Which Disney Park has the Least Walking?

If you’re going to Disney World, you WILL do lots of walking. That’s just a fact. However, some of Disney’s theme parks require less walking than others.

The size and layout are the main reasons. Let’s take a closer look at how much walking you’ll do at Disney World’s theme parks.

How Big are Walt Disney World’s Theme Parks?

As you probably know, Walt Disney World Resort has four theme parks: Magic Kingdom (the oldest and most iconic), Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom (the largest by area).

To determine which Disney theme park requires the least amount of walking and which requires the most, we should first examine each park’s size and total number of walking paths. This data will give you some perspective on how the resort is laid out.

Acres per Walt Disney World Theme Park

Here’s a breakdown of each Disney park’s size (acreage).

1. Magic Kingdom: 107 acres
2. Hollywood Studios: 135 acres
3. Epcot: 305 acres
4. Animal Kingdom: 580 acres

Walking Distances (Walking Paths) per Walt Disney World Resort Theme Park

Below are we calculate the approximate length of the walkways/sidewalks of each Disney World theme park. In other words, how many miles would you walk if you were to walk down every walkway in each park?

1. Hollywood Studios: ~ 2 miles
2. Magic Kingdom: ~ 3 miles
3. Animal Kingdom: ~ 3 to 3.5 miles
4. Epcot: ~ 3.5 miles

As you can see, Magic Kingdom covers the smallest area of land. However, in terms of sidewalks, Hollywood Studios wins out with the fewest miles of the total walkways.

Based on our calculations, Hollywood Studios requires the LEAST amount of walking, and Epcot requires the MOST amount of walking.

Will this be the case for everyone? No, but if you’re not crisscrossing from one side of the park to the other or looping around and around, then you’ll likely find our conclusions to be accurate.

The best way to avoid walking more than you need to is to check out the Disney World park maps and plan your route carefully. Efficient planning can help you avoid unnecessary backtracking. I recommend saving the interior walking towards the end of the day.

In case you are wondering, our research shows that the average person walks between 6 and 9 miles during a full day at a Disney World theme park. So make sure your Disney packing list includes comfortable shoes!

Disney World Parks with the LEAST Amount of Walking

You are apt to walk less in these parks:

• Hollywood Studios

Until recently, Hollywood Studios was clearly the easiest park to walk around. Many people refer to it as the “half-day park” because of its smaller size – with fewer rides and attractions – compared to other parks. However, with the addition of Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Hollywood Studios is larger than it was before and certainly worthy of a full day.

Despite its small size, Hollywood Studios still requires miles of walking, but it’s easy walking. The simple layout makes circumnavigating the park a breeze. You probably don’t need to plan a walking route before you go, but it wouldn’t hurt.

• Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom may be the smallest park in terms of acreage, but it’s also Disney’s most crowded park. That makes it a bit of a hectic experience, especially since the walking paths go in every direction.

Once you enter the park, I’d head up Main Street, USA, to the chaotic central hub, then go left towards Adventureland and Frontierland. From there, I’d walk in a clockwise direction and hit each land in order.

You could also go right and start in Tomorrowland and then walk in a counterclockwise direction. But you should strive for efficiency and avoid crisscrossing through the central hub from one land to the next because you could easily end up walking a lot more than you need to.

Note: For guests with mobility concerns, all parks offer ECV or wheelchair rentals, as well as accessible routes. Check Disney’s accessibility guides to plan shorter paths tailored to your needs.

Disney World Theme Parks with the MOST Amount of Walking

These parks require the most walking.

• Animal Kingdom

Another aspect of Animal Kingdom is the rides: there just aren’t as many here as in Magic Kingdom or Epcot. However, despite these facts, the park is spread out more than the others, and there is still lots of walking to be done!

I’d recommend heading toward Pandora on the left side, working your way clockwise through Africa, Asia, Dinoland, and Oasis, and saving Discovery Island for last. But if Pandora is really busy, you may want to work your way counterclockwise and finish the day at Pandora.

Your Lightning Lane selections, dining reservations, and showtimes will shape your day’s schedule and walking paths. Use the My Disney Experience app to plan efficiently.

• Epcot

EPCOT’s sprawling layout leads to the most guest-accessible walking paths among Disney World parks, with its 305 acres making it the second-largest by size.

World Showcase, a large loop around a lagoon, invites long walks to explore its global pavilions, while the front of the park features interconnected areas with attractions and central gardens. The loop design and spread-out layout mean guests often walk more here, but efficient planning can help.

For example, using Friendship Boats across World Showcase can save steps. Check current park maps to navigate the latest paths and avoid unnecessary detours.

I hope this article, “Which Disney Park has the Least Walking?”, has helped you plan your touring. Enjoy your Disney trip!