Unforgettable & Thoughtfully Planned Disney Trip for our Family of Five
If there’s one thing I’ll always prioritize, it’s making space for family memories. The kind that live with you long after the photos are filed away. Our recent trip to Walt Disney World with our family of five (plus a group of close friends and their families!) was exactly that: lots of laughs, special moments and exhausting in the best way. For reference we have three kids under 5: one girl (4 years), and two boys (3 years and 8 months).
This wasn’t a rushed Disney trip, it was intentional and well thought out. Built around our kids favorite things, and to make the most of each day knowing that we’re not planning on going back anytime soon… We had lots of mid-day breaks, naps in the stroller, and actually soaking up the experience (no social media all week!). We returned home feeling very fulfilled! And also very tired, but worth it. 🙂
I have to give a huge thank you to my close friends Gina and Kelsey who are *Disney experts* and helped us plan our week AND wound up coming along with their families! It made the week even more special to see our kids make memories there together.
If you’re looking for a realistic 7-day Disney World family itinerary, especially for a family of five, this is exactly how we all did it, and why I’d do it again the same way.
Scroll through here for some things we packed:
Why This Disney World Family Itinerary Worked So Well
Before diving into the day-by-day, here’s what made this trip special:
- We hit all 4 parks (as well as Sea World) but came back to the hotel early on the days we needed to
- Accepted that mid-day naps in the stroller or just walking around sightseeing at times was OK
- Planned early dinners to reset + mobile pre-orders for lunch (we purchased the dining plan for ease)
- Only did ONE late night of fireworks
- Met a lot of characters (huge for my kids being under 5 years)
- Breakfast & snacks on the go
- Stayed on Disney property to make getting to the parks easier plus early entry
- Lightning lane to avoid long ride wait times
I’ll also mention the MVP was our Zoe double stroller that we converted into a triple using their attachment. As well as my Baby Bjorn carrier for the baby. We had to setup and break down then stroller MANY times before getting on buses or the skyline (my husband Zack was such a trooper!!!), as well as baby wear during that process. We really didn’t see any other way and as cumbersome as it was, it worked.
Day 1: Arrival Day + Disney Springs
We landed around 1:30pm, had lunch snacks on the plane, and immediately head to an early dinner at Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante in Disney Springs. It was a nice Italian dinner spot! Disney Springs was really cool to walk around, I wish we had more time to spend there. Lots of shops and live music and things to see. If you have the time to budget, I recommend it.
Day 2: Magic Kingdom Day
Our first full park day was Magic Kingdom. The kids wore princess dresses and Mickey outfits (lean into the magic, always).
Morning – lots of rides including Seven Dwarves Mine Train, Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, Tiana’s (Splash Mountain)
Mobile ordered lunch
Afternoon – Dumbo (playground in here for kids!), Tea cups, Character parade at 3pm, naps in the stroller..
Evening – Dinner was at Ohana at Polenesian resort at 5pm, such a good atmosphere & delicious food! It was the perfect mid-evening reset before heading back out.
We met Mickey, caught the evening parade at 8:30ish and the fireworks at 9pm.
This was a heavy day and the day we stayed out late / the longest. I’m glad we did this the first night because we were too tired to stay out late the other nights. After the fireworks end, it’s a rush of people getting out / a long line to travel back to the hotel which was overwhelming.
We planned a second Magic Kingdom day later in the week that wound up being a lot more low key.
Day 3: EPCOT with Kids
EPCOT is such a fun park. My kids really enjoyed the playground across from Test Track (there’s an outdoor one and an indoor one). It was really crowded in the Around the World part of the park so we did spend most of our time in the futuristic area.
Morning – Donald Duck ride, Test Track, Finding Nemo, Turtle Talk, Little Mermaid, Soarin
Mobile ordered lunch in Around the World area.
Afternoon – visited the aquarium outside Finding Nemo, Moana’s adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy (for the adults!)
Evening – Dinner at Coral Reef Restaurant was really cool and my son loved it.
Ended the night on the Frozen ride, which was one of my daughter’s favorites! She wore an Elsa/Anna outfit that day to fit.
We wound up heading out while the fire works were going on to beat the rush home.
Day 4: SeaWorld
My son is obsessed with sea animals, especially sharks and whales. So we decided to rent a car one day and venture out to Sea World. We rented through enterprise at the Disney rental place.
I was shocked at how large Sea World was! They have roller coasters (that we didn’t go on) and a ride like Soarin that we did try and it was awesome. They also have a Sesame Street section that does a parade, has smaller rides, and meet the characters which was perfect.
We saw SO many cool sea animals: we fed the dolphins in the morning, caught the orca show in the afternoon + the evening, and also did ‘Dining with the orcas’ for lunch which was just watching them do their own thing in the water while we ate.
This was a much slower day of site seeing. There were NO crowds here which felt nice. And my son was over the moon. This day felt different in the best way and was kind of a break from the chaos.
Day 5: Character Breakfast & Animal Kingdom
We started early with character breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace (at Riviera resort) —easily one of my favorite meals of the trip. They had the classic characters Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy there, and they danced / came around to the tables to meet us and take pictures. The food was SO good and so was the mimosa !
We bought autograph books for the characters but also REGULAR Disney books (for main characters and princesses) to sign that can be read for bedtime stories. So special!
Then we spent the day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Animal print outfits were on theme, and the park’s immersive design made the day feel slower and more grounded. The Lion King show was the highlight here, as well as the safari and gorilla path. And for the adults, highly recommend the Avatar ride, it was AMAZING !
We ended the day early and head back, again to reset a little before we went back to the more involved parks.
Day 6: Hollywood Studios + Toy Story Dinner
We spent the day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which is such a fun and underrated park! There are TONS of characters around to meet. Toy Story land was definitely a highlight for my kids with some smaller rides there. And we saw a couple great shows including Frozen and Little Mermaid.
Dinner at Roundup Rodeo BBQ was so good —fun, lively, and perfect for kids. Tons of food, and they tell everyone to ‘freeze’ when Andy is coming. My kids loved this lol.
This day felt full but manageable, which was the theme of the entire trip.
Day 7: Magic Kingdom Finale + Cinderella Dinner
Our final day brought us back to Magic Kingdom, and it felt emotional in the best way.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in the morning with my daughter was pure magic—one of those moments that feels like time stands still. We brought an Elsa dress, her favorite princess, and she was given the royal treatment with getting her hair done, nails and a tiny bit of makeup. She is such a girly girl and was on cloud 9 through the whole process. When she smiled at the final reveal of her Elsa look I almost cried! Definitely worth the experience!
We hit some of the things we missed on day 1 such as Peter Pan, Belle’s Castle show (SO cute btw, they picked Rome to be Chip), Little Mermaid, etc.
We made it a focus to meet alot of the princesses or other characters this day too, and watched a show & the parade at the Castle in the afternoon.
Once again, a stroller nap was key around mid-day 🙂
We ended the trip with dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table, which was the most storybook ending imaginable. Held in the castle, met Cinderella and more princesses there. Food was great too.
Final Thoughts on Our Disney World Family Trip
This trip reminded me that intentional planning creates room for joy. Yes, Disney is busy. Yes, it’s over-stimulating. And yes, it’s exhausting. But when you design a Disney World itinerary for a family of five with realistic pacing, it becomes something truly special.
We made core memories. We were tired. We were present. And we left feeling full, in every sense of the word.
If you’re planning a Disney World trip with kids and want it to feel magical and manageable, this itinerary is proof that it can be both ✨
