Wondering how to plan a one day trip to Disney World? In this complete Disney World one day itinerary, you’ll learn exactly how much one day will cost, how to get there, where to stay and what to do for the perfect Disney day trip with real life examples.
How Much Is A One Day Trip To Disney World?
It’s no secret that Disney World is expensive. From park passes to hotels to food, Disney could charge an arm and a leg, and we would all still happily pay for it. While a one day trip to Disney World can be a fantastic way to experience the magic without spending thousands of dollars, don’t be fooled into believing your one day will be cheap. It will still be very expensive. Luckily, I have some tricks up my sleeve to help you save a little money.
Our Disney World One Day Trip Cost Breakdown:
- Flights = $0.00 (We flew non-rev.)
- On-property accommodations for two nights = $560.03
- Park hopper passes for two adults = $568.72
- Food = $81.10
- Transportation to and from airport = $59.98
- Total = $1269.89 USD
Keep in mind, we used several points and miles tricks to cut down costs. I’ll deep dive into these tricks throughout this post. But, know that, without the tricks, your one day in Disney World could cost even more.
How Much Do Disney World Park Passes Cost For One Day?
First, how much do one day park passes cost in Disney World? At the time I’m publishing this, Disney World one day park passes start at $119 per adult or $114 per child between ages 3-9 (3 and under are free). However, these prices are for the most basic off-peak park days at the Animal Kingdom park only. For example, if you want to visit Magic Kingdom, the basic off-peak price jumps all the way up to $159 per adult for one day. Peak season prices (Christmas, spring break, etc.) start at $184 per adult for one day.
Additionally, park hopper passes (meaning, you can visit more than one park in one day) jump up to at least $207 per adult for one day off-peak. Although significantly more expensive, I definitely recommend purchase park hopper passes for your one day in Disney World, especially if you have never visited before.
You’ll also have to budget for accommodations and food. Transportation between parks is free, which I’ll explain next. For food, my husband and I typically budget $50 per adult per day for snacks. (Check out all of my favorite Disney World snacks here.) Then, we pack sandwiches and water bottles to bring into the park with us. Yes, you can bring outside food into Disney World! For accommodations, I highly recommend staying on Disney World property for proximity to the parks so you can ultimately maximize your one day in the parks. But, staying on property is notoriously expensive. Luckily, I have a few travel hacks for staying on property that I will share with you soon too.
Getting To Disney World For A Day Trip
Once you’re one Disney property, getting around is actually very easy. Disney World provides free transportation for all park pass holders, including buses, boats, the iconic monorail train and the Disney Skyliner gondola. The buses run between every park and are easy to navigate with great signage. The monorail, boats and Skyliner are also pretty easy to navigate but only have specific routes. There are always cast members near the transportation who are willing to help with navigation if you need it, and I’ll give you specific routes to take in the one day Disney World itinerary below.
Getting to Disney World property, however, will be an out-of-pocket cost. If you’re flying to Disney World, I recommend flying into the MCO airport and taking an Uber or Lyft to your hotel to drop off your luggage. (P.S. I recommend taking Lyft if you have a Chase Sapphire credit card for 5x miles.) You can also store luggage at any of the parks if needed for an additional cost. If you’re driving to Disney World for the day, I recommend parking in one spot for the whole day and taking the free Disney transportation from there. Disney Springs has free daytime parking. From Disney Springs, you can take the Disney buses to the parks and Disney resorts. The four theme parks have paid parking as well, starting at $35 per day.
Where To Stay For A One Day Trip To Disney World
For accommodations, I highly recommend staying on property at an official Walt Disney World Resort to maximize time in the parks. Or, if you’re traveling on a budget, I have an underrated hack for you! You can also stay at either the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista hotel or the connecting Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista hotel, which is more outdated but also more affordable than the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista. These Wyndham Disney Springs properties are official Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels, which means you get a lot of the on-property benefits without the on-property price tag.
Where We Stay Off Property
You get early entry staying at both Walt Disney World Resorts and Good Neighbor Hotels, which is a fantastic benefit because it helps you beat the crowds to your first ride line. Time is money when you’re in the parks. Second of all, there is free transportation to and from the on-property resorts as well as the Wyndham hotels. However, note that the free shuttles that run to and from the Wyndham are not operated by Disney and start later in the morning than the Disney transportation — well after early entry hours. Because you’re only spending one day in Disney World, you’ll want to start your day as early as possible and take advantage of early entry. So, here’s the trick.
How To Use Free Disney Transportation While Staying Off Property
These Wyndham properties are located directly across the street from Disney Springs. When you stay near Disney Springs, you can easily walk from your hotel to the Disney buses. But, there’s one more catch. Disney Springs doesn’t open until after early entry hours either. Here’s what you’ll do instead.
- Punch Congress Park at Saratoga Springs into your GPS for walking directions.
- Once you cross the street and approach the Disney Springs entrance, a security guard will likely tell you that they’re closed. Tell them that you are just walking directly to the bus stop at Saratoga Springs. They’ll likely page a nearby security guard to let them know you’re coming and to open a gate for you.
- Then, follow your GPS to the Congress Park resort bus stop. It’s only about a 15 minute walk from the Wyndham hotels, and it is a super underrated trick to get free transportation to the Disney Parks for early entry.
I’ve done this trick multiple times, and it works like a charm! By the way, technically, this trick works for any Disney Springs hotel located on Hotel Plaza Boulevard, but the Wyndham hotels are the closest, which cuts down on walk time. You’ll be exhausted after your one day in Disney World, so the less walking at the end of the night, the better.
How To Stay On Disney Property With Points
Now, during our latest Disney day trip, we stayed on property at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel for two nights. This is the only on-property that you can book on points because it is technically owned by Marriott, not Disney. While we didn’t use Marriott points specifically to stay here, we did travel hack our way here with our AMEX Business Platinum credit card, saving us over $450 on our stay. Here’s how.
As a AMEX Business Platinum cardholder, we get a $300 semi-annual hotel credit to use at a AMEX Fine Hotels + Resorts or Hotel Collection property. The Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel is one of these properties. So, we booked two nights here valued at $717.76 with that card. We got a $300 statement credit off the purchase in return, bringing our on-property stay down to just $414.46 or $207.38 per night. That is a steal for a Disney World on-property hotel.
Moreover, because the property is part of the AMEX Hotel Collection, we also got a free room upgrade upon arrival (better view), early check-in upon arrival and a $150 resort credit. While the credit can be used anywhere on the hotel property, we used this resort credit to cover our breakfasts, morning lattes, packed lunches and dinners at the hotel’s quick service restaurant, Fuel. This is how we managed to only spend $81.10 total on food during our entire trip ($40.55 per person).
We did have to pay some resort fees as well. But, that was a price we were will to pay to stay at a hotel walkable to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
One Day In Disney World Itinerary
You have a couple different options for your one day in Disney World itinerary. First, you could spend all day in one park. This will save you money on park hopper passes and give you more time to do more rides and attractions in one single park. If you visit one park, I personally recommend visiting Magic Kingdom (featuring the iconic Disney castle, TRON, princesses, etc.) or Hollywood Studios (featuring Rise Of The Resistance, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, Tower Of Terror, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, etc.).
Second, you could visit two parks with the park hopper pass. This will allow you to see more than one park without rushing much. Third, you could attempt the four-parks-in-one-day challenge, visiting all four parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom) in just one day. While you’ll get to see every park doing this, you’ll only be able to do one or two rides at each park max. Plus, you’ll be exhausted afterward.
Lastly, you can do what we did: three parks in one day. We visited Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom — in that order. We were definitely more tired after park hopping three parks than we usually are after a park day. However, we were able to do all of the best, most exhilarating rides in Disney World (apart from Animal Kingdom’s Expedition Everest). Here’s everything we did in order.
Our Exact One Day Disney World Itinerary
6:30 a.m.: Wake up (we were at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel).
7:30 a.m.: Pick up quick service breakfast, coffee, and packable lunches and snacks (at Fuel in the hotel lobby).
8:00 a.m.: Head to Epcot (we walked from the Dolphin).
8:15 a.m.: Go through security and line up for early entry at the International Gateway entrance.
8:30 a.m.: Early entry starts. Make a beeline for Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
9:30 a.m.: Use single rider line to ride Test Track.
10:00 a.m.: Free time in park (speed walk through the World Showcase or ride another ride).
11:00 a.m.: Take the Disney Skyliner to Hollywood Studios at the International Gateway entrance.
11:30 a.m.: Enter Hollywood Studios and walk to Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.
12:00 p.m.: Ride Rise Of The Resistance in the single rider line.
1:00 p.m.: Grab coffee pick-me-up at The Trolley Car Cafe (in-park Starbucks).
1:30 p.m.: Get in line for Tower Of Terror, Slinky Dog Dash, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster or Mickey’s Runaway Railway.
3:30 p.m.: Free time in the park.
4:00 p.m.: Take the Disney bus to Magic Kingdom.
4:30 p.m.: Enter Magic Kingdom and head to Tomorrowland to ride TRON or Space Mountain.
5:30 p.m.: Explore Fantasyland, ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and take a picture with Cinderella’s castle.
7:00 p.m.: Explore Frontierland and Adventureland, ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Pirate’s Of The Caribbean, etc.
8:00 p.m.: Watch fireworks from Main Street or ride another ride.
9:00 p.m.: Free time in the park.
11:00 p.m.: Catch bus back to your resort.
Obviously, this one day Disney World itinerary is jam-packed. You will be tired, but it will be worth it. Use the following tips to maximize your short time in the parks.
Tips For How To Spend One Day In Disney World
Don’t Waste Time In Line
Do everything you can to avoid wasting time in line. Start your day early to beat the midday crowds. Use the My Disney Experience app to check wait times and adjust your itinerary according to the shortest wait times. For instance, if Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train has a 120 minute wait and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has a 30 minute wait, adjust your itinerary and head to Tiana’s first. Be flexible and adapt to wait times. And/or, if budget allows, consider purchasing Lightning Lane passes to skip the long lines.
Leverage The Different Park Hours
Maximize the individual park hours. Each park has different opening hours that vary per day. And, you can use this to your advantage. For example, Animal Kingdom is usually the first park to open. If you want to visit Animal Kingdom on your one day in Disney, visit Animal Kingdom first. On the contrary, Magic Kingdom is usually the last park to close. So, you should park hop to Magic Kingdom last because you can usually (check your specific date) stay at Magic Kingdom later than the other three parks. Magic Kingdom also has the best fireworks show of the three parks, which is a bonus reason to visit this park last.
Use Single Rider Lines
Take advantage of single rider lines. If you aren’t opposed to splitting up your party on rides, take advantage of the single rider lines whenever available. Not all rides have a single rider line, but a lot of the most popular rides do. Single rider lines are often hours shorter than the standby line, allowing you to ride even more rides during your one day in Disney World. You will be split up from your party, but if you don’t mind riding next to a stranger, trust me, the single rider lines are worth it.
Eat While You Wait In Line
Finally, eat in line. In Disney World, it is totally acceptable to eat your packed lunch, purchased quick service meals and snacks while waiting in a long ride line. This will save you so much time as opposed to sitting at a table and eating. Plus, it will make the line feel faster. Note, you will have to throw away beverages that don’t screw shut (e.g. that Starbucks drink) before getting on the ride. So, pick a long line to wait in when you plan to eat or drink. There are trash cans in each line.
And, there you have it folks! Now, you’re ready to take on one day in Disney World. Read this blog post next to keep planning your trip.
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