First, let's look at a map of the Disney World property:
At the very top of the map is the iconic Magic Kingdom park; regardless of any Disney park you visit (in the U.S. or abroad), you will always find a princess castle. In Florida, you'll find Cinderella's castle towering above the crowds as the focal point of the park. There are six distinct areas to explore inside Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Main Street, U.S.A., and Liberty Square. Most of the rides located at Magic Kingdom are quite popular; you'll want to book your FastPass+ options for this park as early as possible. Dumbo, Peter Pan, and the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train rides should take priority on your list as they are the quickest to run out of FastPasses. Please note: you may also use your FastPass selections for parades/Wishes fireworks so if that is something your family enjoys more than skipping the line for rides then you may decide it's the better option.
| Magic Kingdom | |||
| Ride | Type | Location | Height Requirement |
| Astro Orbiter | Slow/Children | Tomorrowland | Any |
| The Barnstormer | Small Drops | Fantasyland | 35" |
| Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | Thrill Ride | Frontierland | 40" |
| Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin | Indoor Interactive | Tomorrowland | Any |
| Dumbo the Flying Elephant | Slow/Children | Fantasyland | Any |
| "it's a small world" | Slow/Children | Fantasyland | Any |
| Jungle Cruise | Slow/Classic | Adventureland | Any |
| Mad Tea Party | Spinning/Classic | Fantasyland | Any |
| The Magic Carpets of Aladdin | Slow/Children | Adventureland | Any |
| The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh | Slow/Indoor Interactive | Fantasyland | Any |
| Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor | Indoor Interactive | Tomorrowland | Any |
| Peter Pan's Flight | Slow/Children | Fantasyland | Any |
| Pirates of the Caribbean | Slow/Classic | Adventureland | Any |
| Seven Dwarfs Mine Train | Thrill Ride | Fantasyland | 38" |
| Space Mountain | Thrill Ride | Tomorrowland | 44" |
| Splash Mountain | Thrill/Water Ride | Frontierland | 40" |
| Stitch's Great Escape! | Indoor/Scary | Tomorrowland | 40" |
| Tomorrowland Speedway | Slow/Children | Tomorrowland | 32" |
| Under the Sea | Slow/Indoor Interactive | Fantasyland | Any |
Moving clockwise, you'll see the 'golf ball' shaped Spaceship Earth, which greets visitors to Epcot. This park is divided into two sections: Future World and World Showcase. Future World is the destination for technical innovation and features thrill rides such as Test Track and Soarin'. It also prides itself on education by providing interactive features in the waiting area or at the end of several attractions. World Showcase is a pavilion of 11 different countries: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada. Each country reflects the culture, artistry, and cuisine of its namesake. Fun fact: Disney only hires natives from each country to work in the pavilions to further immerse guests in the culture. Most of the Epcot rides are located in Future World and you are only permitted to select a FastPass+ for one high-demand ride (IllumiNations fireworks show, Soarin', Test Track, or Living with the Land) and two lower-demand rides.
| Epcot | |||
| Ride | Type | Location | Height Requirement |
| Ellen's Energy Adventure | Slow/Indoor | Future World | Any |
| ImageWorks | Indoor Interactive | Future World | Any |
| Innoventions | Indoor Interactive | Future World | Any |
| Journey Into Imagination with Figment | Slow/Indoor | Future World | Any |
| Living with the Land | Slow/Indoor | Future World | Any |
| Mission: Space | Thrill Ride | Future World | 44" |
| The Seas with Nemo & Friends | Slow/Indoor | Future World | Any |
| Soarin' | Slow/Indoor/Heights | Future World | 40" |
| Spaceship Earth | Slow/Indoor Interactive | Future World | Any |
| Test Track | Thrill Ride | Future World | 40" |
| NEW: Frozen Ever After (2016) | Slow/Indoor | World Showcase | TBA |
Next on the map, toward the bottom, is Hollywood Studios. For anyone that has been to Disneyland, this is the park that most closely resembles California Adventure. There are eight areas in this park: Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake, Sunset Boulevard, Streets of America, Commissary Lane, Pixar Place, Mickey Avenue, and Animation Courtyard. This park is home to the famous Fantasmic! show, as well as fan favorite rides such as Toy Story Midway Mania, Star Tours, and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The FastPass+ process for Hollywood Studios allows you one selection from the high-demand engagements (Beauty and the Beast live on stage, The Great Movie Ride, Fantasmic!, Rock'n'Roller Coaster, and Toy Story Midway Mania!) and two selections from the lower-demand rides. I will mention here that I've never had any issue getting into the Beauty and the Beast show or The Great Movie Ride but Rock'n'Roller Coaster and Toy Story Midway Mania! frequently harbor 60+ minute wait times and Rock'n'Roller Coaster's wait time is rarely accurate (you'll get in line and find that the 50 minutes posted is actually 75 minutes).
| Hollywood Studios | |||
| Ride | Type | Location | Height Requirement |
| The Great Movie Ride | Slow/Indoor | Hollywood Boulevard | Any |
| Muppet*Vision 3D | Indoor/Stage Show | Streets of America | Any |
| Rock'n'Roller Coaster | Thrill Ride | Sunset Boulevard | 48" |
| Star Tours | Indoor Simulator | Echo Lake | 40" |
| Toy Story Midway Mania! | Indoor Interactive | Pixar Place | Any |
| The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror | Thrill Ride/Heights | Sunset Boulevard | 40" |
Finally, the park to the left of the map is Animal Kingdom. The Tree of Life is the centerpiece of this theme park and can be seen from almost any location. It is here that you'll discover Oasis, Discovery Island, Africa, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Asia, and DinoLand U.S.A.. You won't have to wait very long at most of the attractions in Animal Kingdom, but if it's a particularly hot day then you should probably grab a FastPass+ for Kali River Rapids.
| Animal Kingdom | |||
| Ride | Type | Location | Height Requirement |
| DINOSAUR | Thrill Ride/Indoor | DinoLand U.S.A. | 40" |
| Expedition Everest | Thrill Ride | Asia | 44" |
| It's Tough to be a Bug! | Indoor/Stage Show | Discovery Island | Any |
| Kali River Rapids | Thrill/Water Ride | Asia | 38" |
| Kilimanjaro Safaris | Slow/Classic | Africa | Any |
| Primeval Whirl | Thrill Ride | DinoLand U.S.A. | 48" |
| TriceraTop Spin | Slow/Children | DinoLand U.S.A. | Any |
Notable mentions: the bottom right corner is Typhoon Lagoon and wedged between Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom is Blizzard Beach. I have never personally been to the water parks but plan to visit in 2016. Any outside tips on these parks is appreciated!
There are several ticket options for visiting Disney World. You can always purchase a one-park-per day ticket or add the popular parkhopper option if you plan to visit multiple parks in one day. There are also tickets that will allow you to visit the water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports, DisneyQuest (interactive arcade) located in Downtown Disney, mini golf courses, or the 9-hole Oak Trail golf course. The ticket you need depends on the length of your stay, your interests, and - of course - how much you want to spend! If it's your first visit to the parks, I highly recommend the cheaper option of one-park-per-day with a minimum of 5/6 days because you'll want to fully enjoy everything each park has to offer. If you're a little more seasoned, or willing to take on the challenge of visiting more than one park each day, then add on that parkhopper option and explore!
- Magic Kingdom usually boasts the longest operating hours
- Animal Kingdom usually closes the earliest
- Epcot and Hollywood Studios both schedule nighttime shows (IllumiNations and Fantasmic!, respectively) so they will close an hour or two after sunset
- Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon close around the same time as Animal Kingdom
When prioritizing your visit to the parks, remember to check for the Extra Magic Hours offered to select Disney World resort guests. It is important to look at these options because 1) you may want to take advantage if it applies to your visit or 2) you may want to AVOID the park offering Extra Magic Hours as it will usually be more crowded that day. You can find the Extra Magic Hours on the Disney World calendar.
Knowing the park hours is your biggest tool toward determining if a parkhopper option will work for you. Combining Animal Kingdom with Epcot one day may not work if you plan to stay at Animal Kingdom until it closes (we'll say 7pm) and then you want to hop over to Epcot (which may close at 9pm on the same day). Also, you canNOT book FastPass+ reservations for more than one park on any given day so the ability to fully plan your parkhopper option is not currently available. You must book your FastPass+ reservations for one park and then you can add more at a FastPass+ kiosk when you head into the second park. This issue is inconvenient because, as noted earlier, some high-demand rides may not have more FastPasses available and you'll be stuck waiting in line.
Disney World tickets are expensive and there is never any way that you'll completely avoid paying for them unless you're part of a timeshare tour (thanks for the tip, L!) or you win them in a contest. However, you can often find small discounts by buying the tickets as part of a package on a major travel site or through ticket brokers such as Undercover Tourist. I've personally used Undercover Tourist to purchase Universal Studios tickets and the service is top-notch. If you are a AAA member, check your local office to see if they offer any discounts. Active and retired military personnel are also offered discounted tickets through the Military Salute program; these tickets can be purchased at Shades of Green (located on Disney World property) or any military base. Disney World often offers special deals to get an extra day free if you purchase a multi-day ticket so keep your eyes open for those options, too!
Stick with me because we'll be talking about resort hotels next!
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