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WALT DISNEY
WORLD RESORT IN FLORIDA
This vast
entertainment resort, spread over 47 square miles of central Florida
countryside, contains the four essential parks which attract the
majority of Orlando's near 50 million tourists every year. Without
any further ado, they are:
The Magic Kingdom Park - the
heart of the Disney 'magic,' the most devotedly family-orientated
(especially for younger children) and the home of more than 40
attractions, including great rides (like Space Mountain and Pirates
of the Caribbean), captivating shows (such as Mickey's PhilharMagic
and Cinderellabration) and any number of unique experiences
(parades, character meetings, fantasy encounters, talking 'bears', fun
haunted mansions - and much, much more), plus an amazing nightly
firework finale. This is the home of much of Walt's elemental
enchantment and, while it may not hold the interest of teens for the
whole day, it is guaranteed to keep everyone else enthralled. Even
at quieter times of the year (and especially with under 8s), you may
need to allocate two visits here.
TIME REQUIREMENT: 1-2 DAYS
Epcot - this is a two-part
park, and substantially bigger than the Magic Kingdom hence, unless
you arrive early, get your skates on and manage to dodge the worst
of the queues, you will probably need more than one visit to see
everything in store. The first part is Future World, a
ride-orientated adventure playground with a futuristic theme,
boasting five-star rides like Soarin', Test Track and Mission: SPACE, and
more sedate journeys like Ellen's Energy Adventure and Spaceship
Earth. Part Two is World Showcase, a potted journey around the globe
with 11 'countries' to visit, with a taste of the history, geography
and culture of each one, with shows, music, shops and other fun
entertainment (not necessarily a hit with young children).
TIME REQUIREMENT: 2 DAYS
Disney-MGM Studios: get ready
for a delve into the movie world, with a mixture of rides (from the
sedate to the thrilling), shows (stunts, animation, special effects
and more) and film-set experiences, all concluding with a
pyrotechnic song-and-dance extravaganza that will knock your socks
off! Another wonderful family experience, this appeals to all ages
but is more manageable in size than Epcot and less exhausting than
the Magic Kingdom. Some fun places to eat, big set-piece action
adventures (Indiana Jones, Beauty & The Beast and the Lights! Motors! Action! stunt show) and clever theming all add up to a real
Hollywood day out.
TIME REQUIREMENT: 1 DAY
Disney's Animal Kingdom: the
newest Disney Park (opened 1998) is a more leisurely experience and
is gloriously
themed around the wilds of Africa and Asia, with some clever
environmentally-aware overtones. The mix of elaborate zoo and clever
theme park sit very well here, and there are several welcome
educational touches for children. The rides include the dynamic new
Expedition Everest, Dinosaur!, Kali
River Rapids (very wet!) and the Kilimanjaro Safaris, while there
are also several top-notch shows, including Festival of the Lion
King and Flights of Wonder, plus the hilarious 3-D film experience It's
Tough To Be A Bug (be wary with young children, though - it's can be
rather scary!). Children love the animals and there are several
small-scale rides for the young 'uns, too. If
you arrive for opening time, you can be fairly sure one visit will
see all the park has to offer.
TIME REQUIREMENT: 1 DAY
Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park:
here, in a magnificent snowy, ski-resort theme, you will find
possibly the greatest water park in the world, with a mixture of
thrilling rides and slides, topped off by a huge swimming lagoon and
a half-mile lazy river feature. As an 'extra' feature with the
Disney Hopper Plus passes, or when used with the 10-Day World
Ticket, this is great value for half a day, a full day or even
multiple visits.
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park: on a similar grand scale
and with some clever extra touches (like the Shark Reef snorkelling
lagoon and the vast Surf Pool), this is another watery extravaganza
for all the family, with a desert island theme and more fun in the
sun guaranteed. Once again, it is ideal for half a day, a full day
or repeat visits.
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2006 
