A week is a common trip length for Orlando visitors, and it is the first length where you can stop choosing. Three days forces you to pick a resort; five days means leaving a park out. Seven days fits Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, all four parks at Walt Disney World and a third operator besides, and still leaves room to sit by a pool on a weekday afternoon. This 7 day Orlando itinerary is the classic one-week plan: Universal first, a day at SeaWorld, one hotel move, then Disney. Each day sits where crowds, energy and transport suit it best.
Below you will find the week at a glance, the plan day by day, the tickets and hotels that fit it, what to swap for families with small children, teenagers and couples, and how the season changes things between late 2026 and summer 2027. It is deliberately light on ride-by-ride detail, because each park guide covers that. If you would rather spend the whole week at Disney, our Disney World itinerary is the Disney-only alternative; this page is for a week that takes in more than one resort. Ticket and parking prices come from the parks’ own sites, checked in October and November 2026 and again on 10 November 2026. Most are date-based “from” prices, so treat them as the right order of magnitude and price your own dates before you book.
The week at a glance
The plan assumes you land the evening before day 1 and fly out the morning after day 7: eight nights, seven full days. That is the shape of most package weeks from the UK and of plenty of domestic trips too. If your week is seven nights instead, the shorter version further down shows what to trim.
| Day | Where | Shape of the day | Sleep at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrival evening | Universal | Check in, dinner at CityWalk, early night | Universal hotel |
| Day 1 | Epic Universe | Opening to close | Universal hotel |
| Day 2 | Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure | Park-to-Park, with the Hogwarts Express between them | Universal hotel |
| Day 3 | SeaWorld Orlando | Morning to mid-afternoon, quiet evening | Universal hotel |
| Day 4 | Move to Disney | Check out, pool afternoon, Disney Springs at night | Disney hotel |
| Day 5 | Magic Kingdom | Early entry to fireworks, break in the middle | Disney hotel |
| Day 6 | Animal Kingdom, then EPCOT | Early morning safari park, rest, EPCOT evening | Disney hotel |
| Day 7 | Hollywood Studios, then EPCOT | Studios at opening, Skyliner to EPCOT for the afternoon | Disney hotel |
| Departure | Airport | Breakfast, pack, fly |
That is eight theme parks in seven days: Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. It sounds like a lot, and it would be if every day ran from opening to close. It does not. Day 3 ends early, day 4 is mostly a rest, and day 6 has a long gap in the middle. The plan works because the hard days and the soft days alternate.
Why the week runs in this order
There is nothing sacred about Universal first. You can flip the two blocks and the plan still works. But this direction has four things going for it.
- Fresh legs for the biggest day. Epic Universe is the park most groups are most excited about and the one where an early start pays off most. Putting it on day 1, when jet lag or an early alarm has everyone awake at dawn anyway, turns a problem into an advantage.
- SeaWorld as a pressure valve. SeaWorld sits between the two resorts in more ways than geography. It is less intense than Universal, rarely as crowded as Disney, and it closes earlier, so day 3 gives you a real evening off before the hotel move.
- The move falls in the middle. A week-long trip needs a slow day around the halfway mark, and the hotel switch on day 4 supplies one whether you like it or not. Better to plan around it than to lose a park day to it.
- Disney at the end. Finishing with Magic Kingdom’s fireworks and an EPCOT evening gives the week a gentler last act, which matters more than it sounds when you have a long flight the next morning.
Thrill-seeking teenagers sometimes prefer the reverse, so the trip builds towards VelociCoaster and Epic Universe rather than winding down from them. If that is your group, swap the Universal and Disney blocks and keep SeaWorld as the middle day of the second half. Our guide to which Disney park on which day explains how weekday and weekend patterns affect the Disney half.
Day by day
Arrival evening: CityWalk and bed
Resist the temptation to squeeze in a park on arrival. Even a smooth flight and a quick transfer leave you with a few tired hours, and a park ticket is too expensive to spend on them. Check in, take your hotel’s transport or walk to CityWalk, eat, buy water and sunscreen, and get to bed. 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. The offer does not apply at Epic Universe. Our CityWalk guide covers where to eat.
Day 1: Epic Universe
Give the newest park a full day and be at the gate before it opens. Epic Universe is laid out as a central hub, Celestial Park, with portals to four separate worlds: Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Dark Universe and the Ministry of Magic. The single most useful decision you can make is which world to head for first. Pick the one your group would be most upset to miss, go straight there, and let the rest of the day follow.
Universal publishes Early Park Admission times for each park, day by day, on its park hours page, and some days a park has none. Check your date before you set the alarm, and check what your hotel’s early admission covers. Hours change through the year: in mid-October 2026 Epic Universe opened at 10am with early admission from 9am, but that is one date, not a rule. Our Epic Universe guide covers the worlds in detail.
Day 2: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure
Two parks in a day is the right call here because Universal’s original parks sit side by side, a short walk apart through CityWalk. They are also linked by the Hogwarts Express, which runs between King’s Cross station in Universal Studios Florida and Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure. You need a Park-to-Park ticket to ride it, and for Harry Potter fans it is one of the best moments of the week.
Start at whichever park offers early admission that morning and do its headline rides first. Cross over around lunchtime, by train or on foot, and spend the afternoon and evening in the other. Expect the Wizarding World areas to be among the busiest parts of both parks from mid-morning onwards. Our Islands of Adventure guide and Universal Studios Florida guide cover what to prioritise, and the Wizarding World guide covers the two Potter lands together.
This is also the day where a hotel with free Express Unlimited earns its rate. Three Universal hotels include it at both of these parks for your whole stay, arrival and departure days included. More on that in the hotels section.
Day 3: SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld is the third park on this plan for good reasons. It has serious coasters for the thrill-seekers, aquariums and animal areas for everyone else, and a pace that feels like a breather after two big Universal days. It is a short drive or rideshare from the Universal hotels, so you do not need to move your luggage.
Treat it as a morning-to-mid-afternoon day. Arrive near opening, do the coasters your group cares about before the queues build, then work through the animal areas and shows at a slower pace. Leave by mid-afternoon, swim at the hotel, have an early dinner and pack, because tomorrow is moving day. Dated one-day tickets started from $59.99 for ages 3 and up in October 2026, which makes SeaWorld the cheapest park day of the week by a distance. Opening hours and parking charges vary with the season, so check SeaWorld’s own site for your date. Our SeaWorld Orlando guide covers the park, and the SeaWorld ticket prices guide covers the ticket choices.
Day 4: the move, a pool afternoon and Disney Springs
This is the day that holds the week together. Have a slow breakfast, check out and head for your Disney hotel mid-morning, when the roads are quieter. If your room is not ready, leave the bags and go straight to the pool. Sleep, swim, read; whatever the group needs. Most people underrate how much a week of early starts takes out of them, and this afternoon is what keeps days 5 to 7 enjoyable.
In the evening, go to Disney Springs. Entry is free, standard self-parking was free in October 2026, and it is a good place on Disney property to eat well without a park ticket. Drawn to Life, the Cirque du Soleil show, plays there and makes a good moving-day treat if your group has the energy. Our Disney Springs guide covers restaurants and shopping. For the transfer itself, the Disney to Universal transportation guide compares rideshares, taxis and driving.
Day 5: Magic Kingdom
The big one. If you are staying at a Disney resort hotel, Early Theme Park Entry lets you in 30 minutes before regular opening, and at Magic Kingdom that half-hour is well worth using. Use it on the ride your group would queue longest for later. Our rope drop guide explains how to get the most out of it.
With children under about eight, or anyone who struggles in the heat, go back to the hotel after lunch and return in the late afternoon for the parade and Happily Ever After, the castle fireworks show. Magic Kingdom days are long, and an unbroken twelve hours in the park usually ends in tears, not always the children’s. Check the app for parade and fireworks times on your date, and check whether your date is a Christmas party night (see the seasonal section below). Our Magic Kingdom guide covers the lands and rides.
Day 6: Animal Kingdom, then an EPCOT evening
Animal Kingdom is the park that suits mornings best. Animals are often more active in the cooler hours, and the safari feels different at 8am than at 3pm. Arrive for early entry, do the safari and the headline rides, and you can comfortably finish by early afternoon.
Then go back to the hotel. After a rest, if you have Park Hopper on your Disney ticket, head to EPCOT for the evening. World Showcase is at its best after dark, the evening is cooler, and Luminous The Symphony of Us closes the night over the lagoon. EPCOT’s hours on a sample date in November 2026 ran from 9am to 9pm, but check your own date. If you have no hopper, or no energy left, swap EPCOT for a quiet night or a second visit to Disney Springs. Our Animal Kingdom guide covers the park.
Day 7: Hollywood Studios, then EPCOT again
Last full day. Start at Hollywood Studios at opening, when its biggest rides have the shortest queues of the day, and stay until early afternoon. Then take the Disney Skyliner, the gondola system that links Hollywood Studios with EPCOT’s International Gateway entrance, and spend the rest of the day at EPCOT. You get a second go at World Showcase, the rides you missed the night before, and a relaxed final dinner. Our Hollywood Studios guide and EPCOT guide cover both parks.
Two planning notes. First, Disney lists the Skyliner as closed for refurbishment from 24 to 30 January 2027, with buses replacing it; if your week falls then, allow more time for the hop. Second, if Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios matters more to your group than a second EPCOT evening, reverse the day: EPCOT in the morning and Hollywood Studios in the afternoon and evening.
Departure morning
Breakfast, pack, leave. If your flight is in the evening, the pool or Disney Springs beats a rushed last park visit with luggage in the car. Our Orlando airport transfers guide compares the ways back to the airport.
The seven-night version
If you land on the morning of day 1 and fly home the morning after day 7, you have seven nights and lose the arrival evening. Trim it like this:
- Day 1: Arrive, check in at Universal, and spend the afternoon and evening at Universal Studios Florida or CityWalk if the flight allows.
- Day 2: Epic Universe.
- Day 3: Islands of Adventure, with a Park-to-Park hop to anything you missed at Universal Studios Florida.
- Day 4: Move to Disney, rest, Disney Springs.
- Day 5: Magic Kingdom.
- Day 6: Animal Kingdom in the morning, EPCOT in the evening.
- Day 7: Hollywood Studios, then EPCOT as in the main plan.
SeaWorld is the casualty. That is the honest trade: with seven nights rather than eight, the third park is the thing to drop, not the rest afternoon. If your group would rather keep SeaWorld than see all four Disney parks, cut Animal Kingdom instead and spend day 6 at SeaWorld from your Disney hotel.
Tickets for a week
The main plan needs three tickets: Universal for two days, SeaWorld for one and Disney for three. The table shows the starting prices the parks’ own stores showed in October 2026, before tax, for one adult on the cheapest dates.
| Park or resort | Ticket that fits the plan | From |
|---|---|---|
| Universal | 2-day ticket: one Epic Universe day plus one Park-to-Park day for the original two parks | $157 a day |
| SeaWorld Orlando | Dated one-day ticket | $59.99 (ages 3+) |
| Walt Disney World | 3-day ticket with Park Hopper | Priced by date; one-day tickets from $119 (ages 10+) |
The Universal ticket: where the maths gets interesting
Get one detail right above all: 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. You need Park-to-Park for that day.
Look at Universal’s longer tickets before you buy, though, because their pricing rewards extra days heavily. In late October 2026 a three-day, three-park Park-to-Park ticket started at $431.01 for an adult before tax. A four-day Park-to-Park ticket started at $446, and a five-day at $461. On the cheapest dates, a fourth Universal day cost $15. That changes the calculation for some groups. If your crowd would happily spend a third day at Universal rather than SeaWorld, a three- or four-day Park-to-Park ticket costs little more per extra day than SeaWorld’s own ticket and lets you revisit Epic Universe. If you want the variety of a third operator, the two-day ticket plus SeaWorld is the cheaper combination. Universal also sold a Special 3-Day Park-to-Park ticket (one Epic Universe day plus two Park-to-Park days) for $357 with blockout dates. If your dates are not blocked out, it is good value. Our Universal ticket prices guide sets out the full range.
The Disney ticket
Three Disney days across four parks means Park Hopper: it covers the EPCOT evening on day 6 and the Skyliner hop on day 7. Disney shows multi-day and Park Hopper prices only once you choose dates, and per-day prices vary with both the season and the ticket length, so price your own dates on Disney’s ticket page. Our Park Hopper guide helps you decide whether hopping earns its cost for your group.
For 2027 trips with a start date between 3 January and 22 May, look at Disney’s 4-Park Magic Ticket. It started from $533.34 for four days before tax, to be used within seven days of the start date. If you would rather give each Disney park its own full day, it fits a variation of this plan that turns day 4 into an EPCOT afternoon and drops the hopper. Our Disney World ticket prices guide covers the rest of the ticket range.
Express Pass and Lightning Lane
Over a full week you can manage without either, especially outside school holidays. The question is whether any single day is busy enough to justify one. On this plan, the candidates are day 2 and day 5.
- Universal Express on day 2. In October 2026 a one-day Express pass for Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure started from $124.99, and Express Unlimited for both parks from $174.99, both before tax and on top of admission. Express at Epic Universe started from $139.99. If you are staying at one of the three hotels that include Express Unlimited, you do not need to buy it for the original parks at all.
- Lightning Lane on day 5. Disney’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass lets you choose up to three experiences in advance, then add more as you use them. Single Pass covers individual headliners sold separately; in November 2026 that meant TRON Lightcycle / Run and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios. Prices vary by date and park, so check the My Disney Experience app for yours.
Timing matters more than price here. Disney resort hotel guests can buy Lightning Lane passes seven days before check-in for their whole stay; other guests buy three days before each park day. On this plan, that means your Disney booking window opens while you are still at Universal, so set a reminder. Our Lightning Lane vs Express Pass comparison explains how the two systems differ.
Where to stay: two hotels, one move
On a week split between the resorts, two hotels almost always beat one. You lose a morning to the move, and you gain early entry, resort transport and a short trip back to the pool at both ends of the week. One hotel in between, somewhere on International Drive for example, saves the move but loses the perks and puts a drive at the start and end of every day.
The Universal half: four nights
Universal’s hotels are linked to the parks by shuttle bus, and several have water taxis to CityWalk. Guests at Stella Nova and Helios Grand can walk to Epic Universe. Early Park Admission is offered at selected parks on selected days, listed on Universal’s park hours page; check your dates and your hotel’s page to see what yours includes.
The big decision is whether to pay for Express. Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay and Loews Royal Pacific include free Express Unlimited at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure for the whole stay, arrival and departure days included. It does not cover Epic Universe, and Helios Grand, despite its in-park location and price, does not include Express at all. On a busy day 2, Express Unlimited for a family of four bought separately costs a lot. If your dates are busy, compare the room-rate gap with that before you decide. Our Universal hotels guide and Epic Universe hotels guide compare the options.
The Disney half: four nights
Disney resort hotels give you Early Theme Park Entry at all four parks, free resort transport and free standard theme park parking. Deluxe and Deluxe Villa guests also get Extended Evening Hours on selected nights at selected parks. For this plan in particular, a Skyliner hotel makes days 6 and 7 much easier. Disney’s Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, Pop Century and Riviera resorts all sit on the Skyliner line between Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Our Disney World resorts guide compares them.
Getting around for a week
You do not need a car for this plan, but it is worth deciding early whether you want one.
- From the airport: Mears Connect runs from Orlando International to Walt Disney World resort hotels, at $16 one way for ages 10 and up and $13 for ages 3 to 9 in October 2026, plus a 6% fuel surcharge. Check Mears Connect’s site for which hotels it serves; for a Universal hotel, a rideshare, taxi or pre-booked car is the usual choice.
- Days 1 to 3: Universal’s hotel buses and water taxis cover the parks and CityWalk. SeaWorld on day 3 is a short rideshare or drive.
- Day 4: rideshare, taxi or your own car between the resorts. Check both resorts’ transport pages for current options between them.
- Days 5 to 7: Disney’s buses, monorail, boats and Skyliner cover everything.
A rental car makes sense if you plan to add Kennedy Space Center, LEGOLAND or the beach. Budget for parking if you do: $35 a day for standard parking at both Universal’s and Disney’s theme parks in October 2026, with Disney’s included for its own resort guests. Our rental car guide weighs it up.
Variations for different groups
Families with young children
Universal has fewer rides for small children, and its long days in the heat suit them less. For children under about seven, tilt the week towards Disney and keep SeaWorld, which has more for small children than its coaster reputation suggests:
- Days 1 and 2: one Universal park each, or just Islands of Adventure for its Seuss Landing area and one Universal Studios Florida day. Skip Epic Universe if the children are too short for most rides, or treat it as a half day.
- Day 3: SeaWorld, ending early.
- Day 4: Move, rest, Disney Springs.
- Days 5 to 7: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, then Hollywood Studios or EPCOT, each with a midday nap.
LEGOLAND Florida, aimed at children aged 2 to 12, is the other strong third park for this age group. More on it below. Our best park by age guide sets out what each park offers at each age.
Teenagers and thrill-seekers
Lean into Universal. Reverse the blocks, so the trip finishes at Universal, and replace SeaWorld with a third Universal day on a three-day Park-to-Park ticket. A fourth day cost only $15 more on the cheapest dates in late 2026. The extra day buys a second shot at Epic Universe, or a day for the rides the queues beat on the first visit. Keep SeaWorld only if they are coaster collectors; it has rides that serious riders rate. Our Orlando for teens guide covers the rides they tend to rate highest.
Adults and couples
Without children, the rest afternoons become optional, and evenings become the best part of the day. Start later, use Park-to-Park and Park Hopper freely, and spend your evenings where the atmosphere is best: CityWalk, EPCOT’s World Showcase, Disney Springs and Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic!. Day 3 could become a Kennedy Space Center day instead of SeaWorld. Our Orlando for adults guide has more ideas.
Swapping the third park
SeaWorld is the default because it is close, cheap on the right date and different enough from the other two resorts. It is not the only option for day 3.
| Option | Best for | Getting there | Ticket from (checked) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SeaWorld Orlando | Mixed ages, coaster fans, animal lovers | Short drive or rideshare from Universal | $59.99, ages 3+ (October 2026) |
| Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex | Older children and adults | About 50 miles east by car; no public transport from Orlando | $77 adult, $67 child 3-11 (November 2026) |
| LEGOLAND Florida | Children aged 2-12 | Winter Haven, by car | From $69, date-based (November 2026) |
| A water park | Hot-weather trips | Depends on the park | Check the seasonal closures below |
Kennedy Space Center is a full day, not a half. Leave early and be back for dinner; parking there was $15 a car in October 2026. LEGOLAND describes itself as 45 minutes from the Orlando theme parks. Both work better with a car than without. Our Kennedy Space Center day trip guide and LEGOLAND Florida guide cover the logistics.
How the season changes the week
Late November to early January
The holiday season adds a lot to this plan without costing anything extra at Universal. Holidays at Universal Orlando runs from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 and is included with park admission. It includes Grinchmas at Islands of Adventure, Universal’s Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s at Universal Studios Florida and Epic Universe’s first holiday decorations. Our Universal Christmas guide has the details.
Disney’s season changes evenings more than days. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party runs on 25 select nights between 8 November and 22 December 2026, from 7pm to midnight, with tickets from $189 to $229 plus tax. On party nights Magic Kingdom’s evening belongs to party guests, so if fireworks matter, check the party calendar before you fix day 5. Hollywood Studios has its own ticketed evening, Jollywood Nights, on select dates through 5 January 2027. EPCOT runs its holiday festival through this period too; check Disney’s EPCOT page for the dates. Our holiday season guide and Christmas party guide help you decide whether a party is worth it. For most first-timers on a one-week trip, a normal evening at Magic Kingdom gives you most of what the party does.
Winter 2026-27: watch the water parks
This plan leaves water parks out, and that suits the winter well. Universal’s Volcano Bay is closed for maintenance through the winter and is due to reopen on or before 1 April 2027. At Disney, Typhoon Lagoon was closed for refurbishment in November 2026, with Disney’s page giving 27 January 2027 for its reopening, and Blizzard Beach is listed to close for its own refurbishment from that same date. If a water park matters to your trip in late January, check both Disney pages for your dates. Our Orlando water parks guide covers the alternatives.
Spring and summer 2027
From spring onwards the heat and the afternoon thunderstorms make the midday breaks more important, not less. Keep the day 4 rest afternoon, add a short one on day 2, and do outdoor coasters in the morning. In summer, a water park morning can replace SeaWorld on day 3 if your group would rather cool off. Our Orlando weather guide covers what each month is like, and the crowd calendar shows which weeks to avoid.
What a week costs: tickets and parking
These are starting prices from the operators’ own sites, checked in October and November 2026, for one adult before tax. Busier dates cost more.
| Item | From | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Universal 2-day, one Epic day plus one Park-to-Park day | $157 a day | Park-to-Park needed for the Hogwarts Express |
| Universal 3-day Park-to-Park (teen variation) | $431 total | A fourth day adds $15 on the cheapest dates |
| SeaWorld Orlando, one day | $59.99 | Ages 3 and up |
| Disney 3-day with Park Hopper | Priced by date | One-day tickets from $119 |
| Universal Express, two parks, one day | $124.99 | Optional; free Express Unlimited at three hotels |
| Theme park parking, Universal or Disney | $35 a day | Only if you drive; free for Disney resort guests |
Over a week, hotels, food and flights will cost more than the tickets. Our vacation cost guide builds a full budget.
One week from the UK and further afield
Long-haul visitors face one particular trap with a seven-day plan: jet lag. The good news comes first. Arriving in the evening and going straight to bed means waking very early on day 1, which is ideal for Epic Universe. The bad news comes on days 4 and 5, when the early starts and the time difference catch up with everyone. That is exactly why the rest afternoon sits on day 4. If you can stretch to a fortnight, which many UK families do, the shape of the trip changes completely, and our Orlando itinerary guide covers the longer options. Our planning timeline covers when to book each piece from abroad.
What to book, and when
- Flights and both hotels: first, because your dates set the ticket prices.
- Tickets: as soon as dates are fixed. All three operators price by date.
- Disney dining: any table-service meal you care about. Our dining reservations guide explains Disney’s booking windows.
- Lightning Lane: in your window, seven days before check-in for Disney resort guests, three days before the park day for everyone else.
- Express Pass: once you know which Universal day looks busiest, unless your hotel includes it.
- Transfers: the airport run and the move on day 4.
Seven-day mistakes to avoid
- Filling every day from opening to close. Eight parks in a week works only because days 3, 4 and 6 are short. Turn them into long days and the trip collapses around day 5.
- Alternating resorts. Universal, Disney, Universal, Disney looks varied on paper and costs you hours in cars and hotel lobbies.
- Two hotel moves. One is a rest afternoon. Two is a lost day.
- A one-park-per-day Universal ticket for day 2. No Hogwarts Express, no hopping.
- Buying a three-day Universal ticket without pricing the four-day. On some dates the extra day costs very little.
- Missing the Lightning Lane window. It opens while you are still at Universal.
- Planning around a water park in winter. Check the closures first.
With three more days, the same structure stretches comfortably to include a second Epic Universe visit, a Kennedy Space Center day trip and a full day with no tickets at all. Our 10 day Orlando itinerary shows how.
FAQ: one week in Orlando
Is 7 days enough for Disney and Universal?
Yes. Seven days fits Epic Universe, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and all four Disney parks, plus a third park such as SeaWorld, as long as some days are short. You will not ride everything, but nothing important gets left out.
How should I split a week between Disney and Universal?
Four nights at Universal and four at Disney suits most groups on the eight-night plan (three and four on the seven-night version): two Universal park days, one third-park day and three Disney days with Park Hopper. Families with young children may want more Disney; teenagers often want more Universal.
Do I need Park Hopper or Park-to-Park for a week?
On this plan, yes for both. Park-to-Park at Universal lets you ride the Hogwarts Express on day 2. Park Hopper at Disney lets you fit four parks into three days. Without a hopper, you would need a fourth Disney day.
Should I stay at one hotel or two for 7 days in Orlando?
Two, with the move in the middle of the week. You lose one morning and gain early entry, free resort transport and short trips back to the pool at each resort.
Is SeaWorld worth a day on a one-week trip?
For most mixed groups, yes. It is the cheapest park day of the week, it is less intense than Universal, and it works as a lighter day before the hotel move. Groups who only want thrills may get more from a third Universal day.
Do I need a car for a week in Orlando?
Not for this plan. Hotel transport covers the park days, and a rideshare covers the move and SeaWorld. A car earns its cost if you add Kennedy Space Center, LEGOLAND or the beach.
What is the best week of the year for a 7 day Orlando itinerary?
Weeks outside school holidays usually give the best balance of crowds, prices and weather. Busy periods such as Christmas, spring break and midsummer push up both queues and ticket prices. Check our best time to visit guide before you fix dates.
Related Orlando Guides
- Orlando Itinerary Guide: plans for every trip length.
- Disney World Itinerary: the Disney-only week.
- 5 Days in Orlando: the shorter Disney and Universal split.
- How Many Days in Orlando: if you are still deciding on length.
- Universal Orlando Guide: the parks, CityWalk and hotels.
- Walt Disney World Guide: the four parks and how the resort works.
- Disney World Transportation Guide: the Skyliner, monorail and buses.
Photo Credits
The Universal globe at Universal Studios Florida: The Universal globe and fountain with palms behind, Universal Studios Florida, June 2006 – ThrillZing by ThrillZing, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The waterway and footbridge at Disney Springs: Disney Springs (27832916856) by Jennifer Lynn, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest by Benjamin D. Esham ( bdesham ), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Remaining photography from the Theme Parks Guide library.
