From Wikitravel

The Walt Disney World Resort [1] (commonly known as Disney World or Disneyworld) is a complex of four separate theme parks, two themed water parks, many resorts, restaurants and other facilities located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando, Florida.

Contents 1 Understand 1.1 Magic Kingdom 1.2 Epcot 1.3 Disney-MGM Studios 1.4 Disney's Animal Kingdom 1.5 Typhoon Lagoon 1.6 Blizzard Beach 1.7 Downtown Disney 2 Get in 3 Get around 4 Attractions 4.1 Magic Kingdom Park 4.2 Epcot Park 4.3 Disney's Animal Kingdom Park 4.4 Disney/MGM Studios 4.5 Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park 4.6 Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park 5 Buy 6 Eat 7 Drink 8 Sleep 8.1 Disney Resorts 8.2 Value 8.3 Moderate 8.4 Deluxe 8.5 Disney Vacation Club Resorts 8.6 Campground 8.7 Downtown Disney 8.8 Off-resort Lodging 9 Stay safe 10 Contact 11 See Also

Understand

Walt Disney World is split into four separate parks, two water parks, an entertainment district, and numerous resort hotels:

Magic Kingdom

It is the best-known park, organized around the central landmark, or as Walt Disney would say a weenie, of Cinderella's Castle. It is based on the original Disney park, Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It has various 'lands' within it and is more oriented toward children, although many adults love the escapism as well. This is the first park opened in the Florida complex and also the most heavily attended. It teems with humanity of all ages and colors, so people who have problems with crowds - or who don't like screaming toddlers - may want to stay away. Though their process of getting ride tickets enabling visitors to board a ride at a specific time works well, this process is not available for all attractions, and lines there can be endless. Food is expensive, and Disney merchanidise even more so. Plan accordingly for a trip tight on the budget, but most would agree that the lines, the crowds, and the prices are worth it for the magical Disney experience.

Epcot

Epcot is an "educational park." It is divided into two distinct areas, "Future World" and "World Showcase". World Showcase is structured to showcase various international locations, especially in terms of food and/or trade goods. Don't miss the impossibly cheesy but fun Mexico ride along with the extravigant Maelstrom ride in the Norway pavilion. Future World is comprised of various 'futuristic' attractions, many sponsored by various industrial concerns. The Test Track, a recent addition in which visitors go through the motions of tests for new cars, is a probably the most fun, and the most traditionally theme-park. Epcot may appeal more to adult visitors, but the park has made efforts to appeal to the entire family in recent years with the addition of more character greetings and "Kidcot" funstops which encourage the children to work on a craft and interact with the cast members who are representing their home countries.

Disney-MGM Studios

Disney-MGM Studios is a park with a 20th Century movie theme. This park has lots of shows and some Thrill (capital T you see) rides, the main ones being a 13 story drop in The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and a launching roller coaster, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. The latest addition to the park is an automobile stunt show called "Lights, Motors, Action".

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is a mix between a zoo and a theme park. Naturalistic animal exhibitions are interspersed, and sometimes integrated, with typical Disney rides. Among these are a jeep safari past live animal enclosures, a raft ride through the deforstation of a tropical rainforest, a time travel ride which includes close encounters with dinosaurs and the newest ride, "Expedition Everest", which is a roller coaster ride and includes an encounter with the Yeti. While light on rides, there are also shows and plenty of animals to view (though the variety of species seems a bit sparse when compared to many larger city zoos). Animal Kingdom is more of a kid friendly theme park with many animals that would attract the attention of younger generations as well as Camp Minnie Mickey, a special space for youngsters where they can meet all of their favorite characters.

Typhoon Lagoon

A water park with a giant surf wave pool, numerous slides, a snorkeling lagoon, and a tropical beach theme. The snorkeling lagoon includes living sharks, so while not for the faint of heart, it's an unforgettable experience. Typhoon Lagoon's great fun, especially for those with kids, but be warned: if you only use sunscreen once in Florida, this is the place to do it.

Blizzard Beach

A newer water park with bigger thrill slides, a smaller bobbing wave pool, and an improved kiddie area than it's older cousin, Typhoon Lagoon. The theme here is a Florida ski resort meltdown.

Downtown Disney

A shopping mall and entertainment district with headliner restaurants such as "House of Blues", "Rainforest Cafe", "Wolfgang Puck Cafe", "Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop and Soda Fountain", and even "McDonald's" among others. Don't forget to visit the DisneyQuest indoor arcade with an array of Disney themed video games along with classical arcade games, and so much more! In addition to restaurants and shopping are a movie theater complex and a nightclub district. The prices are standard for Disney - high - but it's a great place to wind down from the theme parks.

Get in

Fly in to Orlando International Airport (MCO), in Orlando. From there, you can rent a car, take a taxi, order a limo or towncar, or take Disney's Magical Express: a free bus service from the airport to the WDW hotels (prior reservations required).

Alternatively, Interstate-4 is the most direct driving route into Walt Disney World.

Get around

Disney has an extensive bus and monorail service, so there is really no need to rent a car unless you are travelling outside of WDW. The buses can be slow and inconvenient if, for example, you are traveling with young children or strollers. Note that budgetary constraints may indicate the rental of a car, as many nearby grocery stores and restaurants are less expensive than the typical in-park eatery.

The monorail service is not very expansive and only goes to certain areas, all originating from the Transportation and Ticket Center. There are three monorail lines:

• Magic Kingdom / Transportation and Ticket Center. This is the only way to enter the Magic Kingdom besides the ferry or WDW bus service.
• Magic Kingdom Resort Hotels / Transportation and Ticket Center. This line runs parallel to the loop of the direct Magic Kingdom line, but stops at all the resorts it passes. They are (in order) the Contemporary, Magic Kingdom Park, Grand Floridian, and the Polynesian.
• EPCOT / Transportation and Ticket Center. When entering EPCOT this way, the monorail makes a nice loop in the park, giving a great arial view of Futureworld and the World Showcase.

If you are staying at a hotel off Disney property, a car is a must. Many hotels do offer shuttle service to the parks, but the schedules may not be convenient.

Attractions

Magic Kingdom Park

Address: World Dr. & West Buena Vista Dr., Orlando, FL 32830

• Swiss Family Treehouse (walk through)
• The Flying Carpets of Aladdin (flying young childrens ride)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (classic indoor boat ride)
• Splash Mountain (log ride with a 50 ft. water drop)
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (medium fast rollercoaster)
• Haunted Mansion (indoor dark ride)
• Snow White's Scary Adventures (indoor dark ride)
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (indoor dark ride)
• "it's a small world" (classic indoor boat ride)
• Cinderella's Golden Carousel (classic horse carousel ride)
• Mickey's Philharmagic (3D movie featuring digital representations of Disney characters.)
• Space Mountain (dark indoor rollercoaster)
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (indoor dark ride with laser gun game)
• Carousel of Progress (originally developed by Walt Disney for the 1964 World's Fair, then reinstalled at Disneyland, California.)
• Stitch's Great Escape! (Alien Encounter remake)

Additionally, there are numerous shows and characters to see during the day. At park closing there is a fireworks show, currently "Wishes - A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams," to send everyone home with a great memory. (Be aware that the best viewing areas generate very crowded conditions).

Epcot Park

• Future World
  • Mission:Space (a giant centrifuge which simulates a journey to Mars)
  • Spaceship Earth (a dark ride travel through the history of communication)
  • The Land (home of three attractions: "Living with the Land"-a relaxing boat ride showcasing Disney's hydroponic greenhouse and how we can live in peace with the land; Soarin' (a simulated aerial flight over California (a copy of the highly popular ride at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, California); and "Circle of Life", a movie about conservation starring the Lion King characters.)
  • The Universe of Energy (a slow moving dinosaur experience featuring Bill Nye the Science Guy end Ellen DeGeneres)
  • Imagination! (Home of 2 attractions, "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" 3D movie; Journey Into Imagination....with Figment- a classic Disney dark ride.)
  • The Living Seas (home to a number of exhibits featuring sea animals and characters from "Finding Nemo."
  • Innoventions (a hands-on exhibtion featuring the latest in technology and how it's finding its way into every aspect of our lives)

• The World Showcase is the back area of the park with different pavillions representing countries from around the world, all themed with architecture, food, drink and culture to match. All pavillions, except the United States, have a table service restaurant and most also have a counter service restaurant. The countries included are:
  • United Kingdom -restaurants and shops.
  • France -restaurants (including a French patisserie, or bakery), shops, and a travel movie featuring the French countryside and a classical music soundtrack.
  • Morocco -restaurants, a small museum, and shops.
  • Germany -restaurants (including a German beer hall with a show), and shops.
  • Japan -restaurants, shops (including a large Japanese department store), and a small museum.
  • China -restaurants, shops, a small museum, and a "Circlevision" travel movie.
  • Mexico -restaurants, shops, and a gentle boat ride featuring historical facts and travel to Mexico.
  • Norway -restaurants (including a bakery), shops, and a boat ride with mild flume drops though the history and sights of Norway- followed by a travel film.
  • Italy -restaurants and shops.
  • USA -a fast food restaurant, a small shop, a small museum, and a patriotic show featuring film and Audio-Animatronic representations of historical figures.
  • Canada-restaurants, shops, and a "Circlevision" travel movie.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Park

Organized in a Magic Kingdom like format, with different continents revolving around the central Tree of Life.

• Kilimanjaro Safari (Safari jeep ride through the African plains, featuring vast assortment of wildlife. Great for photos)
• Pangani Forest Exploration Trail (A walk-through area near the exit of Kilimanjaro featuring gorillas as well as other African wildlife. Great if you missed something on the Safari.)
• Dinosaur (dark, scary ride; formerly known as Countdown to Extinction)
• Kali River Rapids (water-tire ride where you may get soaked)
• Maharajah Jungle Trek (Walk-through of Asian wildlife featuring Bengal tigers.)
• Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain (high-speed rollercoaster with a visit to a 25-foot Yeti. Opened in April 2006)
• It's Tough to be a Bug! (Interactive 3-D show feature Flick and the other characters from 'A Bug's Life.')
• Festival of the Lion King (Acrobatic theatre-of-the-round feature Simba, Timone, and Pumba.)

Disney/MGM Studios

• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (13-flight free fall based on The Twilight Zone)
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (WDW's only roller coaster with loops. Features Aerosmith)
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (Live action stunt show recreating some of the best scenes from 'Raiders of the Lost Ark')
• Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3D (3D movie featuring the Muppet characters) shown in a "special" auditorium
• Star Tours (The only official Star Wars ride)
• Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show (The most popular show in Disneyland Resort Paris is now at MGM. Features some amazing live action stunt driving)
• Backlot Studios Tour (Tram tour of old Disney movie props, as well as the infamous Catastrophe Canyon)
• The Great Movie Ride (Slow moving ride through scenes of some of the greatest movies recreated using Audio-Animatronics, such as Alien, The Wizard of Oz, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Marry Poppins.)
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure (Huge play area that makes you feel like you're a quarter of an inch tall)

Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park

• Summit Plummet the tallest, steepest, fastest water slide in the world. 120 feet high causing those who dare to plummet at over 55 mph straight down at an 85 degree angle
• Downhill Double Dipper
• Slush Gusher
• Teamboat Springs
• Cross Country Creek
• Tike's Peak

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park

• Featuring Surf Pool, one of the world's largest wave pools with some of the largest artificially created waves
• Humunga Kowabunga
• Mayday Falls
• Castaway Creek
• Ketchakiddee Creek
• Shark Reed- a snorkel tank featuring tropical fish, rays, small (non-threatening) sharks, and a mock sunken ship.

Buy

There's a store at the exit to practically every attraction.

Eat

Food is surprisingly good, considering WDW isn't known for it. In particular, try an exotic restaurant in Epcot's World Showcase, or many of the hotels have good places to eat, some sophisticated, some complete with screaming children.

Here are a few unique dining opportunities worth experiencing:

• Magic Kingdom
  • Cinderella's Royal Table - Dine in Cinderella Castle.
• MGM Studios
  • 50's Prime Time Cafe - Dine in a kitchen inspired by classic 50's sitcoms.
  • Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater - Watch classic Sci-Fi movies from your "car"
• Animal Kingdom
  • Rainforest Cafe - Animatronic animals, thunderstorms, and good food
  • Restaurantosaurus- character dining for breakfast and fast food meals throughout the day
• Fort Wilderness Campground
  • Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue - Western themed dinner theater
• Polynesian Resort
  • Disney's Spirit of Aloha Show - South Pacific Luau themed dinner theater
• Animal kingdom Lodge Resort
  • Boma: Flavors of Africa- authentic African cuisine served buffet style.
  • Mara: Cafeteria Style eats with American cuisine served hot and fresh.
• Epcot
  • Coral Reef Restaurant-eat in view of a giant aquarium in Epcot's Living Seas Pavilion.

Drink

A large variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available in Disney World. Keep in mind these few things when purchasing alcoholic beverages at Disney.

- The drinking age for alcohol in Disney World (and all of Florida, for that matter) is 21. Be prepared for strict enforcment of this rule; anybody caught drinking underage, even with parents, may be subject to ejection from the property and criminal prosecution.

- No more than one alcoholic beverage may be purchased per legal I.D.

- There are no alcoholic beverages for sale in the Magic Kingdom.

- Be sure to bring an actual I.D. with you when purchasing beverages. Copies will not suffice.

- No alcoholic beverages may be brought in to any of the theme parks.

In Epcot, some try "Drinking Around the World," getting alcohol in every country of the World Showcase.

For a fun, free, and sober trip "around the world" try Club Cool located near Spaceship Earth in EPCOT. They offer nearly a dozen unlimited free samples of Coke products made around the world.

Disney-MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom offer a small variety of draft beer at select dining locations.

Sleep

Disney Resorts

Value

• Disney's All-Star Movies Resort
• Disney's All-Star Music Resort
• Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
• Disney's Pop Century Resort

Moderate

• Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside
• Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter
• Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
• Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort

Deluxe

• Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Disney's Beach Club Resort
• Disney's BoardWalk Inn
• Disney's Contemporary Resort
• Walt Disney World Dolphin
• Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
• Disney's Polynesian Resort
• Shades of Green (United States Department of Defense)
• Walt Disney World Swan
• Disney's Wilderness Lodge
• Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Disney Vacation Club Resorts

• Disney's Beach Club Villas
• Disney's BoardWalk Villas
• Disney's Old Key West Resort
• The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
• Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

Campground

• Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground

Downtown Disney

• Best Western
• Doubletree Guest Suites
• Grosvenor Resort
• Hilton Resort
• Holiday Inn
• Hotel Royal Plaza
• Buena Vista Palace

Off-resort Lodging

• Clarion Hotel Maingate, 7675 Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, +1 407 396-4000, [2].
• Embassy Suites, Lake Buena Vista. Two room suites, including a hot breakfast.
• Hilton Grand Vacation Club. A Hilton time share with two room apartments surrounding a lake.
• Holiday Villas Walt Disney Area, 2928 Vineland Rd., Kissimmee, (407) 397-0700, Toll-free: (800) 344-3959, [3]. Condo style accomomdations that have one, two and three bedroom suites. Plenty of room for a family of 8. Heated Pool, Sauna, Tennis, Jacuzzi, Movies, Gameroom, Exercise Facility, Poolside Snacks.
• Private Vacation Rentals Walt Disney Area - [4] Rent Orlando villas direct from the owners. All homes have private pools and many have games rooms and Jacuzzi's.

Stay safe

Disney World is a very safe area, and spends a lot of time and money ensuring that guests remain safe. Minor first aid services are available free of charge at any park or resort and offer a quiet and cool place to rest.

The biggest rule of thumb anywhere or anytime at Disney World is to pace yourself. You may encounter large crowds, extreme heat, and in some cases, rude people. Be sure to drink lots of water and keep a positive attitude, and you will come out of the parks much more satisfied.

While theft is rare and security has a prominent impact around the resort, it is advisable to keep valuables locked in your car; just like in any other major city.

Just like anywhere else in the USA, the emergency number throughout Disney World is 911. Contacting this number will get you in touch with Reedy Creek Emergency Services (the Police, fire, and ambulance service of Disney)

Contact

• Walt Disney World Dining 1-407-WDW-DINE
• Walt Disney World Fairy Tale Weddings 1-407-828-3400
• Orlando International Airport 1-407-825-2001
• Walt Disney World University 1-407-828-2850
• Hotel Babysitting 1-407 827-5444
• Walt Disney World Recreation 1-407-939-7529

See Also

• The original Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
• Disneyland Paris near Paris in France, Europe.
• Tokyo Disneyland near Tokyo in Japan.

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