How to Visit Disney World in Two Days: 2 Day Itinerary
Disney World Orlando can easily be a week-long vacation, but Disney World in two days is doable too. I recently visited Disney World as the last stop on my east coast USA road trip.
Two days in Disney World was perfect to visit a couple parks, eat way too much park food, and soak in a bit of Disney Magic.
While it will be difficult to see everything in two days, this guide will explain how to spend your time seeing the highlights of Disney and your top two parks.
Keep reading to learn which parks to visit in Disney World in two days, what to eat, where to stay and much more. At the end of this planning guide, you will be fully prepared to book your two-day Disney World vacation!
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2 Day Disney World Itinerary
If you are planning a two day Disney World vacation, one of the biggest questions you may be asking yourself is “can you do Disney World in 2 days.”
The short answer is yes, you can visit Disney World in 2 days. You will be able to see 2-3 parks, ride a ton of the most popular attractions, and eat a ton of great Disney food.
However, you aren’t going to be able to see everything in Disney World in 2 days. The parks are too big and too spread out to visit all four in two days.
You may be tempted to get a two day park hopper and hit two parks per day. DON’T DO IT. It takes around an hour to get between each park so you will waste way too much time commuting and not enough time enjoying.
Below, I’ll explain if you have 2 days at Disney World which parks to visit. It really depends on your specific interests. At a high level, here are two itinerary options for two days in Disney World:
Option 1: 1 Park per Day
If you want to get a deep experience at each park, I recommend visiting only one per day. If I had to choose two parks to visit, I’d choose Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
Option 2: 3 Parks in Two Days
If you prefer faster travel, you could squeeze three parks into two days. On the first day, visit either Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios, since they are the bigger parks. One day two, get a park hopper to visit EPCOT and Animal Kingdom, since there is slightly less to do in these parks.
Which Parks to Visit in Disney World in Two Days
The biggest decision when visiting Disney World in two days is which parks to visit. Each park has its own appeal and honestly all of them are great choices.
My recommendation with only two days in Disney is to visit Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. However, which Disney World parks to visit during your trip depends on your interests.
Below are the pros to each park to help you decide which parks are best for you to visit. I break down the highlights of each park and what they’re each best for.
Magic Kingdom
Best for: Visit Magic Kingdom for the most “Disney” experience.
Magic Kingdom is the most “Disney” of all the WDW theme parks. Created after the original Disneyland, Magic Kingdom is made from Walt Disney’s vision. Here, you will find all the classic Disney characters such as Mickey, Minnie, and the princesses.
It includes the iconic Cinderella’s castle, all the “mountain” rides (Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain), and Main Street USA.
Magic Kingdom also has lands such as Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland, Adventureland and liberty square.
A one day Magic Kingdom itinerary will be packed, which is why I do not recommend park hopping to another park the same day as Magic Kingdom.
Hollywood Studios
Best for: Visit Hollywood Studios for all the newest attractions in Walt Disney World.
Disney World has recently spent a lot of time updating and enhancing Hollywood Studios. In the past five years, they have added Toy Story Land and Star Wars Galaxy edge. Here you will find amazing attractions such as smugglers run, rise of the resistance and slinky dog dash.
In addition to these new areas, Hollywood Studios has the tower of terror, Mickey and Minnie’s runaway railway and rock’n roller coaster. These are all great Disney rides and will provide a bit of an adrenaline rush.
Animal Kingdom
Best for: Visit Animal Kingdom if you are an Avatar or animal lover.
The land of Pandora is the newest area in Animal Kingdom and offers a lot of Disney Magic. The theming throughout will transport you into the movie and the rides are great.
Animal Kingdom also offers attractions with real animals, great for all animal lovers and young kids.
EPCOT
Best for: Visit EPCOT if you are a foodie or plan to drink around the world.
EPCOT has the world showcase, it areas for many different countries. EPCOT has the best food and drinks of all the Walt Disney World parks.
Come here for a day of eating and drinking with some rides intermixed. The most popular rides in EPCOT are Soarin’ Around the World, Test Track, Frozen Ever After, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Where to Stay in Disney World
One way to save time during your 2 days at Disney World is by choosing a hotel near the parks you plan to visit. Unlike Disneyland, the resorts and parks at Disney World are very spread out and take around an hour to get between.
The first consideration is whether to stay on Disney property or offsite. I highly recommend staying on property to save transportation time and have access to the perks such as extra magic hours, priority reservations, and complimentary transportation.
Another great way to save time during your two days in Disney World is booking your accommodation next to one of your target parks. Save time by staying near one of your intended parks.
The below resorts are my favorites in Disney World due to their location, luxurious design, and unique themes.
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort
Nearby Parks: Hollywood Studios and EPCOT
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin is not an official Disney hotel, but does reside on Disney property and offers many of the same perks. The benefit of the Swan and Dolphin is their affiliation with Marriott Bonvoy. Bonvoy points can be earned or redeemed during your stay.
Additionally, the resort is large, luxurious, and reasonably priced. The resort has multiple pools, a lakeside beach, restaurants for all occasions and a high-end spa.
Polynesian Village Resort
Nearby Park: Magic Kingdom
The theming at the Polynesian Village Resort is my favorite out of all WDW hotels. The Polynesian and Moana theme extend throughout the resort, grounds, and rooms. For the ultimate experience, book an overwater bungalow room.
If you stay at the Polynesian Village Resort, be sure to book a dinner at Ohana, their family style Polynesian restaurant.
Grand Floridian
Nearby Park: Magic Kingdom
The Grand Floridian is quintessential Disney. While this resort is often among the most expensive, it delivers with luxury, fantastic amenities, and exceptional customer service. Stay here for the classic Disney experience with easy access to Magic Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Nearby Park: Animal Kingdom
If visiting Animal Kingdom is high on your priority list, the Animal Kingdom Lodge is a great place to stay. Designed in a safari style, this resort mimics the theme of Animal Kingdom and feels like a piece of Africa here in the states.
Overview of Disney Genie and Lightning Lanes
If you are planning a Disney World vacation, chances are you have come across mention of Genie+ and lightening lanes. For a first timer, this system can be super overwhelming. If you are familiar with Disney’s fastpass system, Genie+ is essentially the newest version of it. First, here are some definitions that may help:
Disney Genie – The Disney Genie is an AI tool on the Disney app that helps you plan your day in a Disney park. The tool starts by collecting your interests, then suggests a daily itinerary that will help you visit those interests throughout the day. This tool is great in concept, but I think planning on your own will be the best use of time.
Genie+ – Genie+ is a paid service, around $15 per person, per day that allows you to access lightening lanes throughout the day.
Lightening Lane – A lightening lane is a priority lane that can be accessed in two ways. 1) Booking a timeslot using Genie+ and 2) purchasing an individual lightening lane. Individual lightening lanes are offered for a few attractions per park and cost additional money.
Genie+ Strategy and Tips
If you only have two days in Disney World, I highly recommend purchasing Genie+. The lightning lane wait times are typically 10 minutes or less, compared to 40+ minutes in the standby line.
If you purchase Genie+, there are some restrictions to consider:
- You can begin reserving lightning lanes when the park opens the day you plan to visit
- You can book a lightning lane every 2 hours, or if you have no active LL reservations. Choose reservations that are early in the day so you have time to redeem multiple.
- Individual lightning lane reservations do not count toward your one reservation at a time quota.
To use Genie+, I recommend the following strategy. The goal is to redeem as many lightning lanes as possible, on the rides you most want to hit.
- If you are interested in the individual lightning lane attractions, purchase them at the start of the day. Individual lightning lanes are typically the most popular attractions in each park and cost around $10 per person.
- Make a list of the top 3 genie+ lightning lane attractions you want to hit
- Once reservations open for the day, book whichever ride in your top 3 has the earliest return time
- Once you hit this ride, get another lightning reservation that has the soonest return time. This may or may not be a ride in your top 3, depending how the time slots are filling up.
- Continue reserving additional lightning lanes as soon as you can, until you ride them all.
- If you are unable to catch a time slot for your priority 3 rides, plan to visit them at the end of the day when the standby lines are shorter.
Park Hopping in Disney World in Two Days: Is it Worth it?
If you are trying to see all of Disney World in two days, you may be attempted to park hop two parks each day. While this is doable, I recommend sticking to the two parks you selected above.
Park hopping can take at least and hour which will take away from your time in the parks. My philosophy is to spend two full days in two parks, versus partial days in all of them.
If you choose to park hop, I recommend hopping from a lower priority park to EPCOT around dinner time. That way, you can spend most of the day in the first park then hit EPCOT for dinner and drinks.
Be sure to reference the current park hours to plan out your hopping strategy.
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General Tips for Disney World
In general, planning for Disney World can be a bit overwhelming. There are a lot of small details in a Disney vacation that take a bit of understanding to plan.
The following three items are crucial to planning and preparing for Disney, especially with a short duration of your vacation.
- Research and Prioritize your Vacation– Since you will squeeze everything in Disney World in two days, it is important to understand your goals and priorities for the trip. This guide is a great starting point as I will outline my view of the best things to do in Disney in two days. Some things to research are rides, parks, and food.
- Get your theme park tickets early– Disney World tickets can sell out, be sure to get them early to set yourself up for success. Disney has also recently implemented park reservations which are even more likely to fill up. Again, being early is key.
- Book Dining Early– Planning is key to secure reservations for Disney World dining. Book dining reservations at the start of your window to ensure you can try the restaurant at the top of your list. If you run into issues securing reservations, you can set up notifications through Mouse Watcher to snag booked dining.
Quick Tips for Disney Springs
When in Disney World, I highly recommend visiting Disney Springs for shopping and dinner. Disney Springs is the larger equivalent of Downtown Disney in California.
There are many restaurants, Disney stores and retail stores. Below are some of the cant-miss spots in Disney Springs:
- Gideons Bakehouse– the best cookies in Disney World, be sure to join the virtual queue early
- World of Disney– all the Disney merch you could ever need, all in one place
- Morimoto Asia– my favorite restaurant in Disney Springs, serving a variety of Asian dishes
- Disney springs food trucks– Tons of different options with something for everyone. Try the pickle corn dog if you dare.
What to Wear to Disney World
The final tip I have for 2 days in Disney World is what to wear. Dressing up for Disney is definitely part of the fun. I love wearing simple clothes such as a romper or jean shorts, with 1-2 themed items.
For more details, check out my guide to what to Wear to Disney world for each park. Above are some easy Disney World outfit ideas as well.
FAQ – Two Days at Disney World
Yes, you can see a lot of Disney World in 2 days. 2 days in Disney World is enough time to visit 2-3 parks, ride a ton of attractions, and eat a bunch of tasty Disney food.
No, you cannot see all 4 Disney World parks in 2 days. It would be way too cramped trying to visit four parks in two days and you would waste time commuting instead of enjoying the vacation.
To see everything at Disney World, you would need at least 4 days. This would allow one day in each park to deep-dive all the rides, attractions, characters, and food.
Get the best deal on Disney World tickets and save on vacation packages with the code: TRAVELINGMOORE
Summary of Disney World in Two Days
While two days in Disney World is not enough time to see all the parks and all the hotels and all of Disney springs, this guide outlines how to see the highlights. Book a stay at a nearby hotel to cut down on travel time and to experience the “Disney bubble”.
Pick two parks to visit, I recommend Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Finally, explore Disney Springs to round out the perfect quick trip to Disney.
If you are planning a kid-free trip to Disney, check out my guide to Disney for adults.
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