A guide to Walt Disney World Resort

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What if you could make someone’s dreams come true? Walt Disney World can help you out: they’ve been in the wish-fulfilment business for decades. 

Their four wonderful Theme Parks, plus Water Park Fun, have everything you could want – rides, resorts, restaurants and nightlife – to make your trip amazing. This really is the most magical place on earth. Here is our pick of the best.

Get up to four nights free

This is your chance to make 2025 a year you’ll never forget with this amazing offer when you book a holiday at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. 

Book a stay in a participating Disney Resorts Collection hotel by 31 March 2025, and you’ll get up to four nights free on a two-week stay. You can also save up to 15% when you purchase a Disney 14-Day Magic Ticket on selected travel dates.

Terms and conditions apply

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom Park

Sprawling in Mississippi fashion across Magic Kingdom Park, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, is great for riding all together as you whimsically wind around the waterways. That is until a massive ramp grinds you up to the top of a wide, slushing slide – then it’s all, as they say, downhill from there.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind brings a whole new stardom to EPCOT. If you’ve got your eyes on the next intergalactic flight, racing through time and space, take on this next exploration and be spun through your paces.

Magic Kingdom Park

Best for: Magic Kingdom Park is where Walt Disney World Resort began and is still full of timeless fairy tale magic. Fireworks cascade over Cinderella Castle at the Happily Ever After nighttime spectacular, the Haunted Mansion is ghoulishly good, and Main Street, U.S.A. swells with music, and even smells of fresh cookies.

The lowdown: In this pocket of childhood memories, you’ll float, rather than walk towards your first view of Cinderella Castle. Mickey’s PhilharmMagic and “it’s a small world”, both beloved attractions, are practically run on a mix of nostalgia and children’s smiles. Book into the Be Our Guest Restaurant and make sure you try their Chocolate Tart, topped with curiously-named ‘grey stuff’; just like they say in the Disney song, ‘it’s delicious’! Ths does have a habit of getting booked up fast, so plan 60 days ahead.

Tips for little visitors: Are there excited children jumping on your bed at the crack of dawn? Take them to the Magic Kingdom Park and see the Opening Show on Main Street, U.S.A. Watch their little face beam as Mickey and the gang welcomes you in.

Tips for bigger visitors: Plenty of adults flock to Magic Kingdom Park to relive cherished childhood memories. At Disney’s version of The Princess and the Frog: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure sees you traversing waterways and humming along with jazz-loving alligator Louis. It all feels rather tame until you plummet 50-foot. Then buckle up for one of the fastest coasters at any Disney theme park in the world, TRON Lightcycle / Run: Presented by Enterprise. In this digital frontier circuits are like freeways and Lightcycles race on ribbons of light, transporting you across the Grid on this high-speed adventure that knows no bounds. Oh, and don’t miss a chance to take a photo in front of the purple wall in Tomorrowland for your Instagram. 

Live the fairy tale

Discover a world where Cinderella doesn’t vanish after midnight and – oh, boy! Is that Mickey Mouse? Stay at an on-site resort near Magic Kingdom Park and discover the magic at Walt Disney World Resort.

EPCOT

Best for: A world in miniature, EPCOT is for explorers. There are 11 country ‘pavilions’ to explore – great for anyone who wants to channel Phileas Fogg and circumnavigate the world at pace – and you can experiment with space and speed on impressive attractions – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the one everyone is talking about here.

The lowdown: The park fans out around a lake with the famous Spaceship Earth monument right in the middle. Split your time between 11 'countries' along the shore, meeting Mulan in China, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs in Germany and Aladdin in Morocco. Go tourin' around the four neighbourhoods and Soarin’ Around The World – with the help of a big screen and piped-in scents it takes you flying over the wonders of earth. Mission: SPACE is for more intrepid explorers – but do it before lunch, not after. 

Tips for little visitors: Little tiddlers will love meeting their favourite Finding Nemo friends in Turtle Talk With Crush, where they can discuss current affairs with the wise turtle himself through an ocean window. While Frozen fever has taken over the Norway Pavilion. Have a laff with Olaf the optimistic snowman and take the family river boat ride, where you’ll be buoyed along with hit songs from the film. Singing Let it Go isn’t mandatory, but if you break out your best Elsa impression you certainly won’t be doing it solo. Then step straight into Disney’s film Ratatouille and follow Chef Remy on a wild adventure through Gusteau’s Restaurant… What could possibly go wrong? 

Tips for bigger visitors: Stay late and watch the evening nighttime spectacular, Luminous The Symphony of Us, on EPCOT's lake: it’s possibly the best fireworks display at Disney.

Magic Tickets

Have the fullest experience of the parks by buying Disney’s Magic Ticket , which can be purchased for 7 or 14 days. With Magic Tickets, you’ll have access to all wonderful Theme Parks, plus Water Park Fun. These tickets include Memory Maker, which means that you can document your trip with the help of park photographers and ride cams..  This ticket is only available pre-departure.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Best for: Bringing film to life in a blaze of attractions, shows and state-of-the art sound, Disney's Hollywood Studios is for movie lovers.

The lowdown: Despite exciting new openings at Disney's Hollywood Studios, classic favourites like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ isn't going anywhere. The riotous Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is always ready for an encore, whilst colourful Toy Story Land will enchant little fans. If you want to stop for lunch, enjoy house-smoked cooking at the Roundup Rodeo BBQ where Andy’s rodeo sets the scene with western towns and train station playsets.

Tips for little visitors: Playtime hits the big time in Toy Story Land. Prepare to get your springs in a twist on the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster and spin into space on the Alien Swirling Saucers.

Tips for bigger visitors: It’s all about Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge®. Even diehard fans will be impressed by the level of detail and love that’s gone into creating the galaxy far, far away. Feel the force on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, form your rebel alliance for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and find yourself surrounded by Stormtroopers as the score swells.

Don't miss

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge®

The lowdown: Enjoy the shows, rides and chances to meet your favourite characters (give Chewbacca a call if you see him wandering around at the entrance). Embark on an important space mission at the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, then head to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance for your next thrilling adventure. Make sure you visit Savi's Workshop and Droid Depot to nerd out on custom memorabilia too.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park

Best for: A tropical-themed day at a water park. Waves lap at your feet, calypso music comes drifting on the breeze, and ice cream comes served in a bucket.

The lowdown: Disney's Typhoon Lagoon is dominated by a seismically stupendous wave pool and a long lazy river. The Crush ‘n’ Gusher attraction will do you no harm… unless you’re a banana. Based on an abandoned fruit processing plant this ride is a fruity blend of water slide and roller coaster. Pick a buddy to ride with you on your double float. You might be happier sprawled on a lounger with a picnic, though, in which case the sandy beaches are all yours. Little ones will love their special play areas.

Tips for little visitors: There’s a special play area just for little ones, Ketchakiddee Creek, where there are special miniature slides. Tell tales to the all imitating, never intimidating, crocodiles, seals and elephants, as they splash around in shallow pools.

Tips for bigger visitors: Why not sign up to purchase early morning surf lessons (payable locally) at the wave pool before the park opens? Or see if you can withstand Humunga Kowabunga, this water slide drops you straight into the dark. So, you’re not as wise as you thought.

* currently only one water park is open at a time.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park

Best for: Confusing skiers: there’s nothing chilly about this great water park, which is themed around an alpine ski resort – just one that ‘melted’.

The lowdown: You’ll find big slides and fun rides centred around Mount Gushmore and the water remains a civilised 21°C throughout the park. One of the biggest rides is Summit Plummet, which you can see from far, far away. The faint-hearted might want to keep it at a distance. Shaped like a ski jump, this waterslide shoots you like a piece of pneumatic post through a tunnel at a phenomenal 60 mph.

Tips for little visitors: Little children will love splashing around at Tikes Peak, where there are special miniature slides. For afters, nothing beats Melt-Away Bay, a lazy river so lethargic you’ll never want to leave.

Tips for bigger visitors: If you’re too old and wise to tackle Summit Plummet, then try Toboggan Racers. This water slide as eight competive lanes, so every mat counts on this downhill slalom.

*Currently only one water park is open at a time.

Good Neighbor® Hotels?

Disney Resort Hotels aren’t the only place you can stay within Walt Disney World Resort: step forward, Disney’s Good Neighbor® Hotels. 

Book the Four Seasons Resort or the Waldorf Astoria Orlando for five-star comfort or the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace to be close to Disney Springs. You can also choose to stay at the vast Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort complex, which boasts a heap of restaurants and facilities.

And after all that...

Disney Springs is Walt Disney World Resort’s shopping, dining and entertainment district. Prepare to be consumed with entertainment, from DJs with your steak at STK® Steakhouse, to pagodas made of sushi at Morimoto Asia™, to taking a vintage Amphicar for a dip in the lake. You can bag designer brands in Disney Springs and haul the world's largest collection of Disney merchandise at the World of Disney shop. Buy a squillion variations on the Minnie Mouse ears and wear them proudly for dancing at the House of Blues® Music Hall.

Disney offer Terms and conditions

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