Blog

Orlando - Part 2

23rd December 2024

This part is probably one of my favourite topics to talk about… DISNEY. When Orlando is first mentioned most people automatically think Disney, and rightly so it is after all “The Happiest place on earth”

Here are some facts about Walt Disney World:

• Covering nearly 40 square miles, Walt Disney World Resort is about the size of San Francisco or two Manhattan islands.
• More than 75 million Cokes are consumed each year at Walt Disney World Resort along with 13 million bottles of water.
• More than 1.8 million pounds of turkey drumsticks are consumed every year in four Disney theme parks — Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
• Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (just under 200 feet) is the tallest attraction at Walt Disney World Resort, followed by The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (199 feet), Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle (189 feet), Spaceship Earth at Epcot (183 feet), Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom (180 feet) and The Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (145 feet).

Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort is made up of Theme Parks, Water Parks, Hotels and Disney Springs.

Theme Parks:

• Magic Kingdom
• Epcot
• Hollywood Studios
• Animal Kingdom

Waterparks:

• Blizzard Beach
• Typhoon Lagoon

(Only one theme park is open at a time)

Hotels

When it comes to hotels at Walt Disney World there are multiple options to look at, and to make it simple Disney have split these into category’s which helps those of us who are on a budget. I personally have only stayed at the Value Resorts and have found the theming fun, clean and perfect for what we need!

The category’s are split into:

Value Resorts: These are Disney’s lowest-priced resorts of which there are 5. Pop Century, Art of Animation, All-Star Movies, All-Star Sports and All-Star Music.

Moderate Resorts: As the title suggest these are mid-range hotels that come with a higher price tag. There are 5 Moderate resorts: Coronado Springs, Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter and The Cabins at Fort Wilderness.

Deluxe Resorts: These hotels are extra special and have the advantage of staying closer to the magic. There are 8 Deluxe resorts: Animal Kingdom Lodge, Polynesian Village, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary, Yacht Club and Broadwalk Inn.

Deluxe Villas: These are suitable for those who want more space, a home away from home feeling without been far from the magic. For this there are 13 options! These often sell fast so best to make an enquiry about these ones!

Campgrounds:

The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort allow camping amongst the magic of the great outdoors, with many animals roaming free. This resort is great for larger families and suitable for RV’s too!

Staying onsite

Besides been surrounded by all things Disney there are some perks to staying onsite!

Extra time in the parks every day! (A selected park on each day)
Dining plans can be added for convenience and flexibility of pre-paid meals and snacks which helps with budgeting.
Transportation around the resorts by bus, monorail and the sky liner!

I have stayed at all 3 of the All-Star resorts and fine them perfect for a base to be exploring Disney. The rooms have had a recent modern upgrade giving subtle hints of Disney, whilst the rest of the resorts feel like your stepping into another world. My favourite, the All-Star Movies resort features giant Toy Story figures, Giant Dalmations and other iconic Disney characters! I have booked to go again in Summer 2025, but this time with a twist we will be taking our 1 year old for the first time. I can’t wait to experience the magic as a family for the first time!

Tip

A term often thrown around amongst the Disney community is “Rope Drop”. Rope drop is a term used by avid park goes and simply means getting to the parks in advance of opening to amongst some of the first guests into the park. There will sometimes be a littler ceremony as well! To achieve rope drop an early wake up is a must, and not forgetting comfy shoes!

I will briefly discuss the one park below, as I could go on all day but this will give you a little taste of what to expect, then I guess you will just have to go and see!

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is one of the most popular theme parks out of them all, and rightly so! From the moment you walk into Magic Kingdom and head towards Main Street with USA you are hit with a wave of magic from the smells to the music you feel like you have been transported! Then the feeling you get when you reach the top of Main Street and turn to see the Cinderella castle, well that just gives your heart a nice warm fussy feeling that can’t really be described, so I guess you will have to experience it for yourself!

The Cinderella castle, the clear icon of the park and a hot spot for those family photos so make sure you have a fully charged phone or camera! But worry not if you don’t then there are plenty of photo pass cast members around!

Magic Kingdom is split into 6 lands:

Adventureland: This is themed to resemble the jungles of Africa, Asia, South America and the South Pacific.

Fantasyland: This is based on the animated fairy tale films, where you will find the castle and rides based off those films

Liberty Square: A Colonial America inspired land which connects Fantasyland with Frontierland and is home to the Haunted Mansion, a park favourite.

Frontierland: Is home to the original Magic Kingdom attraction, the country bear Jamboree, a show featuring singing hillbilly bears.

Main Street U.S.A: The main, and first sight as you enter the Magic Kingdom and home to the Cinderella castle!

Tomorrowland: A futuristic land home to space mountain which is a personal favourite of mine!

Each land has something new and exciting to offer!

What’s a photo pass cast member?

Photo pass cast members are scatted around all the parks ready to take your pictures meaning you don’t have to worry about having someone take them out of your party meaning they miss out on been in the picture. You do need to have the Disney Memory Maker to take advantage of downloading your images. Your images can be accessed on the My Disney Experience App.

What’s the My Disney Experience App?

This is what we would call your Disney Holiday Bible! From the moment you book you can link your reservation you then get an overview of your holiday, details of your stay, your package (not including flights) amongst many other things. On here you will find maps of all the parks, opening times, ride wait times as well as shops and restaurants!

There is so much more I could go on and say but this is just a taste! If you would like to hear more please reach out to Travel Tailors by Acklams!