Walt Disney World is a massive resort destination for family fun. There are four distinct parks, including Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Each park has its own unique theme and feel. EPCOT is actually an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. The theme here is clear throughout EPCOT, with a focus on science, planet Earth and Space. Hollywood Studios, especially with the new additions of Star Wars: Galaxy Edge and Toy Story Land, is where the movies come alive. Animal Kingdom is a combination of a zoo and a theme park. Magic Kingdom is the “happiest place on Earth”. By itself, it is home to six different lands that bring wonder and joy to children and adults.
EPCOT
It is important to remember when planning a vacation to Walt Disney World that there are no wrong answers. There are so many different things to do that every trip to Disney World can be unique. So when planning your next vacation, always consider your own preference and what your family likes to do. While there are some attractions that are universally beloved (or despised), most people have widely varying opinions. Don’t rely too heavily on reviews and other sources. Make sure you experience everything once for yourself. Within my own family, we have many disputes between our favorite rides. We even disagree on which parks we like best.
Animal Kingdom
Consider also why you are taking this vacation. Most likely it is to build family memories and provide an amazing experience for your children. So think about what they like to do. We have a child that absolutely loves animals. We therefore like to spend more time at Animal Kingdom than we normally would.
Walt Disney World is home to the most beloved characters in the world. Heroes, villains, animals, princesses, toys, the list goes on and on. Walt Disney World certainly maximizes the appeal of these characters in rides, shows, performances and greetings. One movie that certainly has left its mark on Walt Disney World is Beauty and the Beast. There are attractions in 3 of the 4 parks, with the exception being Animal Kingdom.
Hollywood Studios
Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage is a professional production of the beloved movie. It runs about 20 to 25 minutes and contains all the classic songs and scenes. It is really wonderful. The show is played in a covered theatre on Sunset Boulevard. Showtimes are usually every hour, so there are plenty of chances to catch it. I highly recommend this show as it really is dazzling.
Magic Kingdom
Located in Fantasy Land, Be Our Guest is an amazing dining experience. It is a signature (think expensive) restaurant with a prefix menu. Patrons are able to dine inside Beast’s Castle and meet Beast. Walt Disney World unsurprisingly built the castle exquisitely to the finest detail. There are performance aspects to the dinner, and you can even take a look at the rose in the glass. The menu is expensive and the food is definitely high end, so this might not be for everyone. I’m not much of an eater myself, but for the experience alone we needed to try.
EPCOT
Located in (where else) France, there is an underappreciated attraction called Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along. We really only stumbled upon it one day to get out of the rain. Again, it shouldn’t surprise me that even a small show tucked away in EPCOT contains Disney magic to delight fans. I won’t give anything away, but you should definitely seek out a time to see this show.
Magic Kingdom is the happiest place on earth. It really is. Thrill rides, beloved characters and iconic attractions bring back adoring guests year after year. Theming at Walt Disney World, and especially within Magic Kingdom, is something that helps Disney World rise above other amusement parks. Other Disney parks come close, but nothing quite catches this phenomenon like Magic Kingdom. Tomorrowland just feels different than Fantasyland and Fronteirland. It really is amazing. Magic Kingdom is the best.
There are so many rides in Magic Kingdom, that it wouldn’t be possible to experience them all in one day. Especially with little children, there is a certain limit of how much can be done. Little ones don’t do very well waiting in lines. Although Disney designs most rides to accommodate even the smallest guests, the thrill rides to have a minimum height requirement. And that leaves families scrambling sometimes trying to decide what to do. Here I will pitch one of my favorite attractions, Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover.
A view from People Mover
The People Mover is an elevated open air tram that travels around Tomorrowland in basically a tour of the attractions. The ride is slow moving and relaxing, but does sometimes seem to be cruising a little faster. It winds its way through rides like Space Mountain and is narrated with fun facts. Guests can get fun views of Magic Kingdom as they wind their way through Tomorrowland.
A view from People Mover
Vacations to Walt Disney World are about making family memories. Most rides and shows can be experienced by almost everyone in the family. Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover can truly be enjoyed by everybody. The ride is entertaining, long and enjoyable. The wait is never too long. The trams allow families to sit facing each other so they can really connect and converse. It is calm enough for people who don’t want a thrill, while also being fun enough for kids seeking a ride. I can’t describe the joy I feel while zooming around Tomorrowland with my favorite people.
Each of the four parks at Walt Disney World each have their own unique character. And within each park there is so much activity that it is unavoidable to miss things. This is especially true when kids are so excited to get to the next ride. There is often little time to just slowly explore and take it all in. There are restaurants, snacks and shops around every corner. No park has more to discover than EPCOT. With World Showcase and a reinvented World Celebration, the journey through EPCOT can border on overwhelming. Within The American Adventure of World Showcase, there is a shop called Art of Disney. This artist showcase deserves a visit on every trip to Walt Disney World.
Loved this Inside Out artwork
Art of Disney sells quality and unique Disney artwork. We have made purchase here three times over the years. The prices are certainly reasonable for pieces that will decorate your home. They make great souvenirs and gifts. Purchasing art from Walt Disney World is a joyous moment that enables you to bring some of the magic home. We love having our Disney memories hanging on the walls.
A Mickey Mouse drawing we took home
Art of Disney is also an art gallery for all things Disney. It is wonderful to spend time just admiring the beauty. There are always new pieces to check out. They have other collectibles including figures and decorations. There is original art and limited edition items. Maybe one of your purchases will end up being a valuable item. It is said that art is also an investment. Why not invest in something that you will love to look at every day?
For the first time in our adult lives, my wife and I traveled to Walt Disney World without our children. The 2 of us celebrated her 40th birthday on a 3 night vacation. Our thoughts before our vacation had us wondering what it would be like in Disney World without kids. Would there be enough to do? Would it be as fun or as magical? Would we miss them? Would they be mad at us? Well, all our questions were answered rather quickly. We had an amazing vacation. While it was certainly very different without our children, it was an experience every Disney Dad should enjoy.
EPCOT
We knew that we were not planning a usual vacation to Walt Disney World. We did not want to rush to make it to every ride. We wanted a relaxing pace so we could take in every magical moment. We also planned for a lot of time at EPCOT. We wanted to navigate World Showcase without the attention being on our children. We also wanted to see Fantasmic (finally) as it had been closed for almost 3 years because of the Covid19 pandemic. We added the park hopper option and made park pass reservations. We chose Magic Kingdom for our arrival day, because it was open late and we were staying at Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort. The second day we started at Hollywood Studios and ended at EPCOT. We reversed that plan for the third and final day, starting at EPCOT and moving to Hollywood Studios.
Bay Lake Tower
One of the things we attempted that we had never done before on a family Disney vacation, was to have a nice dinner. We made late reservations at California Grill inside of the Contemporary. We had a wonderful day at Magic Kingdom. We rode Splash Mountain (one last time before the new theme). We returned to our resort to grab a drink and watched the fireworks from our hotel room balcony. That was something we didn’t plan in advance but gave it a try when we realized we could. And it was so worth it. It was an experience we never considered, but it was so magical to have a private view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks. We played the accompanying music on the hotel TV and we felt like rock stars. California Grill was amazing and we lucked out with a table at the window with a wonderful view of Magic Kingdom.
The second day at Hollywood Studios we planned for a short stay there. We wanted to get to EPCOT right at 2 when park hopping opened. We watched Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream inside the Walt Disney Presents museum. It was a great show that we were never able to get to with kids. We had a few drinks at Oga’s Cantina and saw Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage. The wait for Tower of Terror never got low enough for us to get in line. There was so much we wanted to experience without having to get on the thrill rides to appease the kids. Another first for us, we took a Friendship Boat to EPCOT. It might be the slowest way to make the trip, but it was so cool. And the boat operators entertain with jokes that imitate Jungle Cruise.
EPCOT without kids was awesome. We did get Lightning Lane reservations for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind twice. That ride is so much fun. We got to enjoy so much of what makes EPCOT unique and fantastic. We stayed until 11pm with extended hours and headed right back the next day at 8:30 for park open. We stayed until almost 5 pm and then finally headed over to Hollywood Studios. This time we took the Skyliner to Carribean Beach from EPCOT and hopped on the other line to Hollywood Studios.
Our night at Hollywood Studios included a Lightning Lane reservation at Rise of the Resistance, drinks at BaseLine Tap House, and a late 9:30 showing of Fantasmic.
Visiting Walt Disney World with only your spouse is so easy. It’s so much quicker to decide on where to go or what to eat. Many decisions become cumbersome when traveling with kids. It becomes even more slow when the extended family comes along. But with just 2 people that are so familiar and comfortable together, we traversed effortlessly through the parks. We were able to do so much in just three days, we both felt like we were there for a week.
Walt Disney World is home to some pretty amazing rides. Across four theme parks, there is a diverse mix of thrill rides, family rides, shows and experiences. Hollywood Studios has transformed recently more than any other park. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land have massively increased the size of the park. Even still, Hollywood Studios is relatively small, but the rides are jam packed all over the park. The current big draw is Rise of the Resistance, which is one of the most unique attractions in all of Disney World. But there are plenty of great experiences here that don’t get the attention they deserve.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Let’s start within Galaxy’s Edge with Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run. This great attraction is completely overshadowed by Rise of the Resistance. It doesn’t get nearly enough hype because of this. Smugglers Run is a wonderfully immersive adventure. Guests are able to enter the Millennium Falcon and step into the flight deck. It is incredibly fun and kids get so much joy from their scores at the end of the ride. It is such a unique Disney attraction that delights all. Especially for Star Wars fans the ability to be inside the Millenium Falcon is mind blowing.
Our next entry on our list is a bit surprising, but this attraction has become under appreciated. It has been a staple of Disney World for so long, people have stopped realizing how great it is. Of course, I am talking about the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The ride is still magnificent approaching 30 years of operation. The theme, the details, the music, the decorations and everything else are so great. The ride is the perfect mix of fright and fun for children and adults. It doesn’t seem possible to achieve that goal, but Disney was able to create this timeless attraction.
Finally, maybe I am biased because of my own personal love for them, but Muppet Vision 3D is criminally under visited. The pre-show is hilarious to the point I often quote some of it, “what foolishness would you like to see”. The 3D movie is funny and sweet and the Muppets really shine. The Muppet Theater is iconic and nostalgic. And kids that don’t know the Muppets still thoroughly enjoy the show. Hollywood Studios always seems to be the sunniest and hottest park at Walt Disney World. A nice rest in a cool theater should help rejuvenate your family for the rest of the day. There is hardly ever any wait for the show, and nobody will be disappointed.
Walt Disney World Railroad had been closed for over 4 years. It was inoperable while construction was in progress on Tron: Lightcycle/ Run. But as of December 2022, it has finally reopened. Because of this extended closure, there are many people who have never enjoyed a ride on the rails. Additionally, there will be many who are totally unaware of this attraction. Don’t let this experience be forgotten.
The Walt Disney World Railroad is unique in that it is an attraction, but is also a mode of transportation. There are three train stations around Magic Kingdom. The first one is at the park entrance. The next two are in Frontierland and Fantasyland. The train only operates in one direction in that order. It can be a quick way to get around if the timing is right. It is also a relaxing way around the park and a nice break.
The Walt Disney World Railroad is a scenic ride that provides an opportunity to see some interesting views of Magic Kingdom. During the construction update, imagineers added a tunnel through Tron Lightcycle/Run. Similar to Tomorrowland’s People Mover, Disney World guests will feel the magic when riding the Railroad. It is such a simple attraction that would be completely ordinary at other amusement parks. But, at Walt Disney World, that indescribable feeling of joy and wonder is perfectly captured.
EPCOT is a BIG park. To be honest, I find out something new every time I go. It is too big to really get to know in one day. But at the same time, it lacks some of the thrill rides that Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios have. It is hard to justify spending multiple days there on a vacation that is not super long. So there are sections of the park that people don’t get to explore and they unfortunately miss out on experiences. This is totally understandable as there is just not enough time to do everything.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends might just be the most overlooked area of EPCOT. There are no thrill rides here. The Finding Nemo right is cute, but it is not a big draw. Turtle Talk with Crush is not one of my favorites. Even the restaurant Corral Reef (which I personally love) is one of the easiest places to get a reservation. It doesn’t help that the area is basically tucked away in the corner of EPCOT. However, there is one thing here that should be a bigger draw.
There is a really nice aquarium here that you should spend some time checkingout. Sea turtles, dolphins and sharks can all be found in the massive tank. It is a wonderful indoor (think A/C) space where kids can run around and enjoy some freedom. I’m a big proponent of letting them run free at times as a little break from waiting in lines and being forced into compliance with the itinerary. Bigger kids can also learn from many of the friendly cast members.
The aquarium is accessible after the Finding Nemo ride or by walking into the unadvertised entrance to the left of the Nemo entrance.
Planning a trip to Walt Disney World for me is incredibly fun. I have the knowledge and experience necessary to fit everything together. But that wasn’t always the case. There was a time when the planning seemed overwhelming and stressful. I wish someone told me then to remember this. It’s a vacation and no matter what happens, it will be fun.
Now there is room for disappointment in the planning process. But it is important to move past it quickly. Little can be done if you do not get the dining reservation you really wanted. You can keep checking, but do not obsess over it and don’t let it bug you. Whatever secondary choice you make, it will be amazing. Walt Disney World will be amazing. There will be memories made.
This type of logic should also remain in focus during your vacation. If you don’t get the lightning lane reservation you want, yes you can be disappointed. But again, don’t let that get you into a funk. Push past it, accept it, and enjoy your day. This is absolutely critical. There can be other setbacks or interruptions that might derail your plans. Again, do not let this ruin your day. Walt Disney World is an endless source of fun and excitement. It really is the most magical place on earth.
On another more sensitive topic, remember that whatever party you are travelling with, there will be disagreements and mishaps. Roll with the punches. Do your best to forgive and forget. You do not want to look back on a vacation and realize you lost a significant portion of it while you were in a foul mood.
Always remember, you are there to share a magical experience with your children. They will most certainly be energetic, excited and happy. They will not let disappointments stop them. Neither should you.
Walt Disney World is one of the busiest tourist destinations. There are tens of millions of guests each year. So it will be crowded when you go. But you do have some control over how crowded it will likely be. There is one ultimate rule above all others when it comes to crowd size. When school is out, it will be most crowded.
Animal Kingdom at park open
Families with small children are best able to take advantage of smaller crowd sizes. I have found the absolute best time is during September and early October. Columbus Day is a sneaky Holiday in October that you want to avoid. Other than that, late summer, early fall, is certainly the best time to visit Walt Disney World. Most schools are just starting up and most people have finished their summer vacations. On another note, the weather in Florida in September and October is wonderful. The heavy rain days are likely over, and it is still hot but not oppressive. Once November begins, the crowds slowly start to increase until December when it gets real busy again.
We traveled to Walt Disney World several times during October and November before our children were enrolled in school. Once they were, we did not feel comfortable taking them out for a vacation to Disney World. We have since realized that was probably a mistake. We went to Disney World in August a few years back. It was really hot and it rained a bunch. We lost almost half a day one night because it became a wash out. We did not want to repeat that. It is a balancing act and a parenting decision that won’t be right for everyone. But we would prefer less crowds, better weather and an overall better vacation. In the whole scheme of life, we don’t think missing a few days of school will have an effect on their education. And trips to Walt Disney World are most magical with your little ones, and they are only little for a little while.
