Disney World in One Day with a Park Hopper Ticket

Is a Disney Park Hopper ticket really worth the price? Can you see everything at Disney World in one day? I’m going to share how my family maximizes our park hopper tickets to see everything we want to see in one day! This post has been updated for 2023 to reflect the new Park Hopping guidelines!

Can You See it All in One Day?

Can you see everything you want to see at Walt Disney World in only one day? The short answer is no, and yes. Disney World in Orlando, Florida is a huge park that spans over 30,000 acres of land. There are four distinct theme parks within Disney World (Epcot, the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom) and two large water parks, not to mention all the resort hotels and other attractions located on property. With a combined total of almost 50 rides, there is no way you could actually see and do everything in one day, but a park hopper ticket will give you a taste!

When is One Day Enough?

If you can’t actually see everything in one day, is going for one day really enough? Under what circumstance would a one-day trip to Disney World be practical? I’m going to share when and why you would want to pack all of Disney World into one day and how to do it!

1. When More Than One Day Sounds Too Exhausting
I’ve shared before about my opinion on multiple day tickets to Disney World with young kids. One day at any Disney park is a magical, wonderful, fun-fill day of happiness, but it’s also super tiring! When our kids are young or struggle with sensory processing you may want at least one day in between to rest. To save money and sanity, we quite often will buy a regular base ticket and pick ONE park to visit per trip to Florida.

2. When You’re an Experienced Park-Goer on a Tight Schedule
When time is limited and a quick trip to Disney World is all you need, one day is better than no days! Now that our kids are a little older and we all know exactly what we really want to see, we have bought park hopper tickets and seen everything we want at 3 out of the 4 parks in ONE DAY. We have done all 4 parks in a day, but usually 3 out of 4 is more manageable.

3. When You’re on a Small Budget
I’ve written a lot of tips over the years for traveling to Disney World on a small budget. We’ve been there. Early in our marriage, after the birth of our first child, we were living on 30K a year and always looking for creative ways to save on a Disney trip. If you’re looking to keep your trip as cheap as possible, there is no arguing the fact that one day is still your cheapest bet.

4. When the Park of Your Choice Doesn’t Have any Reservations Left
If you are traveling to Disney World during peak season, you may find that the park you really want to visit is closed for additional reservations. In this situation, you can always get a Park Hopper ticket and pray that the park of your choice is open after 2:00 for hopping! Start your day at another park and hop over to your preferred park after 2:00. There is no guarantee you’ll get entrance. During peak hours, parks are known to reach capacity. I suggest heading there early!

Read: Tips for Visiting Disney World During Peak Hours

Maximize Your One Day Park Hopper Ticket

You’ve decided that for whatever reason, you have one day to spend at Disney World. Now, here’s the big one-day dilemma: how can you choose between a picture in front of Cinderella’s castle or piloting the Millennium Falcon at Hollywood Studios? You just can’t. It’s super hard. So, if you don’t want to take multiple days at Disney, a park hopper is the way to go! Here’s what to do:

Make a list of the shows, attractions, rides, restaurants, and characters that you absolutely have to see at each park! Now, narrow it down to an “absolutely can’t miss” list and a “if we have time” list.
Buy a One Day Base Ticket with the Park Hopper option added on for everyone in your group.
Make a park reservation at the park that opens earliest on the day you will be visiting, or the park with the most must-do attractions.
Important: The new Park Hopper system allows you to park hop after 2:00PM. This means you will want to start the day at the park that has the largest amount of your must-do rides.
Be ready to start the day early! Your best bet is to rope drop, be at your first park, an hour before they open.
Drive if you can, you’ll spend less time waiting on shuttles and buses to arrive and won’t have to make unnecessary stops. You will only pay for parking once.
Go with a couple meal options or make reservations if you have a specific place in mind.
You’ll have time for all 4 parks if you walk fast and stay focused. You’ll have more flex time and breathing room if you eliminate one park. Base this on the attractions your family really wants to see.
Go in order of park times for the day you are there. Hit the park first that opens first and leave the one that is open latest for last. If you are staying at certain Disney Resorts, you may have access to early park entry.

TIP: Consider purchasing Genie+ or Lightning Lane for the rides you really want to do!

Read: How to Plan a Disney Vacation for Under $1,500

Perks to Staying at a Disney Resort

Anywhere you stay on Disney property will open the door to all kinds of short cuts and transportation options. You will be a whole lot closer to the magic and wont have as long of a commute. We love camping at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, which is right across the lake from the Magic Kingdom and accessible by boat. You may have heard that “Extra Magic Hours” are a thing of the past. New Early Theme Park Entry for all resort guests and Extended Evening Hours are available for select resorts. Staying at select Disney resorts would give you even more time in the parks, helping maximize that Park Hopper ticket.

Early Theme Park Entry

Disney Resort guests receive early entrance to the parks, 30 minutes before opening at the following resorts:

Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
Disney’s Riviera Resort
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
Shades of Green® on Walt Disney World® Resort
B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
Holiday Inn Orlando
Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
Four Seasons Resort Orlando
Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
Waldorf Astoria Orlando

What Rides and Attractions will be Available?

Rides and attractions are subject to change. Please check for an updated list HERE. Currently, these are the rides that are scheduled to be open early:

Magic Kingdom Park

Epcot

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Extended Evening Hours

Guests at select resorts can also enjoy extended evening hours at select theme parks on a select number of days. Not all rides and attractions are open during this time, so check current schedules or ask a cast member for up to date information. The following resorts can enjoy extended evening hours:

Disney Deluxe Resorts

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

Other Select Hotels

Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
Shades of Green® on Walt Disney World®

What Rides and Attractions Will Be Available?

I recommend checking a current schedule or asking an cast member for up to date information, but these are the attractions that are scheduled to be open:

Magic Kingdom Park

Epcot

For up to date information and scheduled dates, go HERE.

What We Did

I’m going to base this example on one of the last times we did Disney in a day. We chose to skip the Animal Kingdom on this particular trip to give us more breathing room. We bought park hopper tickets and started the day at Hollywood Studios. Please Note: This example was done under the old Park Hopper system and with Extra Magic Hours that are no longer a thing, so we left our first park before 2:00PM.

STOP 1: We drove to Hollywood Studios and got there before the general public (with our extra magic hour) and booked it straight back to get in line to meet Kylo Ren. We then hit the couple other spots on our map, took some pictures and left. Driving saved us time and you only have to pay for parking once per day. UPDATE: Since writing this, Galaxy’s Edge has opened at Hollywood Studios and would now be our very first stop of the day.

STOP 2: We drove to Epcot and parked (no parking fee this time). We hit the couple things we wanted to see and ate lunch in Mexico, then left.

STOP 3: We headed back to our campsite and parked our car. There, we grabbed our sweatshirts for later, fresh bottles of water, had a snack, changed from Star Wars outfits into pirates and princesses and Papa took a nap. We then hopped on the boat from Fort Wilderness Campground over to the Magic Kingdom.

STOP 4: We saved the majority of our time for the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom was open later than any other park that day, so it made sense for it to be our last stop.

Read: Tips for Animal Kingdom from a Tween’s Perspective

What About You?

Have you ever used a one day park hopper ticket at Disney World and lived to tell about it? I’d love to hear!!

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How to Use a Park Hopper Ticket to See Everything at Disney World in One Day All Things with Purpose Sarah Lemp 3

Disney World in One Day 2023