The Walt Disney World Resort located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando, is the flagship of Disney's worldwide theme park empire. It is, by far, the most popular theme park resort in the world. Some visitors describe it as a place of magic, wonder, and fantasy; others speak of fun, excitement, and relaxation; and still others complain of crowds, artifice, and unrelenting tackiness. As with most things, the essence of Walt Disney World lies near the intersection of those three views.
The centerpieces of Walt Disney World are the four theme parks: The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Walt Disney World also has the world's two most popular water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, both heavily themed. Two shopping and entertainment districts, Downtown Disney and Disney's Boardwalk, provide extensive shopping, dining, and entertainment options. If none of that strikes your fancy, check out some of the lesser-known activities: golf, miniature golf, tennis, boating, spas and health clubs, backstage tours, character dining, and much more.
PLACE TO VISIT
The Magic Kingdom - The Magic Kingdom is the main park, based on the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It is organized around the central landmark of Cinderella Castle, with various "lands" arrayed around a central hub. The lands are, starting from the main entrance and going clockwise around Cinderella Castle: Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Mickey's Toontown, and Tomorrowland.
Adventureland - Adventureland recalls the Victorian-era tales of exotic adventure in far-off locales. Near Main Street, the environment evokes the jungles of deepest Africa, of the type explored by David Livingstone and H.M. Stanley in the late 19th century. Walking westward, you'll pass through the Middle East and the South Pacific before arriving at the Spanish outposts on the Caribbean Sea during the Golden Age of Piracy.
The Flying Carpets of Aladdin - Guide your carpet up and down as it spins around and around, but if you don't watch out for the spitting camels, you're going to get a little wet!
Pirates of the Caribbean - The classic swashbuckling adventure along the Spanish Main now features Captain Jack Sparrow from the blockbuster film series. A bit spooky at the beginning, but once the pillaging starts, things start to get silly.
Frontierland - celebrates the United States west of the Mississippi in its 19th-century frontier years (with just a bit of rural Southern flavor). From Mark Twain's Missouri to the California Gold Rush, there's a lot of adventure packed into a small area.
Tom Sawyer Island - Take a raft ride across the Rivers of America to a pair of heavily wooded islands perfect for imaginative and adventurous play. Winding paths, a spooky cavern, a barrel bridge, and even the rustic frontier Fort Langhorn are among the many places to explore. Go ahead and let the kids run around freely; the islands are completely isolated from the rest of the park.
Liberty Square - Step back into colonial America in Liberty Square, where freedom and independence are buzzwords and powdered wigs are the height of fashion. Even the flower beds are red, white, and blue in this patriotic harbor town. A replica of the Liberty Bell sits in the central square, along with a majestic live oak serving as the local Liberty Tree, where patriots would gather to debate and plan.
Fantasyland - With the feel of a medieval faire, Fantasyland is where Disney's classic animated fairy tales come to life. It is home to many of the most iconic Disney attractions, and is nearly always very crowded.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant - Dumbo spreads his giant ears and flies around and around, and you can make him go up and down as you spin. This classic attraction has been the very first "thrill ride" for countless kids over the years.
Mickey's Toontown Fair - In 1988, for Mickey Mouse's 60th birthday, he and his pals opened up Mickey's Birthdayland, so all their fans could come celebrate with them. The idea was such a hit that they kept the place open long after the birthday party ended. Now as Mickey's Toontown Fair, the area is themed as a country fair on the outskirts of Duckburg,
Tomorrowland - Take a glance into the future in Tomorrowland, Disney's homage to the the dreams and innovations that will keep humanity moving forward. Very different from the other lands of the Magic Kingdom, Tomorrowland is all about smooth chrome architecture, strange and bizarre creatures, and thrilling spaceflight.
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 extravagant Maelstrom ride in the Norway pavilion. Future World is comprised of various "futuristic" attractions, many sponsored by various industrial concerns.
Future World - Future World is an almost park-like setting, with broad expanses of grass and/or water separating the impressively large pavilions. Each pavilion is a monument to one area of human innovation, from communication and imagination to energy and transportation. Inside the pavilions you'll find some combination of a showcase ride, a theater presentation, and/or an activity area with a number of smaller hands-on exhibits. Each pavilion can be done in 30–90 minutes, depending on crowds.
Imagination - The name says it all; the possibilities of imagination are on display here. The pavilion represents the importance of new ideas and innovative thought to the progress of humanity. Be sure to check out the jumping fountains and the backwards waterfall outside.
The Land - Perhaps the pavilion that most closely resembles Walt's original EPCOT concept, The Land is more than just a set of theme park attractions. The rear of the pavilion is actually a large working greenhouse, and it grows much of the food served at the pavilion's restaurants (and some items for other restaurants throughout Walt Disney World). The greenhouses are also involved in agricultural research, exploring new ways to grow food more efficiently.
Mission: SPACE - A centrifugal flight simulator lets you feel what it would be like to train for a journey to Mars, but it's not just a passive ride—you and the others in your capsule have tasks to do during the flight.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends - The aquarium within this pavilion was once the largest saltwater aquarium in the world; it's still impressively huge. Like the greenhouses at The Land, this is more than just a theme park attraction—the aquarium staff is engaged in research that is helping to maintain marine environments and protect ecosystems around the world. Two rescued West Indian manatees, members of one of Florida's most critically endangered species, can be found here.
Spaceship Earth - Yes, the ride really does go all the way up to the top inside that giant "golf ball", the geodesic sphere that is the icon of Epcot. This pavilion is centrally located because its focus is on human communication, without which all of the other innovations in Future World would be meaningless.
Disney's Hollywood Studios - opened in May 1989 as the third theme park of Walt Disney World. The park is themed around film and television, and features a variety of live shows and attractions based on some of the most iconic films from that era. Among the attractions are a few exceptional thrill rides, most notably The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (a 13-story-high vertical drop) and the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (a horizontal launch, 0-60 in 2.8 seconds).
Hollywood Boulevard - Hollywood Boulevard is mostly a location for shops, restaurants, and Streetmosphere, but at its far end is where you'll find the park's centerpiece attraction, the Great Movie Ride. While you're at the Chinese Theater, be sure to check out the cement plaza in front—just like at the real Chinese Theater in Hollywood, you'll find a number of celebrities have placed their handprints and signatures there.
Animation Courtyard/Pixar Place - Through the iconic gate is this courtyard, which segues into Mickey Avenue and Pixar Place as it heads toward the back of the park. There used to be working sound stages along Mickey Avenue, but they've been converted into semi-permanent exhibit space and the brand-new marquee attraction, Toy Story Mania!.
Backlot/Streets of America - The Backlot is mostly a gateway to the Studio Backlot Tour, serving to connect Pixar Place with the Streets of America. In the Streets of America, you'll find façades set up to give the illusion of walking down streets in New York City and San Francisco, using the movie-making technique called "forced perspective". These streets are also where you'll find the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights every holiday season.
Echo Lake - On one side of Echo Lake is a large steamboat, known as Min and Bill's Dockside Diner; on the other is a large dinosaur, with Dinosaur Gertie's Ice Cream of Extinction. Around the perimeter of the area are attractions based on Lucasfilm properties, restaurants, and two unique attractions housed inside soundstages.
Disney's Animal Kingdom - a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is a wildlife discovery park, organized in a Magic Kingdom-like format, with different continents revolving around the central Tree of Life. It's 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 deforestation 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.
Oasis - The Oasis is just the entrance area of the park, taking you from the gates to the central hub of Discovery Island. It's a wooded setting, with several animal enclosures; look for the giant anteater, capybaras, macaws, and many others. Make sure you take both the left and the right paths; each has different animals.
Discovery Island - is the central hub of Animal Kingdom. The Tree of Life is located here, as are the majority of the park's shops and a couple of very good restaurants. "Discovery" isn't just a name, either; if you wander off the main drag you'll find yourself in the Discovery Island Trails that wind around the base of the Tree. There you'll find a number of birds and other small animals on display.
Camp Minnie-Mickey - Themed as an old-fashioned summer camp, Camp Minnie-Mickey is a big place where kids can go to meet several Disney characters, mostly Mickey and Minnie and their friends. Ask a cast member if there's a specific character you'd like to see.
Africa - Welcome to Harambe, or as they say in this fictional east African town, "Jambo!" The detail here is incredible, from the consistent overarching storyline (of a town on the outskirts of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve) all the way down to a faded Coca-Cola advertisement painted on a wall. Take some time, if it's not too crowded, and see if you can't convince yourself you're in Africa.
Asia - Much like Africa, the Asian section is meant to represent a fictional community somewhere on that continent; in this case, it's Anandapur, a South Asian village on the edge of a jungle and not far from the Himalayas. Again, the attention to detail is incredible and worth some exploration if you have the time.
DinoLand U.S.A. - Dinosaurs play a dual role in popular culture, representing both ancient mystery and thrilling fantasy. Both aspects are represented in DinoLand U.S.A.. As the story goes, when the Dino Institute, a dinosaur research facility, opened up along a dilapidated stretch of highway, the local service station owners, Chester and Hester, had a brilliant idea. They collected material from the junkyard nearby and created a roadside attraction called Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama!
Blizzard Beach - What's a ski resort doing in central Florida? The Disney Imagineers who created Blizzard Beach claim that they built it after an unusual freak winter storm blanketed the area, only to have it experience a massive meltdown shortly thereafter. When a stray alligator splashed down the former ski jump on his belly, they realized the area would make a swell water park! Blizzard Beach is the second-most-visited water park in the world (behind only its sister park Typhoon Lagoon), and the incredibly inventive theme is a big reason why. It's almost eerie to see guests walking around in swimsuits while there's snow everywhere.
Downtown Disney - Downtown Disney is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment paradise, geared primarily towards adults. Most of the entertainment activities are found on Downtown Disney Westside. The east side, known as Downtown Disney Marketplace, is made up largely of shops.
Typhoon Lagoon - is the most-visited water park in the world. While its theme is not as whimsically inventive as that of its sister park, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon excels at providing guests a consistent and energetic setting for some of the best water rides in the world. But do keep an eye out for the unique touches the Imagineers have brought to the decor, including scattered remnants of ships' cargoes and even palm trees supposedly bent low by the hurricane!
Golf - There are two 18-hole championship golf courses in the Downtown Disney area. See "Golf" in the overview for rules and regulations. Monday through Friday, 18 holes will cost $139 if you're staying at a Disney hotel, and $164 otherwise. On weekends, add $10. Late afternoon tee times are $83 for Disney hotel guests and $98 for others.
Disney's Boardwalk - located next to Epcot, is a smaller collection of nightlife themed as a 1920's Eastern Seaboard boardwalk. The Boardwalk is also home to carnival midway games, tandem bike rentals, the Atlantic Dance Hall, and the ESPN Club.
HOW TO REACH
By Plance - Most visitors fly into Orlando International Airport. It is served by nearly all major US airlines and a wide range of international carriers. 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 Disney-owned resort hotels (prior reservations required, call 1-407-WDISNEY). Florida State Roads 528 (to the north) and 417 (to the south) link the airport with Interstate 4 which leads directly into Walt Disney World.
By car - Interstate 4 is the most direct driving route into Walt Disney World. Depending on your point of origin, the Florida Turnpike can be quite useful. This is particularly true when you might be arriving from Miami or all points south. If you will be arriving from a cruise at Port Canaveral, Florida State Road 528 links PC with I-4, with Orlando International Airport and the Turnpike en route.
By train - Amtrak's Silver Service Miami–New York City routes serve Orlando. Service is four times daily, with two trains in either direction. Northbound trains from Miami arrive at 1:43 PM and 7:08 PM; southbound trains from NYC arrive at 10:17 AM and 12:55 PM. The Auto Train, which can carry both passengers and automobiles, serves nearby Sanford non-stop from Lorton, Virginia (in the Washington, DC, metro area).
By bus - The Disney Cruise Line provides bus service to the Walt Disney World resort hotels from the DCL terminal at Port Canaveral, for passengers debarking the Disney Magic or Disney Wonder cruise ships. The one-way fare is $35 per person. For passengers debarking Carnival or Royal Caribbean International ships, other shuttle providers are available.
