Disney World Orlando is the mac-daddy of the theme parks and the largest of all the Disney theme parks in the world. Disneyland in California doesn’t come close to the scale of Orlando’s hub of all things Mickey Mouse.
Disney World Orlando is comprised of four main theme parks
- Magic Kingdom: Home to Cinderella’s iconic castle, this park revolves around five different “lands.” It has a great selection of iconic Disney and rides that children of all ages in your family can enjoy.
- Epcot: Visit the countries of the world as you travel around various country-themed spots that make up Epcot. The huge silver ball houses fun technology and games to keep the kids occupied when exploring the cultures and countries loses its charm.
- Hollywood Studios: Formerly MGM, this park is easily navigated in half a day and includes simply rides and shows related to the Disney movies you and your children have watched a million times over.
- Animal Kingdom: The newest of the four main parks, Animal Kingdom is a nice mixture of a zoo-type environment and a theme park with fun rides and informative exhibits about animals from around the world. Hands-on animals shows are the highlight here!
The Other Two Disney Orlando Parks
- Blizzard Beach: Has one of the world’s fastest and tallest waterslides for the adventurous, as well as a slew of other smaller slides and rides for all ages. The park is themed as if there was a blizzard of snow covering everything and you can toboggan down the mountainsides.
- Typhoon Lagoon: Tons of waterslides and a really great children’s area, the real highlight is shark reef where you can swim with real sharks! The park’s wave pool is also pretty epic (and the largest in the world).
How to Plan Your Disney Vacation?
This can be the most stressful part about planning a Florida vacation, planning a trip to the theme parks can be quite the headache, so start early and do your search to find the options that work best for your family. People from all over the world travel to Orlando to visit the parks, so there is, quite literally, an option for every price bracket and every special need.
Check out our General Theme Park tips for ideas on what to wear, what to bring, average Orlando weather, and a whole lot of other frequently wondered questions and advice!
Which Parks Should You Choose?
Disney theme park tickets get cheaper the more days you buy. Park Hopper tickets are your best option if you want to spend several days at Disney and really get the most of your experience. The transportation between parks is amazingly efficient, and air conditioned, so you can easily and effectively visit several parks in one day to get the best fireworks and show specials offered during your visit.
Where Should You Stay?
On Disney property is the most fun and by far the easiest option since Disney has free transportation between all of the parks and resorts. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the range of accommodation available on Disney property; there are a handful of fantastic high-end resorts as well as a range of value budget resorts, and everything in between those two!
Also, staying on property has other benefits besides ease of transportation, Disney offers Extra Magic Hours for on-property guests every single day. These Extra Magic Hours rotate between each of the four main parks. Consider two options: (1) arrive an hour early to the park of choice and get in a lot of rides first thing (2) avoid the Extra Magic Hours park because this one will have the most visitors and spend that day at one of the other main parks!
Can Someone Plan This For You?
Yes! There are amazingly full-service organizations that will take care of every single travel planning detail so all you have to do is pack up the family and travel to Florida! In fact, if you want to visit several of the Orlando area theme parks contacting a travel agent can be your best option for special rates and combo packages.
Insider Tips You May Not Know About?
You bet! Disney is a conquerable beast and if you know some of the extra services and insider tips it has a huge impact on your enjoyment levels in the park.
- Child Swap: Rides with height restrictions offer a child swap for the adults. To do this, the whole family stands in line, then when you get to the front, one adult goes on the ride (with any eager, tall-enough, children). Then, when the ride is over the adults “swap” the child not tall enough for the ride and the other adult can now ride!
- Fast Passes: This is the top tip! In fact, I am shocked by the number of visitors not taking advantage of the Fast Pass rides. Keep your Disney entrance tickets handy and then on select rides throughout the park you can insert your ticket and a “Fast Pass” ticket pops out (remember to take your entrance ticket back out too!). The Fast Pass allows you to return to that ride during a specific time period and you will have little to no wait when you return. The catch, you can only do one Fast Pass at a time, so plan accordingly!
- Food and drink are allowed in the parks! You can bring snacks and drinks into the park. Food is very expensive at Disney, and the heat can be debilitating if you don’t stay hydrated, so why not bring a small backpack of goodies to keep the family happy when you’re waiting in long lines.
- Extra Magic Hours are before and after closing. Guest staying on Disney property are treated to rotating Extra Magic hours. One of the four parks each day will open one hour earlier than the rest. Also, Extra Magic Evening Hours can extend for as long as three hours after park closing.