Are you visiting Walt Disney World and want to approach the parks in a fun and different way? We are sharing 10 of our favorite Disney World challenges for a unique day at the Disney theme parks.
There are a lot of Disney challenges that turn a day at the parks into a full on scavenger hunt. While I don’t suggest this for your first time visiting Disney World, create a Disney World park challenge is a fun way to explore the parks in a different way.
We have visited Disney World many times and love that there are so many different ways to experience the parks.
Disney World Challenges
If you have visited the Disney theme parks many times you may want to experience different things at the parks and a Disney World challenge is a great way to make that happen.
There are 4 main theme parks at Disney World. They are Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. There are also two water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.
Also at Disney World guests can find over 30 on-site resorts as well as a shopping and dining area at Disney Springs.
With all these options there are a lot of ways to change up your Disney vacation.
A few ground rules for when we do challenges are pretty basic. Set the rules before you go. They can be attempted in one day or over a week long vacation.
Make them fun! The “challenges” are to do Disney in a different way. Again this is not for your first visit. This is for guests looking to discover something new on a return visit to Walt Disney World.
Visit All 4 Disney Theme Parks
Walt Disney World has 4 main theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. We think each park has its own charm and is worth a visit during your Disney World vacation.
I suggest starting with the hours of each park to determine where to start and end your day. You would want to start with the park that opens the earliest.
Don’t forget to make reservations for the park you are starting at. At this time park hopping starts at 2:00pm so you would want to leave your first park around 1:00-1:15 to travel to the next park.
When planning this keep in mind time it takes to transfer to each park.
Character Selfie
We planned a character selfie challenge during one of our Disney World visits and it was so much fun. The goal was to take as many selfies as we could with as many characters as we could.
This made meeting characters more fun for my older children and at the end of the day we ended up meeting 13 characters during our two days at the park.
Photo in Front of All 4 Parks Landmark
This is a great challenge for your first visit to Walt Disney World. Take photos at the landmarks of each theme park to commemorate your visit.
At Magic Kingdom this would be a castle photo, at Epcot in front of Spaceship Earth, at Hollywood Studios Tower of Terror or the Chinese Theater, and at Animal Kingdom the Tree of Life.
Hollywood Studios has some debate on what represents the park and you should decide as a group which landmark you will choose.
Ride All the Roller Coasters
Disney World may not be known for their roller coasters but there are 9 roller coasters across the four theme parks.
At Magic Kingdom you will find Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, the Barnstormer , Tron Lightcycle, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Epcot has Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Hollywood Studios has Slinky Dog at Toy Story Land and Rock N’ Roller Coaster. Animal Kingdom has Expedition Everest.
This might be a challenge you spread out over a weekend at Disney World or more than one park day. You also may want to consider purchasing individual lightning lane for this challenge or booking an ultimate thrills VIP Tour.
Related Disney Parks Ride Posts:
- Best Rides at Animal Kingdom You Don’t Want to Miss
- 9 Best Rides at Magic Kingdom for School Age Kids
- 12 Best Attractions at Hollywood Studios
Epcot Food Challenge
I have to admit there are times when visiting the parks is all about the food and Epcot has the best options! Plan a day at the World Showcase exploring all of the countries and sampling food from each area.
There are 11 different countries at Epcot’s World showcase and we love exploring each area. I share our experience in this post about Epcot with Kids.
There are also drink around the world challenges where you enjoy a beverage at each country. Keep in mind the Florida heat and pace yourself if you do this challenge.
Monorail Crawl
The monorail resorts at Disney World are a great way to explore the resorts on your day off from the parks.
They are the Disney’s Contemporary, Disney’s Polynesian, and Disney’s Grand Floridian. If you are planning a day off or want a break from the parks consider exploring the resorts.
You can stop to walk around and plan your meals at each place. Plus it is fun to ride the monorail around Disney World.
If you plan on taking a break at a sit down restaurant be sure to make reservations prior to your arrival.
Skyliner Resort Tour
A new way to spend your day off at Disney World is to check out the Disney Skyliner Resorts. There are 4 resorts along the Disney Skyliner and guests can get off to dine or walk around the resort.
They are: Disney’s Pop Century, Disney’s Art of Animation, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort.
More Disney World Challenge Ideas:
- Have some friendly competition on Buzz Lightyear at Magic Kingdom or Toy Story Midway Mania at Hollywood Studios. Try to have the best score or ride a few times and try to beat your personal best.
- Try a new food at each park. With so many quick-service dining at Disney World it is fun to include a few new places into a Disney visit.
- Meet Mickey at each theme park. Mickey has meet and greets at all of the four theme parks and each is a little different themed. Minnie does too!
- Plan a water rides at Disney World day! This would involve park hopping and most you won’t get soaked on but this challenge can be a fun way to enjoy the rides and attractions that incorporate water.
We enjoy adding a few unique aspects to our Disney World trips to make each one a little differetn and memorable.
Although you don’t really need a Disney World challenge to have a great vacation, it is a fun way to explore the parks in a different way.
Read Next: 24 Fun Things to Do in Disney World Besides the Park (Non-Park Day at Disney World)
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.
This is such a fun idea! Now that we have annual passes and visit more often, my husband and I were recently discussing new things, like challenges, we could do to make each trip something fun and new. This selfie challenge is a perfect example of that! I’ll have to keep this in mind for our next trip. I love your photos, especially the one with Olaf!
Thank you so much for reading! The challenge is a blast! Please share with me on social when you guys do it! -Leah