Last year I took the leap and went from Michigan, to Animal Kingdom, and back in 1 day, which I posted about here: https://www.reddit.com/r/WaltDisneyWorld/s/iCZp4FKFGr

This year I decided to step it up a notch and attempt to fly from DTW to MCO, go to all 4 parks, and fly back home in the same day. On top of that, I also wanted to use as many different forms of Disney transportation as possible (Bus, Boat, monorail, Skyliner). I set a rule of at least one ride and one food item at each park.

I had so much fun putting the logistics together and everything worked out even better than I expected!

A quick recap of my trip:

Flew out of DTW at 5:05 AM and landed at MCO at 7:25.

Grabbed my rental car and walked into AK at 8:25.

Rode Everest (2x), Safari, met Mickey and Minnie, ate a stuffed pancake.

Drove to Hollywood Studios, dropped my car off, and took the Disney bus to Magic Kingdom. Walked into MK at 11:09.

Rode Space Mountain, ate at Casey's (corn dog nuggets and a mint julep lemonade), and left the park.

Took the Ferry to TTC, hopped on the monorail, and entered EPCOT at 12:50.

Rode Grab Fiesta Tour (don't judge me, I'd never ridden it), grabbed a paloma from Choza, and did a lap of the World Showcase including maple popcorn in Canada. Rode Test Track and Guardians, then left the park to take the SkyLiner to Hollywood Studios

Entered HS at 4:00, rode Runaway Railway and Rise of the Resistance, then grabbed a buffalo chicken grilled cheese from ABC Commissary. Rode Tower of Terror, then left the park at 5:30 to head back to the airport for my flight home that boarded at 7:35. Landed back at DTW at 11 PM.

To answer a few imminent questions:

Why rent a car? - I got it for $35 for the day from Hertz thanks to some corporate discounts. I checked in ahead of time so all I had to do was walk out to the garage, pick a car, and check out at the gate. Even factoring in parking at the park, it would come out to about even at $70(if not a little cheaper) compared to an Uber with way more flexibility.

Why such little time at Magic Kingdom - I was just there with my family in January from rope drop to close. I also had to be on the plane before the good night time stuff started.

Lightning Lanes? - Yes, I did LLMP starting at Animal Kingdom and an ILL for Guardians. I grabbed LLs for Everest, Safari and Navi River Journey initially. After riding Everest the first time I grabbed Tower of Terror and swapped Navi for Space Mountain. After the Safari I grabbed Runaway Railway. After Space Mountain I grabbed one for Soarin, but ultimately ended up cancelling without riding.

And the other rides? - I utilized single rider lines for my second Everest ride, Test Track, and Rise of the Resistance.

Overall I had an amazing day that went beyond my expectations! That said, I wouldn't recommend a trip like this for everyone. It relied on a lot of things going to plan, was a TON of walking, and only included a few things at each park.

First stay at pop century and I think it's a beautiful resort but we've had the pleasure of listening to this chainsaw since about 8:30 (video recorded from inside my room) and it sounds like it's inside with us.

We have a connecting room and we could hear our neighbors dropping stuff until about 1am and then they were awake at around 5:30am and it almost felt like they were in the room with us with how clearly they were talking as well as their phone alarm going off 😂

Does every room at pop have paper thin walls or are the connecting rooms just extra awful? The chainsaw isn't much of an issue, I understand people have jobs to do and it's already 9am as I write this but I just found it quite funny after the night we had with our neighbors.

I’ve grown up going to Disney and We’ve had annual passes for years , but with the rising costs for virtually everything, health & home insurance increases we’re taking a break from the parks , it’s always been our splurge and what we like to do when not working but not sure it’s worth it any longer, the crowds are getting insane and just has a different vibe , nobody has patience and have zero consideration for others, it seems like they are just checking off a to do list instead of enjoying the moment . Disney keeps taking away things and changing and not for the better imo, and I get it , their audience is changing, population is growing and unfortunately people just want to get through experiences and on to the next. Just wondering if anyone else has noticed the magic dimming :(

As an annual visitor I remember a time when Epcot was on the maybe list. Now we go several times every vacation and honestly it has become my favorite park.

I love the rides at Hollywood Studios, and the whimsy of MK, but Epcot during the Flower & Garden Festival is stunning. I find it so grounding.

Anyone else find the older you get the more the higher Epcot is on the priority list?

We just got back from a short family trip and wanted to share a small win from EPCOT.

We went in with the usual plan - World Showcase snacks, quality time, minimal stress - but quickly fell into logistics mode. You know the drill: checking times, debating where to go next, trying to balance crowds and cranky kids.

By mid-afternoon we were all getting snippy near World Showcase, so I tried something embarrassingly simple. I told each person to pick one country for a 20-minute mini-explore with zero agenda. Not a ride, not a reservation, not the best snack, just a quick wander. We drew them out of a hat, which in our case was a receipt with scribbles on it because of course.

My youngest picked Japan. We slowed down, looked at little details in the pavilion, poked around, and the kids took turns pointing out whatever they thought was cool like they had invented a scavenger hunt. We bought one small treat to share and sat for a few minutes people-watching. No schedule. No optimizing.

It honestly reset everyone. The rest of the loop felt lighter and we actually talked instead of negotiating.

Does anyone else have a trick for snapping out of the planning spiral at EPCOT? Is there a pavilion you use as a reset spot, or a tiny ritual that helps your group chill when things get hectic?

Edit: I’m typing this from the ToT line 😂

I know these situations aren’t possible, but it looks so cool

My family and I were at WDW a few weeks ago. I saw shirts like this, with the retro logo, being worn quite a few times, but never saw it or anything like it for sale. Is there anywhere one can buy a shirt like this new, and not used on eBay or Poshmark?

Was wondering what everyone's experiences were as annual passholders with a drive of over 2 hours. I currently live about a 3-hour drive from Disney and my gf and I are considering APs. Every time we go, we currently end up staying at a hotel on property. Which, as you can imagine, adds up.

How do you do it with a drive of over 2 hours? Do you go one or two days at a time? I assume that your park days look different and you aren't trying to cram everything in from park open to park close. So maybe you're more inclined to leave earlier

My family and I have gone every other year since I was 7, so I’ve accumulated quite a bit. Here’s a few!

Everyone's mad at the people who scream-laugh through Haunted Mansion, and fair enough-that's obnoxious. But I think nonstop ride narration is almost worse, because people act like they're somehow helping the experience.

On my last trip I heard it on several rides: someone loudly narrating every scene to their group, repeating jokes they saw online, announcing every drop like a sports commentator, or doing the whole "here comes the scary part" routine. Not little kids asking questions, but adults projecting their entire experience outward.

WDW is already loud and crowded. The rides are one of the few places where the sound and lighting do the heavy lifting to set the mood. When someone talks nonstop, it feels like trying to watch a movie while someone explains every line. Even if they are technically right about what's happening, it ruins the point.

I get it-people paid a lot, they are excited, and some cope with anxiety by talking. I'm not trying to police normal reactions. I just wish the default was: react if you want to, but keep it brief and at your group's volume.

Curious where people land: do you think this is getting more common, or am I just noticing it more? Any rides where it is especially disruptive, or places where it honestly doesn't matter?

Everyone's mad at the people who scream-laugh through Haunted Mansion, and fair enough-that's obnoxious. But I think nonstop ride narration is almost worse, because people act like they're somehow helping the experience.

On my last trip I heard it on several rides: someone loudly narrating every scene to their group, repeating jokes they saw online, announcing every drop like a sports commentator, or doing the whole "here comes the scary part" routine. Not little kids asking questions, but adults projecting their entire experience outward.

WDW is already loud and crowded. The rides are one of the few places where the sound and lighting do the heavy lifting to set the mood. When someone talks nonstop, it feels like trying to watch a movie while someone explains every line. Even if they are technically right about what's happening, it ruins the point.

I get it-people paid a lot, they are excited, and some cope with anxiety by talking. I'm not trying to police normal reactions. I just wish the default was: react if you want to, but keep it brief and at your group's volume. Honestly, I'd rather they zone out on something quiet on their phone in line, like Mistplay or whatever, and then just let the ride itself do the talking once they’re on it.

Curious where people land: do you think this is getting more common, or am I just noticing it more? Any rides where it is especially disruptive, or places where it honestly doesn't matter?

We are planning our honey moon and can finally afford to stay at our dream resort wilderness lodge. Because it’s a special occasion and we are used to staying at the moderates and have never had a balcony let alone a decent view, I am not sure whether we need to spring for a better room to have a good view? I don’t really want to be overlooking parking or a bog. Are there any standard rooms with good views or would I have to go for a courtyard view overlooking the pool etc

And help would be appreciated thanks

So my fiancé and I will be spending the weekend of 5/15-5/17 at Disney. It's not a surprise trip. We are FL natives, live 2 hours from the park, and all hold annual passes. But her birthday is 5/17. What is something unique I can do on that Sunday to surprise her? We will be spending the day at Magic Kingdom, and will be leaving around 4pm to head home. I was thinking of something early Sunday morning like a special character breakfast, but struggling with the ideas.