Orlando in 7 days
Writes the park guides, the ticket math and the event calendar, checked against the parks' own price calendars.
UpdatedThis page carries dated prices or seasonal dates checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book anything.
A week is the length where Orlando stops being a sprint. This plan gives Disney three days, Universal two, puts a genuine rest day in the middle, and ends with a day trip to Kennedy Space Center on the Space Coast. It follows our rule of about one rest day for every three park days, from how many days you need.
We built it for Monday, October 12 to Sunday, October 18, 2026, and priced it from the official stores on September 22, 2026. Animal Kingdom is the park left out. If you would rather see it than rest, the swap is at the end of day 4. You will want a car for the Space Coast; our rental car verdict says rent for any trip with a day trip in it.
At a glance
- Days
- Seven: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, a rest day, Epic Universe, Islands of Adventure with Diagon Alley, Kennedy Space Center.
- Best for
- A first family or couples trip that wants both resorts without seven straight park days.
- Tickets needed
- Disney 3-day base ($533.54 per adult from October 12, 2026), Universal 2-day 3-park (from $161.50 a day), Kennedy Space Center ($77).
- Budget for two (tickets + parking)
- $2,057.08 to $2,281.08 before ticket tax for October 12 to 18, 2026, including $190 of parking.
- Base
- Split stay: four nights at Disney's Pop Century, three at a Universal hotel. Or one base on International Drive.
In this guide
Day 1 (Monday): Magic Kingdom
Plan: Monday October 12 is a normal night; October 13, 15 and 16 are Halloween party nights, when the park closes to day guests at 6 p.m. Staying at Pop Century gets you 30 minutes of early entry: ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan's Flight and Space Mountain, then Big Thunder and Tiana's at official opening. The railroad is closed this autumn. Break from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., return for TRON late and the 9 p.m. fireworks. Full order: Magic Kingdom.
Lightning Lane: buy Multi Pass (reported $35 a person for October 4). As a Disney hotel guest you book it 7 days before check-in for the whole stay.
Day 2 (Tuesday): EPCOT
Plan: Skyliner from Pop Century to the International Gateway. Remy's first, then Frozen Ever After; take Cosmic Rewind in early entry if you are at the main gate instead. Afternoon on the World Showcase loop eating at Food & Wine booths ($4.29 to $17.50 a dish). Luminous before the 9 p.m. close. See EPCOT.
Lightning Lane: skip Multi Pass. Buy the Cosmic Rewind Single Pass ($22 reported) only if you missed it in the morning.
Day 3 (Wednesday): Hollywood Studios
Plan: Skyliner again. With early entry, Rise of the Resistance, Smugglers Run, then Slinky Dog Dash. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets and Tower of Terror on Lightning Lane later, a show or two, and Fantasmic! if it runs. See Hollywood Studios.
Eat: Oga's Cantina for a themed drink (reservations recommended).
Lightning Lane: Multi Pass ($29 reported). With early entry you can skip the Rise Single Pass; see Is Multi Pass worth it?
Day 4 (Thursday): Rest day
Plan: sleep in, use the pool, check out of Pop Century mid-morning if you are splitting the stay. In the evening, go to Disney Springs: free entry, free garages, and the 1.7-mile evening loop. Drawn to Life plays Wednesday to Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., from $69. Dinner at The Boathouse, or drive to Mills 50 for Kaya, our pick for the best dinner in Orlando (closed Mondays; 20% service charge on every check).
A water park is not rest in October, and Typhoon Lagoon is closed with no reopening date anyway.
The Animal Kingdom swap: if you would rather use this day at Animal Kingdom, buy a Disney 4-day ticket instead. We did not capture a dated 4-day price; working back from the 5-day ticket ($763.95 from October 12) and the $44 to $92 a fifth day costs, it should land around $672 to $720 per adult before tax. Animal Kingdom closes early, so you still get an afternoon off.
Day 5 (Friday): Epic Universe
Plan: move to Stella Nova ($225 on November 17), which has a walking path to Epic, or drive to the Epic lot at 1001 Epic Boulevard ($35). Be at the gate before the 10 a.m. opening seen on September 22 and head to Mario Kart or Battle at the Ministry; Universal had not published early-entry dates past September 30. Stay to close. See Epic Universe.
Express: skip. Epic Express ran $210 to $340 a person in October, and hotel Express does not work here.
Day 6 (Saturday): Islands of Adventure and Diagon Alley
Plan: Hagrid's at opening (Express does not cover it), VelociCoaster, Forbidden Journey, then Hulk and Spider-Man. Hogwarts Express to Universal Studios Florida after lunch for Gringotts and the Mummy; Studios can close early on Horror Nights dates. Jurassic Park River Adventure is closed until November 19. Details: Islands of Adventure.
Eat: Butterbeer in Hogsmeade.
Express: a Saturday in a peak October week is the case for it: Express for both parks started at $124.99 a person. See Is Universal Express worth it?
Day 7 (Sunday): Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach
Plan: leave by 7:45 a.m. Kennedy Space Center is about 53 miles and 70 minutes from International Drive in free-flowing traffic, via SR 528, a toll road. It opens 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; take the included bus tour to the Apollo/Saturn V Center first, and allow three hours for it. The last bus leaves 2.5 hours before closing. The center listed NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 as no earlier than October 2026, so check its launch calendar for your dates.
At 5 p.m. drive 18 miles south to Cocoa Beach for sunset. Lori Wilson Park has free parking; city lots charge $25 a day or $6 an hour. Try a grouper sandwich, and ask what fish it is.
What seven days cost two adults
| Item | Two adults | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Disney 3-day base | $1,067.08 | $533.54 each from October 12, 2026 |
| Universal 2 days incl. Epic | $646 to $870 | 2-day ticket from $161.50 a day; October 1-day prices up to $200 (Epic) and $235 (park-to-park) |
| Kennedy Space Center | $154 | $77 each, plus tax |
| Parking | $190 | Disney 3 x $35, Universal 2 x $35, KSC $15 |
| Total | $2,057.08 to $2,281.08 | Tickets before tax |
Prices checked September 22, 2026 on Disney's, Universal's and Kennedy Space Center's official sites. The Universal range is wide because the store showed only the 2-day ticket's starting price. Staying at Pop Century removes the $105 of Disney parking; Stella Nova charges $30 a night to park instead. Lightning Lane as planned adds $128 for two and Express on day 6 at the floor price $249.98. Ticket details: Disney and Universal.
Tickets and tours you can book
Kennedy Space Center with Transport from Orlando and Kissimmee
Transport-only option has no ticket. Food and tips extra. Pickup is at set meeting points, not every hotel.
Rating as shown on Viator
Day Trip to Historic St. Augustine from Orlando with Hotel Pickup
Pickup at set meeting points in Orlando, Kissimmee, Lake Buena Vista and Universal. Food and tips extra.
Rating as shown on Viator
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Frequently asked questions
Is 7 days too long for Orlando?
No. Seven days fits five theme parks, a rest day and a day trip. Anything shorter with both resorts means cutting a park or the rest day.
How many days of Disney and Universal in a week?
Three Disney and two Universal is our default, with one rest day and one day trip. Four Disney days is the alternative if Animal Kingdom matters more than the rest day.
Is Kennedy Space Center worth a day on an Orlando trip?
Yes, on a week-long trip. Admission is $77 for adults and $67 for children 3 to 11, parking $15, and the bus tour alone needs about three hours, so plan a full day.
Should I split my hotel stay between Disney and Universal?
On a 7-day trip, yes. A Disney hotel gives free theme park parking and early entry for the Disney days; a Universal hotel near Epic Universe saves the drive on the Universal days. Move on the rest day.
What is closed in Orlando in fall 2026?
Typhoon Lagoon (no reopening date), the Magic Kingdom railroad (from September 28 to November), Tiana's Bayou Adventure (November 2 into December), Jurassic Park River Adventure (until November 19) and Volcano Bay (from October 26 until spring 2027).
Further reading
Official sources
- Walt Disney World - Theme park tickets (official) – 3-day ticket $533.54 and 5-day ticket $763.95 starting October 12, 2026, checked September 22, 2026
- Universal Orlando - Ticket store (official) – 2-day 3-park ticket from $161.50 a day; October 2026 1-day ranges; Volcano Bay closure, checked September 22, 2026
- Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex - Tickets (official) – 1-day admission $77 adult, $67 child; hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., checked September 22, 2026
- Kennedy Space Center - Travel information and parking (official) – Parking $15 per car, checked September 22, 2026
- City of Cocoa Beach - Parking (official) – $6 an hour or $25 a day, enforced 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., checked September 22, 2026
- MouseSavers - Regular Walt Disney World ticket prices – Fifth ticket day costs $46.98 to $97.47 including tax, used to bracket the 4-day price
- Universal Orlando - Express store (official) – Express for both older parks from $124.99; Epic Express $210 to $340 in October 2026
