Read an Excerpt
What Is Disney World-yet
We may be biased, but we think Walt Disney World (WDW), in Orlando, Florida, is the best collection of theme parks on Earth. Its combined size, quality, and ambition go far beyond that of any other amusement park or theme park you may have seen.
If this is your first visit, you’re probably familiar with Disney World through Disney’s theme park advertising. It’s great at showing families enjoying exciting rides and meeting its famous characters. But 30-second ads don’t convey where to find those rides and characters.
Walt Disney World has four theme parks. If you’re familiar with any of them, it’s probably the Magic Kingdom—the first one built and the one most people think of when they hear the words Disney World. The other three theme parks are EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Walt Disney World also contains two water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. But there’s more: over three dozen hotels and a campground; more than 100 restaurants; a massive year-round sports center; an outdoor mall/entertainment/hotel complex called Disney Springs; six convention centers; four golf courses; and an array of spas, recreation options, and other activities.
How Big Is Walt Disney World-yet
Walt Disney World is huge—around 43 square miles, about double the size of Manhattan and slightly smaller than Miami.
For easy reference, we (and Disney) use the theme parks as rough guides to locations within Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom Resort Area, for example, is about 7 square miles and contains the Magic Kingdom theme park and nearby hotels, restaurants, golf courses, and entertainment. The EPCOT Resort Area is roughly 1.5 square miles and contains the EPCOT theme park, nearby hotels and restaurants, and so on. Most of these areas are separated by miles of barely developed Central Florida swampland.
The areas are so far apart that it’s not possible to walk between them. Instead, you’ll usually get around via the Walt Disney World transportation system’s fleet of buses, boats, cars, monorail trains (monorails), and aerial trams. In fact, Disney World’s bus system is the third largest in Florida, behind Jacksonville’s and Miami’s. The Disney transportation system is so large that Part Nine of this book is dedicated to it.
Because of Walt Disney World’s size, it would probably take around two weeks to explore most of it. Most families don’t have two weeks to spare, so we’ll tell you the best things to see in the time you have.
The Major Theme Parks
The Magic Kingdom
When most people think of Walt Disney World, they think of the Magic Kingdom, opened in 1971. It consists of Cinderella Castle and adventures, rides, and shows featuring the Disney cartoon characters. It’s only one element of Disney World, but it remains the heart.
The Magic Kingdom is divided into six “lands” arranged around a central hub. First you come to Main Street, U.S.A., which connects the Magic Kingdom entrance with the hub. Arranged clockwise around the hub are Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. The Magic Kingdom has more rides, shows, and entertainment than any other WDW theme park. A comprehensive tour takes two days; a tour of the highlights can be done in one full day.
Five hotels (Bay Lake Tower, the Contemporary, Polynesian Village, the Grand Floridian Resort, and The Villas at the Grand Floridian) are connected to the Magic Kingdom by monorail and boat. Three other hotels, Shades of Green (for the US military and their families), Wilderness Lodge (incorporating the Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek time-share units), and Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, are located nearby but are served by boat and bus instead of monorail.
EPCOT
Opened in October 1982, EPCOT is twice as big as the Magic Kingdom and comparable in scope. It has two major areas: Future World consists of pavilions concerning human creativity, technological advancement, and—increasingly—cartoon characters; World Showcase, arranged around a 40-acre lagoon, presents the architectural, social, and cultural heritages of almost a dozen nations, each country represented by replicas of famous landmarks and settings familiar to world travelers.
The EPCOT resorts—the BoardWalk Inn & Villas, Dolphin, Swan, Swan Reserve, Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, and Beach Club Villas—are within a 5- to 15-minute walk of the International Gateway, the World Showcase entrance to the theme park. The hotels are also linked to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios by boat and walkway. EPCOT is connected to the Magic Kingdom and its hotels by monorail. An elevated ski lift–like gondola system called the Skyliner links EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Disney’s Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera Resorts.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Opened in 1989 in an area a little larger than the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) has two main sections. One area, occupying about 50% of the Studios, is a theme park focused on the motion picture, music, and television industries. Park highlights include a re-creation of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards from Hollywood’s Golden Age, several rides and musical shows, and a movie stunt show.
The other half of DHS is two immersive lands based on popular Disney film franchises. Toy Story Land opened in 2018 with two highly themed but relatively simple rides for children. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which opened in August 2019, has two state-of-the-art, large rides for older children, teens, and adults.
DHS is connected to other Walt Disney World areas by highway, boat, and Skyliner but not by monorail. Guests can park in DHS’s pay parking lot or commute by bus; guests at EPCOT resort hotels can reach DHS by boat, on foot, or by Skyliner.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
About five times the size of the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom combines zoological exhibits with rides, shows, and live entertainment. The park is arranged in a hub-and-spoke configuration somewhat like the Magic Kingdom. A lush tropical rainforest serves as Main Street, funneling visitors to Discovery Island, the park’s hub. Dominated by the park’s central icon, the 14-story-tall, hand-carved Tree of Life, Discovery Island offers services, shopping, and dining. From there, guests can access the themed areas: Africa, Asia, and DinoLand U.S.A. Discovery Island, Africa, and DinoLand U.S.A. opened in 1998, followed by Asia in 1999. Africa, the largest themed area at 100 acres, is home to free-roaming herds in a re-creation of the Serengeti Plain.
Pandora—The World of Avatar, based on James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar, is the most significant recent expansion. Its biggest draws may be the animals and scenery—including “floating mountains” and glow-in-the-dark plants—which Disney has replicated from the movie. See Part Thirteen for full details. Disney’s Animal Kingdom has its own parking lot and is connected to other Walt Disney World destinations by the Disney bus system. Although no hotels lie within Animal Kingdom proper, the All-Star Resorts, Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas, and Coronado Springs Resort are all nearby.
The Water Parks Disney World has two major water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Opened in 1989, Typhoon Lagoon is distinguished by a wave pool capable of making 6-foot waves. Blizzard Beach opened in 1995 and features more slides. Both parks pay great attention to atmosphere and aesthetics. Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach have their own parking lots and can be reached by Disney bus.
COVID tip: The Blizzard Beach water park was open at press time, while no opening date was available for Typhoon Lagoon.
Other Walt Disney World Venues
Disney Springs
Themed to evoke a Florida waterfront town, Disney Springs encompasses four areas, each with shopping, dining, and entertainment: the Marketplace, on the east; the West Side, on (surprise!) the west; The Landing, on the waterfront; and Town Center.
The Marketplace contains the country’s largest store selling Disney-character merchandise; upscale resort-wear and specialty shops; and numerous restaurants. The West Side is a diverse mix of nightlife, shopping, dining, and notable entertainment. That entertainment includes a dedicated Cirque du Soleil show found only at Disney World, although an opening date has not been announced.
The Landing offers additional shopping and arguably the best dining options in Disney Springs. These include The Boathouse, an upscale waterfront seafood eatery, with better steaks than anything nearby; Morimoto Asia, a high-quality, midpriced table-service restaurant from Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto; Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, a restaurant from celebrity chef and Florida native Art Smith that features local farm-to-table ingredients, traditional Southern cooking, and excellent cocktails; and Wine Bar George, serving tasty Mediterranean small plates and a well-curated list of affordable wines.
Disney Springs includes three multistory parking garages, with short walks to the middle of the action. It is also accessible via Disney transportation from Disney resort hotels and theme parks.
Disney’s BoardWalk
Near EPCOT, the BoardWalk is an idealized replication of a 1930s East Coast waterfront resort. Open all day, the BoardWalk features upscale restaurants, shops and galleries, a brewpub, and an ESPN sports bar. In the evening, a nightclub with dueling pianos and a DJ dance club join the lineup. Both are for guests age 21 and up only. There’s no admission fee for the BoardWalk, but the piano bar levies a cover charge at night. This area is anchored by the BoardWalk Inn & Villas, along with its adjacent convention center.
COVID tip: At press time, both the piano bar and dance club remain closed.
The BoardWalk is within walking distance of the EPCOT resorts, EPCOT’s International Gateway, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Boat transportation is available to and from EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Skyliner connects the BoardWalk to the Studios and the hotels on its route, and buses serve other Walt Disney World locations.
Disney Cruise Line: The Mouse at Sea
Disney launched (literally) its own cruise line in 1998 with the 2,400-passenger Disney Magic. Three more ships were added, and three more will join the soon-to-be seven-ship fleet starting in 2022. Most cruises depart from Port Canaveral, Florida (about a 90-minute drive from Walt Disney World), or from Miami on three-, four-, and seven-night itineraries. Bahamian and Caribbean cruises include a day at Castaway Cay, Disney’s 1,000-acre private island. Cruises can be packaged with a stay at Disney World. Disney offers a free online video at disneyplanning.com to help familiarize you with Disney Cruise Line cruises.
To get the most out of your cruise, check out The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line, by Erin Foster with Len Testa and Ritchey Halphen.
