Walt Disney World Resort: Magic Kingdom and Epcot, fabulous entertainment in Florida
We invite you to join us on a fabulous journey through the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Let us show you one of the best and most expensive adventures we had in Florida! After spending several thousand zlotys for two days of entertainment, nothing will be expensive for us anymore, because the point of reference has dramatically changed ;) Was it worth it?
Disneyland in Orlando is a place that kids dream about (okay, parents too!). So being in Florida, we couldn’t pretend it wasn’t there! Both we and the kids love amusement parks, rides, merry-go-rounds, etc., and the only things that discourage us from visiting such places are the queues to the attractions and the price.
When planning our stay in Florida, we really wanted to enter the famous Disneyland (we write about how incorrect this name is below, but it is already so popular that we will continue to use it). While in Disneyland Shanghai, we saw the delight in the eyes of Olivia, whose love for princesses, especially Elsa from Iceberg, has not waned, and we promised ourselves that if there is a possibility we will go to Disneyland again. Possibility not only in terms of choice of direction, but also financial, because let’s not kid ourselves, a visit to such an amusement park is very expensive.
We assumed, a little naively, that in Orlando, entry prices would be similar to those in Shanghai. However, not necessarily ;) In Shanghai, the entrance for an adult for one day costs about 300 zloty, and in Orlando – almost 1200 zloty! And here’s a very unpleasant surprise: the price in Orlando is so high because it’s a two-day admission to any two theme parks within the Walt Disney World Resort. The official website does not offer the possibility to buy online admission for one day, to one park, and this is for us the biggest drawback of visiting Disneyland Orlando. Because just multiply this 1200 zloty x 2 plus children (the price for children is not much lower) and there went the national average for a 2-day stay….
However, if you absolutely do not want to go in for two days and a visit to one park is enough for you, there are two options: either buy a ticket at the ticket office or through an intermediary (we will not recommend any, as we bought tickets on the official website).
Table of contents
Walt Disney World Resort
To begin with, an explanation of what the name Disneyland is all about. There are several Disneylands around the world (including in Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, California or just in Florida) and they are often part of a complex consisting of several theme parks. For example, within the Disneyland Resort in Paris there is Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park, in California there is Disneyland Resort, and within it there are two parks: Disneyland and Disney Adventure California Park.
And what is it like in Florida? Florida has the largest resort with as many as 4 theme parks! And none of them are called Disneyland, although they are all related to Disney ;)
The choices are:
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
and then there’s Disney Springs – but it’s not a theme park and it’s not ticketed (more on that below)
Of the above four, Magic Kingdom is precisely the equivalent of a typical Disneyland, and this is where we most wanted to come. As we mentioned above, the minimum stay at Walt Disney World Resort is two days (when purchasing tickets online) within which you can enter any two theme parks (it doesn’t have to be day by day, but we only have a few days to use the entrances and you can’t enter two different parks on one day – in the cheapest package). So we had one more park to choose from and our choice was Epcot, plus we also looked at Disney Springs.
The site itself is simply huge. The entire Walt Disney World Resort complex covers more than 104 square kilometers! That’s as much as the whole of Kielce (109 km2), or more than Plock (88 km2) or Zakopane (84 km2). More than Sieradz (51 km2) and Nowy Targ (51 km) combined. Very impressive :)
Below we will describe to you our impressions and experiences of each part and what you can expect in the other parts.
Magic Kingdom
Let’s start with the most famous part, which is Disneyland, with its signature castle, carousels, rides, parades and everything Disney-related. It is here that characters known from Disney fairy tales stroll by, we will take a photo with them, and it is here that we will see the most famous fireworks show at the end of the day, in the evening.
Be sure to reserve a whole day for Magic Kingdom – it’s worth coming right after the opening and staying until the aforementioned show.
Let’s start with the fact that Disneyland is reached by boat or train. Immediately after parking the car, visitors are directed to the ticket offices, behind which awaits the train station and the marina from which the train starts or the ship departs to the gates of the amusement park. It’s up to you what mode of transportation you choose – we sailed one way and returned by train (access is free, of course).
After passing the gates, we find ourselves on an avenue full of stores, cafes, restaurants, which leads to the famous symbol, the castle (also known as Cinderella Castle). It is here that some of the shows and performances take place on the stage, and this is where the evening fireworks show will take place.
Magic Kingdom consists of several themed zones where individual attractions, restaurants, stores and other entertainment are located:
Adventureland, kept in the theme of Pirates of the Caribbean and Alladin, where you can take a boat through the jungle or ride a flying carpet.
Frontierland – two sturdier rides are located here: a roller coaster and a coaster with a drop into the water. Tom Sawyer’s Island is also interesting.
Fantasyland – here, too, there’s a roller coaster (a little gentler), an indoor, gentle ride through the world of the mermaid Arielka, and attractions for the little ones like the Dumbo elephant ride.
Tomorrowland – the futuristic part, where you can ride in cars, get on a covered roller coaster or see how technology developed in the Carousel of Progress.
At Magic Kingdom there are attractions even for the youngest, quiet, slow – we could even enter some with a toddler. With one caution, the child must not sleep during the ride! It happened to us (at another Disneyland) that Philip fell asleep while waiting for an attraction in a carrier and we were not allowed in at all, so don’t plan any rides during nap time ;)
In this park there are traditional parades, during which beautiful, colorful platforms with Disney characters ride. Dancing music blares from the speakers, and smiling figures wave at us from the platforms. During one such parade, the platforms and dancers pause for a moment and invite people to dance together. There is an incredible amount of laughter and fun.
Finally, the culmination of a day full of excitement is a fireworks show and mapping on the palace. It’s worth arriving a little early to get a seat and wait for the show in peace. You can see the show’s highlights in the video below.
Is it crowded? Are there queues? Yes, there were a lot of people during our visit and there were lines for the attractions, but we tried to plan our stay so that we didn’t spend most of our time standing in line. With help here comes a dedicated app in which you can book rides for a specific time (there is a limit per person), but provided you have bought tickets online in advance.
Magic Kingdom opening hours
Magic Kingdom is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (on some days, for various events, it is open longer, even until 11 p.m.).
EPCOT is definitely not a typical amusement park with rollercoasters. EPCOT is a complex consisting of two thematic parts showing an ordered world: on the one hand you can visit different parts of the globe (World Showcase), and on the other you can look into a futuristic vision of the world (Future World).
Exploring EPCOT is easy in that the attractions in both parts are located on a circular plan, so you don’t have to figure out where to go first, you just follow the path and look from one attraction to the next.
Upon stopping in the parking lot, the futuristic sphere that is the park’s symbol, Spaceship Earth, immediately catches your eye (inside is a ride during which you learn about the history of communications from the Stone Age until you finally land in the future).
From there, the first part, Future World, begins, although there are now three smaller parts:
World Celebration – within this section is the aforementioned futuristic Earth and 4D cinema,
World Discovery – here we can feel like astronauts, thanks to a space launch simulator (two missions are available: a milder one and a slightly more extreme one),
World Nature – rides and attractions through which we will learn about the underwater world, the world of plants and techniques of modern cultivation.
We left this part for last, and we regret it a bit, because we had already run out of strength at the end of the day to take full advantage of all the attractions. For that, we fully discovered World Showcase.
The World Showcase is a walk around the lake, exploring countries and regions in which well-known Disney fairy tales and characters are partially intertwined. Here we will see reproduced buildings from different parts of the world, characteristic attractions, we can take souvenir photos from China or Morocco or have lunch in a Mexican restaurant. It is such a substitute for the whole world in one place.
Here you will find parts representing 11 countries with interesting buildings, decorations, restaurants and additional attractions. They include. China, Japan, Mexico, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom. Within these regions, in addition to buildings and restaurants, there are movie theaters, rides, and meetings with Disney characters. In the Norwegian section, for example, you can meet Elsa and Anna and take a boat ride through dark tunnels full of animation, characters and special effects straight out of Ice Age.
Here, too, at the end of the day, a fireworks show is carried out, although definitely more modest.
As you might guess from the name alone, this park is all about movies and animation. Initially, the site was intended to be both an amusement park and a production/film studio, but after time, the focus was solely on the former, and the studio theme was abandoned.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios consists of seven parts:
Hollywood Boulevard – a boardwalk just after the entrance to the park, where the attraction is a Mickey and Minnie Mouse-themed train.
Sunset Boulevard – there are definitely more attractions here: there are two rollercoasters, there are stage performances, and the themes range from Zyzgak McQueen from Cars to Twilight and Beauty and the Beast to…. the rock sound of Aerosmith!
Animation Courtyard – the most interesting part is the exhibition opened on the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney’s birth, showing his life and interesting artifacts and exhibits related to Disney.
Toy Story Land – rides, including one rollercoaster, all themed after the famous toy movie.
Star Wars: Galaxy Edge – quite a treat for Star Wars fans. We know that some people visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios just for this one part :) Here you can almost take part in a space battle!
Grand Avenue – the main attraction of this section is the Muppet Show in 3D.
Echo Lake – here we can see a show with Indiana Jones, Mickey & Minnie or Elsa and Anna from Ice Age.
Of course, in each of these parts there are restaurants, cafes, stores, you can also meet characters from famous movies and fairy tales.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios opening hours
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is open from 9am to 9pm.
Another fourth theme park within the Walt Disney World Resort is Animal Kingdom and the name obviously reflects what adventures await visitors. We will look into the animal kingdom, both those that live on our planet now, those that lived in the past (of course there will be about dinosaurs) and those that never lived, i.e. fantasy creatures.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a mix of attractions: both learning about animals, rides and interesting performances.
Like the other parks, it is divided into several thematic sections:
Oasis – the part just behind the gates, the first in which you can see the animals.
Discovery Island – this is an island in the central part of the park, where animals such as flamingos, otters, tamarins live, and you can enter a bug show here.
Dinoland U.S.A. – A paradise for dinosaur fans, there is a carousel and a train to the dinosaur world.
Asia – in this part we will meet tiger, macaques, gibbons and exotic birds, go by boat or jump on a roller coaster on the highest mountain in the world.
Africa – here we will see lion, elephants, giraffes, hippos, okapi…. You can go on a safari among the animals or ride the historic train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. This part couldn’t miss the Lion King-themed show.
As in the other parks, each section here also abounds with numerous restaurants, cafes, stores.
For the sake of the animals, fireworks displays are not held here.
Finally, not a theme park, but a place where you can look in the evening if you have not enough excitement :)
Disney Springs is a large shopping and entertainment complex with restaurants, bars and, of course, stores. In addition to many well-known brands, noteworthy among them is the world’s largest Disney store.
And what among the attractions? Surely your attention will be caught by a balloon floating over the lake – a flight in such a balloon is just one of the attractions at Disney Springs. In addition, the center has a children’s train and carousel, there are performances, you can go bowling or take a car cruise on the lake.
Being with children in the evening, we were severely overwhelmed by the noise, music, bustle around us. It was not an attraction suitable for us because there was not much where to rest or eat in peace, but the children enjoyed it (especially since we managed to find some fairy tale characters).
Entry to Disney Springs is free, and so is parking.
Disneyland in Orlando or Disneyland in Shanghai?
If someone were to ask us which theme park is better, we would have to answer: in terms of atmosphere – Orlando, and in terms of attractions and infrastructure – Shanghai.
Whole, rather large families come to Orlando to spend time together. Many of them have the same T-shirts (often talking about an event, such as a birthday), they identify with fairy tale characters, you can see that this is quite an event. Importantly, they don’t look at everything on the phone :) They take photos, and yes, they do, but more for the family album than for social media. It’s different in China, where the cornerstone of a visit is a decent photo and coverage of everything on the Internet.
Yes, we are generalizing and slightly exaggerating, but when comparing the two places this is what caught our attention, especially with the fireworks show at the end of the day.
Shanghai is a newer facility and it shows. The attractions are in better condition, are more modern and use the latest technology.
We will not choose one the better one, because every Disneyland is different :) And we will gladly return to each one more than once when we are in the area and budget allows ;)
Practical information
Now that we know the whys and hows of the differences between the various parks in Orlando, it’s time for some practical information.
Let’s start by saying that it’s worth setting aside one whole day for one park. Even if you buy a ticket with the option of moving freely between parks, we still suggest that you focus on one per day.
Prices – how much does a ticket to Walt Disney World Resort cost?
As mentioned at the beginning of the post, tickets can be purchased in advance online or on-site at the box office. As a rule, in these types of cases, we suggest that you buy tickets online, for one most important reason: you bypass the queues at the box office.
Below are examples of ticket prices purchased online:
Normal ticket, for children 10+, two-day – approx. $310
Discounted ticket, for children 3-9 years, two-day – approx. $295
When you buy a two-day ticket you have a four-day window to use it. This means that you don’t have to go two days in a row, and you can take it easy with a day or two of rest between visits.
Single-day tickets, at the box office, cost about $140-150 per person. Prices may have changed, but arguably the ratio of ticket prices at the box office to tickets purchased online has stayed the same.
Update: it is now also possible to buy day tickets on the websites of various intermediaries. However, we do not recommend any particular one.
Getting to Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort is located in central Florida, about 40 minutes by car from downtown Orlando to the southwest.
As it is in the United States, without a car you can’t move, so the easiest way to get here is by car. Taking Interstate 4 from Tampa towards Orlando, take the north exit – the exit for Disney World is very well marked, you will hit it without any problems.
Beneath each park there is a huge parking lot (payable at about $25 per day).
Accommodations near Orlando
If you want to get the full feel of the whole “Disney Experience” then you might be tempted to stay at one of the many expensive hotels throughout the complex.
An overnight stay at such a hotel starts at $270 for 2 adults per night. You can find a full range of resort and recommended facilities here.
If you are looking for other alternatives (often cheaper) then you may be interested in any of the following suggestions from Orlando:
Drury Inn & Suites Orlando Address: 7301 West Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32819-5116 Prices: from 530 PLN for a double room with breakfast Link: http://r4b.link/inn-suites-orlando
Wyndham Orlando Resort & Conference Center, Celebration Area Address: 3011 Maingate Lane, Celebration, Orlando, FL 34747 Prices: from 550 PLN for a double room with breakfast Link: http://r4b.link/days-inn-by-wyndham-kissimmee
Best Western International Drive Address: 8222 Jamaican Court, Orlando, FL 32819 Prices: from 620 PLN for a double room with breakfast Link: http://r4b.link/m-i-orlando
DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando Address: 5780 Major Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819 Prices: from 400 PLN for a double room Link: http://r4b.link/doubletree-orlando
Our opinion about Disneyland Orlando
A visit to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando will certainly be remembered for a long time, and not just because of the havoc in our wallets ;)
This huge complex provides a multitude of entertainment for audiences of almost all ages. Whether you are traveling with toddlers, youngsters or finally on your own, you will find the attractions right for you.
Numerous rides on roller coasters and carousels, meetings with characters, but most of all the joyful and dancing atmosphere is something you remember forever. And yes, even though it is nightmarishly expensive, such memories are worth the money spent. After all, it’s unusual to go to Disneyland :)
...prefers a quiet, lazy vacation, but does not miss the opportunity to see something interesting and bravely keeps pace with Kamila. Contrary to appearances, he also loves active leisure :) He is responsible for the organizational and practical part of the trip, i.e. he makes sure that we get to the ... More about us >>
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