While studying towards my degree I promised my daughter that I would take her to Disney World as soon as I finished my studies. Well my studies took a lot longer than planned, and I graduated in 2011. By that time my little girl was all grown up!
In July 2011 I had the opportunity to visit her in Florida and we decided to include a visit to Disney World in Orlando. It was such a memorable trip and if I have the opportunity to go again I will be there in a flash!
What to know before you go
- Walt Disney world consist of 4 different Theme parks: The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
- There are also two water parks: The Typhoon Lagoon and the Blizzard Beach.
- There is an airport in Orlando.
- In my opinion, you need at least two days per park.
- There are different types of tickets available, more info on the Disney World website.
- You can either stay inside the resort with a Walt Disney World vacation package which include park tickets, or stay at a hotel in town and purchase day passes.
- Dinner shows must be booked in advance, to ensure availability
The experience
We only had two days to visit, and decided on Magic Kingdom and Epcot. We drove up with a rental car and stayed at a hotel in Orlando.
The first day we visited Magic Kingdom, and from the moment you arrive at Walt Disney World the “magic” begins.
From the car park we took a cute little train to the main gates to buy tickets, followed by a vintage ferry ride across the lake to the Magic Kingdom.
There is a security check before you go inside the park, and I was greeted by the security guard with “Hello princess”, well if that doesn’t make your day!!
Once inside the park we were met by parades full of dancing and singing Disney characters.
We aimed to fit in as many rides as possible and yelled and laughed like children on every one. Do not miss Stitch’s great escape or the Haunted Mansion. Another must visit is Cinderella’s Castle. Take time to visit the many little themed shops and stock up on souvenirs.
Night time starts with the electrical parade and ends with the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular. It was one of the most magical firework shows I ever saw. Feel free to watch my videos – Magic Kingdom Video 1 and Magic Kingdom Video 2.
What impressed me was the efficiency of the park. Although there were many people visiting the park, I never felt crowded. While standing in line a display indicates how long it will take to get to the ride, and you can get a “skip the line pass” if you take a ticket to come at a specific time. The rows were constantly moving at a decent pace. Of course they also know how to sell merchandise, with a relevant shop at the end of each ride.
Another thing that impressed me was the attitude of the staff, you always get the feeling they love their job. We went meet the princesses, and even late in the afternoon they were treating every child (and grownup children.. ) like it’s the first person they see that day, giving their full attention to you, talking and posing for photos.
The awesome stuff
Everything works like clockwork, it’s clean, organized and the staff is helpful and friendly.
The rides were out of this world and most of them were very interactive.
Their website is very informative.
The less awesome stuff
The tickets are expensive (around $89 pp per theme park).
Food prices start at around $15 pp for a snack and a drink, and you are not allowed to bring in any food.
The verdict
It is absolutely worth a visit.
The rest of my Magic Kingdom photo’s can be viewed online.
I look forward to sharing our Epcot experience in my next blog.
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