See the Most Attractions in One Day at Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World Resort includes four major theme parks, two water parks, a dining/shopping/entertainment complex and over 20 resort hotels all residing within the magical confines of Disney property. As of 2007 it was the most visited and largest recreational resort known the world over, with an estimated 17 million guests descending upon the Magic Kingdom alone. Immediately it should be obvious that seeing everything Disney has to offer will not only take longer than one day - it may take several years with multiple visits. That being said, a one-day visit to the Land of the Mouse will not leave you disappointed if you know what you're doing.

Assuming you're on a mission to see all you can in one single day you're going to want access to the parks as long as possible and be able to get to all the things you want to see. Value season is the best in terms of crowds and weather, however Peak season is the best in terms of hours the parks are open. In Value season you'll see shorter lines and a decreased wait for most attractions. In Peak season the lines will be longer but you'll have more time to try and squeak everything in. So how do you decide between the two? That's where staying on Disney property comes into play. Stay at a Value resort during Value season and you'll not only save some money, as a resort guest you'll be given special early admittance into the parks and be able to stay later in the evening.

After deciding on accommodations you need a strategy. A plan of attack, if you will. Anyone who walks into a one-day trip at Disney without so much as a clue as to what they want to do is setting themselves up for disaster. Before you even get to Florida get yourself a map of all the parks and the Downtown Disney/Pleasure Island area. Take a look at who you've got going on this adventure and then start to strategize. Older couples who aren't in this for the thrills may be happy spending the day at Epcot. Young adults looking for some excitement will love Hollywood Studios for the Tower of Terror and the Aerosmith roller coaster and then likely wrap up their evening at Pleasure Island. Families with young children are better off sticking to the Magic Kingdom. If you've only got one day it's probably best to skip the water parks and save them for another trip.

The best plan is to try and stick to one park for a single-day trip. It's possible to bus over to the other parks but you'll be wasting valuable time in the shuttling from here to there. If you simply MUST ride Tower of Terror but want to spend the day at Magic Kingdom begin at Hollywood Studios for that ride and then move on to the next park. If you've got a crowd have everyone make a list of their top five must-sees and then, if necessary, divide and conquer. Older kids go with Dad, younger ones with Mom. If you've got a few people who really need to climb the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, the rest can hit the Jungle Cruise. If you must split up try and stay in the same or adjacent 'land' if possible.

Let's say you just want to go to the Magic Kingdom for the whole day. For folks with small children your ultimate destination is probably Fantasyland. When you get in the park board the train and take it to Mickey's Toontown Faire. You'll be first in line for the character greetings in the Judge's Tent and you're steps away from Snow White, Peter Pan and It's a Small World. If you're looking for excitement and you're aiming for Tomorowland forget going up to the castle to get there. Instead walk up Main Street and as soon as the shops ends turn right. Walk through the Tomorowland Terrace and you're right next to Space Mountain. Adventureland and Frontierland are generally not the first stop on anyone's list so you could start there and save Tomorowland for later.

Fast Passes. Enough cannot be said about these little wonders. If you're visiting during Value season you may have little need for them but any other time of year they're a godsend. Each land has a ride or two that results in the longest wait. Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan, Snow White, Pirate of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise are among the rides that can keep you standing around and serpentining for the most amount of time in the Magic Kingdom. You can pick up a Fast Pass with your ticket every hour. Just slide it in at the kiosks by the ride and you'll get a pass telling you when to come back for little to no wait. The best thing to do when you get to a new land is find that ride with the big wait and collect your Fast Pass. Go on and enjoy the rest of the area and by the time you're ready to move on it'll be time to ride.

There are a number of 'slow loaders' in the Magic Kingdom that you may want to either avoid or at the very least be choosy about when selecting your top five attractions. Dumbo is notoriously slow and does not offer a Fast Pass. If you've got a kid who simply must go around in a circle on a plastic elephant with large ears see if you can talk them into the Aladdin ride instead. It's the exact same ride, only you're on a magic carpet and there's a chance you could get hit by a spitting camel! It's tucked away near the Jungle Cruise so there isn't usually a large crowd. Another slow loader is the Astro Orbiter, cleverly hidden above the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. It's a bit more aggressive than the Dumbo ride but the concept is the same and it takes forever to board the elevator that takes you up to the line to get on the thing.

If you're not into parades and you don't have kids but still want to visit Fantasyland for the fun of it then you need to get there when the afternoon parade is rolling down Main Street. At this time most of the kids will have had meltdowns and have been carted to the parade route to settle down. The light parade at the end of the evening, however, is actually quite a spectacle and should not be missed. If you're a resort guest you get to stay in the park after it's over anyway!

Remember to keep everyone well-hydrated and properly fed throughout the day. If you're truly interested in seeing all you can avoid character dinners and table-service meals in favor of the quick counter-service meals. You're in, you're out, you're on to the next attraction. If you've followed the plan and entered the park early you'll be ready for lunch by 11a.m. and this works in your favor as the lines start backing up after this point and it stays that way until about 1p.m.

Embarking on a trip of any length to Disney is exciting and definitely worth some pre-planning. Whether you're there for 10 hours or 10 days you'll still need to figure out what you want to do most and do it. Make a note of the things you missed on your first trip and add them to your next adventure!