Let’s Answer Some of Your Tourist Questions
Once a year, I like to answer a series of the most popular questions regarding Walt Disney World.
Recently, I discussed basic questions people have about their visits.
This time, let’s answer some often-asked tourist questions about Walt Disney World.
Are Seniors Okay at Disney World?
There’s a general answer to this one, which is, “Obviously!”
Then, I’ll add the context of a personal anecdote. A few years ago, my niece participated in a cheerleading competition at Disney.
Such events occur regularly at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which often leads to this question.
Proud parents and sometimes even great-grandparents want to watch these unforgettable moments in person.
Families naturally wonder whether their elders will handle all the walking and humidity at the parks.
Well, I can say from my experience my 80-something mother handled the trip just fine.
Now, she’ll probably live to be 100 (no joke), which means she’s a different breed.
Should your family members need assistance, that won’t be a problem!
Disney offers many options to keep older guests comfortable during a park visit.
So, the answer is yes! Seniors aren’t just okay at Disney. They’ll have their most fun in ages!
That’s the power of the family vacation.
Does Disney Have Any Pet-Friendly Resorts?
Yes! In fact, MickeyBlog’s Sarah Trimpe wrote this article in February.
Trimpe, who is also a MickeyTravels agent, noted that the following properties welcome dogs:
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans – Riverside
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Those of you who own cats or want to stay at a different resort also have excellent options.
Best Friends Pet Care Hotel, a Disney-owned and operated facility, is just down the street.
How Is the Weather at Disney World?
Well, that’s a moving target. The short answer is that Florida is probably warmer and more humid than where you live.
Also, unless you’re in London or Seattle, it’s probably a bit rainier, too. Oh, and Hurricane Season is a thing, although rarely a bother.
Specifically, what you need to know when planning your vacation is historical trending.
When I write the “What Will Disney Be Like in…” articles, I rely on Weather Spark, which tracks years of Central Florida weather data.
I highly recommend that you use this information as a baseline for your trip.
Is Grocery Delivery Allowed at Disney Hotels?
Yes! I wrote in detail about this topic in January.
The gist is that you can use major delivery services like Shipt, Amazon Prime, DoorDash, and Walmart+ to ship your items.
Your vendor will drop off your items at Bell Services.
From there, you can pick them up yourself or pay $6 to have them delivered to the room.
Please understand that the $6 fee applies to any delivery. It’s not just a one-time fee.
Still, you can save enough money on bottled water, snacks, and suntan lotion alone to make this a bargain.
Which Disney Rides Have Videos/Pictures?
In case you don’t know, various Disney attractions include moments where a hidden capture will snap a photo.
Sometimes, Disney will capture a few seconds of on-ride footage as part of a video presentation as well.
Here’s the current list of attractions with ride photos/pictures:
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- DINOSAUR
- Expedition Everest
- Frozen Ever After
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Space Mountain
- Test Track
- Tron Lightcycle / Run
- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Also, since Splash Mountain made the on-ride picture famous, the presumption is that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will include one as well.
That’s pure speculation on my part, though. Disney hasn’t confirmed anything yet.
Which Disney World Park Is the Biggest/Smallest?
This is a really good and also super-important question.
You should possess this knowledge before entering the parks because it’ll impact your visits.
The answer depends on what you mean by biggest.
In terms of attendance, Magic Kingdom is THE most trafficked theme park on the planet.
So, you should calibrate your expectations about a park visit here. You’ll find lots of people at the parks.
Thankfully, Magic Kingdom attractions are so plentiful that you’ll rarely encounter bottlenecks.
In terms of size, Disney’s Animal Kingdom covers 500 acres, compared to Magic Kingdom’s 142 acres.
And that Magic Kingdom number is arguably inflated. Some reports list it at 107 or 125 acres.
At roughly 300 acres, EPCOT is technically bigger than Magic Kingdom, while Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the smallest at 135 acres.
Circling back to attendance, Hollywood Studios will feel like the second-most crowded park due to its size and the popularity of its attractions.
Conversely, the primary times when Animal Kingdom will feel smaller are at Kali River Rapids on a hot day and at Pandora – The World of Avatar on any day.
Why Is Disney in Florida?
Kids, gather ‘round, and your Uncle David will tell you a story about a land grab in Florida.
You see, a visionary named Walt Disney quickly realized that lots of businesspeople who weren’t him were taking advantage of Disneyland.
The park grew so popular so quickly that the surrounding land became too expensive for Disney.
So, Mr. Disney went shopping for the cheapest land in America, which he found in the swamps of Florida.
Disney needed more than cheap land, though. He’d quickly deduced that the Anaheim government wasn’t always a friend.
For an East Coast theme park to work, Disney needed self-governance.
Since Florida had far too much swampland and far too few tourist attractions at the time, the lawmakers happily cut a deal.
Disney gained autonomy over its Central Florida land, while Florida became one of the most popular tourist destinations in America.
A couple of years ago, that part of the story took a turn, but let’s not get sidetracked.
Disney chose Florida as the home of Walt Disney World for two reasons: cheap land and self-governance. It’s boring but true.
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