Walt Disney World for Dummies
Do your friends talk about Walt Disney World vacations and cause you to feel left out?
Hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to Orlando, Florida, each day to spend time at the Most Magical Place on Earth.
If you’re wondering what the fuss is about, I’m happy to help.
Here’s a guide to Walt Disney World for dummies newbies.
What Do I Need to Know About Walt Disney World?
The Walt Disney World campus resides in Orlando, roughly 15-20 miles away from Orlando International Airport, depending on where you stay.
This Disney destination consists of four theme parks, including the most popular one in the world, Magic Kingdom.
Why is Magic Kingdom so popular? It features iconic attractions like Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, and Haunted Mansion.
However, other Disney parks operate theme park attractions that you’ll enjoy just as much if not more.
Disney rarely tampers with the classics, but it gives Imagineers free rein on new projects.
For this reason, Avatar Flight of Passage, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Slinky Dog Dash have wowed guests with their innovative ride experiences.
You’ll find Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a place that combines theme park and zoo elements.
At times, you’ll play with the animals. Yes! There’s even a petting zoo!
Once you’re done with that, you’ll jump on thrill rides like Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios has surged in popularity in recent years due to its recent upgrades, most recognizably Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
That themed land functions like an actual outpost in the Star Wars universe.
You can join The Resistance or bring them under your heel as a member of The First Order.
This park also includes Toy Story Land, a place that shrinks guests down to the size of toys and lets them board three spectacular rides.
Oh, and the first-ever Mickey Mouse attraction runs at Hollywood Studios, too! It’s called Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
The fourth park is the one that casual adults favor. At EPCOT, the World Showcase offers some of the best drinking and dining options anywhere.
Plus, you can ride Frozen Ever After while you’re there!
What Do I Need to Visit the Parks?
You don’t need individual tickets to ride Disney attractions. Instead, you’ll purchase a single admission ticket that provides access to everything.
For a modest upcharge, you can add Park Hopping as an option, something I highly recommend.
With a regular admission ticket, you can visit one Walt Disney World theme park. You’ll have plenty to do, especially as a first-time visitor.
Once you’ve done everything, you may desire a change of scenery, though. That’s where Park Hopper comes into play.
This kind of ticket allows you to leave one Disney theme park and visit any of the other three. Later, you can even return to the first park if you like!
Park Hopping empowers guests with the ability to adapt on the fly when the lines are too long somewhere. It’s entirely optional, though.
For many first-time guests, regular admission tickets are perfectly fine.
You will need a Park Pass during your visit, though. Disney introduced this system when it reopened during the pandemic.
Park Passes prevent overcrowding issues at Walt Disney World, a laudable and necessary goal.
At the time of publication, COVID-19 concerns are dissipating in scope. Even so, Disney offers Park Passes into 2023, suggesting this system is semi-permanent.
You should lock in your vacation dates and then schedule Park Passes as soon as possible to avoid getting shut out.
Also, please know that you can switch parks with the Park Hopper option.
Disney allows this at 2 p.m. each day, presuming the next park isn’t at capacity.
Should I Eat at the Parks?
YES! The food at Disney theme parks is ridiculously good. I realize that theme park cuisine comes with a less than sterling reputation.
However, that perception applies to Disney’s competitors. Walt Disney World restaurants are so good that others have had to up their games to compete.
When you visit a Disney theme park, you have the choice to eat there or leave and dine at a nearby hotel or Disney Springs restaurant.
You’ll have literally hundreds of options for each meal, and you cannot go wrong for the most part.
At Magic Kingdom, you can dine at places like Be Our Guest, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Café.
Hollywood Studios isn’t quite on the level of the other three parks in terms of restaurant depth.
Still, it hosts two of my favorites, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater and 50’s Prime Time Café.
You can eat here, but you can just as easily take the Disney Skyliner to somewhere better.
At Animal Kingdom, Satu’li Canteen, Flame Tree Barbecue, and Yak & Yeti Restaurant will dazzle your palate.
Of course, EPCOT claims the title as the crown jewel of Disney dining. At the World Showcase, you’ll find several pavilions serving decadent international cuisine.
Whether you’re in the mood for Italian, French, Chinese, Mexican, German, or Japanese food, you’ll find it here.
Also, EPCOT is even better when it hosts one of its expos, like the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.
Pop-up kiosks during these events serve even more flavorful food, usually for $10 or less. It’s the best meal deal at Disney.
Should I Stay at a Disney Resort?
YES!!!
The amenities at Disney resorts would justify the decision on their own. What you’ll really love as a Disney fan is the theming, though.
At official Disney hotels, Imagineers tell stories that start with the foundation and end with the room décor.
For example, at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, you’ll escape to an island paradise, even though you can see Magic Kingdom from the beach.
Disney built a hotel comprised of several buildings, each of which features a distinctive island vibe. Then, it added some Disney magic in the rooms.
Some of the hotel rooms have recently received theming to Moana, the beloved Disney animated movie.
Others pay tribute to Lilo & Stitch, a slightly older but equally popular Disney animated release.
When you reach this hotel, you’ll receive a lei, just as if you were staying at an exotic locale in the South Pacific.
You’ll admire the hotel lobby, the Great Ceremonial House, that honors the traditions of Samoan culture. It includes restaurants and shops that will dazzle you.
You can even buy a Dole Whip at a restaurant connected to the lobby! Then, you’ll walk a sandy path to your hotel room, which continues the Disney theming.
Moana/Lilo & Stitch imagery adorns the walls, with bedding that ties into the styles from the films. You’re basically spending the night in a Disney movie!
Plus, you receive unique benefits by staying at an official Disney hotel.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World, guests receive theme park admission 30 minutes before people who aren’t staying at Disney hotels.
You can speak with a MickeyTravels agent to book a Disney resort at an affordable price.
Their services are free to you, and they’ll know how to hook you up with the best deal.
How Many Days Should I Spend at Walt Disney World?
That’s entirely up to you! You can spend fourteen days and still never run out of things to do.
You can also visit a single park on a single day and fall in love with the magic of Walt Disney World.
One of Disney’s most popular ticket packages offers single-day access to each of the parks via four days’ worth of admission.
In other words, your ticket entitles you to one day at Magic Kingdom, another at EPCOT, and so forth.
Personally, I think that’s not enough. I would suggest a standard seven days, six nights vacation, as that allows you to maximize your visit.
You’ll spend the first four days familiarizing yourself with Disney’s theme parks.
Then, you’ll still have another three days to go back and do the stuff you missed. Also, you can re-ride all the stuff you fell in love with the first time!
Realistically, once you visit Walt Disney World, you’ll understand why it’s so popular and want to return as soon as possible.
I go to Disney at least twice a year…and it’s still never enough!
Feature Image Rights: Disney