| THEME PARKS:
Disney World Theme Parks.
There are four fantasy based theme parks in Disney World. They are:
Disney Magic Kingdom is the flagship park in Disney and is based on Disney Character themes. The center piece of the Disney Magic Kingdom is the universally recognized Cinderella's Castle. Magic Kingdom is park that is ideal for families of all ages, but is particularly suited for young children. More Magic Kingdom Info.
Disney's Animal Kingdom® is the newest park in Disney World, and is themed on an African safari and the Lion King. Visitors will experience encounters with wild animals and more.
Epcot®; is another mainstay of Disney World is focused on world culture and the future. In Epcot's "world showcase" area, you can visit numerous countries throughout the world with reproduction landmarks and architecture, and most interestingly, waiters, shop keepers and other workers that originate from the countries being represented. Past visitors have commented that Epcot's "future world" area is a bit stale, unable to keep pace with rapid changes in technology and stay out on the cutting edge of "wow that's neat". Disney has smartly refreshed its attractions by adding more interactive ride experiences rather than trying to keep up with the incredibly rapid technology changes that quickly make their future technology exhibits out of date. The newest attraction is "Mission Space", which is a multi-media, interactive ride about traveling to space. Another thrilling ride is "Soarin".
Disney - MGM Studios is a theme park focused on the entertainment and show business. This park is very entertaining and offers a mixture is thrill rides and entertainment experiences, including live shows and music. Seen from virtually anywhere on the Disney World property is a towering structure styled in the form of a 30's hotel tower, is the Tower of Terror, a ride that is not for the weak hearted. Like clock work, a terrifying screams can be heard as the ride drops its passengers in free fall on an open air elevator.
Disney Water Parks
Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. If water park fun is in your plans, Disney World offers 2 fabulous water parks that are sure to wet your tastes. The 56 acre Typhoon Lagoon is called the "world's ultimate water park" by Disney. The title may be a bit overblown but not by much. Styled as a tropical island, the park has something for everybody, including places for parents to relax and enjoy a tropical drink and thrill oriented water adventure attractions, including massive slides, white water rides, and even surfing. Blizzard Beach, the newer of the water parks, offers a completely different venue premised on a melting, ice encased ski-lodge. Blizzard Beach is a bit more popular than Typhoon Lagoon, owing to a few attractions that a bit more daring, like that 120 foot drop Summit Plummet. In either case, you are sure to have a wet and wild time that will not disappoint.
Tip! The water parks are favorites of locals and get extremely crowded and rowdy with teens and pre-teens on weekends.
Entertainment for Adults. Disney has smartly provided for adults that are looking for a little extra entertainment with Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island. This area is packed with restaurants, theme bars and stores, and is very active at night. The area is broken into three sections: Pleasure Island, which is most theme bars and adult nightlife, Marketplace, a shopping area, and the Westside, which is oriented towards interesting diversions such as Disney Quest (a giant arcade room) and Cirque du Soleil.
Disney World Travel Tips!
Security/Child Safety at Disney - While Disney World is a very disarming and fun place, you should still use common sense. Crimes can and do occur on occasion in Disney World. The Parks are well maintained and manned with employees and security, however, when crowds are present you should still be aware of your surroundings. Do not leave your pocketbook and other valuables unattended.
For families with Children, we strongly you advise that you make a plan in advance in case you get separated or lost. Picking an easily seen and recognized landmark to meet up if lost is important. Additionally, you should instruct your children on how to identify employees of the park in case they get lost or need help. Experts say that you should tell children that if they cannot find a security officer or recognizable authority and they need help, as a last resort they can approach an unknown woman with children for ask for help, but not a male. Also, you should tell your child that under no circumstance are you to believe any stranger that Mommy or Daddy asked to take you anywhere, particularly outside the Park or back to your room.
If a child gets separated from you, immediately notify a park employee so they can radio security, and use monitoring cameras and patrols to help find your child. They will also be on alert at the departure gates.
Ride Safety - Please follow the rules regarding the allowable sizes for kids to ride. The restrictions are there for your child's safety. We have seen many adults try to sneak kids on rides or skirt the rules. This is a formula for a potential injury or worse. Kids have been known to be thrown from rides at various parks, because the safety restraints are designed for a certain size range, and they may not work at optimal levels for smaller occupants.
Saving Money at Disney World:
Offsite Hotels - Generally, you can expect to pay a premium if you want to stay at any of the Disney property hotels. With the exception of the All-Star resorts and Pop Century Resort which provide fairly reasonable rates sometime as low as $80 per night, you may want to consider off-site hotel accommodations. You can find considerably cheaper rates at many hotels in the immediate and surrounding Orlando area, particularly during off-peak and shoulder season times. There are trade-offs with off-site lodging, however, that can cut into your savings. These include additional transportation costs to get to the park as well as daily parking costs at the parks. In addition, the extra commute and parking time can impact your available time in the parks. Finally, Disney provides its guests with many perks and privileges that are not extended to off-site visitors. Probably the most important perks are Extra Magic Hour (which allows resort lodging guests one extra hour of extended access and use of one designated park per day, priority seating at onsite restaurants, and unlimited use of Disney's transportation system, which includes the monorail, boats and shuttle buses.
Water is Gold! - Staying hydrated while in the heat of the Florida sun is important, and you are likely going to get thirsty in any event. Like most things in Disney, even bottled water is turned into a costly luxury. You can literally save $10 to $20 per day on water on a family of four by bringing your own water bottle and filling it up at the water fountains in parks. Over a period of 4 or 5 days, these numbers add up.
Sunscreen, Batteries, Film and other Essentials. Again, Disney is expensive. Remember to pack or pre-purchase, basic essentials that you will need for the stay. Buying film, sunscreen or other items onsite will leave you aghast.
Buy One-day Short on Your Park Pass. Most likely you will be arriving during the day after your travel to Orlando. Most people unpack in hurry and rush-off to the park for a partial day. At best you have used only a partial day, but at worst, it wasn't very enjoyable with everyone tired from travel. If you are on-site there are plenty of resort amenities, like pools, to take advantage of and gives you a chance to relax and prepare to get an early start the next day.
Offsite Dining and Epcot Dining. If you are on a budget, considerable money can be saved by eating off-site. Generally, prices are comparatively high in Disney, and a wide range of affordable dining choices off-site. If you are interested in eating in Epcot at the World Showcase, consider lunch instead of dinner. It is much more affordable.
Disney Shopping and Souvenirs. Try to suppress your buying urges until the end of your stay. If you have children, pre-plan with them and tell them that they should keep their eyes open and keep a list of things they want. At the end, you will go Disney shopping and buy the items you agree on are the best. This will help in allowing yourself to enjoy the shopping experience, but avoid a slow and inevitable draining of your wallet from impulse buys.
Tricks to Reducing Waits and Avoiding Long Ride Lines. There are a couple of basic ways to get the most out of your Disney World park visits and avoid long lines:
Use Disney World's FASTPASS - The Disney FASTPASS is a free system that is intended to help reduce your wait times at congested rides. Essentially, FASTPASS gives you an expedited line at pre-assigned visiting window times. To take advantage of the system you must go the FASTPASS kiosk located near the ride you want, insert your pass in the kiosk and then you will get a FASTPASS ticket along with your park pass. The waits for FASTPASS run on the order of 15 minutes, whereas standard line waiting can be as long as an hour and half. Note: You can only get one FASTPASS at a time so don't bother rushing from one attraction to another trying to collect them. Also, there is limited availability on FASTPASS, so arrive early.
Arrive Early - O.k., we know you're on vacation, but there are major advantages for early risers. Probably the best way to ensure you can get to popular rides with little to no wait is to arrive first thing in the morning. But, to really have it pay-off, look at the park map and decide what popular rides you want to get to first. You can even get a bit more creative by working your way towards the farthest parts of the park to further get lower densities of people, because when they arrive they tend to flock to the closest rides and attractions first. One interesting tidbit to note is that certain attraction types process lines more slowly than others. Rides that provide continuous loop operation, like It's a Small World and Pirates of Caribbean, move people much more quickly that stop and reload rides, like Space Mountain and Tower of Terror. Thus, you might want to consider saving the faster processing rides for later in the day when things really get crowded.
Eat Lunch and Dinner Slightly Off-hours - Try eating lunch around 11:00 and Dinner around 4:00. Also, people tend to flock to lunch around 12:00 to 1:00. You will avoid delays, and the lines at attractions drop-off a bit a peak lunch hour times. You'll find early bird specials by eating early dinner and save money.
Disabled and Handicapped Persons Information. Disney facilities are very accommodating for disabled and handicapped individuals. Wheelchairs and motorized wheelchairs are available for rental at very affordable daily rates.
Visually Impaired Disney Visitors - Visually impaired persons with guide dogs are allowed in the parks. Braille guidebooks to the park are also available fro Guest Relations. Finally, cassette tapes and players are available for rental.
Hearing Impaired Disney Visitors - TTY Services are available at (407) 939-7670. Listening devices that amplify attraction sounds and music are also available for rental. Check with Guest Relations to ensure you receive the appropriate accommodations to make your visit comfortable and enjoyable.
Limited Mobility and Wheelchair bound Disney Visitors - Disney's transportation system is handicap accessible and can handle wheelchairs. In addition, assistance is available to board and leave attractions.
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