ideal to discover all of Orlando's attractions without rushing. With this time, you can set aside a few days to rest or do some lighter activities. This time is important so that you can make the most of your park days!
In addition to the traditional itinerary, I also added Busch Gardens, a roller coaster park. It is actually in Tampa, a nearby city that is approximately an hour and a half away by car. If you haven't rented one, you can take advantage of the space shuttle free offer offered in partnership between the park and MEARS (reservation required). For those who love extreme attractions, this day is unmissable!
If that's not your case, you can use this day to rest or stroll around Celebration, a neighborhood built by Disney or even Winter Park. If you have purchased a promotional ticket with the right to visit another Disney park, you can also visit Hollywood Studios and repeat your favorite park on the fourteenth day.
Include water parks in your itinerary because, even in winter, Orlando usually has a warm enough climate to visit them. These parks are: Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach and Vulcano Bay.
On the tenth day I suggested visiting attractions on International Drive, such as the Orlando Eye or Madame Tussaud's wax museum, but you can also use this day for shopping, resting or even visiting nearby beaches like Clearwater. If you don't know where to shop, here on the blog there is a complete post about the best places to shop in Orlando.
| Route | |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival + Walmart |
| Day 2 | Magic Kingdom |
| Day 3 | Florida Mall + Mall at Millenia |
| Day 4 | EPCOT |
| Day 5 | Outlets |
| Day 6 | Busch gardens |
| Day 7 | Universal Studios |
| Day 8 | Disney springs |
| Day 9 | Animal Kingdom |
| Day 10 | International Drive Attractions |
| Day 11 | Islands of adventure |
| Day 12 | Water park |
| Day 13 | Latest purchases + Walmart + Target |
| Day 14 | Hollywood studios |
| Day 15 | Match |
And there's the Disney travel itinerary with all the park days! If you want more details, remember to sign up for my email list to receive a PDF with tips on what to do in each park, with the best attractions and restaurants!
If you are still having difficulty planning, There's a post here on the blog talking about documentation, accommodation, airline tickets, transport and more.
Did you like this post? Save to Pinterest to read later!
Some links in this post are affiliate links.
I would like a script….
Just fill out the form with your email! 🙂
Disney is undoubtedly a wonderful trip.
Let's go to Disney in March/2020, together... It will be my first time, but the 4th time for everyone.
They said they don’t want to go to Epcot ……… do you think I should “put my foot down” and want to go??? We still haven't decided which parks we're going to…. but they have already expressed that Epcot is off the list….
Hi Giovana! I think it would be cool to visit the park even because it's your first time, but it's definitely the weakest in terms of toys and updates. The coolest thing is the “around the world” where you get to know other cultures, try cuisine from other countries... It's also the park where you can meet the greatest number of characters. So I think it will be your preference =)
Wow, this article is a great help for anyone planning to travel to Orlando, especially if it’s for the first time. Putting together an itinerary will make all the difference on this trip. Just to contribute to the topic, I wrote a super interesting article about visitors with special needs at Disney, in case anyone wants to know more. https://bahhpelomundo.com/blog/visitantes-com-necessidades-especiais/
Super interesting article, Michelle! Thanks for sharing =)