The Resorts Gal Guide to the Walt Disney World Parks
Walt Disney World is home to four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Intro
Walt Disney World is home to four theme parks and two water parks. Below, we’ll provide an overview of each one. This guide is designed as a simple starting place to learn about the parks. It expands on our coverage through various series of articles dedicated to each park. You can select any of the parks to learn more specifics about that park. We’ve also listed our most popular planning articles for spending time in the Disney World Parks!
Disney Parks News and Updates
If you’re planning to visit Walt Disney World in 2026, Disney has confirmed the following important dates and details as of early December:
- Disney Announces Dates and Timelines for 2026 Special Events, Festivals, Major Ride Refurbs, and More
Magic Kingdom
Often referred to as the Most Magical Place on Earth, Magic Kingdom Park is Walt Disney World’s original 1971 theme park. The park’s icon, Cinderella Castle, resides in the center of the park at the end of Main Street, U.S.A. Magic Kingdom has so many attractions and rides that it can be challenging to see everything in one day. If possible, we recommend planning a minimum of two days at this park. Just know, you still probably won’t get to see everything!
Newest Attractions:
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- TRON Lightcycle/Run
- Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away Parade
What’s Not to Be Missed at Magic Kingdom?
This answer could vary depending on your touring party. We think it’s important to experience a mix of classic attractions with more modern ones. Our bucket list day at Magic Kingdom includes the following attractions and entertainment:
Our Magic Kingdom Park Guide is a good place to start.
Epcot
Epcot opened on October 1, 1982, and is the second theme park at Walt Disney World. Originally called EPCOT Center, the name stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. This theme park offers a mix of educational aspects and thrills. Those who love travel will likely be inspired by the eleven countries offered in the park’s World Showcase.
Newest Attractions:
- Mickey and Friends Character Spot
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
What’s Not to Be Missed at Epcot?
This answer depends on various factors, including your likes and dislikes. But we would not want to visit Epcot without touring the Land Pavilion, the Seas Pavilion, the countries in the World Showcase, and riding Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Below, we have a more concise list.
Our Epcot Planning Guide is a good place to start.
Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened on May 1, 1989, as Disney-MGM Studios. The park was designed to be a working studio and a theme park. Over the years, Hollywood Studios underwent a name change and settled on being only a theme park. It’s now home to two popular lands based on favorite Disney-owned film franchises: Star Wars Galaxy Edge (Star Wars) and Toy Story Land (Toy Story).
- Coming Soon: A new Monsters, Inc. themed land is set to be built at Hollywood Studios.
- Newest Attractions: Two new stage shows debuted at Hollywood Studios in 2025. The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure and Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After.
What’s Not to Be Missed at Hollywood Studios?
You’ll want to ensure that the things on our list suit your family. But these are some of our favorites, including seeing Fantasmic!, which is almost always packed and often requires a time investment to get decent seats.
Our Disney’s Hollywood Studios Planning Guide is a good place to start.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park opened on Earth Day (April 22, 1998). It is the last of four theme parks at Walt Disney World, but definitely not the least. A day spent at Animal Kingdom is truly like no other. We recommend touring this park at a slow pace and exploring all of the little things. You will be better for it by the end of the day. If possible (based on operating hours), we recommend touring the park after dark to see Pandora, World of Avatar glow in bioluminescence.
- Newest Attractions: Zootopia Attraction in the Tree of Life Theater
- Construction: Parts of Dinoland U.S.A. have closed to make way for a new Tropical Americas-themed land. DINOSAUR will permanently close in early 2026.
What’s Not to Be Missed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom?
It’s important to remember that a park like Animal Kingdom is not necessarily about thrill rides. However, there are a few options.
Our Disney’s Animal Kingdom Planning Guide is a good place to start.
Disney’s Water Parks
Disney is home to two water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Both water parks offer a lazy river, wave pool, family raft rides, and multiple slides. You’ll want to check availability based on your travel dates. Both parks are open simultaneously during the summer. They do, however, rotate closures for extended periods in the off-season.
Our Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Guide is our top resource for planning a visit to our personal favorite water park. However, smaller children tend to enjoy Blizzard Beach. So if you’re headed in that direction, see our Disney’s Blizzard Beach Guide.
Planning
These articles will help you decide which rides are suitable for your family. They include a list of height requirements for rides in every park and instructions on using Rider Switch if you have an ineligible rider. Given its popularity, we’ve included a guide on everything Frozen at Walt Disney World.
Disney World Ride Refurbishment Schedule: At any given time, an attraction or ride might be unavailable due to refurbishment or routine maintenance. This regularly updated list shares what to expect and when per park.
Disney World Lightning Lanes Guide: If you’re planning a vacation to Walt Disney World, this is one of our most important guides. It details everything you need to know about Lightning Lanes (Multi Pass, Single Pass, and Premier Pass).
Early Theme Park Entry: Find out everything you need to know about accessing the theme parks early, including eligibility, attractions, and tips for making the most of your time.
Extended Evening Hours: Find out if you’re eligible to participate in extended evening hours offered on select evenings at select parks each week.
Disney World Rides with Height Requirements: This guide lists every attraction at Walt Disney World with a height requirement, as well as those that don’t!
How to Use Rider Switch at Walt Disney World: This guide will teach you everything you need to know to experience attractions at Walt Disney World when traveling with little ones.
Disney Visa Card Perks at Disney World: This guide applies to Disney Visa cardholders. From exclusive character meet-and-greets to discounts, you’ll want to be aware of these extra perks and benefits during your vacation.
Seasonal and Special Events
Here are a few of our seasonal and special event guides for the parks.
The Fall and Halloween Season at Walt Disney World: This guide shares everything you need to know about visiting Disney World during the Fall and Halloween Season.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Guide: If you’re planning a visit to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, our guide has everything you need to know!
Christmas
Christmas Holidays at Walt Disney World (Complete Guide): Find out everything you can expect for each of the four theme parks, resorts, and Disney Springs.
The Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Disney World in 2025: Find out everything that’s been announced to date for the upcoming 2025 holiday season.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Guide for 2025: This guide shares everything that’s been announced for the 2025 seasonal Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom. We discuss our experiences and provide tips on how to plan an incredible evening based on your family’s likes and dislikes.
Disney Jollywood Nights Guide for 2025: This guide discusses Jollywood Nights, a separately ticketed special event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during the holiday season.
The Epcot Festival of the Holidays Guide (2025): We provide an overview of what to expect during this charming holiday festival featuring food booths and more!
Our Free Ride Spreadsheets
Planning your day around rides? We offer a free Disney World Ride Spreadsheet with a tab for each park—Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Each version is tailored to help you prioritize attractions, track Lightning Lanes, and maximize your park time.
Disney World Month-By-Month Series
Each month, we publish a timeline with what to expect if you’re planning an upcoming visit. See our guide: The Best and Worst Months to Visit Disney World. This guide links to our individual monthly guides as we publish them. They contain in-depth information that’s specific to the time of your visit.
Beyond the Parks
Are you planning a Walt Disney World vacation? We specialize in covering the resort hotels at Walt Disney World and have extensive coverage of almost every aspect of each resort. You’ll find everything from photos of what’s available in the gift shops to pictures of the pools and rooms.
Our Disney World Dining Handbook offers a complete overview of everything you need to know about dining upfront. It also links to guides that discuss the Disney Dining Plan, best dining spots, and subjects like character dining in more detail.
Our most popular guides fall under the Disney World Transportation category. We have a transportation guide for every resort hotel at Walt Disney World and extensive guides that discuss using the monorail, boats, buses, and the Disney Skyliner.
Lastly, if you’re hoping to meet characters at Disney World, we have you covered. We have photos of all the characters who meet regularly in the parks and a few rare ones!
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