Welcome to the most magical place on earth! Walt Disney World located in Orlando, Florida. Having been a Florida resident for over a decade, frequent visits to Disney were inevitable especially with friends and family from out of town. The Disney annual pass came in extremely handy! Over time, I learned a few tricks on how to make my repeat visits more fun and enjoyable especially during the brutal Florida summers.
Walt Disney World consists of 4 theme parks called Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios , 2 water parks called Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, Downtown Disney and over 30 resorts which include Vacation club villas for all budgets. Dedicating just a day at the parks is just not enough if you want to get the complete magical experience. A little bit of advance planning can definitely take you a long way. Keep on reading…
MAGIC KINGDOM:
Magic Kingdom opened its doors in 1971 as first of the four theme parks at Disney World. Ever since, it welcomes over 20 million visitors annually, making it the most visited theme park in the world. Now, the big question is what’s so magical about it? I mean it’s just a theme park, right? Well not quite and let me tell you why. The magical experience begins as soon as you step foot on Disney’s property. From the parking lot employees dressed in their peculiar uniforms to the ferry boat ride, it is all part of the experience. Once you are inside the park, you won’t miss the massive Cinderella castle. Before you go too far, I would highly suggest you pick up a map of the park and a times guide to get information regarding shows and character appearances, yea, Mickey needs a break too. The park is basically divided into 6 themed lands which are: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasy Land and lastly Tomorrow land. Guys, to be honest, there is a LOT to do and can very easily get overwhelming, however, a little positivity and a rough plan can certainly make your experience fun. Here are my recommendations of things you must not miss:-
-Picture on Main Street with the Cinderella Castle in the background
-Grab a Mickey or Minnie mouse shaped ice cream bar, and get a photo clicked with your favorite character in Main Street
-The Magic Carpets of Aladdin in Adventure Land
-Walk around Tom Sawyer Island and ride the Splash Mountain in Frontier Land
-Cruise the rivers of America at Liberty Square
-Meet more of your favorite Disney Princesses (hooraayy), fly with Peter Pan abroad a magical ship and dine at Cinderella’s Royal Table (reserve and once more reserve ahead!) all at Fantasy Land
-LOL at a live Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor comedy show and get on a speedway at Tomorrow Land
ANIMAL KINGDOM:
For all the animal and nature lovers, this park is for you. Animal Kingdom is the largest theme park in the world! The park’s icon is the Tree of Life, a 145 feet tall artificial tree. My favorite part has to be the Kilimanjaro Safaris. It is a bumpy ride where you get to see wild animals such as lion, giraffes, zebras, African elephants, etc. The park is divided into 6 sections which are called Oasis, Discovery Island, Pandora- The World of Avatar, Africa, Asia and Dinoland USA. The Festival of the Lion King is another one not to miss. I guarantee you will be singing and clapping during the show. As you head to Asia, experience traveling through turbulent rivers of a jungle landscape on a wet raft ride called Kali River Rapids and finish it off with delicious Chicken tikka masala (it was yummy!) from the Yak & Yeti restaurant.
EPCOT:
“Travel around the globe, under the sea, into Outer Space….and beyond!”. Someday I will travel the world but until then, Epcot does it for me. I get to taste all kinds of food and drinks from around the world without having to leave the country! They also run an International Food and wine festival from end of August till November, if you are a foodie then you definitely don’t want to miss this event! Now just like the other Disney parks, Epcot is divided into different sections which are Future World East, Future World West, Showcase Plaza and World Showcase. As you enter the park, the first thing you will notice is a gigantic white golf ball which is called Spaceship Earth. I would highly recommend this ride, Mission Space and Test Track all located in Future World East.
Future World West has another one of my favorite section, The Seas with Nemo & Friends which also has a 5.7 million gallon aquarium! Showcase Plaza and World Showcase have different sections representing various countries from all over the world such as Morocco, Italy, Germany, China, etc. The employees at each pavilion are dressed according to the country they represent, everything from the architecture to the food give you an illusion that you are indeed in a different part of the world, it is just amazing! A little birdie told me that there a margarita stand opening up at Epcot soon.
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:
Ever wondered how movies are made? Or what happens behind the scenes? Hollywood Studios is a park dedicated to the show business which includes film, television, music, and theater. Lights…camera…action! If you are a Star Wars fanatic, I would suggest taking a Star Wars Guided Tour to enjoy the full force. Hollywood Studios has 7 sections which are Hollywood Boulevard, Echo lake, Muppets Courtyard, Commissary Lane, Pixar Place, Animation Courtyard, and Sunset Boulevard. Here are my recommendations:
-For all the young Frozen fans, stop by the Echo Lake section for a show called For the First Time in Forever: A “Frozen” Sing-Along Celebration and for the future super heroes, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.
-Experience the magic of the Muppets in a 3-D show at Muppets Courtyard.
-You can also meet Mickey and Minnie at Commissary Lane and dine in at a Sci-Fi Dine-in theater restaurant.
-Voyage of the Little Mermaid, a live show at the Animation Courtyard.
-Rock n Roller coaster starring Aerosmith and a Beauty and the Beast live show at the Sunset Boulevard
Walt Disney World also has 2 water parks called Typhoon Lagoon water park and Blizzard Beach. If you are looking to beat the Florida heat, you will love these parks! For all those who are planning a trip to Disney World in Florida, check out my previous post on Florida here. As promised here are my tips that might be helpful during your visit.
I love this guide. Having grown up in So Cal, I too have attended Disney there many times. Never to Florida though – and I know this will come in handy this summer when we visit. Thanks again!
I went a couple of years ago and LOVEDDDD it! I plan to go again sometime in the future.
Disney World is such a magical place . I honestly had no idea they were so many parts of it ! I appreciate the tips for first timers so that it can be a memorable experience 🙂
Thinking of taking the little one soon and this will be a perfect guide. Thank you!
I love this! I live 15 minutes away from Disney and I have never gotten tired of it. Nice post!
Definitely wanna take my kiddos when they are a little older so they can fully enjoy everything!
We go to Disney at least once a year but only stayed at a resort for the first time in January. It was so convenient to use the shuttle!
What a great list… I cant wait to take my family to disney!!! I love reading other people advice on the topic… its so huge and for a trip I always think I want to do it right!
I’ve never been to Disneyland. I would love to go there.
great guide! I haven’t been since I was little but I imagine one day taking my own there.
I LOVE this guide! It is laid out so well with the must-dos! I love the tip about buying souvenirs outside the park — thats what we did too! I think so many people are also unaware how to use the Fast Passes! We love Disney, cannot wait to go back again already!
I love Disney World so much! I’ve been 4 times! This makes me want to return so much
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Awesome tips! Will definitely keep them in mind when I visit Disneyland!
thanks for the tips. I never thought about groupon. we are going to disney in 3 months definitely going to bookmark this.
Going here is a plan for myself and the wife next year…2018. I never knew there was a 5.7 million gallon aquarium. I will definitely check that out. Thanks for sharing, awesome article!!!
Amazing pictures, i like the big tree and the picture with the planes, i think its epic i’m glad you had fun!
It is on my bucket list to go to Disney; this will be very useful for when I finally get to go!
I had Disney on my mind this week too!! This is a great quick reference guide of some must do activities!
I am so jealous. I am a Disney blogger too but I’m strictly Disneyland. I am pinning this to my Disney Board because its a really helpful guide. I will use it when I finally visit WDW.
Defiantly book marking for when I finally get to go to Disney!
We go right after Thanksgiving to celebrate my daughter’s 10th birthday! So excited to see all the new stuff – especially Pandora!!!
I love Disney world! I’d love to visit one day, the animal kingdom is one place I always dream off xx
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I sooo want to go to Disney. I’m in LA right now and I’m too tuckered out from Universal to do another theme park while I’m here. BUT, I think it’s worth waiting until I can go to World instead of Land. Thanks for this!
I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that in my 33 years of life, I have yet to go to WDW…even though I’ve been to Orlando multiple times lol. I have friends who are Disney obsessed, and say I need to go. Your post solidified their opinion. I need to make it there!
I’m actually planning a trip to Disney next month. These tips were perfect. Thank you!
I’ve been going to Disney World since before I can even remember. It is such an amazing place, and always gives me such a positive feeling. Magic Kingdom is always going to be my favorite park. I love the traditional Disney aspects of it! I have been lucky enough to travel To Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disney, but the WDW Magic Kingdom is still my favorite!
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Would love to visit. Sounds like a beautiful place. Need to put it on my bucket list. Thanks for sharing.!
This is very informative! I’m gonna have to plan a trip for next summer! Great post!
Super post. samo tako nastavi 😉
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I think I went to childhood seeing that picture of Disney castle 😀 Really useful tips specially for the first timers 🙂
Saving this, I will need it when I visit Disney soon!
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I’m a total Disney world addict! I also love Kilimanjaro safaris 🙂 just wanted to note that downtown Disney is now called Disney Springs, just to avoid confusion 🙂
How many days do you recommend to visit all the parks and water parks. Realistically to walk away feeling like you haven’t missed anything? We have been to Disneyland a few times now and are hoping to head to disneyworld next
Oh Disneyland. I always love this place. So much fun and I can also make my dad walk a lot for exercise lol. I wish I can buy a ticket to go back to my childhood…….
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