Why you don’t need to go to every Disney Theme Park

Walt Disney World has four theme parks, two water parks, Disney Springs (a shopping, entertainment and dining district) and activities at your Disney Resort. If you try to get everything done during your vacation you may find yourself returning home burnt out. And you may create too many opportunities for melt downs. I’ll let you in on a little secret, you don’t have to go to every park.

You may think this will be your only Disney vacation and you want to make sure you do it all. But this can be at the expense of enjoying your time at this magical and, let’s be honest, expensive place. You can very quickly get wrapped up in wanting to do every park, ride every attraction and meet all the characters. But friends, that’s just no possible. Here are five reason you shouldn’t strive to do it all in one vacation.

1. Not every park is suitable for your family.

Every park has something different. Magic Kingdom features many of the traditional characters and traditional attractions. You’ll find many rides suitable for the whole family, an afternoon parade, and nighttime fireworks. Epcot has the World Showcase and Future World. Many of the attractions require guests to be 40 inches or taller, and World Showcase has incredible food and drinks. At Hollywood Studios you’ll find broadway caliber stage shows, the new Toy Story Land, and everything Star Wars. Animal Kingdom’s main feature is it’s animal. With a Safari taking guests through natural animal habitat, treks that will have you passing by tigers and gorillas, it’s a paradise for animal lovers. Animal Kingdom is also home to Pandora-The World of Avatar. If your family has littles that are 3 and younger, then Epcot may not be your best time spent. If your family doesn’t enjoy stage shows or Star Wars and Toy Story then Hollywood Studios may be one to skip. You want to make sure that your days at the park are going to be fun and exciting for your family. Making it worth your time and money.

2. You’ll Miss Out on Other Things.

If your whole vacation is spent at the parks then you’ll miss out on what’s going on at your Disney resort. When you’re staying at a Disney resort you’re paying top dollar. You’ll see that value if you spend some time at your resort. By spending a day at your resort you’ll get to enjoy your resort’s pool, maybe there’s even a water slide or a water play area. Many of the resorts have playgrounds and activities going on throughout the day. This is all included in the cost of your stay, no additional cost is required. There’s also Disney Springs, golfing, pool hopping, and countless other things you can do on a non-park day.

3. Savings.

When putting together your Disney vacation, the default is to set you up with a park ticket for every single day of your vacation. That includes the day you arrive. If you choose to take a day or two off from the parks you’ll see savings in the cost of your vacation. For example, a 6 day park hopper pass for a family of four will cost you $2,000 for tickets alone. A 4 day park hopper pass for a family of four will cost you $1895. Maybe a $100 doesn’t seem like a huge savings when you’re spending so much money, but that $100 could be the tips for your dining, or a night stay. In my opinion every little amount counts.

4. You’ll set the tone for your vacation.

When you’re not visiting every single theme park you’re already giving your vacation a more relaxing feel. You’re not going to be getting up for park open every single day and staying until the fireworks every night. You’re setting aside time to relax, like a real vacation. By feeling more relaxed with the knowledge you’re not striving to do it all, you’re more likely to let your kids stop to enjoy things they see that appeals to them. Instead of rushing them on to the next thing. On these days off you’ll be able to talk about how much fun you had at the park the day before and what you’re looking forward to the next day. You also won’t be as stressed at the parks, because everyone will be much more rested for that early wake up the next morning. When everyone’s rested, everyone will be more relaxed.

5. The Best Vacation for Your Family.

By even considering not going to every park you’re taking a step in the direction of making your Disney vacation the best for your family. Not the best for the family next door to you, or for your sister’s family but for your family. By looking into the best things about each park you’re taking the time to research and understand what each place has to offer and if it suits your family. You may realize that Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios is where you want to spend your vacation. You may even decide to go to one of the parks twice. By not doing the expected from the beginning you are creating a vacation memorable and ideal for your family and only you know your family best.

So think about it. Make the best choice for your family, for your budget, for your vacation. Happy Planning, Friends.