We just booked our trip for 4 days/3 nights to stay at a Deluxe resort in WDW by renting DVC points (the only way I could afford it!) I’m now debating staying another day, but at a moderate resort that I could afford.
Our little one will be 2 1/2 years old during her first trip, and I’m wondering if 4 days is enough! We’re going Mon-Thurs. The flight that we want to book won’t land in Orlando until 1:30PM, and we’re taking a late flight out on Thursday. So, when I got to thinking about it, it’s only 3 1/2 days in the parks.
I was thinking of doing Animal Kingdom the half day, MK 2 days, and Epcot 1 day. I wasn’t sure about visiting HS because there’s a lot of shows and I’m not sure if she’ll be able to sit that long. But I think another day at AK or Epcot would be fun, so I’d like to fly out a day early perhaps.
Any advice is appreciated!! 
I always think more days is better. It takes some of the pressure to do EVERYTHING off of you, and gives you time to be more flexible. You can even do the same amount of stuff, but spread it over more days. A little bit of pool time and some extra rest time is good at that age.
If your toddler is 2 1/2, then I’m assuming this will be your only trip to WDW while she’s free. Once she turns 3, you’ll have to buy park tickets for her. So, you should probably take advantage of an extra day if you can!
You might even decide to use the extra time at MK, as it is by far the most toddler-friendly park. Have a wonderful time!
What time of year are you going? We went last year with our 4 and 2 year old and stayed for 4 nights at BLT (renting points) and just got 2-day base tickets. We went at the end of Feb so the crowd levels were relatively low.
We only spent one day at Magic Kingdom and that was enough for us. Keep in mind that your daughter won’t be able to ride some of the bigger attractions that have the longest waits - so that reduces your time spent in MK a bit. We walked at a very relaxed pace, let the kids explore a lot, and still felt that we were able to see everything we wanted in one day. Sure, we could have stretched it out into two days but our budget was tight and I don’t feel like we missed out on anything!
I would skip Hollywood Studios. We only did a half day there and the only real thing my kids cared about was the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. (My son ran off the stage at Jedi Training Academy! ;))
While I would love to stay at WDW as long as possible, I wouldn’t add another day to my trip and stay at another resort. I know a lot of people here do split stays but the packing/unpacking/moving/logistics isn’t worth it for me. It would make me feel far too rushed - especially if it were only for one additional day.
If you are insisting on seeing 3 parks, I would do 1 day at MK, 1 day at Epcot, and 1/2 day at AK.
Monday would be a wash since you wouldn’t get to your resort until late afternoon. Enjoy the resort, pool, grab a fun dinner, and rest up for a full Tuesday! Depending on crowd levels, MK and EP on Tues/Wed. Check out AK before your flight home Thursday.
I should also add that we only got 2-day base tix for our 4 night stay because we wanted to appreciate the trip as much as possible - as opposed to trying to see/do EVERYTHING. One of our favorite days was our “off” day - character breakfast at Chef Mickeys, hang by the pool in the afternoon, explore the resorts, and then a fun dinner (Hoop Dee Doo followed by Chip-n-Dale’s campfire, for example).
Thanks!! I allotted long breaks during the day so we can nap/pool time. I agree we can go at a slower pace and not feel so rushed,like you said
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We’ll be going right before Christmas so we’re excited for the decorations and milder weather. Wel’ll be spending a lot of time at the hotel pool too, and I never even thought about spending the first night there, great idea!!
I’ve never heard of Chip n Dales campfire!! I’m going to check that out!!