Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is also known as the “vacation capital of the world” and the “theme park capital of the world.” It’s easy to understand why when you step into the 4 Disney World parks that are part of this dining, entertainment, and shopping Mecca.
In this guide, we are going to share information about the Disney Parks at the Walt Disney World Resort, as well as everything you need to know about this first-class vacation destination.
There is nothing else you will ever experience quite like Walt Disney World, and we want to give you a brief overview of everything you will find there including the theme parks, restaurants, resort hotels, and shopping.
We’ve been coming here for close to 40 years, and we are always discovering new experiences and enjoying our visits here, just like the first time.
In this article we will cover:
- The 4 Disney World Theme Parks
- Location
- Resort Hotels
- Restaurants
- Disney World History
- What’s Coming Next in 2026
Before we get started, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. There we bring you the latest updates on Walt Disney World, including the Disney theme parks. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!
Table of Contents
Overview
Overview
- Location: Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States
- Opened: October 1, 1971
- Theme Parks: 4
- Water Parks: 2
- Disney-Owned and Operated Resort Hotels: 31
- Major Non-Disney Hotels on Walt Disney World Property: Approximately 15–20
- Number of Cast Members: Approximately 80,000
- Size: Approximately 25,000 acres (39 square miles; 101 square kilometers)
- Status: Operating
- Operated By: The Walt Disney Company
What is Walt Disney World?
The Walt Disney World Resort is a resort vacation destination complex with theme parks, water parks, hotels, restaurants, shopping complexes, golf courses, and other entertainment venues. It is also known as “Walt Disney World” and “Disney World.”
Walt Disney World has 4 theme parks: Disney’s Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The parks here are home to some of Disney’s most iconic attractions.
Disney World is not just for theme park fans, but it has something for the whole family with world-class dining, shopping, and entertainment.
It is run by The Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences segment. Walt Disney World includes the incorporated cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista. For decades, the property’s municipal services and infrastructure were overseen by the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special-purpose governmental district that was replaced by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in 2023.
When Did Walt Disney World Open?
Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971, with the inauguration of its first theme park, Disney’s Magic Kingdom park.
The “Florida Project” was created as a separate resort complex after the success of Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It was Walt Disney’s dream project, though he died before its completion.
Walt’s older brother Roy O. Disney was instrumental in following through on the construction of the entertainment complex and upon completion, changed the name from Disneyworld to Walt Disney World in memory of his younger brother.
Location
The Walt Disney World Resort complex is located near Orlando, Florida, with part of the resort in Orange County and the remainder in Osceola County. The property includes the cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, Florida.
The Walt Disney World Resort covers approximately 25,000 acres, or 39 square miles (101 square kilometers). It is roughly the same size as the city of San Francisco, California.
When the complex originally opened in 1971, it was even larger and covered approximately 30,500 acres (48 square miles; 123 square kilometers).
What are the 4 Parks in Walt Disney World?
There are 4 theme parks at The Walt Disney World Resort along with 2 water parks.
Disney World Theme Parks
- Magic Kingdom – The castle park and the original Disney World park. Home to Fantasyland, princesses, and the most iconic Disney stories and rides.
- EPCOT – The second park at Disney World is themed after human achievement through technological innovation and international culture. A sort of permanent World’s Fair with 11 unique countries.
- Hollywood Studios – This park, themed around the golden age of Hollywood, features attractions based on your favorite movie franchises.
- Animal Kingdom – The 4th park at Disney World and themed to the environment and animal conservation. Just don’t call it a zoo!
Click the links for more information and a detailed guide to each of the 4 Disney World theme parks.
Water Parks
- Typhoon Lagoon
- Blizzard Beach
Which is the Oldest Disney World Park?
The oldest park at Walt Disney World is Disney’s Magic Kingdom. It opened on October 1, 1971, a full 11 years before the resort’s second park EPCOT was built in 1982.
The third Disney World park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios (originally called Disney MGM-Studios), opened on May 1, 1989. Disney’s Animal Kingdom was the 4th Disney World park built and opened on April 22, 1998.
Which is the Largest Disney World Park? Smallest?
The largest Disney World park is Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It covers an area of 580 acres (230 ha), making it the largest theme park in the world.
The smallest Disney World park is Disney’s Magic Kingdom and spans an area of only 107 acres (43 ha).
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 580 acres; 230 ha; 2.30 km2
- EPCOT – 305 acres; 123 ha; 1.23 km2
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 135 acres; 55 ha; 0.55 km2
- Disney’s Magic Kingdom – 107 acres; 43 ha; 0.43 km2
Which Park Should I Visit First?
Choosing what Disney World park to visit first is completely subjective and depends on a variety of factors.
- Your hotel location
- Sentimental reasons
- Day of the Week
- Special Events, Dining Reservations, Early Theme Park Entry, and Extended Evening Theme Park Hours
If you have never visited Walt Disney World before, we feel that the first park you should visit is Disney’s Magic Kingdom. It is the original park here and definitely the most nostalgic. Even if you have been in Disney World for days, in our opinion, your vacation hasn’t really started until you go to the Magic Kingdom.
Where you are staying also has a factor in what order you should visit the parks. Some guests like to do split-stays where you stay at multiple resorts during the trip and it can save time visiting the parks closest to your resort first.
If you are staying at an EPCOT-area hotel for part of the time, then it makes sense to visit EPCOT and Hollywood Studios while you are there. If you will be near the Magic Kingdom on other days, then it’s best to go there at that time, etc.
The day of the week also can play a factor in what days you visit each park. For example, during the festival season, you want to avoid EPCOT on the weekends since many locals come out and the lines can be double or triple what they are on a weekday.
Lastly, there may be a special event at one of the parks you want to go to or you might only be able to get dining reservations at a specific restaurant on certain days of the trip. In that case, plan your park days around those important events.
Which Park is Best in Disney World?
Which park is best at Disney World is highly subjective and will vary from person to person. Our all-time favorite park is EPCOT, but the park is very different now from when we were young. The park’s large transformation project is finished and the major construction walls are gone, so EPCOT is moving back up our list. However, Disney has announced additional future work involving Spaceship Earth and the Imagination pavilion, so EPCOT will continue to evolve.
While Disney’s Hollywood Studios has gotten more and more popular with thousands of people coming each day to see Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the Rise of the Resistance ride, Magic Kingdom is still the most popular park.
Our Disney World Rides and Attractions Guide will give you more info and tips for all the rides.
Will there be a 5th Disney Park?
The last theme park built at the Walt Disney World Resort was Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 1998. Since that time, people have been speculating if there will ever be a 5th park built.
Even though rumors have been swirling around for years, at the moment, Disney has not announced plans to build a 5th Disney World park. That doesn’t mean it will never happen, but the company’s announced investments are currently focused on major expansions and replacements inside the existing four parks.
For more info, read our post about if a 5th Disney World Park will ever be built and when it could happen.
Disney World Resort Hotels
There are currently 31 Disney-owned and operated resort hotels at Walt Disney World. There are also approximately 15–20 major non-Disney hotels located directly on Walt Disney World property.
Disney World hotels are classified into 4 categories: Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Disney Vacation Club Villas. Here is the current list of hotels at Walt Disney World:
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village & Jambo House
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Cabins & Campgrounds:
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Major Non-Disney Hotels on Walt Disney World Property:
Examples include:
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
Read our Disney World Hotels List for a more comprehensive look at each one, including off-site hotels. If you are trying to pick which one to stay at, our Best Disney World Resorts Guide ranks them from best to worst, including the pros and cons of each one.
Shopping
Walt Disney World has multiple unique shopping experiences throughout the resort in the 4 theme parks, resort hotels, and the dedicated shopping center Disney Springs.
Disney Springs, formerly known as the Buena Vista Shopping Village, Disney Village Marketplace, and Downtown Disney, is by far the largest and best place to go if you want to do some shopping.
Disney Springs is split up into 4 areas:
- The Landing
- Marketplace
- Town Center
- West Side
Shopping – Some of the most popular Disney Springs stores include: World of Disney, Marketplace Co-Op, Lego Store, Coca-Cola Store, and Goofy’s Candy Company.
Dining – Disney Springs is also home to dozens of first-class dining experiences and some of our favorite restaurants in Disney World like The Boathouse , Morimoto Asia , Homecomin’, Jaleo, and Paddlefish.
Entertainment – If you aren’t in the mood for shopping or dining, there are other entertainment experiences worth trying like the AMC Theaters, bowling at Splitsville, or LEVEL99.
Make sure to read our Guide to the Best Restaurants in Disney Springs to see all the can’t-miss spots!
Attendance
Walt Disney World is one of the most visited vacation destinations in the world annually. When the resort complex opened in 1971, the park attracted 10,712,991 visitors.
In 2024 Disney’s Magic Kingdom was still the most visited theme park in the U.S. and worldwide with 17.836 million visitors, up from the 17.72 million that visited in 2023, but still down from the 20.96 million visitors in 2019.
Three of the Walt Disney World theme parks ranked in the Top 10 for worldwide theme park attendance in 2024. These are the most recent figures available for this update and will be replaced when the 2025 worldwide attendance report is released.
2024 Worldwide Top 10 :
- #1: Disney’s Magic Kingdom
- #8: EPCOT
- #9: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Cost
The cost of a Walt Disney World vacation is going to depend on many factors, the two biggest being your hotel accommodations and the type of park tickets you buy. Dining is also a huge expense and can cost your family hundreds of dollars per day depending on where you choose to eat.
Costs to consider:
- Resort Hotel Accommodations
- Park Tickets
- Dining
- Transportation
- Special Events/Experiences
- Shopping
How Much does it Cost to Go Disney World for One Day?
Disney World Park tickets now use dynamic pricing which means the cost will change depending on the season and the date you want to go. Going during holidays, school breaks, and weekends always are the most expensive, while going during the off-season and on weekdays is less expensive.
- For dates currently available from January through October 2027, a One-Day Walt Disney World base park ticket ranges from $119 to $219 before tax.
Disney uses park-specific dynamic pricing, which means the price for a 1-Day ticket changes depending on the park and date you choose:
- Magic Kingdom: $139–$219
- EPCOT: $129–$214
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $139–$209
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $119–$189
These ranges cover the released 2027 calendar through October 31. November and December 2027 prices were not yet available when this guide was updated and will need to be added later.
You can buy Walt Disney World tickets from the official Disney World website or a trusted reseller who sells Discount Disney World Tickets .
Food is an additional cost and can easily reach $50 to $100+ per person, per day depending on how much you eat and where you eat. As another benchmark, the confirmed 2027 adult Dining Plan prices are $62.78 per night for the Quick-Service Dining Plan, $99.87 for the standard Disney Dining Plan, and $163.01 for the Deluxe Dining Plan.
When you add everything up, a realistic estimate is approximately $180 to $300+ per person, per day to visit Walt Disney World, depending on your travel dates, hotel, ticket length, dining habits, and optional extras. Premium hotels, expensive travel dates, table-service dining, and special experiences can push the daily total well above that range.
How Much does it Cost to Go to All the Parks in Disney World?
Walt Disney World theme park tickets can be purchased as a One-Day park ticket or Multi-Day tickets . Tickets can range from 1 to 10 days depending on how long your vacation is.
For dates currently available from January through October 2027, a 4-Day adult Base Ticket costs approximately $495.84–$739.67 before tax. That works out to approximately $123.96–$184.92 per park day if you visit one park per day.
Park ticket types include “1 Park Per Day” or tickets with the “Park Hopper” option, allowing you to visit multiple parks per day. The Park Hopper price varies by the ticket length and travel dates rather than using one fixed add-on amount.
For the released January–October 2027 calendar:
- 4-Day adult Park Hopper Ticket: $585.84–$844.67 before tax
- 2-Day adult Park Hopper Ticket: $338.06–$486.34 before tax
If your goal is to visit two parks per day across two days, the 2-Day Park Hopper range is the more useful estimate. November and December 2027 prices still need to be added once Disney releases them.
Looking for Discount Disney World tickets at one of the reputable authorized resellers is a good way to save some money at the parks.
If you need help planning your trip, make sure to reach out to Rene and her team of experts at Show You the World Travel. All of the agents there are certified Disney Travel Agents and are super helpful with all your planning needs, plus they are FREE to use! Click here for a Free Vacation Quote.
Who Gets in Free to Disney World?
Getting something for free in this world is almost impossible, especially if you are talking about a Walt Disney World vacation.
The one broad public rule is for children under 3 years old. Children’s tickets are for kids ages 3 to 9, so children younger than 3 do not need a theme park ticket.
Disney may provide complimentary or discounted admission to certain Cast Members, invited media, planDisney panelists, or other participants under specific programs. Those benefits are limited, can change, and are not dependable public methods for getting free Walt Disney World tickets.
Is Disney World Free on your Birthday?
Unfortunately, you are no longer able to get into Disney World for free on your birthday.
That wasn’t always the case, however, and around 2009 Disney held a campaign to increase park attendance and offered free entrance to guests on their birthdays.
It’s always possible that they bring back this promotion at some point, but for now, you can no longer get into Disney World for free on your birthday.
Read about the Cheapest Times to Go to Disney World for more info.
What Is Coming to Disney World in 2027 and Beyond?
As Walt Disney believed, it’s always exciting to look to the future and see what’s coming next. Even though we always have a ball enjoying the attractions and experiences that are already in Walt Disney World, we can’t wait to see all the new things coming to the parks.
Coming in 2027
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress (Magic Kingdom) – Scheduled to reopen following its refurbishment.
- Monstropolis (Hollywood Studios) – Portions of the new Monsters, Inc.-themed land are expected to begin opening. The Doors Coaster may open later than the land’s initial phase.
- Pueblo Esperanza / Tropical Americas (Animal Kingdom) – This major replacement for DinoLand U.S.A. is expected to include Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, and El Carrusel de los Animalitos.
- Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge – The new Disney resort is scheduled to open July 1, 2027 on Bay Lake between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness.
Future Projects Without Final Opening Dates
- Piston Peak and two Cars attractions (Magic Kingdom), including Cars Ridge Run Rally and Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along.
- Villains Land (Magic Kingdom), including a Maleficent coaster and the Magic Mirror Realm.
- Additional Monstropolis experiences (Hollywood Studios), including the Doors Coaster if it is not part of the first 2027 phase.
- Spaceship Earth and Imagination projects (EPCOT).
- Expedition Everest Yeti repair (Animal Kingdom).
Recently Opened
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Magic Kingdom)
- Country Bear Musical Jamboree (Magic Kingdom)
- Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away (Magic Kingdom)
- The Beak and Barrel (Magic Kingdom)
- The Magic of Disney Animation (Hollywood Studios) – Scheduled to open September 14, 2026; verify its opening before publication.
- Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! (Hollywood Studios)
- Muppets Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios)
- Soarin’ Across America (EPCOT)
- Test Track Reimagined (EPCOT)
- Zootopia: Better Zoogether (Animal Kingdom)
- Bluey’s Wild World (Animal Kingdom)
- LEVEL99 (Disney Springs)
We absolutely love Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle Run. They both jump toward the top of our Disney World Roller Coaster Rankings . Disney did a great job with the ride systems as well as integrating these hilarious characters into the rides.
Make sure to read our post on New Rides & Attractions Coming to Disney World , which goes into more detail about everything to look forward to in the next few years.
History
Also known as “The Florida Project,” Walt Disney World was designed to be a supplement to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California which opened in 1955. The development of Walt Disney World began in the 1960s and was headed by Walt Disney himself.
Disney disliked the businesses that had sprung up around Disneyland and was looking for a bigger area of land for his next project, one that he had more control over.
Walt Disney World was intended to be an entertainment complex and vacation destination, yet at the same time be a place where people live, work, and play. The Magic Kingdom was to be an improved version of Disneyland, while EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) would be a planned community, laying the groundwork for future city innovations.
The only problem was where to build this new complex. The secret search for land began in 1959. With 75% of the United States population living east of the Mississippi River, Disney realized that the best location would be on the East Coast.
In 1963, after a long and exhausting search, Walt Disney settled on a vast area of land near Orlando, Florida. This area had the perfect combination of good weather year-round, well-developed roads, and plenty of space.
The Walt Disney Company was afraid that if word got out about who was interested in purchasing the land, the price would skyrocket. To solve this issue, it used various dummy corporations to acquire 30,500 acres (48 sq mi; 123 km2) of land from numerous landowners. This worked so well that they were able to buy some of the land for as little as $100 per acre.
Rumors quickly spread and the public wanted to know who was buying all this land and for what? Ideas ranged from a new NASA space station to other famous investors such as the Rockefellers, Howard Hughes, and the Ford Motor Company.
In 1965, rumors started spreading that The Walt Disney Company wanted it for an East Coast version of Disneyland. Disney strongly denied these rumors for months. Then on October 25, 1965, Disney officially announced plans for “The Florida Project” calling the new theme park “the greatest attraction in the history of Florida.”
Unfortunately, Walt Disney never got to see the completion of the project, and he died on December 15, 1966. Walt’s brother Roy O. Disney postponed his retirement to oversee the construction of The Florida Project, as he had promised his brother that he would see his vision through to completion.
Before construction began on The Florida Project, the Reedy Creek Improvement District was formed as a special-purpose governmental district. The incorporated cities within the district were Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista. This arrangement gave the district broad authority over municipal services, infrastructure, and development across the resort property.
The complex’s first theme park, the Magic Kingdom, opened on October 1, 1971. With it were two resorts, the Contemporary Resort and Polynesian Village. The Fort Wilderness Resort opened a few months later.
24 days after it opened, Roy O. Disney officially named the complex: “Walt Disney World” in honor of his brother. Roy said: “Everyone has heard of Ford cars. But have they all heard of Henry Ford, who started it all? Walt Disney World is in memory of the man who started it all, so people will know his name as long as Walt Disney World is here.”
Roy O. Disney died less than three months after the property opened, on December 20, 1971, at age 78.
The Walt Disney Company decided to tone down the Progress City project and build EPCOT as a second theme park rather than a prototype city of the future.
EPCOT opened on Oct 1, 1982, and it kept the original idea of showcasing technology but used it as the driving force behind its “edutainment-based” attractions. It also featured a sort of permanent world’s fair with 11 unique countries built around World Showcase lagoon.
The third theme park in Walt Disney World was built as Disney-MGM Studios which later became Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It opened on May 1, 1989, and is inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood.
The fourth and final theme park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is themed around nature and wildlife conservation. It opened on April 22, 1998.
The Walt Disney World Resort now has 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 31 Disney-owned and operated resort hotels, approximately 15–20 major non-Disney hotels located directly on Walt Disney World property, a shopping complex (Disney Springs), 4 golf courses, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.
Disney Parks Facts & Trivia
Here are some little-known facts about The Walt Disney World Parks and Resort:
- The Walt Disney World Resort employs approximately 80,000 Cast Members.
- There are underground service corridors beneath parts of the Magic Kingdom. The “Utilidors,” as they are called, allow Cast Members to move from place to place without having to walk through the public areas of the park. They also support utilities and services, including the AVAC vacuum system used to collect trash.
- Cinderella Castle is more than twice as tall as Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland and stands 189 feet tall compared to 77 feet.
- There were plans to build a version of EPCOT at the Disneyland Resort called WestCOT. Those plans fell through when the company ran into financial trouble in the 1990s. The land is the current home of Disney California Adventure.
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios used to be a real, working TV and film studio and was where Disney animated films including “Lilo & Stitch,” “Mulan,” and “Brother Bear” were produced.
- The original symbol of Disney-MGM Studios was the Earful Tower, a giant water tower designed with Mickey Mouse ears. It was not a working water tower and was used for appearance and theming.
- The Tree of Life in Disney’s Animal Kingdom was constructed using an adapted offshore oil-platform structure and is covered with more than 100,000 artificial leaves.
- Disney generally keeps its tallest themed structures below 200 feet because structures reaching that height can be subject to aviation-lighting requirements that would affect the visual theme.
- You can’t buy gum at Walt Disney World. Disney does not sell it in order to reduce the amount of discarded gum around the parks.
We hope you enjoyed this look at The Walt Disney World theme parks and the rest of the resort.
Your Thoughts
I want to know what you think about Walt Disney World…
- Which is your favorite Disney World Park?
- What are you most looking forward to experiencing on your next visit?
Let us know in the comments section below!
If you enjoyed this article, as always I appreciate it if you’d share it with others via social media. I work hard at making this website into a useful resource for you and your family to plan your visit to the Disney Parks and I hope it can help you! Thanks 🙂