Walt Disney World spans some 43 square miles in Orlando, Florida. Inside this city within a city, you find dozens of restaurants, hotels, stores, water parks and five golf courses. The theme parks are what people really come to Disney World for, of course. Disney World is much more than the Magic Kingdom that started it all. And unless you plan to spend at least a week in Orlando, you have no hope of seeing everything. That is why it is important to know what you want from Disney and plan accordingly. Part of that planning involves knowing what to expect from the theme parks.
The Magic Kingdom
The Magic Kingdom was the first theme park at Disney World. Based on the design first employed at Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom is separated into seven regions known as lands. The popular dark ride Space Mountain is in Tomorrowland, and Pirates of the Caribbean is in Adventureland, for instance. The Magic Kingdom is the best choice for families with younger children because of the many rides geared toward them in Fantasyland, such as It's a Small World and Snow White's Scary Adventure.
Magic Kingdom
3111 World Drive
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830
(407) 824-4321
disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/
Epcot
Epcot was the second theme park to open at Disney World. The park is divided into two areas, Future World and the World Showcase. Future World is made up of exhibits that focus on technology and creativity and how the future might look. The World Showcase features recreations of international villages situated around a 41-acre lagoon. The World Showcase is all about the architecture, culture and history of the countries represented, and you can buy merchandise and food related to those nations. Epcot is also home to attractions such as The Living Sea, Mission: Space and Soarin', a flight-simulation ride that is one of the most popular at Disney.
Epcot
1675 N. Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830
(407) WDW-MAGIC
disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/
Disney Hollywood
Originally called Disney-MGM Studios, this Disney theme park is constructed around the themes of movies, TV and film making. You can learn from an actual Disney animator how to draw popular characters. Live shows recreate scenes from "Indiana Jones" movies and reveal the secrets to how stunts involving vehicles are created. Two of the most popular rides are also located at Disney Hollywood--Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Aerosmith Rock 'n Roller Coaster.
Disney Hollywood
1510 N. Cove Road
Walt Disney World
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830
(407) 939-6244
disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdwi/en_GB/parks/parkLanding?id=MGMLandingPage
Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is the most recent addition to Disney World and is the largest park in the complex. In fact, Animal Kingdom covers five times the area of the Magic Kingdom. The primary draw of Animal Kingdom is the vast collection of animals that are placed as close inside their natural habitat as possible. The safari ride reveals many animals that you won't see when strolling through the park. The "Lion King" live show is incredibly popular, so plan to get in line at least a half-hour early. Dinosaur! and Expedition Everest are also popular.
Animal Kingdom
Osceola Parkway,
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830
(407) 824-4321
disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/animal-kingdom
About The Author
Timothy Sexton is an award-winning author who started writing in 1994. He has written on topics ranging from politics and golf to nutrition and travel, and his work appears online for Zappos.com, Disaboom, USAToday.com and MOJO, among others. He has also done work for "Sherlock Holmes and Philosophy." He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of West Florida.
