4 Reasons Why You Should Visit Disney World Now More Than Ever Before
Disney is without a doubt the world’s most famous theme park to date. How many times have we heard the phrase, “I’m going to Disney World/Land”?
What started out being just a simple mouse and a few black and white comedic acts in the 1930s has since then transformed into a multibillion dollar industry ranging from the original Mickey Mouse crew, to Marvel Studios, ABC, Lucasfilm, and of course, Pixar, and it’s likely to not stop there — there’s rumors Disney Studios is considering buying out Netflix, and even scarcer rumors have predicted Disney may even purchase Nintendo.
So what does that mean to the average theme park attendee?
Disney is better than ever! And that’s why there’s no better time to visit one of Disney World’s four parks in Orlando, Florida or Disney Land in Anaheim, California.
1. Disney Offers More Value Than Any Other Theme Park
Topping 25,000 acres and with four different parks to choose from: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, guests have greater opportunity to experience a variety of rides, restaurants and attractions more so than other local theme parks like SeaWorld (also located in Orlando, FL), or Bush Gardens (Tampa, FL). Additionally, Disney has two water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach that guests can enjoy.
Epcot
You’ve probably seen pictures of the ginormous golf ball in the center of the park; that’s Disney’s Epcot. And believe it or not, there’s a ride inside of that structure. Yeah!
The main features of Epcot are focused around the thought of outer space and futuristic themed attractions. You’ll also find Test Track here: a simulated excursion which takes you through the rigorous testing procedures that General Motors uses to field test their vehicles before they’re sold on the market.
Aside from rides, you’ll find the World Showcase at Epcot: a large area reminiscent of a permanent world’s fair containing 11 pavilions, each themed and dedicated to represent a specific country and the food and culture indigenous to each one.
Magic Kingdom
You know that castle you see at the beginning of every Disney movie? Well, that castle really exists and it’s the heart of Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Fun fact: if you book an excursion, you can take a tour of Cinderella’s Castle and even stay in one of the four suites for a night, albeit; this experience typically costs several hundred dollars. And every evening at dusk, Disney puts on an extraordinary fireworks display that is sure to leave you breathless.
Magic Kingdom features a variety of attractions, from the comedic aspect of Monster’s Inc. The Laugh Floor, to Tomorrow Land’s Space Mountain, and even to the Pirates of the Caribbean water ride.
Statistically, Magic Kingdom is the most visited park of all Disney World.
Hollywood Studios
Personally, this is probably my favorite park Disney has to offer, namely for it’s featured 3D ride Toy Story Mania. If you haven’t already, it’s worth checking out a few videos on YouTube.
The focal point at Hollywood Studios, previously named MGM Studios, is centered around film and cinematic production during Hollywood’s heyday, and is also home to Mickey’s sorcerer’s hat, which he can be seen wearing in the 1940 film Fantasia.
It’s here you can become a Jedi Knight for a day in Star Wars: Galaxy Edge, and be shrunk down to the size of a toy in Toy Story Land. Sadly, one of my personal favorite attractions, Lights, Motor, Action; a live vehicular stunt show illustrating behind-the-scenes footage of how Hollywood creates stunt scenes for real life movies, was demolished in 2016 to make room for more updated attractions.
Animal Kingdom
The fourth and final piece to Disney’s multimedia empire is Animal Kingdom, a zoological themed park. It’s here you can find its centerpiece: The Tree of Life, an enormous boab tree extending to 145 feet tall and 50 feet wide. If you look closely, you’ll see multitudes of animal sculptures inscribed into the tree’s surface. Think you can find them all?
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is dividend into several main parts: Discovery Island, Pandora — The World of Avatar, Africa, Asia, which features the roller coaster Expedition Everest, and DinoLand U.S.A.
2. Disney Is Constantly Updating Their Attractions
We expect Disney, being the prodigious icon that it is, to always be riding the newest trend and feature the coolest attractions. I mean, they did reinvent the way we view animated movies, right?
Well, mission accomplished.
Disney has proven time and again that they’re certainly not afraid to dismantle an attraction; one that may have even been standing since the park’s grand opening such as The Great Movie Ride at Hollywood Studios, in order to make room for a more modern one.
This makes Disney the perfect theme park to attend, because no matter how many times you have visited any of the four parks in the past, you’ll more than likely encounter a new attraction, allowing for a different experience each and every time you visit.
In other words, Disney understands the meaning, “More bang for your buck”.
3. Less Time Waiting In Lines Means More Time Having Fun
Yes. You read that right.
Disney’s FASTPASS, first introduced in the late 90s, is a reservation receipt that saves you a spot on the ride without you having to spend, potentially hours during the busy season, waiting in lines.
The process is simple: you walk up to a FASTPASS machine, press a few buttons on the screen and — presto! It instantly prints out a reservation receipt, which clearly states you can come back at the appointed time and walk right onto the ride with absolutely no waiting. And yes, this means you get to skip ahead of all the losers that don’t have a FASTPASS; they’re sure to look on with envy.
The beauty of the FASTPASS, likely obvious, is you can spend more time having fun and less time waiting in long lines. If you’re crafty enough, you can bounce around to all the rides that offer a FASTPASS and then return to them at the appointed time on the receipt, meaning you could spend an entire day at Disney and waste zero minutes in line waiting for a ride.
Now, how many other theme parks offer that, hmm?
4. Five Star Dining At An Affordable Price
As a hard working parent, the last thing you want to do is spend more money on food after already spending money on season passes for park admission, am I right?
Although this may be a matter of opinion, I’ve discovered that Disney’s food stops, no matter which park you visit, is always good and always reasonably priced.
From Chef Mickey, to Cinderella’s Table, to the Be Our Guest Restaurant, you’ll be cared for like royalty and it won’t cost you your voice.
The Magic Doesn’t End There
There’s no denying that Disney is magical, which is why its been labeled “The happiest place on earth” or other famous depictions like “Where dreams come true” and “The land of happy ever after”, but what exactly makes it so magical?
For me, it’s the extreme effort and professionalism that is dedicated to making children’s dreams become a reality; your little girl can be the princess she’s always wanted to be, and your little man can use the Force alongside fellow Jedi Knights. Disney possesses the capability to turn an average vacation into a once in a lifetime experience.
And if Walt Disney were here today, he’d no doubt stand back and smile and say, “It all started with mouse.”
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