Walt Disney World has four theme parks including Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom. [Disney also has two water parks called Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.] Magic Kingdom was the first theme park and is the most well known because it contains the icon that everybody thinks of when they think of Disney World, Cinderella’s Castle. Epcot Center is focused on technology and education. There are a number of different rides and attractions to experience and learn from. The most well known is the World Showcase, which basically shows off the best of cultures from all over the world with rides, shopping, and dining, and brings the world closer together for those who can’t travel all over the world. MGM Studios is a working studio for film and TV, but it also has a lot of rides and attractions with movie themes that allow people to learn about the movie industry. The most recent park is Animal Kingdom, which you can imagine is all about the world of animals. It is in sort of a zoo format, but it’s not like a traditional zoo. It’s full of rides and the Disney experience just like the other parks. There are attractions that simulate a real ride through the savannah with live lions, tigers, giraffes, and so on. There are also very traditional rides and roller coasters that take in the theme of animals and expand it into an entire park. Disney sells passes starting from 1 or 2 day experiences all the way up to 7 or even 14 day experiences. Realistically, you need to allow at least 3 or 4 days to visit all of the parks. It depends on whether you want to see every single attraction or just get an overview. Hours of operation vary for each park throughout the year. I recommend you check with them directly at www.disney.com. The tickets have a huge price range. A one day experience might start around $55. There are several websites that sell theme park tickets including our own. Our website is www.orlandoinfo.com. I would highly recommend going to different websites to look at prices and find discounts.
Peter Cranis is Vice President of Consumer Marketing for the Orlando Orange County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
Part of a Series Orlando, Florida Travel Guide



























































