Mickey Mouse is the most beloved of Walt Disney’s iconic characters and has been a resident of Florida for over 40 years, although he hasn’t aged a day in all that time. Now the Magic kingdom is home to four theme parks, 22 hotels, two water parks, gold courses and a plethora of other attractions including a rapidly expanding shopping and dining centre known as Disney Springs.
With Disney World being so massive it’s unlikely you will get chance to do everything (unless your holiday lasts a year) which means it can be difficult to work out which attractions should be a priority. Here we take the stress out of the planning with a handy guide to which parts of the park are must see. This means that all you have to do is fill out an ESTA application for you and your family and then book your tickets and pack your cases.
As mentioned above there are four parks within Disneyland, the original Magic Kingdom has all the charm of the classic films and is the most child friendly, although it does have several high-energy rollercoaster’s and a flume ride. Meanwhile, Epcot offers a more adult style with future technology along with Florida’s fine dining. Then there’s Disney’s Hollywood Studios with a number of film based rides plus Aerosmith’s Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster. Finally there’s the Animal Kingdom with an impressive array of wildlife interspersed among the rides and attractions. You can also check out Broadway-style shows Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo – The Musical. There is also the elaborate night-time show Rivers of Light plus the World of Avatar set to open in 2017.
Since spring Disney have added to the live shows with pyrotechnics and special effects showcased in Rivers of Light, which is a fabulous new water parade at the Animal Kingdom. It is the first time the park has staged night time entertainment and focuses on an amphitheatre-style and along the main river and central lagoons with a series of barges, lanterns, huge water screens and a vivid film projections that celebrates the animal realm.
Also new in 2016 is the Frozen Ever After boat ride into the Kingdom of Arendelle where visitors will be surrounded by a mix of 3D special effects, animatronics, film sequences and music from the favourite hit movie. Along the way the ride visits the troll valley, Queen Elsa’s ice palace, the ice-blue world of the north mountain and the bay of Arendelle. Your children, and any other fans of the film, will then have the chance to meet Elsa and Anna in the new Royal Soomerhus which will feature Norwegian arts and crafts as well as character meet and greets.