By Cheryl Hunte, Travel Advisor
Introduction
Walt Disney World Resort or Disney World or simply Disney as some people call it, is located in Bay Lake Florida near to Orlando and Kissimmee and was originally conceptualized to be an addition to Disneyland in Anaheim California.
Disney itself consists of Water Parks, Themed Resort Hotels, and other entertainment venues including Disney Springs formally Downtown Disney and the main reason for visitors the 4 Themed Parks - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
At all of the parks, they are also several utility tunnels on the 1st floor and elevated above on the 2nd floor are the parks themselves, these tunnels allow the employees or as Disney calls them the Cast Members to carry out their daily duties out of sight of the park guest. The original and largest tunnel is under the Magic Kingdom with smaller ones under the others.
The Disney experience on a whole is fast paced and also can be very expensive, it should, therefore, be planned for in advance especially if travelling with a big family or group.
Theme Parks
As the name suggests, each of the theme parks has a specific theme associated with it and provides entertainment filled with fun and family adventure. The customer service goes above and beyond what you would expect. All the cast member also go out of their way to make your trip as fun and magical as possible.
It is recommended to schedule your visit to the park during the offseason, for example, when the children are in school as it is more enjoyable.
As the theme parks are for the whole family including differently abled persons, some of the rides are also wheelchair accessible, as well as some height restrictions. Strollers and wheelchairs can be rented from the booth at the front of the park. Some devices are available at guest relations, e.g. Handheld and Video Captioning and Audio Description.
Outfit Suggestions - Casual is the suggested dress code for the parks, persons should wear comfortable clothing and shoes as there will be a lot of walking. You should also stay hydrated at all times and take a sweater or coat especially if you are going to be there in the evening. Some attractions are on water so there is a high chance that you will get wet.
Fast Pass - There are at times long lines at the rides where wait time can range from 0 - 79 minutes or more, however, the Fast Pass allows you to skip the standby line. A maximum of 3 fast pass tickets can be purchased before you arrive for each day at one park. After you have used all three passes Fast Passes, you can then make another selection at any of the in-park kiosk or on the app on your phone, iPad or tablet.
Magic Kingdom - The Most Magical Place on Earth
The Magic Kingdom, was the first of the parks to open, was opened on 1st October 1971 and will be celebrating 48 years this year. It is known as the most iconic, with Cinderella’s Castle from the fairytale and 1950’s movie as the focal point.
You can also find in front of the castle a tribute statue of Walt Disney and Mickey, as well as one of Walt’s brother Roy and Minnie in the town square. The park is made up of 6 Lands with the central part located to the front of the castle.
Currently undergoing major construction at the entrance, persons will take the tram to the entrance of the park.
As you enter, guests come into the first land of Main Street where you will find shops which sell - souvenirs, merchandise and food, there is also a Barbershop, Ice Cream Parlor and a Bakery.
As you move around in anti-clockwise direction, you would find all the attractions, i.e. rides, shows and more shops. In the other lands of Adventure Land, Liberty Square, Frontier land, Fantasy Land and Tomorrow Land.
Some suggested attractions are:
Swiss Family Treehouse – Suitable for all ages, however, it is not recommended for persons with knee or severely bad back issues. This 6-story-high, approx. 116 stair tree house is inspired by the classic Disney film, Swiss Family Robinson, where the family were shipwrecked on a deserted island. You cross a bridge at the foot of a large tree and climb several handcrafted wooden stairs. You will view the living quarters and uncovered rooms depicting 19th-century articles salvaged from the wreck. Those who reach the top will adore the 360-degree view of Adventure land and Magic Kingdom Park.
Pirates of the Caribbean – This ride is on water, suitable for all ages and wheelchair accessible. You can’t help but sing along to the song, “Yo Ho, Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me).” And be in awe of replicas of Captain Jack Sparrow, from The Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
"It’s a small world" – A 10-minute water boat ride past children from around the globe.
Splash Mountain – A fun water ride, but has a height restriction. Suitable for Tweens, Teens and adults. You will get wet so be prepared.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – A speeding coaster-style train ride suitable for Tweens, Teens and adults, this ride has small dips and drops.
Haunted Mansion – Suitable for any age as it is not very scary.
Night Time Spectacular - At the end of every night, guests are entertained with a fireworks and light show named Happily Ever After.
What’s Next for Magic Kingdom
Every few years there are new rides, parades and attractions. Similar to the one in Shanghai, China, the next attraction would be TRON which will be introduced in 2021 and will coincide with Disney World’s 50th Anniversary.
Animal Kingdom
Ever-changing, the Animal Kingdom is very large. Some of the attractions include:
The Safari – Which is the largest attraction. You will have a better chance of seeing the big cats like the lions if you go at night.
The Tree of Life show – Every 8 minutes, this tree comes to life for 4 minutes with a total of 7 stories.
Avatar Flight of Passage – Based on the movie Avatar, you will become a Navi Hunter and soar on the back of a banshee. A fantastic ride for all ages.
Night Time Spectacular - River of light – With special effects and animal folklore, suitable for all ages. As to not scare or disturb the animals, there are no fireworks. However, there is a light show.
Epcot
Ignite your imagination and travel the world!
EPCOT - Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow is based on Walt Disney’s undeveloped concept for a futuristic community and turned into a theme park long after his death and is twice the size of Magic Kingdom.
Some of the attractions include:
Soarin’ Around the World – An exhilarating flight simulation of your hand gliding around the world. A must see for all ages
Mission: Space
Test Track
Night Time Spectacular - After 20 years, Sept 30th, 2019 will see the end of the Illuminations: Reflections of Earth fireworks show. However, as of Oct 1st, a new Epcot Forever Spectacular will begin for 2 years only after which a new show will begin.
What’s next for Epcot
Guardians of the Galaxy
-An inside roller coaster ride
-Meet and Greet with Rocket, Groot, Gamora etc
Ratatouille
-A ride which will depict going through the kitchen of Auguste Gusteau's restaurant
Hollywood Studios
Major renovations currently being made which should be completed by August 29th 2019.
Some of the attractions include:
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - An enclosed launched roller coaster
Star Wars Launch Bay - Launch – Meet and greet BB-8 and Chewbacca
Incredibles' meet and greet
Toy Story Land – Opened 2018 – Depicting Andy’s backyard, Slinky Dog Dash is a family coaster great for 1st-time riders
Lightning McQueen Racing Academy
What’s next for Hollywood Studios
Mickey and Minnie’s runaway railways – Spring 2020
