Disney World Parks
Walt Disney World Parks are the backbone of the Walt Disney World Resort. They are what draw us to Orlando. In fact Disney is what turned Orlando from a sleepy little tourist trap Florida town into the meg-gigantic tourist trap Florida city that it is today. There are six Walt Disney World Parks, four Theme Parks and Two Water Parks. Each park is huge. The Magic Kingdom is probably the smallest and you will walk 3 to 5 miles per day getting around.
The Magic Kingdom - Where it all beganThe Magic Kingdom is the original Walt Disney World Park. In fact, a lot of people say Disney World when they mean The Magic Kingdom. It opened in October of 1971 to large crowds that continue to this day. Every year, The Magic Kingdom is the number one tourist attraction in the world in terms of visitors.
New arrivals like Buzz Lightyear's Ranger Spin, Splash Mountain, and all of Mickey's Toontown Fair have given the park a new look and feel. The Magic Kingdom is divided into "lands". Each land has a unique theme. The lands are;
Disney calls The Magic Kingdom "The Most Magical Place on Earth". I can't argue with them. Dad's Magic Kingdom pageEpcot - Environmentally Planned Community of TomorrowExplore the future of cities, that was Uncle Walt's dream for EPCOT. But alas, Uncle Walt died and Epcot didn't turn out like Walt planned. The Imagineers planning EPCOT struggled for a long time, arguing between two totally different concepts. Finally they pushed the 2 models together and EPCOT was born.
Today Epcot is the most diverse of the Disney World Parks. It's also the most educational. Every pavilion was developed with an educational purpose. Epcot is divided into 2 distinct and completely unique areas. They are;
Epcot is different from the rest of the Disney World Parks. The other parks are built on fantasy but Epcot deals with the world as it is. Dad's Epcot pageDisney's Hollywood Studios - The Hollywood that never was
Walk through a working movie studio. That was the original concept of Disney's Hollywood Studios. At one time it even included a working animation studio with glass windows where you could actually watch artists creating Disney animation movies. Somewhere along the line all of that went away. Today's Disney Hollywood Studios is a fictionalization of the movie industry. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of fun, but real movies aren't made here anymore. Disney's map for the Studios divides this Disney World Park into 4 sections. They are;
Some of the best attractions Disney has ever developed are in Disney's Hollywood Studios. Dad's Disney's Hollywood Studios pageAnimal Kingdom - The Zoo of DreamsDisney's Animal Kingdom is an amazing place. Is it a theme park or a zoo? The best answer to that question is, yes, it's both. Disney has created a hybrid theme park. They've take a zoo and added great attractions and shows and come up with a truly unique experience.
Like the rest of the Disney World Parks, Animal Kingdom is divided into sections. They are;
Only Disney can find a way to turn fish being caught into a great musical. Check it out at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Dad's Animal Kingdom PageBlizzard Beach - Florida's only Snow Skiing Resort
Disney's Blizzard Beach is a great water park. Even the Travel Channel lists it as one of the top 5 water parks in the country. Summit Plummet is one of the most celebrated water slides ever built. There is some real imagination at work here. Check out the ski lift that takes you up to the top of the "ski slope" where you can choose a water slide to return to earth on. It's great. Take your sun glasses and your sunscreen and head to the slopes. Dad's Blizzard Beach pageTyphoon Lagoon - Yes, Hurricanes do reach this far inland
Enough of the freak storms already. Who really believes that a hurricane could hit Orlando and bring a fishing boat all this way. What? A hurricane really did hit Orlando? You gotta be kidding. OK, so it really happened, how many fishing boats were planted on top of pseudo mountains? Yeah, take that. Typhoon Lagoon was Disney's second try at building a water park. The first, River Country still sits abandoned in Bay Lake. Disney learned a lot from River Country and applied it to Typhoon Lagoon. They build great big water slides that can accommodate large numbers of guests. They also added the first "swim with the sharks" attraction that was safe for guests of all ages.You can even learn how to surf at Typhoon Lagoon. Dad's Typhoon Lagoon page. It's cool dude.Dad's Bottom LineThe Disney World Parks are the number 1, 2, 3 and 4 tourist attractions in the world. There is a good reason for that. They really must be experienced. Extra VideoHere is some video of the attractions in Walt Disney World. Sit back and see how many attractions you can pick out of this 3 minute video.
Disney World Parks information
Dad's Guide to WDWTable of ContentsDad's Disney World Home Page - The center of the Dad's Guide Universe. This is where it all starts. Come on over and check it out. Disney World Hotels - Walt Disney World is home to some of the most beautifully themed hotels in the world. (Disney calls their hotels resorts.) There are more than 20 magically themed Disney Resorts at Walt Disney World. All of them are well designed, well maintained, clean, and a great place to sleep at night. Disney World Restaurants - The restaurants at are as much a part of the whole "Disney" experience as the Resorts. It's amazing to see fast food restaurants that are themed to match the area that they are in. There are some amazing restaurants in the parks, in the hotels, and even at Downtown Disney. Come on in and check out Dad's favorites. Theme Parks - Walt Disney World Parks are the main reason to visit. These are the most attended theme parks in the world. They have some of the best entertainment on the planet. The four theme parks produce some of the most imaginative family entertainment you will find anywhere. There are also 2 of the most innovative water parks in the world. Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Disney World Hours - It's important to know when the parks open and when the close. It's also good to know when the parades and shows happen. Dad'll help. Dad has monthly calendars that show the hours each park is open. Disney World Tickets - Dad is an expert on Disney World Tickets. (Someone needs to be.) Disney has numerous ticket options some of which are very confusing. Let Dad help you sort out the best ticket option for your magical vacation. Disney World Crowds - Crowds can turn the best dreams into nightmares. Dad has created guides to help you deal with crowds at Walt Disney World. You'll find calendars that will let you know when the crowds will be at the parks, and tons of information on how to avoid crowds. Walt Disney World Videos - A picture is worth... Yeah, right, show me the video any day. Dad has gathered several videos about the parks, the hotels and much more. Come on over and check them out. Disney World Special Events - The one thing that sets Disney World apart from all the other theme parks is their special events. Walt Disney World is almost always having a special event. Find out about the FREE concerts, the special shows, and all the events that Disney schedules throughout the year. Christmas at Disney World - Christmas is a very special time of year. It's a time when everyone is dreaming of something. Disney knows how to put on a show, and they put on some of their best at Christmas time. Let the dreams begin. Dad's Disney World Stories and Tips - Do you need to know how to get reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table? Dad knows. Are you looking for acronyms that everyone is using? Check out Dad, he knows. Dad knows lots of stuff, and shares it with you through his Stories and Tips page. Come on over and check it out. Making Disney World Reservations - Making travel reservations for a dream Disney World vacation is hard work. Dad has some tools that will help. Come and check them out. They will save you money. Information about other destinations - Check out Dad's Travel Friends. (Sorry Uncle Walt) There are other places you might want to vacation. Dad wants to give you some information on these places. These are links to some sites that Dad enjoys and thinks you will too. Discount Theme Park Tickets - There is more to Orlando than Disney. See where to get tickets to those other Theme Parks and attractions.
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A freak snow storm in Florida. Someone spends a billion bucks and develops a ski resort. Pretty far fetched. But it's a great introduction into the most imaginative Disney World Park. 

