Seven nights in Orlando sounds like plenty of time. And in some ways, it is. But if you’ve never been before, the sheer scale of the place can make even a week feel like you’re rushing. Walt Disney World alone is bigger than the entire city of San Francisco. Universal Orlando Resort has expanded massively in recent years. And somewhere in between all of that, you’ve got to eat, sleep, recover from jet lag, and actually enjoy yourself.
This guide is written specifically for UK visitors doing Orlando for the first time. It is not aimed at Americans who live four hours’ drive away and can come back next summer if they miss something. British families and couples who’ve saved up, booked the flights, sorted the ESTA, and have one shot at getting this right (well, actually not that but it can feel like it for your first trip).
We’re not going to tell you to do everything. You can’t, and trying to will leave you exhausted and disappointed. What we will do is give you a realistic, day-by-day plan that covers the best of both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort — without burning out by Wednesday. Although doing both in a week is a stretch, the other purpose of this article is to show that it is possible. Just do some stretching of the legs before you go.
A few things to know before we start
This plan assumes you fly out on a Saturday and fly back on the Sunday afternoon the week after. That’s the most common pattern for UK travelers on transatlantic routes, and it means you land with the evening to settle in rather than losing a whole park day to travel. If your flights are different, the plan is easy to shift by a day. We’re also assuming direct flights here. We’ll provide a guide about the pluses and minuses of direct / stopover flights soon.
We’ve built in a 4-night / 3-night split between Disney and Universal. In our experience, that’s the right balance for a first-time visitor. Disney takes longer to cover properly, and the sheer number of parks means you need more time there if you want to comprehensively cover it. Universal is brilliant — and we’ll make sure you don’t shortchange it — but you can cover the highlights in three focused days.
You will not do everything. Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Epic Universe — that’s seven parks. In seven nights, even with early starts and late finishes, you cannot do all of them justice. We’ll help you prioritise, and we’ll tell you honestly what to skip if time is tight. And we haven’t mentioned the water parks or shopping & entertainment districts either.
Right. Let’s get into it. Grab a cuppa and get comfy 🙂 This is a longer article than we normally write.
Before you fly — what to sort in advance
Orlando rewards preparation. The visitors who have the best time aren’t necessarily the ones who spend the most — they’re the ones who sorted the admin before they left home.
ESTA. If you’re travelling on a British passport, you need an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) before you board. It costs $21 (prices to rise soon), takes about ten minutes to apply for online, and is valid for two years. Don’t leave it to the airport. We’ve written a full guide to applying for your ESTA here if you need it. ESTA Guide
Park tickets. Buy them before you go. Prices at the gate are higher, and for peak dates some ticket types can sell out. Both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando have date-based tickets, which means the price varies depending on when you visit. We’ve written a full breakdown of Disney and Universal ticket types — including what Genie+ and Express Pass are and whether you need them — which is worth reading before you book. Also, when booking a 7 day or 14 day ticket for say DisneyWorld, it feels a lot, no, it IS a lot. Family of four can be close to or over £1900, but, actually, here’s something not many people will say. It is actually a bargain. For a 14 day trip, thats around $45 per person per day. Have a look at the ticket booths when you arrive, paying on the day is a lot, lot more. If your tour provider (if you are using one, like Virgin, TUI, BA etc) offer park tickets on booking, consider this, but also look at booking direct – we found Disney to be cheaper than Virgin or TUI offered it.
Dining reservations. This catches a lot of UK visitors off guard. The most popular table service restaurants at Walt Disney World open reservations 60 days in advance, and the best ones — character dining experiences, Be Our Guest, Cinderella’s Royal Table — can be fully booked within hours of that window opening. If you want a sit-down meal at a specific restaurant, log into the My Disney Experience app and book the moment your 60-day window opens.
Travel money. Most major attractions, restaurants, and shops in Orlando accept UK cards, but you’ll want a fee-free travel card (Wise, Starling, or Halifax Clarity are popular choices) to avoid getting stung on exchange rates. Keep a small amount of US dollars cash for tips — tipping culture in Florida is real, and 18–20% is the norm at sit-down restaurants. Our experience in 2025 was that a UK cards do work (credit and debit), but they need a swipe and your provider may be expecting a PIN, and it gets a tad awkward. Our advice – use your Google or Apple Pay if you have it,
Travel insurance. US medical costs are eye-watering. A standard European travel insurance policy won’t cover you in Florida. Make sure your policy specifically covers the USA, includes medical evacuation, and — if you’re going to the parks — covers theme park cancellations. Don’t skip this.
The day-by-day plan
Day 1 — Sunday: Arrival
You’ve landed at Orlando International Airport (MCO), you’re tired, and everything feels a bit overwhelming. This is normal. The first thing to do is not panic, and the second thing is to resist the urge to go straight to a park.
Pick up your hire car or take your pre-booked transfer to the hotel. Do you need a hire car in Orlando? Get checked in, get changed, and give yourself an hour to decompress.
For your first evening, we recommend heading to Disney Springs (if you’re staying on the Disney side) or Universal CityWalk (if you’re staying near Universal). Both are free to enter — no park ticket required — and give you a gentle, exciting first taste of Orlando without the full sensory overload of a theme park. Walk around, pick a restaurant for dinner, and have an early night.
Why not go to a park on arrival evening? Because jet lag hits British visitors hardest on the second day, not the first. The adrenaline of arriving carries you through Sunday evening. Monday morning is when the tiredness catches up — and you don’t want that to happen in the middle of Magic Kingdom.
Where to eat tonight: Disney Springs has a wide range of restaurants across all budgets. For a relaxed first-night dinner, T-REX Café is fun and reliably good, or try The BOATHOUSE for something a little smarter. At CityWalk, we’ve written a full guide to the best table service restaurants to help you choose. [Internal link: CityWalk dining guide]
Bedtime target: 9:30–10pm. You’ll thank yourself tomorrow.
Day 2 — Monday: Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom is the right first park for a first-time visitor. It’s the most iconic, the most recognisable, and despite being the oldest of the Disney parks it still contains some of the best rides in Florida. It’s also the park most likely to make you feel, just for a moment, like a child again — which is the whole point.
Get there at rope drop. Rope drop is Disney’s term for park opening, and arriving at or just before the gates open is the single most effective thing you can do to manage queues. In the first 90 minutes of the day, you can comfortably do two or three rides that would otherwise be 60–90 minute waits by mid-morning.
Morning priority rides (in this order):
Tron Lightcycle Run is the park’s newest and most thrilling ride — a rapid, indoor motorcycle coaster that regularly has the longest queues in the park. Get here first. Alternatively, grab a Lightning Lane Individual reservation for it the moment the park app allows (7am on the day).
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a popular family coaster and queues build fast. If you have youngish children, this is the one they’ll remember most. Also great if you’re someone that doesn’t want “full on” rollercoasters, this one gives thrills but is far from a Gigacoaster !
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad — the “wildest ride in the wilderness” — is an absolute classic and tends to have more manageable queues if you leave it until late morning.
Afternoon strategy: Florida in summer is genuinely hot, and the parks are genuinely busy between about 1pm and 4pm. This is the time most experienced visitors head back to their hotel for a rest, a swim, and a proper lunch. If you’re staying on a Disney property, the free Skyliner or bus service makes this easy. Return for the early evening when queues drop, the temperature falls, and the park feels magical as the lights come on.
Don’t miss: The evening parade and the Happily Ever After fireworks display over Cinderella Castle. First-timers almost always say the fireworks were the highlight of their entire trip. They’re right.
A note on Lightning Lane: Disney’s paid queue-skip system (Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Individual) can reduce waits significantly, but it isn’t essential for a first visit if you follow the rope drop and afternoon rest strategy above.
Day 3 — Tuesday: EPCOT
EPCOT is the park that surprises UK visitors the most. People arrive expecting a science museum and leave having eaten and drunk their way around eleven countries. It’s also, quietly, one of the best parks for adults in all of Orlando.
The park divides into two halves. The front section — World Discovery and World Nature — contains most of the big rides. The back section — World Showcase — is a ring of country pavilions, each with its own food, drink, shops, and entertainment.
Morning: get to the rides first. World Showcase doesn’t open until 11am, which gives you time to knock out the best rides while queues are short.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is one of the most spectacular rides Disney has ever built — a reverse-launch indoor coaster that feels completely unlike anything else in Orlando. It operates on a standard queue or Lightning Lane system, so check the app first thing. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is beloved by families with young children and worth doing early before queues build. Test Track lets you design a virtual concept car and then race it around a high-speed track — fun, and usually manageable in the morning.
Afternoon: World Showcase. Start at Canada (on your right as you enter the showcase) and work clockwise. The UK Pavilion is a charming novelty — there’s a recreation of a British pub and fish and chips — but British visitors should resist spending too long there and push on to the other countries, particularly France (for the crêpes, or the baguette !), Japan (for the food and the shop and vibes), and Morocco (for the atmosphere). Dining wise, we heartily recommend the Regal Eagle at the American pavilion. Yes you can get American food all over the place but the brisket and Texas toast is a good combo.
Evening: The fireworks and projection show on the World Showcase Lagoon. Get a spot around the lagoon about 30 minutes before it starts.
Day 4 — Wednesday: Hollywood Studios
By Wednesday, you’re into the rhythm of the trip. You know how the apps work, you know the rope drop routine, and your body has mostly adjusted to the time difference. This is a good day for Hollywood Studios, which is the most intense and strategically demanding of the Disney parks.
The most important ride in Orlando — according to many who’ve done it — is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios. It’s a 20-minute immersive experience that blurs the line between theme park attraction and something else entirely. It requires either a Lightning Lane Individual reservation (book at 7am on the day, they sell out fast) or genuine patience. Being interrogated by the First Order can be hilarious if you have a t-shirt that inspires them !
Other must-dos: Slinky Dog Dash is the best family coaster in Toy Story Land and has long queues all day — rope drop or Lightning Lane only. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a classic drop ride that holds up brilliantly and tends to have more manageable queues in the evening. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run lets you pilot the actual Millennium Falcon, which is as good as it sounds.
If you’re travelling with young children: Hollywood Studios skews older and thrill-focused. Toy Story Land is the exception — Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers are both suitable for small children, and the whole land is beautifully done. But if your party includes under-5s, consider swapping this day with a visit to Animal Kingdom, which has a broader range of gentler experiences.
One honest note: Hollywood Studios can be frustrating without good planning. The queues for the top rides are among the longest in all of Orlando. The Lightning Lane system is almost essential here on busy dates. Go in with a plan, check the app constantly, and don’t try to wing it.
Day 5 — Thursday: Move to Universal + Universal Studios Florida
Today is transition day. If you’re doing a split stay — spending your first four nights near Disney and your last three near Universal — this morning is when you check out and move hotels.
We’ve written a detailed guide to the Disney/Universal split stay strategy and whether it’s right for your trip. [Internal link: split stay article] The short version: staying on-site at a Universal hotel gives you early park entry (typically one hour before general opening), which is one of the most valuable advantages in all of Orlando. Hotels like Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort offer this at a very reasonable price point. [Internal link: Cabana Bay listing]
This afternoon: Universal Studios Florida.
Start in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Diagon Alley. This is the most immersive themed land in any Orlando park, and for British visitors there’s an added layer of recognition that makes it feel genuinely special. Escape from Gringotts is the headline ride: a multi-sensory, trackless adventure that uses film, practical effects, and some genuinely impressive technology. The butterbeer (non-alcoholic, sweet, slightly cream-soda-ish) is obligatory.
Beyond Harry Potter: Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is a high-intensity coaster with a personalised soundtrack — you choose the song before you launch. Minion Land is brilliantly done and a highlight for families. Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem is a motion-simulator ride that works better than most of its genre.
On Express Pass: Universal’s queue-skip system works differently to Disney’s — you buy it upfront as an add-on and it gives you one (or unlimited, depending on the tier) fast-track use per ride. On busy summer dates it can reduce a 90-minute wait to under 15 minutes. Guests staying at Universal’s on-site Premier hotels (Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific) get it included free. [Internal link: hotel listings] Whether it’s worth buying separately depends on when you’re visiting and how queue-averse you are.
Day 6 — Friday: Islands of Adventure
If Universal Studios Florida is the showcase, Islands of Adventure is the thrill park. It contains what many people consider the two best rides in Orlando, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Hogsmeade is arguably even more atmospheric than Diagon Alley.
Get there at rope drop, and go straight to Hagrid’s. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is regularly voted the best theme park ride in the world. It’s a long, outdoor, story-driven coaster on a motorbike and sidecar — and it earns that reputation. Queues can reach 180 minutes by mid-morning on busy days. Early park entry (available to on-site hotel guests) gives you a meaningful head start.
Also at Islands of Adventure: Velocicoaster is the most intense roller coaster in Orlando — a high-speed, launch coaster that goes outside the park’s perimeter at points. It’s excellent. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is an older ride but still one of the best motion simulators in any park. The Jurassic World ride (formerly Jurassic Park River Adventure) is a water ride that ends in a drop — bring a dry bag or accept getting soaked.
Hogsmeade: The original Wizarding World of Harry Potter land. Butterbeer here, obviously. The Hogwarts Express connects Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley — but you need a two-park ticket to ride it, which you should absolutely have. The train journey itself is a mini-attraction, different in each direction.
Evening: Head back to CityWalk for your last Universal dinner. Voodoo Doughnut is worth the queue for something sweet, and there are solid sit-down options for a proper meal.
Day 7 — Saturday: Flex day — Animal Kingdom or a return visit
Your last full day. How you use it depends on the trip so far.
Option A: Animal Kingdom. If you haven’t been yet, Animal Kingdom is absolutely worth a visit and is often underestimated by first-timers who assume it’s just a zoo. It isn’t. Avatar Flight of Passage — a motion-simulator ride set in the world of the film — is one of the most visually extraordinary experiences in any theme park anywhere. The queue for it is brutal, so Lightning Lane is genuinely worth it here. Kilimanjaro Safaris is a real open-vehicle safari through a genuine wildlife habitat: giraffes, lions, rhinos, and more. Expedition Everest is a rattling, fun coaster with a Yeti.
Option B: A water park. If the weather is good and your legs are aching from six days of walking, a morning at Typhoon Lagoon (Disney) or Volcano Bay (Universal) is a completely different kind of day — relaxed, wet, and genuinely refreshing. If you have a multi-day Disney ticket, generally access to their water parks is included. If Blizzard Beach is open, its a hard recommend for relaxing family fun.
Option C: Return to a favourite. Go back to Magic Kingdom for the rides you missed. Catch the EPCOT attractions you skipped. There’s no wrong answer here.
This evening: Disney Springs for a final wander and souvenir shopping. Pick a restaurant you haven’t tried yet, eat well, and reflect on the fact that you’ve just had an extraordinary week. We recommend the Polite Pig as an underused gem by Brits.
Day 8 — Sunday: Departure
Check out of your hotel, load the hire car, and head to MCO. Allow at least three hours before your transatlantic flight. Orlando International is busy, and transatlantic flights require additional check-in and security time. There’s a good selection of shops and restaurants airside and landside if you arrive early. Also if you are a family, you can often use a pre-booked slot for free with TSA which can help avoid the long wait. We used it last year and it saved us about two hours (MCO Reserve).
Safe flight home. The post-Disney blues will kick in somewhere over the Atlantic. This is normal and temporary. We don’t say how long the temporary is though….
Where to stay: our hotel recommendations
Choosing the right hotel is one of the most important decisions of the trip — it affects your commute to the parks, your access to early entry, and how rested you feel each morning. Here are our recommendations at different price points for both the Disney and Universal sides.
For the Disney nights (Days 1–4):
Staying on a Walt Disney World property gives you free transport to all four parks, early theme park entry (30 minutes before general opening), and the ability to book dining reservations 60 days out. All Star Sports or Pop Century are great value and really popular with British tourists.
Disney’s moderate resorts — Coronado Springs, Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans — hit the sweet spot of quality and price for most British families. We’ve compared Coronado Springs and Caribbean Beach head to head if you want help choosing. [
For the Universal nights (Days 5–7):
Universal’s on-site hotels tier by benefit. Premier hotels (Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific) include free Express Pass unlimited — worth considering if you’re visiting during peak season. Value and preferred hotels (Cabana Bay, Aventura, Stella Nova, Terra Luna) include early park entry, which is sufficient for most visitors.
What does a 7-night Orlando trip actually cost from the UK?
A full budget breakdown is beyond the scope of this article, but as a rough guide: a couple travelling in mid-September (one of the quieter and cheaper periods) can expect to spend around £4,500–£6,600 all-in, including return flights, a mid-range hotel, park tickets for both resorts, and daily food and drink. A family of four in peak summer should budget £10,000–£11,000. For reference, our family trip in 2025 for 16 nights, Disney only, with offsite resort, and car hire, and also including trips to Kennedy and Daytona, fell into this bracket as well- this also included merch shopping, gifts, fuel, and Heathrow stay beforehand).
However it is worth pointing out that such trips can be obtained for less, in some cases much less, if you’re willing to be less selective about where you stay, distance, and other variables. We will discuss this in another article and future videos.
Final thoughts
Seven nights is enough time to have a genuinely brilliant Orlando holiday — if you plan it well. The visitors who are disappointed are almost always the ones who tried to do too much, didn’t book restaurants in advance, or spent the whole trip at Walt Disney World and never made it to Universal. That’s not the end of the world, you just need to go back 😉
Follow this plan, give yourself permission to have a rest day, and remember that the best moments are usually the unexpected ones: the fireworks you stumbled into, the character meet you didn’t plan, the evening when everyone was too tired to go back to the park so you just sat by the pool and agreed it was the best holiday you’d ever had.
That’s the Orlando magic. Enjoy every minute of it.
Looking for hotels for your Orlando trip? Browse our full collection of hand-picked hotels near Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort, all reviewed with British visitors in mind.
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