subject: The 411 On Walt Disney World Theme Parks [print this page] First of all, it's in Orlando Florida, just in case there was any confusion with the Anaheim theme park with a similar name (Disneyland). According to their own literature, Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando is the "world's most visited entertainment resort. That may be true, but if the city of Las Vegas was a resort, the numbers would probably outrun Disney World by a long shot! The resort encompasses more than 12,000 square miles, and every inch is used to its maximum potential. Now let's take a look at what theme parks occupy those 12,000 square miles.
Theme Parks, parks currently number four: Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. The iconic Cinderella Castle still stands today at Magic Kingdom, the first park to open in 1971. Several parks within Magic Kingdom draw millions of visitors every year, including Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, and Fantasyland.
Epcot Center is easily spotted by its infamous Spaceship Earth, a massive building perfectly shaped like a golf ball. Epcot stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, and was one of the original plans Walt Disney had. He wanted to build a utopian city of tomorrow, and Epcot is the theme park version. Perhaps most interesting are the eleven pavilions within the World Showcase, in which eleven nations are featured. They include Britain, Canada, Mexico, Norway, Japan, Morocco, France, China, Germany, and Italy.
Disney's Hollywood Studios is based upon the old movie-making antics of Hollywood's heyday. Several working movie sets from popular productions are available for visitors, including the Muppet Show, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Star Wars. Within Disney's Hollywood Studios, and very similar to Magic Kingdom, there are many parks. Pixar Place has the Toy Story Midway Mania, which features a 3D interactive attraction, and of course all the Toy Story characters that wander around have their own fun!
Finally, Animal Kingdom is the largest single theme park in the world as it houses delicate ecosystems for hundreds of animal species. The overriding philosophy of Animal Kingdom is conservation, and developers have taken great care in doing everything right. Because the park exceeds the standards for conservation and education, The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has given full accreditation to the park.
Amid those allocated square miles, there are two theme parks, a campground, five golf courses, a spa and fitness facilities, and 31 hotel resorts (8 independent of Disney). So, there really is something for everyone to do at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, and it's well worth your time in getting to know all of the fun activities available to you, and your family, should you choose to visit.
