List of Maps and Diagrams

Introduction

Part 1: Walt Disney World: An Overview

Part 2: Planning Before You Leave Home

Part 3: Making the Most of Your Time

Part 4: Making the Most of Your Money

Part 5: Accommodations

Part 6: Dining in and Around Walt Disney World

Part 7: Walt Disney World with Kids

Part 8: Tips for Varied Circumstances

Part 9: Arriving and Getting Around

Part 10: Bare Necessities

Part 11: The Magic Kingdom

Part 12: Epcot

Part 13: Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Part 14: Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Part 15: The Water Parks

Part 16: Behind-the-Scenes and VIP Tours

Part 17: Disney Springs, Shopping, and Nightlife

Part 18: Recreation and Spas

Accommodations Index

Restaurant Index

Subject Index

Touring Plans

Six Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide:

• An in-depth look at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: attractions, dining, shopping, and touring strategies
• At-a-glance summaries of the key information covered in each chapter
• Tips on where to find the best, most honest discounts on Disney tickets and hotel rooms—which could save you much more than the cost of this book
• Exclusive patented, field-tested touring plans that save up to 4 hours in line in a single day, plus free online customization to match your family’s plan
• Tips on how to use Disney’s new Genie+ ride reservation system to cut down on waits in line
• Expert reviews of Walt Disney World restaurants, bars, and lounges, backed by more than 160,000 reader surveys from the past year

What Is Disney World?

We may be biased, but we think Walt Disney World (WDW), in Orlando, Florida, is the best collection of theme parks anywhere. Its size, quality, theming, and ambition go far beyond that of any other amusement park or theme park you may have seen.

You might be familiar with commercials for Disney’s theme parks. These are great at showing families bonding over exciting rides and meeting famous characters, but 30-second ads don’t convey where to find those rides and characters, how long you’ll stand in line, or how much money this magical visit will cost. That’s where this book comes in. We give you all of the information you need to know, in a format that you can refer back to as you continue to plan, book, and then take your vacation.

Let’s start with the basics! Walt Disney World has four theme parks. If you think of Walt Disney World, the park that probably comes to mind is the Magic Kingdom—the first one built and the one most people think of when they hear the words Disney World. The other three theme parks are EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Walt Disney World also boasts two water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. But wait, there’s more: over three dozen hotels and a campground; more than 100 restaurants; a massive year-round sports center; an outdoor mall/entertainment/hotel complex called Disney Springs; six convention centers; four golf courses; and an array of spas, recreation options, and other activities. Phew!

How Big Is Walt Disney World?

Walt Disney World is massive—around 43 square miles, about double the size of Manhattan and slightly smaller than Miami.

We like to use the theme parks as rough guideposts for the locations of other places within Walt Disney World. For example, the Magic Kingdom Resort Area is about 7 square miles and contains the Magic Kingdom theme park and nearby hotels, restaurants, golf courses, and entertainment.

The theme parks are miles apart, separated by barely-developed Central Florida swampland—so you’ll either need a car to get around or you can use the Walt Disney World transportation system’s fleet of buses, boats, vans, monorails, and aerial gondolas (the Skyliner). Disney World’s bus system is the third largest in Florida, behind Jacksonville’s and Miami’s. Its transportation system is so large (and complex) that Part 9 of this book is dedicated to it.

Because of Walt Disney World’s size and everything there is to do, it would take at least two weeks to thoroughly explore most of it. Two weeks at Disney is way outside of the budget for most families, so we’ll tell you the best things to see in the time you have available.

The Major Theme Parks

The Magic Kingdom

Opened in 1971, the Magic Kingdom is the original Walt Disney World theme park. Here you’ll find Cinderella Castle, along with other entertainment and rides, mostly featuring Disney characters. It’s only one piece of Disney World, but it remains the heart.

The Magic Kingdom is divided into six “lands” arranged around a central hub. First you come to Main Street, U.S.A., which connects the park entrance with the hub. Arranged clockwise around the hub are Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland.

The Magic Kingdom has more rides, shows, and entertainment than any other WDW theme park. A comprehensive tour would take two days, but a tour of the highlights (and more) can be done in one full day.

Three resorts—the Contemporary and Grand Floridian Resorts, Polynesian Village, and their villa units (Bay Lake Tower, The Villas at the Grand Floridian, and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows)— are connected to the Magic Kingdom by monorail and boat. Three other hotels—Shades of Green (for the US military and their families), Wilderness Lodge (including the Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek Villas & Cabins), and Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground— are located nearby but are served by boat and bus instead of monorail.

EPCOT

Opened in 1982, EPCOT is twice as big as the Magic Kingdom. The “front” (southern) part consists of three areas (World Discovery, World Celebration, and World Nature) with giant pavilions themed to human creativity, technological advancement, and the natural world; World Showcase, the “back” (northern) part, is arranged around a 40-acre lagoon and presents the architectural, social, and cultural heritages of almost a dozen nations, with each country represented by its own pavilion. EPCOT has recently been undergoing a revitalization that aims to increase its appeal among families with young children, which typically means the introduction of more Disney characters.

The EPCOT resorts—the BoardWalk Inn & Villas, Dolphin, Swan, Swan Reserve, Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, and Beach Club Villas—are within a 5- to 15-minute walk of the International Gateway, a secondary entrance to the theme park located in World Showcase. The hotels are also linked to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios by boat and walkway. EPCOT is connected to the Magic Kingdom and its hotels by monorail. An elevated gondola system called the Skyliner links EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Disney’s Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera Resorts. In case you can’t tell, this is one of the most well-connected areas of the entire resort, and a personal favorite of our authors.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Opened in 1989 in an area slightly larger than the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) has two main sections. About half of the space is a theme park focused on the motion picture, music, and television industries. Highlights include a re-creation of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards from Hollywood’s Golden Age, several rides and musical shows, and a movie stunt show.

The other half is made up of two immersive movie-themed lands. Toy Story Land opened in 2018 with three themed rides for children. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019 and is an incredibly immersive area that has two state-of-the-art, large rides for older children, teens, and adults.

DHS is connected to other Walt Disney World areas by highway, boat, and Skyliner but not by monorail. Guests can park in DHS’s parking lot or commute by bus; guests at EPCOT resort hotels can reach DHS by boat, on foot, or by Skyliner.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

About five times the size of the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the largest park. It combines zoological exhibits with rides, shows, and live entertainment. The park is arranged in a hub-and-spoke configuration somewhat like the Magic Kingdom. A tropical rainforest serves as “Main Street,” funneling visitors to Discovery Island, the park’s hub. Dominated by the park’s icon, the 14-story-tall, hand-carved Tree of Life, Discovery Island offers services, shopping, and dining. From there, guests can access the themed areas: Africa, Asia, DinoLand U.S.A., and Pandora. Discovery Island, Africa, and DinoLand U.S.A. opened in 1998, followed by Asia in 1999. Africa is over 100 acres just by itself and is home to free-roaming herds in a re-creation of the Serengeti Plain.

Pandora—The World of Avatar, based on James Cameron’s Avatar film franchise, is the most significant recent expansion. Its biggest draw may be the scenery—including “floating mountains” and glow-in-the-dark plants—which Disney has replicated from the movie. See Part 13 for full details.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom has its own parking lot and is connected to other Walt Disney World destinations by the Disney bus system. Although no hotels lie within walking distance of Animal Kingdom, the All-Star Resorts, Animal Kingdom Lodge & Villas, and Coronado Springs Resort are all nearby.

The Water Parks

Disney World has two water parks : Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Opened in 1989, Typhoon Lagoon is known for its wave pool capable of making 6-foot waves. Blizzard Beach opened in 1995 and features more slides. Both parks pay careful attention to atmosphere and theme. Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach have their own parking lots and can be reached by Disney bus.

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