Nestled in the Southwest Orlando in Florida, the Walt Disney World Resort is the total fun place not only for children, but also for the young ones and elders making it a complete family holiday destination. Considered as the largest Disney World resort, this is where you will find 4 distinct theme parks, 2 water parks, 24 themed resort hotels, 2 health spas, and 2 fitness centers. On the first time trip, I and my family seriously wondered as how to start exploring. However, we planned that out by looking at the resort's map.
Main Rides
All the rides in the Walt Disney World Resort are systematically split into four theme parks that are identified by their own unique icons. These parks along with their main rides are listed below.
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Magic Kingdom - Cinderella Castle as the Icon : This is the zone of thrilling entertainment, classic attractions, Disney characters, and stunning fireworks. The popular rides here are:
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
- Cinderella Castle
- Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
- Donald's Boat
- Frontierland Shootin' Arcade
- The Hall Of Presidents
- The Haunted Mansion®
- Jungle Cruise
- Liberty Square Riverboat
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Mickey's PhilharMagic
- Epcot - Spaceship Earth (Geosphere) as the Icon: This zone focuses on the technological innovation along with the culture of more than 10 countries. Its famous rides are:
- "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" Movie Set Adventure
- American Adventure Pavilion
- Captain EO starring Michael Jackson
- China Pavilion
- Ellen's Energy Adventure
- Italy Pavilion
- Maelstrom
- Mission: SPACE Advanced Training Lab
- Spaceship Earth
- Disney's Hollywood Studios - The Sorcerer's Hat as the Icon: This zone offers the stories behind the Hollywood scenes. Some thrilling rides here are:
- "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" Movie Set Adventure
- Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame Plaza
- Indiana Jones™ Epic Stunt Spectacular!
- Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian
- Lights, Motors, Action!™ Extreme Stunt Show
- Muppet*Vision 3-D
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith
- Playhouse Disney—Live on Stage!™
- Star Tours
- Studio Backlot Tour
- The American Idol Experience
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
- Disney's Animal Kingdom - Tree of Life as the Icon: This zone is dedicated to animals and is the largest such theme park across the globe. The rides here are related to the wildlife adventures.
- Cretaceous Trail
- Dinosaur
- Expedition Everest™
- It's Tough to be a Bug!®
- Kilimanjaro Safaris®
- Primeval Whirl®
- The Tree of Life
Further, there are a lot of water-based highlights in the Walt Disney World Resort's two water parks. The Typhoon Lagoon is no less than a sea world where everything from a children's zone with raft rides to fast waterslides can be expected. Check out for the Surf Pool where 6-foot waves will soak you and Shark Reef for snorkeling with the sharks. Next, The Blizzard Beach is also for family fun and is adorned with one of the tallest and fastest slides on the planet.
Accommodations
There are 32 on-site resorts and hotels, which are divided into five groups. Some of them are listed below.
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Deluxe Resorts
- Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney's Beach Club Resort
- Disney's BoardWalk Inn
- Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney's Polynesian Resort
- Disney's Wilderness Lodge
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Moderate Resorts
- Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
- Value Resorts
- Disney's Pop Century Resort
- Disney's All-Star Music Resort
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Cabins and Campgrounds
- Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
- Disney Vacation Club Resorts
- Disney's BoardWalk Villas
- Disney's Beach Club Villas
- Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa (with the Tree house Villas)
Tickets
For a single day entry into any of the water parks, the cost is $46 and $40 per adult and child respectively. In order to save money, there is also an annual pass available for $489 and $432 per adult and child respectively using which you can avail entry to all theme parks on any day in a year along with special offers and parking. For an overall benefit on the entry to the theme parks and water parks, there are premium annual passes of $619 and $546 per adult and child respectively.
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Special Events
- Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party – Magic Kingdom
- Holidays around The World - Candlelight Processional – Epcot
- The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights – Hollywood Studios
- Other Attractions
- Downtown Disney
- Disney's BoardWalk
- ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
- 5 Golf Courses
- Water sports
- Firework cruises
- Verdict: The Walt Disney World Resort is truly a dreamland for the people of all ages.
