Going the Distance: The Walt Disney World Four-Park Challenge

By Stephanie Malone

Roughly the same size as San Francisco, covering all of Walt Disney World property
in one day is quite a challenge.

The Walt Disney World Four-Park Challenge has long-circulated across word-of-mouth, blogs, vlogs and social media platforms. It dares guests to visit the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, all in one day. Rules vary from person to person, with some combination of rides, snacks and photo ops peppered in across the parks. Some tackle the challenge solo, while others recruit a group to make a memorable day of it.

Fernando Ospina decided to try his hand at the challenge during a recent Magical Vacations Travel Agent Education Program in Orlando. Since Fernando’s wife, Elisa, is an agent with MVT, Fernando would be left to his own devices for the day while she attended tours and informational sessions.

Fernando wasted no time, heading to Expedition Everest to start his day at Animal Kingdom.

“I wanted to see how I would do solo in the parks, as I’ve not done that before,” he said. “Since my wife is the planner, that was part of the challenge, for me to just go out there and have fun.” Fernando wrote his own rules, laced up his sneakers, and set out for the challenge.

“I wanted to ride at least one attraction, have one snack, and have my picture taken by a PhotoPass photographer at each park.”

After much deliberation, the scales were tipped for the cinnamon roll at Gaston’s Tavern over that in Animal Kingdom.

Fernando started the day in Animal Kingdom, before heading to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and rounding out the evening in EPCOT.

In Animal Kingdom, he rode Expedition Everest and snacked on the colossal cinnamon roll at Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery. Moving on to the Magic Kingdom, he opted for the Walt Disney World Railroad and another cinnamon roll at Gaston’s Tavern. In Hollywood Studios, he chose Star Tours and the macaroni & cheese at Fairfax Fare, before heading to EPCOT to ride Remi’s Ratatouille Adventure and nibble his way through a few of the International Flower & Garden Festival booths.

One of Fernando’s goals was to get a PhotoPass picture taken in each park.

Even with a lineup of fan-favorite attractions, Fernando says his favorite part of the day was riding the Walt Disney World Railroad in the Magic Kingdom. He loved the nostalgia of riding the old-fashioned train around the park, and taking in Main Street, U.S.A. upon his return.

While many who have attempted the Four Park Challenge add in multiple attractions or pit stops at each gate, Fernando discovered the trickiest part of the day was navigating timing with post-pandemic park hopping rules.

“The hardest part was having to wait until 2p.m. to be able to park hop,” he said. Before the restrictions, it was easier to get into the parks early and bounce around throughout the course of the day. Currently, guests looking to park hop must wait until 2p.m. before they’re able to move on to their second, third and fourth parks.

Fernando ended his night in EPCOT, meeting up with wife and MVT agent Elisa as she wrapped up a dessert party at the France Pavilion.

“The park restrictions hindered my progress, but not my enthusiasm,” he said. As his wife is the planner in the family, Fernando didn’t have a strict game plan going into the challenge, but knew he wanted to enjoy it at his own pace and round out the day in EPCOT.

Looking back, Fernando says he would, without question, try the Four-Park Challenge again. The next time around, he says he’d bring his wife along, and add more rides and snacks to the mix. The next “challenges” on Fernando and Elisa’s radar including eating their way around the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, and possibly a pub and snack crawl along the monorail resorts.

To those considering taking on the challenge themselves, Fernando recommends at least basic planning to map out your day, and to keep in mind any park reservations or restrictions that may alter timing.

“Once you pick a park, go out there and enjoy it,” he said. “That’s what Disney is all about.”

Are you considering the Four-Park Challenge on your next Walt Disney World trip? Our agents (and their families!) have firsthand experience navigating in, around and between the parks. Reach out today for personalized recommendations and tips for making the most of your next trip.