One of the great things about a visit to the Walt Disney World Resort is the fact that you don’t just have one theme park to choose from, but four uniquely themed worlds where you can immerse yourself in the magic. Many visitors choose to try and conquer only one park each day, but for the well prepared and dedicated fan, you can make it through at least three, if not all four of the parks in one day.

Step One: Plan Ahead

Make a plan on which attractions you’d like to visit in each park, and try as hard as you can to stick to the plan. Unless it is an extremely uncrowded day at Walt Disney World, you can’t hit every major attraction in every park and have time to breathe, eat, use the restroom, or shop for your favorite must have souvenir.

On my latest trip to the parks, I laid out a basic plan of what I wanted to hit, and at what times. Keep in mind that this is just a guide, but it worked for my wife and I, so maybe it will work for you as well. This was our three park plan:

Animal Kingdom (9 – 11:30 am)

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  • Kali River Rapids®
  • Kilimanjaro Safaris®
  • Dinosaur

Hollywood Studios (noon – 5:30)

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  • Muppet*Vision 3D
  • Toy Story Midway Mania!
  • Star Tours® – The Adventures Continue

EPCOT (6 pm -9 pm)

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  • Test Track
  • Maelstrom

Step Two: Fast Pass Plus is your friend

Booking rides in advance is something that the Walt Disney company has been pushing incredibly hard for some time now. The original paper fast passes are virtually gone, and have been replaced with FP+ kiosks in the parks, as well as the ability to book your experiences online in advance of your visit using the My Magic Experience app.

You’ll notice that we only had the three FP+ reservations for the day at Hollywood Studios. Honestly, we could have gone without them entirely, but we would have had to wait more than an hour for Toy Story Midway Mania.

It all depends on if you visit at a slow or busy time of year. Lucky for us, mid September is exceptionally slow, and virtually every ride was a walk-on.

Step Three: Transportation is Key

The Walt Disney World transportation system is usually a model of precision that enables park guests to travel effortlessly between the many different destinations within the resort. Theoretically, you could park your car in any of the lots on property and forget about it until the end of the day.

That is, of course, in theory. In practice, it has it’s ups and downs. For our recent trip, we were lucky enough to get a AAA Parking Pass, which allowed us to park in th closest lots to the main gates at Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. This amazing pass is a lifesaver in making it from park to park.

We arrived at Animal Kingdom, and flashed our pass to the parking attendant. With that pass, we were able to park less than 100 yards from the main gate, and were ready to go for the morning. After a wonderful lunch at the Yak and Yeti, we returned to the car, and drove to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Again, we parked in the closest lot to the main gate, and noticed the convenient water taxi service to Epcot.

After spending the afternoon at the studios, we took the water taxi to the International Gateway in Epcot, and spent the evening their. Once Illuminations concluded, we returned to the International Gateway, and hoped to take the water taxi back to Hollywood Studios. That is where our transportation plan hit a bit of a snag!

Unfortunately, thunderstorms in the area forced the closure of the water taxi, so we were forced to walk, in the rain, back to Hollywood Studios. Luckily, it isn’t a long walk, but it definitely put a damper on our spirits!

Step Four: Be willing to compromise

Although we tried to have everything go according to plan, it doesn’t always work that way.

For example, we had originally planned on dining from the food booths for the Food and Wine Festival, which soft opened on the night we were there. However, it was a true soft opening, so as soon as the first round of food and drinks were served, the booths closed one by one. Luckily, both my wife and I enjoy the food and service at restaurant Marrakesh in Morocco, and were able to get a table there without a problem.

We also had time to do other things that weren’t on the list, such as wander the animal exhibits at Animal Kingdom, ride the movies in the Great Movie Ride, and see how Epcot scientists are working with other specialists in Living with the Land.

Step Five: Have Fun!

The most important thing to remember is that Walt Disney World is a place where anyone, no matter their age, can be the little kid that is inside of all of us come out and play. It is a place filled with magic and wonder around every corner, and if you slow down and let it surround you, you’ll be amazed at how much fun you can have!

And there you have it, one day, three parks and lots of adventures. Park hopping can be a joy, if you are prepared.  Are you a park hopper?

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Adam Sinclair
Adam is a lover of travel, and has always been interested in finding and exploring new and exciting places. In these tough economic times, travel can help provide an escape from the stresses of everyday life. He plans on sharing his favorite getaways with the readers of MiceChat.com, and hopes to visit some of the best area attractions with the world with his audience at his side. Follow him on twitter (@faborplumbs) as he searches for his next amazing destination, and check out some of his other favorite places at Faborplumbs Funtastic Finds as well as the Local Getaways section of Examiner.com!