Things to do in Walt Disney World: planning from Mount Dora

Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks are Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom was the first theme park to open at the resort. The four parks give you a clear starting point for planning: decide which one you want to visit, or whether you’d like to plan for more than one park in a day. Disney’s ticket guide suggests considering a four-day stay to experience all four theme parks.

If you’re weighing other Orlando-area outings alongside the parks, how to plan a SeaWorld day trip from Mount Dora is another option to factor into your plans.

A day at Walt Disney World from Mount Dora takes planning around your chosen park, ticket and the resort’s current operating details.

Start by picking the park you want to visit, then check its hours and the ticket rules that apply to your admission.

Disney’s suggestion to consider four days for all four parks is a useful guide if you’re deciding how much time to set aside. For a shorter visit, focus your plan on the park or parks included in your ticket.

Mount Dora is also served by Orlando Sanford International Airport, about 37 minutes by car from Budget Lodge Mount Dora. If airport logistics are part of your wider trip, you can read about how to get from the airport to Mount Dora.

Disney’s ticket options include admission to one park per day, Park Hopper, and Park Hopper Plus.

One park per day

This ticket option covers admission to one park per day. Choose the park you plan to visit before you settle on this type of ticket.

Park Hopper

Park Hopper allows you to visit more than one park per day. Check Disney’s current terms as you plan which parks to combine.

Park Hopper Plus

Park Hopper Plus also includes a set number of visits to a water park or other Walt Disney World sports-related activities. The number of included visits and current terms are details to verify before buying.

Disney says date-based tickets do not require theme park reservations; reservations may be required for other admission types. Park hours and ticket rules can change, so check the official site before you go.

Driving lets you park at a theme park, while Disney also runs transportation between its resort hotels and parks.

Standard theme-park parking for a car or motorcycle costs $35 per day, preferred parking costs $50, $55 or $60 per day, and oversized-vehicle parking costs $40 per day; these fees include applicable sales tax. A single theme-park parking pass is valid all day at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Standard theme-park parking is included for registered guests of Disney Resort hotels and select Annual Passholders. Those guests can get preferred parking by paying the difference in price.

For Disney Resort hotel guests, bus service between the hotels and theme parks begins 45 minutes before park opening and ends one hour after park closing. The Resort and Express Monorails begin operating 30 minutes before Magic Kingdom opens and stop one hour after Magic Kingdom closes. Check current transportation and parking details with Disney before you set out.

Before leaving for the parks, check the operating hours for your chosen park and the transport schedule you plan to use.

If you’re driving from Mount Dora, keep the return journey in mind when deciding how many parks to include in your day. If you’re using Disney transportation, note its service end times alongside the park’s closing time; the bus and monorail schedules do not end at the same time as park closing.

How many theme parks are at Walt Disney World?

There are four: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Do you need a theme park reservation?

Disney says reservations are not required for date-based tickets, but may be required for other admission types.

Does one parking pass work at more than one park?

A single theme-park parking pass is valid all day at all four Walt Disney World theme parks.