How I Rode EVERYTHING in One Day at Disney World

If you’re heading to Disney World for the first time, or for your first trip in a while, you may be on a mission to get as much done as possible.

I totally get it! In fact, that’s why I’ve been on a mission to try and ride EVERY single Disney World attraction in ONE day to see if it can be done, to show you just how much can be done in 15-16 hours if you strategize. Plus, I’m competitive and unrelenting, so this was my personal mission. Now, do I actually recommend this challenge? Not by a long shot. It’s intense in a way words can’t fully describe. But now that I’ve successfully completed the challenge, here’s how I did it all so YOU can apply the tips to your upcoming Disney World trip!

OK, first, let’s talk about one of the BIG advantages I had on my challenge to ride EVERYTHING in Disney World in one day. While Lightning Lane (Disney’s paid skip-the-line offering) isn’t necessary for your Disney World trip, it can cut down a LOT of time waiting in line. If you’re someone who despises waiting in line (like my friend Sage) and it’ll make your day better to avoid those long waits, Lightning Lane very much may be worth the cost!

To complete this challenge, I had to use every single Lightning Lane at my disposal, which was EXPENSIVE:

Lightning Lane Multi-Pass: You can purchase for one theme park per day (I chose Hollywood Studios for the challenge), and you’ll select three rides in advance (one from Tier 1 and the other two from Tiers 2 and/or 3). However, you can book Lightning Lanes in other parks if you have a park hopper ticket, and you can start to book them BEFORE you hop into that park! My approximate cost for this was around $27 plus tax.
Lightning Lane Single Pass: You can purchase up to two of these per day for some of the most popular rides in the park. I chose Flight of Passage (around $17 plus tax) and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (around $18 plus tax).
Lightning Lane Premier Pass: Select one park and get the ability to skip nearly EVERY single line once; no need to reserve a timeslot! For the challenge, I chose Magic Kingdom since it has the most attractions, and this cost me around $379 plus tax.

That means that in total, Lightning Lanes for this challenge cost me around $441 plus tax! That is NOT cheap for one person, and imagine if you had a whole family! It adds up fast. But remember, this is NOT the way a normal vacation works — I’m doing this purely for the challenge of riding EVERYTHING in one day.

But that wasn’t the only booking that had to be made — I also booked a room at a Deluxe Disney World Hotel, which got me both Early Entry into the theme park of my choice (available for all four parks every day, no matter what Disney World hotel you’re staying at), as well as Extended Evening Hours (extra time in a select WDW park on certain days, it’s usually Magic Kingdom or EPCOT).

While Disney World transportation is great (it’s free and easy to use), it’s not the best choice if you want to get somewhere fast. Say you’re trying to make it to another park before a character stops meeting for the day, or you need to make the last show in a park — Disney recommends you allow an hour to use their transportation to get anywhere else on property, and for this challenge, that just wasn’t the move!

This is where Minnie Vans (or regular rideshare services) come into play! I used a Minnie Van to get myself directly from Hollywood Studios to Magic Kingdom, because a Minnie Van will take you directly to the park where the buses drop off.

Note that regular rideshare drop-offs (like Uber or Lyft) will take you to the TTC, so you’ll still have to take the Monorail or Ferry, and that will add lots of time to your day.

I also had a friend who could drive me to the other parks quickly and reliably, so if you’ve got your own car in the parks, it often may be faster than taking Disney transportation.

I used tons of other hacks to make sure I made the most of my day, and these can all help you on your upcoming trip, too!

Rope Drop! While waking up early is hard, especially later on in your vacation, rope dropping (AKA being at the park before it officially opens) is a great way to be one of the first in line for some of the most popular attractions and get them done with short waits. For me, I rope dropped the rest of Animal Kingdom (starting with Na’vi River Journey) while I waited for my Flight of Passage Lightning Lane Single Pass

Use Single Rider where you can! Not many rides have single rider lines, but you’ll find them at Expedition Everest, Rise of the Resistance, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and Test Track. If you’re willing to split up your party, this is a great way to save lots of time.

Quick service will be your best friend, especially when you Mobile Order. Table service reservations take a solid 1–2 hours out of your park day, and that’s not the greatest idea when you’re trying to knock out as many rides as possible.

Check the weather and ride outdoor attractions when there’s NOT rain in the forecast.
Make a list of your priorities, as well as everyone else’s in your group! It’s unlikely you’ll get through everything in Disney World, so this way you can make sure everyone gets to hit the highlights they want to experience.
Use the walking directions on the My Disney Experience App if you’re not totally sure where to go — don’t waste time guessing and then having to turn around. These are super helpful and will get you where you need to go fast.

Don’t settle with your Lightning Lanes — always be looking to see if you can get something earlier. You’d be surprised at what you’ll see come up!
Take note of fireworks and parade times and don’t get caught in busy parts of the park during shows.
Avoid backtracking — move in a straight line when you can!
Know when you need to skip. Some rides aren’t worth waiting around for, especially if you’re not eating or doing something else to make the most of your day while you wait.

Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Disney World tips, tricks, and news — we’re here to make sure you have the best trip ever!

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!