5 Days in Orlando: Disney & Universal Split Itinerary

Five days is the point where the Disney-or-Universal argument stops being either/or. With three days you have to choose; with a week you can have almost everything. Five days sits in between, and it rewards a plan more than any other trip length, because the difference between a well-ordered five days and a badly ordered one is roughly a whole park. This 5 day Orlando itinerary splits the trip between Universal and Walt Disney World so that neither feels rushed, puts the one hotel move where it costs least, and builds in a rest afternoon at the point most families need it.

Below you will find the main plan day by day, the tickets and hotels that fit it, three variations (for young children, for teenagers and for adults), and what to book before you go. It stays out of ride-by-ride detail, which each park’s own guide covers. If you are spending all five days at Disney, our Disney World itinerary is the better starting point; this page is for trips that include both resorts. Prices and transport details were checked in October 2026 on the parks’ own sites. Ticket prices are date-based, and the “from” figures apply to the cheapest dates, so treat them as the right order of magnitude and price your own dates before booking.

The five days at a glance

The plan assumes you arrive the evening before day 1 and fly home on the morning after day 5: six nights, five full days on the ground. If you only have five nights, see the shorter version further down.

That is Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and three of Disney’s four theme parks, with an afternoon off in the middle and only one hotel change. Animal Kingdom is the park this version leaves out; the variations below show how to swap it in.

Why Universal first?

You can run this plan in either direction, and the reverse order works perfectly well. There are three reasons to start with Universal on a five-day split.

• Energy. Universal’s parks tend to be the more physically intense, with more thrill rides and a lot of walking. They suit days 1 and 2, when everyone is fresh.
• The ending. Finishing at Disney puts the castle, the fireworks and the gentler pace at the end of the trip, which is usually what children remember and adults appreciate.
• The rest afternoon. The hotel switch naturally falls on day 3, which is exactly when a five-day trip needs a pause. Arriving at a Disney resort, with its pools and its own transport, makes a better place to rest than a mid-trip drive in the other direction.

Teenagers and thrill-seeking adults may prefer the opposite: Disney first, so the trip builds towards VelociCoaster and Epic Universe. If that is your group, swap the blocks and keep everything else.

Day by day

Arrival evening: CityWalk

Do not try to fit a park into arrival day. Check in, walk or take your hotel’s transport to CityWalk, eat, and go to bed early. If you are driving, Universal’s main garages offered free self-parking after 6pm in October 2026, except on Halloween Horror Nights nights and 31 December; that offer does not apply at Epic Universe. Our CityWalk guide covers where to eat.

Day 1: Epic Universe

Give Universal’s newest park the first full day, while everyone has the most energy and before any weather has a chance to disrupt your plan. Be at the gate before opening, head for the world your group cares about most, and stay to close. Park hours vary through the year, so check Universal’s hours for your date before you plan the evening. If your hotel offers early park admission at Epic Universe on your date, this is the day to use it. Our Epic Universe guide covers how to tour it.

Day 2: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure

Two parks in a day sounds like a lot, but these two sit side by side, linked by a short walk through CityWalk and by the Hogwarts Express, which runs between King’s Cross in Universal Studios Florida and Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure. You need a Park-to-Park ticket to ride it. Start at whichever park has early admission for hotel guests that day, do its headline rides first, then cross over around midday. Harry Potter fans should plan the day around the two Wizarding World areas and the train between them.

If you are staying at one of the Universal hotels whose rooms include free Express Unlimited at these two parks, this is the day it pays for itself. Our Universal hotels guide sets out which hotels include it.

Day 3: the switch, a rest afternoon and an EPCOT evening

This is the day that makes the plan work. Have a slow breakfast, check out, and move to your Disney hotel. Spend the afternoon at the pool or asleep. Then, in the cooler evening, head to EPCOT for World Showcase and the nighttime show, Luminous The Symphony of Us. Check the show time for your date in the app.

Using a Disney ticket day for an evening sounds wasteful, but the evening is EPCOT at its best. If you would rather keep the day ticket-free, spend the evening at Disney Springs instead, where standard self-parking is free.

Day 4: Magic Kingdom

The big Disney day. If you are staying at a Disney resort hotel, Early Theme Park Entry lets you in 30 minutes before regular opening, and on Magic Kingdom day that half-hour is worth having. Disney’s free resort transport starts 45 minutes before park opening, so plan your departure from the hotel accordingly. With young children, take a midday break at the hotel and return for the evening parade and Happily Ever After. Magic Kingdom’s entertainment schedule in October 2026 included the Festival of Fantasy Parade by day and Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away after dark, with times varying by date. Our Magic Kingdom guide covers the park.

Day 5: Hollywood Studios and EPCOT

Start at Hollywood Studios at opening for its biggest rides, then take the Disney Skyliner to EPCOT for the afternoon and evening. The Skyliner gondola links the two parks, stopping at several resorts on the way, and it makes this an easy park-hop at Walt Disney World. On the evening of day 5, EPCOT gives you a second chance at anything you missed on day 3, and a relaxed last dinner. Our Hollywood Studios guide and EPCOT guide cover both.

One planning note: Disney lists the Skyliner as closed for refurbishment from 24 to 30 January 2027, with buses replacing it. If your trip falls in that week, allow longer for the hop.

Departure morning

Breakfast, pack and go. If your flight is late in the day, the pool beats a rushed final park visit with bags in the car.

The shorter version: five nights

If you arrive on the morning of day 1 and fly home on the evening of day 5, compress the plan like this:

• Day 1: Arrive; afternoon and evening at Universal Studios Florida or CityWalk.
• Day 2: Epic Universe.
• Day 3: Islands of Adventure in the morning, then move to Disney; rest; Disney Springs in the evening.
• Day 4: Magic Kingdom.
• Day 5: EPCOT or Hollywood Studios in the morning, then the airport.

It covers nearly as much ground, but day 5 is short and day 1 depends entirely on your flight. If the flight is delayed, drop the day 1 park rather than squeezing it.

Tickets for the five-day split

You need two tickets, one for each resort.

The Universal ticket is the key one to get right. A ticket with one park per day will not let you ride the Hogwarts Express or move between Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure on day 2. Read what the ticket includes before you pay, and see our Universal ticket prices guide for the alternatives.

At Disney, a three-day ticket with Park Hopper covers the EPCOT evening on day 3 and the hop on day 5. Disney shows multi-day and Park Hopper prices once you choose dates, and the per-day price varies with ticket length and date. Our Disney World ticket prices guide and Park Hopper guide help you decide whether hopping earns its cost for your group.

Express Pass and Lightning Lane

Neither is essential on a five-day split, but each can rescue a busy day. Universal’s one-day Express started from $139.99 at Epic Universe and $124.99 for Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure together in October 2026, plus tax and higher on busy dates; it makes most sense on day 2, the two-park day, if your hotel does not include it. At Disney, guests at Disney resort hotels can buy Lightning Lane passes 7 days before check-in for the whole stay, while other guests buy 3 days before their visit. On this plan, that means booking your Disney days while you are still at Universal if you are staying off Disney property. Our Lightning Lane vs Express Pass comparison explains the difference.

Hotels: why two beats one

On a five-day trip that splits the resorts, two hotels almost always beat one. You lose one morning to the move, and you gain resort transport, early entry and a short trip back to the pool at each end.

The Universal half

Universal’s hotels connect to the parks by shuttle bus, and several have water taxis or walking paths to CityWalk; Stella Nova and Helios Grand guests can walk to Epic Universe. Universal publishes the details on its hotel pages, so check the transport for the hotel you choose. Universal’s hotels also offer early park admission on selected parks and days, shown on Universal’s daily park hours. Three of them (Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay and Loews Royal Pacific) include free Express Unlimited at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, which on this plan is worth a great deal on day 2. Our Epic Universe hotels guide covers the three hotels closest to the new park.

The Disney half

Disney resort hotels give you Early Theme Park Entry, free resort transport and included standard theme park parking. For this plan in particular, consider a hotel on the Skyliner: Disney’s Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, Pop Century and Riviera resorts all have Skyliner stations, which makes day 5’s hop and the EPCOT evening on day 3 very easy. If you are at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort, check for Extended Evening Hours on your dates, which might move your EPCOT evening to a different night. Our Disney World resorts guide compares them.

The move itself

Most families take a rideshare or taxi, or drive if they have a rental car. Check out after breakfast, travel mid-morning when the roads are quieter, and ask your Disney hotel to hold your bags if your room is not ready. Our Disney to Universal transportation guide compares the options.

Three variations

For families with young children: Disney-heavy

Universal has fewer rides for small children, and its intensity suits them less. For children under about seven, shift the balance:

• Day 1: Magic Kingdom.
• Day 2: EPCOT.
• Day 3: Animal Kingdom in the morning, rest afternoon.
• Day 4: Hollywood Studios.
• Day 5: One Universal park, chosen for your children’s heights and interests.

For 2027 trips starting between 3 January and 22 May, Disney’s 4-Park Magic Ticket, four days from $533.34 before tax and used within 7 days of the start date, matches the four Disney days. Stay at one Disney hotel and take a rideshare to Universal for day 5, rather than switching hotels. Our best park by age guide helps you pick the Universal park.

For teenagers: Universal-heavy

Many teenagers favour Universal’s parks, and three days of Universal with two of Disney suits them well:

• Day 1: Epic Universe.
• Day 2: Islands of Adventure.
• Day 3: Universal Studios Florida, with an evening at CityWalk.
• Day 4: Move to Disney; Hollywood Studios in the afternoon and evening.
• Day 5: Magic Kingdom or EPCOT.

Universal’s Special 3-Day Ticket, one day at each park, was $297 for three days in October 2026, with blockout dates; a three-day Park-to-Park ticket started from $142.00 a day. Our Orlando for teens guide covers the parks they rate highest.

For adults: evenings first

Adults can treat the rest afternoon as optional and lean on the evenings instead. Follow the main plan, but use Park-to-Park at Universal and Park Hopper at Disney every day, start later, and spend evenings where the atmosphere is best: EPCOT’s World Showcase, Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic!, and CityWalk. Drawn to Life, the Cirque du Soleil show at Disney Springs, makes a good switch-day evening. Our Orlando for adults guide has more.

Making the rest afternoon count

The rest afternoon on day 3 is the part of the plan people are most tempted to fill, and the part that most improves days 4 and 5. A few ways to use it well:

• Actually rest. A nap, a swim and an early dinner do more for Magic Kingdom day than any extra ride.
• Do the chores. Laundry, a supermarket run for water and snacks, and charging every phone and battery pack before the last two park days of the trip.
• Reset the plan. Check the next two days’ park hours, showtimes and Lightning Lane bookings in the app while you have time and a seat.
• Keep the evening optional. If anyone is flagging, swap the EPCOT evening for Disney Springs or a quiet night at the hotel.

If the weather turns

Central Florida’s summer afternoons often bring short, heavy thunderstorms, and outdoor rides pause when lightning is nearby. A storm rarely ruins a day, but it can ruin a tight plan. Three rules help:

• Front-load the outdoor headliners. Do the outdoor coasters in the morning, when storms are least likely, and keep indoor rides and shows for the afternoon.
• Swap days rather than lose them. With a two-hotel plan you have some flexibility within each block: if day 4’s forecast is awful, swap Magic Kingdom and the Hollywood Studios and EPCOT day.
• Carry ponchos. Buying them in the parks on a wet afternoon costs far more than packing them.

Between June and November, also read our hurricane season guide before you book anything non-refundable, and our Orlando weather guide for what each month is like.

Adding a sixth day

If you can stretch to six days, the best additions depend on who you are travelling with:

• Animal Kingdom, the Disney park the main plan leaves out. It suits an early start, so it pairs well with a lazy afternoon.
• SeaWorld Orlando, near International Drive, for coaster fans and animal lovers; its dated one-day tickets started from $59.99 in October 2026.
• Kennedy Space Center, a full day about 50 miles east of Orlando, for older children and adults. Our Kennedy Space Center day trip guide covers it.
• A second rest day, which is the right answer more often than people admit.

Five days from the UK or further afield

Five days is short for a long-haul trip, but it can work, and jet lag is on your side for once. Arriving from the UK in the evening and going straight to bed means you wake early on day 1, which is exactly what you want on Epic Universe day. The risk comes later: by day 4 the early starts catch up with everyone, which is another reason to protect the rest afternoon on day 3. If you can add nights, add them at the end as extra Disney or rest days rather than at the start. Our planning timeline covers when to book each piece from abroad.

What to book, and when

• Flights and hotels: first, because the dates decide ticket prices.
• Tickets: as soon as dates are fixed, since prices are date-based.
• Dining: any table-service meal you care about, especially at Disney. Our dining reservations guide explains Disney’s windows.
• Lightning Lane: in your window, 7 days before check-in for Disney resort guests or 3 days before their visit for others.
• Express Pass: once you know which Universal day looks busiest.
• Transfers: airport transport and the resort-to-resort move on day 3.

What five days costs: the ticket and parking side

These are cheapest-date starting prices from the parks’ own sites in October 2026, before tax, for one adult. Busier dates cost more.

Hotels, food and transfers usually cost more than the tickets over five days. Our vacation cost guide builds a full budget.

Seasonal adjustments

• Water parks: this plan leaves them out, which suits winter 2026-27. Universal’s Volcano Bay closes for maintenance from 26 October 2026 until on or before 1 April 2027, and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon was closed for refurbishment in October 2026. In summer, swap the rest afternoon on day 3 for a water park morning if your group prefers.
• Holiday season: Disney’s separately ticketed evening parties replace normal evenings on select nights. Our holiday guide covers what runs when.
• Halloween: Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights at Universal in autumn and changes evening plans and parking there.
• Summer: heat and afternoon storms make the midday break more important. Keep the rest afternoon, and consider adding a short one on other days too.

Five-day mistakes to avoid

• Two hotel moves. One is fine; two costs a full morning you do not have.
• Alternating resorts. Universal, Disney, Universal looks varied on paper and costs hours in the car.
• A one-park-per-day Universal ticket for a Park-to-Park plan. No Hogwarts Express, no hopping.
• Skipping the rest afternoon. Day 4 is Magic Kingdom, a big day. Start it rested.
• Missing the Lightning Lane window. Booking for your Disney days opens while you are still at Universal.

For other trip lengths, see our Orlando itinerary guide, and for a shorter break our 3 days in Orlando itinerary.

FAQ: 5 days in Orlando

Is 5 days enough for Disney and Universal?

Yes, for a good split. This plan covers Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and three of Disney’s four theme parks, with a rest afternoon. You will not see everything, but neither resort will feel rushed.

How should I split 5 days between Disney and Universal?

Two days at Universal (three parks, using Park-to-Park) and two and a half at Disney (three parks, using Park Hopper) works for most groups. Families with young children may prefer four Disney days and one at Universal; teenagers, the reverse.

Should I stay at one hotel or two for 5 days?

Two, one at each resort, with the move on day 3. You lose a morning and gain early entry, resort transport and short trips back to the pool at both ends.

Which Universal ticket do I need for 5 days in Orlando?

For this plan, a two-day ticket with one Epic Universe day and one Park-to-Park day. Park-to-Park is needed to ride the Hogwarts Express between the two original parks.

Do I need a car for a 5-day Orlando trip?

Not necessarily. Each resort’s own transport covers the park days, and a rideshare covers the hotel move. A car helps if you add SeaWorld, Kennedy Space Center or the beach.

Is there a shuttle between Disney and Universal?

Most visitors use a rideshare, a taxi or a rental car for the switch; check both resorts’ transport pages for any current service.

Related Orlando Guides

• Orlando Itinerary Guide: frameworks for every trip length.
• Disney World Itinerary: if you are spending all five days at Disney.
• 3 Days in Orlando: the long-weekend version.
• Universal Orlando Guide: the three parks, CityWalk and hotels.
• Which Disney Park on Which Day: ordering your Disney days.
• Wizarding World of Harry Potter Guide: planning day 2.
• Disney World Transportation Guide: the Skyliner, monorail and buses.

Photo Credits

Disney Skyliner gondolas over Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort: Disney Skyliner, October 2019 by Jedi94, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Chinese Theatre at Hollywood Studios: Chinese Theater (49560227308) by Eden, Janine and Jim from New York City, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: -ARBOL DE LA VIDA-TREE OF LIFE-DISNEY ANIMAL KINGDOM – panoramio by Ivan Curra, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Remaining photography from the Theme Parks Guide library.