4. PLAN YOUR DAILY ITINERARY

Disney World is huge… so huge that you can either just roam around or you can create a fairly lax itinerary. First and foremost, you should be aware that the ticket prices for admittance into the different parks are ridiculous. We recommend that you go with the "Park Hopper" ticket, which allows you admittance to all four parks whenever you like for up to four days. It costs almost $190 per person (though only $150 for kids 3 to 9 years old). In comparison, a one-day ticket to a park costs about $50 for an adult and $40 for a 3- to 9-year-old. So you're not saving a ton of money with the pass, but they do give you other little perks, and you can visit two parks in one day with them.

There are four main parks:

  • The Magic Kingdom
  • Epcot
  • The Animal Kingdom
  • MGM Studios

There are also three water parks:

  • Typhoon Lagoon
  • Blizzard Beach
  • River Country, USA

Other popular tourist destinations include:

  • Boardwalk
  • Pleasure Island (a night-life hub)
  • The Disney Marketplace

We recommend that you stick to the four main parks-one each day of your trip. While it's pretty tough to know what you'd enjoy most in advance, you can go to the Disney general questions page and see interactive maps so that you have a general idea of what to do.

Park overviews

  • The Magic Kingdom
    Made up of Main Street USA, Mickey's Toontown Fair, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland, and Tomorrowland. If at all possible, you should go here first to get into the Disney spirit of things. It's also the most wearying, so you want to do it first while you have the energy.

    Our Picks:

    1. Space Mountain (ride first, eat later)

    2. Splash Mountain (you might get wet)

    3. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (ride it at night for a better scream)

    4. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (a relatively new attraction that allows you to ride through the Toy Story world and shoot the bad guys)

    5. Main Street Electrical Parade (grab a snack and your seat at least 30 minutes before the parade)

  • EPCOT
    Broken into the World Showcase (attractions/restaurants centered around various countries) and Future World.

    Our Picks:

    1. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (a virtual reality ride)

    2. Spaceship Earth (it's that golf ball thing)

    3. Ellen's Energy Adventure/Universe of Energy (Ellen DeGeneres chats about energy and then takes you on a ride with the dinosaurs)

  • The Animal Kingdom
    Go on a jungle safari, dance with the Lion King, or pet a smelly goat.

    Our Picks:

    1. It's Tough to be a Bug (a 3-D show)

    2. Countdown to Extinction

  • MGM Studios
    Themed around Hollywood, all of the rides here pretty much rock. If you pace yourself, you can probably knock them all out in a day.

    Our Picks:

    1. Fantasmic (an all-around kick-ass show)

    2. Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3-D

    3. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (featuring Aerosmith)

    4. Hollywood Tower of Terror