Blizzard Beach

Blizzard Beach is a water park located at the Walt Disney World Resort.

The park opened on April 1, 1996 and was the third WDW water park after River Country and Typhoon Lagoon. The theme of the park is the "Disney legend" of a freak snowstorm in the area, leading to the construction of Florida's first ski resort. Naturally, the snow didn't last long, leaving behind a collection of waterlogged but snow-less ski jumps and chair lifts.




The failed resort was in the process of closing for good when an alligator was seen sliding down a flume and splashing into a pool of water, screaming "Yahoo!" Thus the "ski resort" was reborn as a water park, with the alligator (named "Ice Gator") as mascot.

The majority of the major attractions at the park are hosted atop of Mount Gushmore, an artificial hill with an elevation of 90 feet (27 m), making it the fifth highest point in Florida. Mount Gushmore is split into three colored slopes to aid guests navigating around the park: Green, Red and Purple.

All water areas are heated (at approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit) with the exception of the melting snow in the ice cave of Cross Country Creek.


Green Slope
The Green Slope attractions (all are single track water slides, and as such are not meant for racing,) are found at the uppermost point of Mount Gushmore. They can be accessed by foot, or by chairlift. The chairlift is a one-way ride, except for guests with disabilities.

Summit Plummet is the flagship attraction at 120 feet (36 m) tall, it's also the second tallest and fastest free fall slide. The world's tallest and fastest water slide is the "Insano", with 135 feet (41 m) tall and 65 miles per hour (105 km/h). Riders can sometimes, depending on their position and physiology, reach speeds of up to 55 miles per hour (about 89 km/h). This slide has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for being the highest free fall slide in the world, until the opening of Insano. There is a minimum height requirement of 48" (122 cm).

Teamboat Springs is the world's longest "family white-water raft ride" at 1,400 feet (426 m) long. This attraction sends guests down a twisting series of rushing waterfalls. Water Park guests sit in large blue rubber rafts, which can hold a minimum of 4 and maximum of 6 persons, equipped with handles to hold on while the gushing water takes you down the slide. No infants and other Health Restrictions are advised.

Slush Gusher is a 90 feet (27 m) tall, 250-feet (76 m) long snow-banked mountain gully body slide attraction that reaches speeds up to 35 miles per hour (56 km/h). It has two places where it almost levels off, only to drop back down again. As such, it is one of only a few water slides where "air time" is achieved. If you want to reach maximum air, raise your crossed-legs just before you reach the second hump and keep straight.


Purple Slope
Access to the Purple Slope attractions (all of which have at least two nearly identical tracks, and as such are designed for racing,) is from a pathway next to the catch pool of Downhill Double Dipper.

Downhill Double Dipper is one of the world's only side-by-side racing slides. It is located next to Snow Stormers on Mount Gushmore. This adrenaline pumping attraction's slides are 50 feet (15 m) high and are 230 feet (70 m) long. Guests travel up to speeds of 25 mph (40 km/h) on these twin inner tube runs as they race past internationally recognized ski racing graphic elements and flags. Time clocks count-off each downhill heat and the runs are outfitted with automated audio equipment that signals the start of each race.
This attraction has a minimum height requirement of 48" (122 cm).

Snow Stormers is a "mat slide" consisting of three flumes (350 feet long) between Downhill Double Dipper and Toboggan Racers on Mount Gushmore. The attraction descends from the top of the mountain and follows a switchback course through ski-type slalom gates. Guests lay on their stomach on the toboggan style mat as they ride down the flumes.

Toboggan Racers is an 8-lane, 250-foot (76 m) water slide next to Snow Stormers on Mount Gushmore. The attraction sends guests racing over exhilarating dips as they descend the "snow" slope along the side of Mount Gushmore. Guests lay on their stomach on the toboggan style mat as they race to the finish line.









Red Slope

The Red Slope is found at the very rear of the park, containing only one attraction (a multi-slide attraction, but not designed for racing, due to the slides being so different).

Runoff Rapids is a 600-foot (180 m) inner tube run featuring two open and one enclosed tube slides. This attraction careens guests down twisting, turning flumes, passing through corrugated steel pipes. Tubes available at the bottom of the attraction. The Red slope stairs are the only way to access this attraction.






Ground Level
Meltaway Bay is a 1-acre (4,000 m2) wave pool nestled against the base of Mount Gushmore. This attraction is constantly fed by "melting snow" waterfalls creating "bobbing" (short) waves.

The Cross Country Creek is a 3,000-foot (910 m) slow-moving water attraction commonly known as a "lazy river," that travels around the perimeter of the water park. The attraction carries floating guests (in inner tubes) through a bone-chilling ice cave. Once inside the mysterious cave, guests will be splashed with the "melting" ice from overhead. There are 7 entrances and exits located throughout the park for this attraction, and any of these locations guests may pick up tubes and leave them as they exit the creek. The journey takes between twenty and thirty minutes to complete depending on crowd levels.

Ski Patrol is an area for pre-teenage children.
-Leisure Pool- The pool contain "icebergs" on which guests under 12 can walk across.
-Fahrenheit Drops - Commonly known as the "T-Bar", this attraction is a rope drop that deposits guests that are under five feet tall into eight and a half feet of water.
-Freezin' Pipe Springs - This attraction is a short body slide. It deposits guests in the same water area as Farenheight Drops, but has no height restriction.
-Cool Runners- a wide-open slide (inner tube) area created by rapidly melting snow mounds (moguls).

Tike's Peak features gentle slides designed to resemble scaled down versions of attractions at Blizzard Beach. Also included is a snow-castle fountain play area with pop (water) jets. Picnic benches also provided. Footwear is suggested due to hot pavement. The attraction is limited to children under 48" (122 cm).

The Chairlift carries up to 3 guests over the craggy face of Mount Gushmore, from its base at the beach, to its summit. The chairs carrying guests feature wooden-bench seats, colorful overhead umbrellas and snow skis on their underside. The Chairlift was converted from ski-resort to beach-resort use after a freak snowstorm hit Florida and soon after melted forming the perfect site for a water park. This is a one-way ride to the top of Mount Gushmore providing access to most attractions depending on the number of guests present in the park. A Gondola is also provided for disabled guests to access the top of Mount Gushmore. Minimum height requirement of 48" (122 cm) to ride alone.

Typhoon Lagoon

Typhoon Lagoon is a water park located at the Walt Disney World Resort.

The park, which opened on June 1, 1989, is home to the world's largest outdoor wave pool. The theme of the park is the "Disney legend" of a typhoon that wreaked havoc upon a formerly pristine tropical paradise. Ships, fishing gear, and surfboards are strewn about where the storm flung them. The centerpiece of the park is "Miss Tilly," a shrimp boat impaled upon a mountain named "Mount Mayday" that erupts a 50-foot (15 m) geyser of water every half hour, right before the bells of the watch sound on Miss Tilly. The parks’ mascot is named “Lagoona Gator” who is related to Blizzard Beach’s mascot Ice Gator.


Mount Mayday
Mount Mayday, located behind the surf pool, features “Miss Tilly” as well as many of the park's waterfalls and slides.

Attractions
Humunga Kowabunga: Three enclosed "speed slide" flumes that hurtle riders downward five stories in seconds (Height Restriction: 48” or taller).

Storm Slides: Three body slides (Jib Jammer, Stern Burner and Rudder Buster) that send riders from a height of three stories down twisting, winding channels to a splash pool at the bottom.

Gang Plank Falls: Family raft ride featuring large four-person inner tubes.

Mayday Falls: Tube slide flume with winding "rough rapids" feel.

Keelhaul Falls: Tube slide flume with smoother ride, spiraling down through a water fall and cave.

Forgotten Grotto: A cave walkway through Mt. Mayday

Overlook Pass: A walkway across the slope of Mt. Mayday, with small waterfalls.


Hideaway Bay
Hideaway Bay, formerly “Out of the Way Cay”, is a sandy beach area located behind the dressing rooms. It is in the most hidden part of the park and features the newest attraction at Typhoon Lagoon.

Attractions
Crush 'n' Gusher: Water coaster where two to three person rafts are propelled by water jets through hairpin turns and drop-offs. This attraction includes your choice of the water coaster slide "Banana Blaster", "Coconut Crusher", or "Pineapple Plunger" (Height Restriction: 48” or taller).






Sandy White Beach: Beach area with lounge chairs as well as a wading pool area adjacent to Crush 'n' Gusher.






Typhoon Lagoon
The largest section of the water park houses the feature attraction as well as many shaded, white sandy beaches to relax and recuperate.

Attractions
Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool: Wave pool, which alternates on a 90-second surf (6 foot high) waves/30-second bobbing waves cycle.
Bay Slides: Beginner slide designed to send toddlers down gentle slopes that end in a secluded corner for the “Surf Pool” (Height restriction: 60” or under).




Blustery Bay: Zero depth entry tidal pool near the clock tower, adjacent to the “Surf Pool” and is surrounded by sandy beaches.




Whitecap Cove: Zero depth entry tidal pool near “Surf Doggies”, adjacent to the “Surf Pool” and is surrounded by sandy beaches.




Learn to Surf: Hosted by “Craig Carroll’s Cocoa Beach Surf School” a two and a half hour surf lesson before the park opens (additional cost). All needed surf gear provided.






Shark Reef
Two saltwater reefs separated by a sunken tanker provide guests with an experience with Caribbean sea creatures.

Attractions
Shark Reef: Hosted by NAUI, snorkel through an unheated, saltwater reef populated with stingrays, bonnethead, leopard sharks and tropical fish. Snorkels, masks and lifejackets (if needed) provided free of charge. An adult must accompany children under 10 years of age.
Sunken Tanker: Underwater viewing area of the reefs. Viewing provided through tankers portholes.




S.A.S Adventure: A 30-minute “Surface Air Snorkeling” experience. Using a “pony” tank, a small regulator, and a buoyancy vest experience the “Shark Reef” in a different way (additional cost). All participants must be at least 5 years of age.




Hammer Head Fred’s Dive Shop: Snorkels, masks, lifejackets and unheated showers provided.






Castaway Creek
Continuous flowing, 2,100-foot (640 m) "lazy river" that slowly circles the entire park, passing through gentle waterfalls, lush rainforests, mist screens, and Mount Mayday itself. Riders can float on their own or in inner tubes provided. Think of this as the "water metro line" for the park: you can get on or off at several "stations" or "landings" convenient to the various rides. It takes some experience to learn which entrances are most convenient to the ride you want, but there are large maps at each landing to aid navigation through the river. If you wish, you can ignore the rest of the park and make a day of floating down the river.


Other attractions
Ketchakiddee Creek: a play area for young children featuring small slides and fountains. There are water features that spray everywhere including a tugboat and a mixture of whales and seals throughout the play area. A small sandy beach is also provided (Height restriction: 48” or under).

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Disney's Animal Kingdom is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. The fourth park built at the resort, it opened on April 22, 1998, and it is the largest single Disney theme park in the world, covering more than 500 acres (2 km²). It is also the first Disney theme park to be themed entirely around animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney himself. Disney's Animal Kingdom is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, meaning they have met and exceeded the standards in Education, Conservation and Research.


Themed areas
The park is made up of seven themed areas. However, the original plans called for another area called "Beastly Kingdom".


Oasis
Upon entering the park, guests must walk through this area to get into any of the other lands in the park. The Oasis consists of different paths leading to Discovery Island which walk guests past animal habitats such as muntjac, cavy, spoonbills, ducks, fish, turtles, wallabies, giant anteaters, babirusa, Hyacinth Macaws, and others. A Rainforest Cafe is also located at the entrance of the Oasis.


Discovery Island
The main land in the park (previously known as Safari Village), Discovery Island is the center island in the park and has paths to all six of the other lands. It is also the home of The Tree of Life.
Here you'll see kangaroos, flamingos, axis deer, West African crowned cranes, vultures, porcupines, lemurs, macaws, ducks, Galapagos tortoise, small-clawed otters, saddlebill storks, and more.


It's Tough to be a Bug - At the roots of The Tree of Life, Flik from A Bug's Life shows a 3-D Film about bugs and their daily lives.

Camp Minnie-Mickey
This land is the home of one show and four character greeting spots where guests can meet characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and others.


Festival of the Lion King - A high-energy musical performance featuring songs and characters from the film The Lion King.


Africa
Set in the fictional village of Harambe, the Africa section contains a number of animal adventures.


Kilimanjaro Safaris - Guests climb aboard an open-sided safari vehicle for an expedition seeing many African animals. Animals from Africa freely roam through acres of savanna, rivers and rocky hills. The guests can see giraffes, hippos, elephants, rhinoceroses, lions and other animals, while later embarking on a mission to stop some ivory poachers.


Pangani Forest Exploration Trail - The guest treks into the forest in search of gorillas. Along the way, the guest goes on a nature walk through a verdant African valley filled with Nile hippos, birds and fish and enters an exotic bird aviary, a research centre with naked mole-rats and various rodents and reptiles, an underwater hippo viewing area, a savanna overlook, and has an intimate up-close encounter with a magnificent troop of gorillas.


Rafiki's Planet Watch
Accessible by train only, this area, hosted by Rafiki, contains small animals, a petting zoo with domesticated goats, and exhibits teaching about conservation efforts. The veterinary hospital's viewing window allows guests to watch medical procedures conducted by the veterinary staff.

Wildlife Express Train - Guests ride the rails on this rustic African train that travels the savanna for a behind-the-scenes journey through several animal housing and care areas of the park. On the return trip, the train passes near the Asia section of the park.


Habitat Habit! - Guests see endangered cottontop tamarin primates up close, trekking down an adventure trail and learning of novel ways to help animals.

Affection Section - This attraction is an animal encounter with goats, sheep, pigs, chicken, llamas and more. Some of the park's friendlier animals make special guest appearances.


Conservation Station - At the trail's end, guests can visit the center of Disney efforts to promote wildlife conservation awareness. Inside are a variety of wild animal experiences, interactive games and shows.


Asia
Asia was the first expansion land added to Disney's Animal Kingdom, first opening in 1999. Like Africa, the section's attractions are part of a fictional village, Anandapur.

Flights of Wonder - Guests join a trainee bird handler and a wayward tour guide who teach each other about the delicate state of nature and see birds such as vultures, hawks, colorful macaws, crowned crane and the American Bald Eagle up close.
Kali River Rapids - Guests raft down the turbulent waters of the Chakranadi River aboard a 12-passenger raft through an enchanting Asian rain forest. Guests ride past a blazing inferno, a rushing waterfall, and geysers. Guests will get wet on this ride.


Maharajah Jungle Trek - Guests trek into the lush forests for an unparalleled adventure into the wilds of the mystical Anandapur Royal Forest of Southeast Asia and respective ancient ruins, having up-close encounters with Komodo dragons, fruit bats (the largest species in the world), tapirs, birds, and tigers.
Expedition Everest - In this runaway-train roller coaster, Himalayan trekkers board refurbished steam trains on their way to the base camp of Mount Everest, using a shortcut that passes through the "forbidden mountain" guarded by the legendary yeti.


DinoLand U.S.A.


The Boneyard - Guests slip, slide, slither and slosh through a play maze filled with fun fossils. "Exploration. Excavation. Exultation." is the motto of the Dino Institute and nowhere is this truer than here. Would-be paleontologists young and old play amidst a world of dinosaur discoveries like a Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Wooly Mammoth.


DINOSAUR (formerly Countdown to Extinction) - Guests whoosh back to primeval times for a wild ride of an expedition to complete a dangerous mission. Guests have mere minutes to rescue a stray dinosaur, and must beware the hungry clutches of one large meat-eating predator and the devastating power of an impending asteroid.


Finding Nemo - The Musical - Officially the park's newest attraction, the show debuted on November 12, 2006. This original stage show was developed by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment and tells the story of the Disney/Pixar film Finding Nemo. The production combines dancers, acrobats, animated backdrops, and theatrical puppetry. Marlin, Dory and Nemo are depicted by actors holding large puppets while other characters are portrayed through a variety of puppetry styles. The show performs several times daily.


Dino-Sue - Disney's oldest "cast" member, clocking in at 67 million years, Dino-Sue is a painstaking reproduction of the largest, most complete T-Rex ever found. The length of a four-story building, the mighty T-Rex is available to pose for pictures with guests at the Dino institute.


Cretaceous Trail - Cretaceous Trail is a walking tour amidst plant and animal survivors that have outlived the dinosaurs. Guests play with a Pachycephalosaurus, encounter living animal species that have survived since prehistoric times and discover fossil dig sites.
Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama - part of Dinoland U.S.A., this portion is an area made to look like a tacky 1950s roadside attraction built on an old parking lot.


Primeval Whirl - Guests ride a spinning time-machine themed roller-coaster with sudden dips, hairpin turns and tight curves. Each colorful car spins independently.


TriceraTop Spin - Guests ride a whirling, twirling, four-person flying dinosaur.

Beastly Kingdom
Disney's Animal Kingdom focuses on three broad classifications of animals: those that exist today; those that did exist, but are now extinct (i.e., dinosaurs); and, those that exist in legend and mythology. In the original design for the park, the animals of legend were to have their own section.

Beastly Kingdom was to have featured mythical animals such as unicorns, dragons, and sea monsters. The land would feature realms of both good and evil creatures. The evil side would be dominated by Dragon Tower, a ruined castle home to a greedy fire-breathing dragon who hordes a fabulous treasure in the tower chamber.
The good side of this land would be home to Quest of the Unicorn, an adventure which sends guests through a maze of medieval mythological creatures to seek the hidden grotto where the unicorn lives. Finally, the Fantasia Gardens attraction would be a musical boat ride through the animals from Disney's animated classic, Fantasia.

Due to budget constraints of the Walt Disney Company, Beastly Kingdom never came to fruition and Camp Minnie-Mickey was built as a temporary tenant of the Beastly Kingdom's land.

Kingdom does not have a fireworks show in consideration to the animals.

Disney's Hollywood Studios Map

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres (546,000 m²) in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s. The third park built at the resort, it opened on May 1, 1989 as Disney-MGM Studios.

In 2007, the park hosted approximately 9.51 million guests, ranking it the fourth-most visited amusement park in the United States, and seventh-most visited in the world


Attractions

The park consists of six themed areas. Unlike the other Walt Disney World parks, Disney's Hollywood Studios does not have a defined layout; it is more a mass of streets and buildings that blend into each other, much like a real motion picture studio would. The layout of the park, however, did have an interesting design characteristic. If you look at an older version of a park map and turn it upside down (or look at an old aerial photo oriented due north), you will see a Hidden Mickey in the overall layout of the park. Recent construction and changes to the park have eliminated much of this image.


Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard serves as the park's main entrance and is lined with venues selling Disney merchandise. Parades such as the Pixar Block Party Bash travel down Hollywood Boulevard on their route through the park, and live street entertainment can be found here throughout the day.
The Great Movie Ride, a dark ride paying homage to several classic films, including Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz is located at the end of Hollywood Boulevard inside of a replica of the famous Hollywood icon, Grauman's Chinese Theater.
A.T.A.S. Hall of Fame Plaza, which features busts of past and present icons of the television era, such as Oprah Winfrey and Walt Disney.
The American Idol Experience, inspired by the popular television series American Idol, is an interactive stage show to be constructed in the former Superstar Television theatre, which will open in January 2009.


Echo Lake
Action on the set of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!Echo Lake is the park's small oval-shaped lagoon. Surrounding it are numerous attractions and services, some in structures designed to mimic the "California Crazy" form of architecture from Hollywood's Golden Age.
Star Tours, a motion simulator ride set in the Star Wars universe.
Jedi Training Academy, a live-action stage show where children are selected to become padawan learners and receive "lightsaber training" from a Jedi master. This show originally was a special event during the annual Star Wars Weekends, but it has since been added to the park's daily entertainment schedule.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!, a live-action performance showing how movie stunts are done. The show re-enacts various scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Sounds Dangerous!, a 3-D audio presentation featuring comedian Drew Carey.

Streets of America
Originally the New York Street backlot set that was part of the park's original Backlot Studio Tour, the section was later opened to pedestrian traffic. More recently, additional architectural treatments were added to create street sets resembling San Francisco and Chicago.
Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D, a 3-D movie experience featuring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and other Muppet characters.
Studio Backlot Tour, showing how movie special effects are created. Guests see a movie scene set on the Special Effects Water Tank filmed using volunteers from the audience and various special effects. The audience sees this final sequence edited all together in an action sequence called Harbor Attack. Guests board trams and are taken through Catastrophe Canyon, to see fire and water effects, and are driven past large-scale movie props.


Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, a behind-the-scenes look at how vehicle action sequences are created for films, adapted from a similar show at Walt Disney Studios Park.
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure, an oversized playground based on the movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.


Animation Courtyard
This section of the park originally was the starting point for the tours of the park's active production studios. Its entrance is marked by a square "studio arch," much like a real Hollywood studio lot entrance might be marked. In the spring of 2008, Animation Courtyard was expanded to include portions of the former Mickey Avenue section of the park.
Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, a museum-like walkthrough attraction that explores the life of Walt Disney and his legacy through photos, models, rare artifacts and a short biographical film narrated by Julie Andrews as well as archival audio of Walt himself.
Journey Into Narnia, a walk-through interactive attraction featuring props from the movie series. The attraction currently contains elements from the series' second film, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
The American Film Institute Showcase, a rotating exhibit of movie props and memorabilia.
Voyage of The Little Mermaid, a live performance using puppets, lasers, movies, human actors, and water (mist) to re-create the animated Little Mermaid movie, in a condensed form.
Playhouse Disney Live on Stage!, a live performance featuring puppet characters from the Playhouse Disney block of programming on The Disney Channel. Currently, this show features characters from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, and Little Einsteins.
The Magic of Disney Animation, an attraction that examines the development process of an animated character. It also includes interactive games and exhibits, along with meet-and-greet areas for the Disney and Pixar characters.


Pixar Place
The park's newest section includes many of the original soundstages used when the park hosted actual production facilities. Today, Pixar Place resembles the Emeryville, California campus of Pixar Animation Studios.
Toy Story Midway Mania!, an interactive attraction inspired by classic carnival midway games and featuring popular Pixar characters.


Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard was the first expansion to Disney's Hollywood Studios, opening in July 1994.
Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, a stage show featuring highlights of the film.
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, an indoor roller coaster in the dark with three inversions and a high-speed launch.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, a thrill ride that drops guests in an elevator in a randomized set of four sequences each involving multiple high-speed drops and ascents. In addition, special effects including scents, lighting and sound enhance the experience.
Fantasmic!, a nighttime show with characters and fireworks held in the adjacent Hollywood Hills Amphitheater.

Epcot Map

Epcot

Epcot is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. The park is dedicated to international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was named EPCOT Center until 1994.
In 2007 Epcot hosted approximately 10.93 million guests, ranking it the third-most visited theme park in the United States, and sixth-most visited in the world.


Park layout
The park consists of two sections: Future World and World Showcase. Both are patterned after the kinds of exhibits which were popular at World's Fairs in the first two-thirds of the 20th century, in particular the 1939 New York World's Fair. Epcot has become essentially a permanent display of the world's nations.

Future World pavilions

Future World consists of a variety of pavilions that explore innovative aspects and applications of technology. Originally, each pavilion featured a unique circular logo which was featured on park signage and the attractions themselves. The logos, including that of Epcot itself, have been phased out over recent years, but some remnants still remain scattered throughout the park.

-Spaceship Earth
-Innoventions
-Universe of Energy
-Mission: SPACE
-Test Track
-The Seas with Nemo and Friends
-The Land
-Imagination!

Each Future World pavilion was initially sponsored by a corporation who helped fund its construction and maintenance in return for the corporation's logos appearing prominently throughout the pavilion. Each pavilion contains a posh "VIP area" for its sponsor with offices, lounges, and reception areas hidden away from regular park guests.

World Showcase
World Showcase contains pavilions representing eleven countries.

In clockwise order, the pavilions are:
-Mexico
-Norway (added in 1988)
-China
-Germany
-Italy
-The American Adventure
-Japan
-Morocco (added in 1984)
-France
-United Kingdom
-Canada

World Showcase Lagoon
World Showcase Lagoon is a man-made lake located in the World Showcase pavilion. It has a perimeter of 1.2 miles.

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
This thirteen-minute fireworks show takes place in the World Showcase Lagoon every night at the park's closing time (usually 9:00 PM). The show features Fireworks, lasers, fire and water fountains timed to a musical score over the World Showcase Lagoon. A large rotating globe with curved LED screens is the centerpiece of the show and is used to project images of people and places. The current version premiered as part of the park's Millennium Celebration in 1999.

The Magic Kingdom Map

The Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. The first park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1971. The park saw an estimated 17 million visitors in 2007, making it the most visited theme park in the world.

Designed and built by WED Enterprises (now known as Walt Disney Imagineering), the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.

Naming confusions
Because of the similarity to Disneyland, there was some confusion on the name of the park. "The Magic Kingdom" was used as an unofficial nickname for Disneyland before the Walt Disney World Resort was built, however the official nickname of Disneyland is "The Happiest Place On Earth." The Magic Kingdom's nickname is the similar "The Most Magical Place On Earth." Despite the confusion, the park's tickets have always borne the official name of "The Magic Kingdom." In 1994, in order to differentiate it from Disneyland, the park was officially renamed to "Magic Kingdom Park."


Lands of the Magic Kingdom

The park map lists forty-eight attractions in seven themed "lands."
The Walt Disney World Railroad runs along the perimeter of the park and makes stops at Main Street, U.S.A., Frontierland, and Mickey's Toontown Fair.

Main Street, U.S.A.
Instead of being a replica of a small midwestern American town, Main Street at Walt Disney World features some stylistic influences from around the country, such as New England and Missouri. This is most noticeable in the "four corners" area in the middle of Main Street where each of the four corner buildings represents a different architectural style. There is also no Opera House as there is at Disneyland; instead there is the Exposition Hall. Main Street is lined with shops selling merchandise and food. City Hall contains the Guest Relations lobby where cast members provide information and assistance. A real working barber shop gives haircuts for a fee. The Emporium carries a wide variety of Disney souvenirs such as plush toys, collectible pins, and Mickey-ear hats. Tony’s Town Square and the Plaza Restaurant are sit-down restaurants. Casey's Corner is at the end of Main Street and sells traditional American ballpark fare including hot dogs & fries.

In the distance beyond the end of Main Street stands Cinderella Castle. Though only 189 feet (55m) tall, it benefits from a technique known as forced perspective.
The park contains two additional tributes: the Partners statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in front of Cinderella Castle and the Sharing the Magic statue of Roy O. Disney sitting with Minnie Mouse in the Town Square section of Main Street, U.S.A.

Adventureland
Adventureland represents the mystery of exploring foreign lands. It is themed to resemble the remote jungles in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and the South Pacific, with an extension resembling a Caribbean town square. It contains classic rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise.

Frontierland
Frontierland is where guests can relive the Wild West -- from cowboys and Indians, to exploring the mysteries of the Rivers of America. Frontierland contains classic attractions such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Tom Sawyer Island, Splash Mountain, and the Country Bear Jamboree.

Liberty Square
This area of the park is based on an American Revolutionary town. The Magic Kingdom's Rivers of America hosts the Liberty Belle riverboat. Liberty Square is home to the Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents.

Fantasyland
Fantasyland is themed in a medieval-faire/carnival style. Attractions include "it's a small world", Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey's PhilarMagic, Snow White's Scary Adventures, Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, and Mad Tea Party.

Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland is themed to be an intergalactic convention center. Classic attractions include Space Mountain and the Tomorrowland Speedway.

Mickey's Toontown Fair
An expansion of the land created as Mickey's Birthdayland, and later Mickey's Starland, this area is home to attractions such as Mickey's Country House, Minnie's Country House, Goofy's Barnstormer, and Donald's Boat.

Walt Disney World Resort Map

Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world, containing four theme parks, two water parks, twenty-three themed hotels, and numerous shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation venues. Owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts segment of The Walt Disney Company, it is located southwest of Orlando, Florida.

It opened on October 1, 1971, with the Magic Kingdom theme park, and has since added Epcot (on October 1, 1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (on May 1, 1989), and Disney's Animal Kingdom (on April 22, 1998).


Theme parks
Walt Disney World Resort features four theme parks. Each park is represented by an iconic structure:

-Magic Kingdom - Cinderella Castle
-Epcot - Spaceship Earth
-Disney's Hollywood Studios - The Sorcerer's Hat
-Disney's Animal Kingdom - The Tree of Life

Other attractions

-Typhoon Lagoon
-Blizzard Beach
-Disney's Wedding Pavilion
-Disney's BoardWalk
-Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
-Walt Disney World Speedway / Richard Petty Driving Experience
-Downtown Disney


Resorts and hotels

On-site Disney resorts
There are 32 resorts and hotels located on the Walt Disney World property. Of those, 22 are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. The Disney resorts are classified into five categories: Deluxe, Deluxe Villa, Moderate, Value, and Campground. The other hotels are owned by private, non-Disney hospitality companies such as Starwood (Westin and Sheraton), Holiday Inn, Best Western, and Hilton.

Guests arriving at Orlando International Airport can be transported to their Disney resort from the airport using Disney's Magical Express service, and have their bags picked up and transported for them through a contract with BAGS Incorporated. Guests board custom motor coaches, watch a video about the Walt Disney World Resort, and their luggage is later delivered directly to their rooms.


Attendance
The May 2008 issue of trade magazine Park World reported the following attendance estimates for 2007 compiled by Economic Research Associates in partnership with TEA (formerly the Themed Entertainment Association):

Magic Kingdom, 17 million visits (No. 1 worldwide)
Epcot, 10.9 million visits (No. 6)
Disney's Hollywood Studios, 9.51 million visits (No. 7)
Disney's Animal Kingdom, 9.49 million visits (No. 8)


Transportation
A fleet of Disney-operated buses on property, branded Disney Transport, is available for guests at no charge. In 2007, Disney Transport started a guest services upgrade to the buses. SatellGPS systems controlling new public address systems on the buses give safety information, park tips and other general announcements, with music. They are not to be confused with the Disney Cruise Line and Disney's Magical Express buses which are operated by Mears Transportation.

The Walt Disney World Monorail System also provides transportation at Walt Disney World. A fleet of 12 monorail trains operates on three routes that interconnect at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) adjacent to the Magic Kingdom's parking lot. One line provides an express non-stop link from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom, whilst a second line provides a link from the TTC to Epcot. The third line links the TTC and the Magic Kingdom to the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian resorts.

Disney's California Adventure Park Map

Disney's California Adventure Park

Disney's California Adventure Park (commonly referred to by its initials, DCA) is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. It opened on February 8, 2001. The park is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company.

This 55-acre theme park was constructed as part of a major expansion that transformed the Disneyland area and its hotels into the Disneyland Resort and consists of five areas: Sunshine Plaza, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, The Golden State, A Bug's Land and Paradise Pier. Most of them are meant to resemble various aspects of California, its culture, landmarks and history.


Park layout

Sunshine Plaza

The main gate entrance is designed to evoke a sensation as if one were stepping into a California postcard. After guests pass the giant letters spelling out California, they will pass beneath a mock-up of San Francisco Bay's Golden Gate Bridge, which serves to disguise a portion of the resort's monorail track. Flanking both ends of the faux Golden Gate Bridge are two massive murals depicting the vast mountain ranges in California. A few meters into the park from the main gate is Sunshine Plaza that serves as an access hub to all of the park's other themed lands. At the end of the path, there is a fountain featuring a large metal sunburst designed to reflect solar rays into the surrounding area. Sunshine Plaza is also home to a replica of the California Zephyr, which houses the plaza's two counter service restaurants: Baker's Field Bakery and Bur-r-r Bank Ice Cream. The plaza is also home to two of the park's biggest souvenir shops, Greetings from California and Engine Ears Toys.

Paradise Pier

Paradise Pier is themed after a California boardwalk, based on popular coastal boardwalks such as the Santa Monica Pier and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Paradise Pier's attractions consist of the classic amusement park rides found in many boardwalks such as the California Screamin’, the Maliboomer, and the Orange Stinger. Toy Story Mania!, an interactive attraction inspired by classic midway games and Disney's California Adventure Park's newest attraction, featuring Pixar characters, opened on June 17, 2008.

In October of 2008, the Sun Wheel closed to be made over as "Mickey's Fun Wheel" scheduled to open in Spring of 2009 as part of a major makeover that will include a new Water Fountain show in Paradise Pier, "World of Color" scheduled to open in the Summer of 2010.


A section of Paradise Pier is themed after the Historic U.S. Route 66, a desert road area that starts with Paradise Pier's crashed fireboat the S.S. rustworthy. Notable attractions are the Jumpin' Jellyfish, Golden Zephyr, and Mulholland Madness as well as the Sunglass Shack in the shape of a giant roadside attraction dinosaur.

Golden State

This land allows guests to experience California's natural settings. It is further divided into five sub-lands:

Condor Flats
Soarin' over CaliforniaThis sub-land is themed after the aviation industry. The featured attraction here is Soarin’ over California, a ride that simulates a hang glider tour of California. Also in this area is the Taste Pilot's Grill counter service restaurant.

Grizzly Peak Recreational Area
This sub-land is themed after California's wilderness, such as Yosemite and Redwood national parks. Attractions include Grizzly River Run, a fast-paced river rapids ride around Grizzly Peak. Nearby is the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail; an interactive playground area, which also includes a show, housed in an amphitheater featuring characters from Disney's Brother Bear, The Magic of Brother Bear. A special entrance to Disney's Grand Californian Hotel is also located in this area.

The Bay Area
This sub-land is themed after the California Bay Area. It used to feature Golden Dreams, a film about the history of California, starring Whoopi Goldberg housed in a theatre. Its last showing was on September 7th, 2008. Outside of the theatre is a mural and a replica of the Palace of Fine Arts. The Bay Area also includes an avenue of houses similar to the Victorian architecture of many townhouses found in San Francisco. The main area is scheduled to be converted to The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Adventure, with construction expected to start in 2009.

The Golden Vine Winery

This sub-land is themed after Northern California's Napa Valley and the winemaking industry. Included in this area is Wine Country Trattoria, a casual table service-dining restaurant which features wines and Italian foods. The former main attraction in this area, Seasons of the Vine, a film showcasing Napa Valley and the changes throughout the seasons, housed in a wine cellar-like theatre, closed on March 30th, 2008 to be converted into the Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar, which opened in October of 2008, that features the upcoming changes to the park. The exhibits will be rotated every few months until 2012, when the major park improvement project is scheduled to be finished.

Pacific Wharf
This sub-land is based on Monterey's Cannery Row area, especially as depicted in John Steinbeck's novels, and also resembles San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. This area includes the Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill, Pacific Wharf Cafe, along with a Karl Strauss beer truck and Margarita stand. This sub-land also features attractions such as the Mission Tortilla Factory, which features a tour on how tortillas were once made, and showcases working corn and flour tortilla machines. Another attraction is the Boudin Bakery Tour, which is a tour of the sourdough bread making process with Rosie O'Donnell and Colin Mochrie as video tour guides.


Hollywood Pictures Backlot

Hollywood Pictures Backlot is an area styled to appear as Hollywood boulevards and movie backlots, with Hollywood, Television, and movie-themed attractions. A version of the Tower of Terror attraction from Disney's Hollywood Studios opened in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot in 2004. Recently, a new attraction, Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! based on the characters from Monsters, Inc. opened in the attraction building that housed Superstar Limo. The 2000-seat Hyperion Theatre currently plays host to Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular.
Also featured since the park's opening is Muppet Vision 3-D, a show that also originated at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

The entrance to the area with the sign Hollywood Pictures Backlot featuring two ceramic elephants sculptures atop columns. This homage is echoed at the Hollywood and Highland entertainment complex in Los Angeles, which currently houses the Academy Awards ceremonies at Kodak Theatre (which opened the same year, 2001) which also has elephant sculptures atop columns.


"A Bug's Land"

"A Bug's Land" is seen from the point of view of a bug, and the character of "Flik" from A Bug's Life. Oversized human items and foodstuffs are scattered around the land. This land features Flik's Fun Fair, It's Tough to be a Bug! and the Bountiful Valley Farm, based on the Disney-Pixar film "a bug's life". The land opened in 2003 and offers various kid-friendly rides and other attractions. Such rides including Fliks Flyers, Francis' Ladybug Boogie, Tuck & Rolls Drive em' Buggies, Heimlichs Chew Chew Train, and Dots Puddle Park.

Disneyland Park Map

Disneyland Park, California

Disneyland is an American theme park in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of The Walt Disney Company. It was dedicated with a press preview on July 17, 1955, in ceremonies led by Walt Disney and opened to the general public the following day. Disneyland holds the distinction of being the only theme park to be designed, built, opened, and operated by Walt Disney.


Currently the park has been visited by more than 515 million guests since it opened, including presidents, royalty and other heads of state. In 1998, the theme park was re-branded Disneyland Park to distinguish it from the larger Disneyland Resort complex. In 2007, over 14,800,000 people visited the park making it the second most visited park in the world, behind the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Lands of Disneyland

Main Street, U.S.A.

Main Street, U.S.A. is patterned after a typical midwest town of the early 20th century. It is the first area guests see when they enter the park, and is how guests reach Central Plaza. At the center of The Magic Kingdom and immediately North of Central Plaza stands Sleeping Beauty Castle, which provides entrance to Fantasyland by way of a drawbridge across a moat. Adventureland, Frontierland, and Tomorrowland are arrayed on both sides of the castle.

Main Street, U.S.A. is reminiscent of the Victorian period of Americana with the train station, town square, movie theatre, city hall, firehouse complete with a steam-powered pump engine, emporium, shops, arcades, double-decker bus, horse-drawn streetcar, jitneys and other bits of memorabilia. At the far end of Main Street, U.S.A. is Sleeping Beauty Castle, and the Plaza hub which is a portal to all the theme lands.

Adventureland

Adventureland is designed to be an exotic tropical place in a far-off region of the world, in the remote jungles of Asia and Africa. Attractions include opening day's Jungle Cruise, the "Temple of the Forbidden Eye" in Indiana Jones Adventure, and Tarzan's Treehouse, which is a conversion of the earlier Swiss Family Robinson Tree House from the Walt Disney film, Swiss Family Robinson. Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room which is located at the entrance to Adventureland is the first feature attraction to employ Audio-Animatronics, a computer synchronization of sound and robotics.


New Orleans Square

New Orleans Square is a themed land based on 19th century New Orleans. It was opened to the public on July 24, 1966. Despite its age, it is still very popular with Disneyland guests, being home to two of the park's most popular attractions: Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. Hidden in the walkway near the Blue Bayou Restaurant, there is a doorway with the number 33 beside it. This is the entrance to a private members-only club inside Disneyland, that members pay high amounts of money to get into. Club 33 is the only place in Disneyland proper to have alcoholic beverages.


Frontierland

Frontierland recreates the setting of pioneer days along the American frontier, home to the Pinewood Indians band of animatronics Native Americans, who live on the banks of the Rivers of America. Entertainment and attractions include Fantasmic!, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mark Twain Riverboat, Fronierland Shootin' Exposition and Sailing Ship Columbia. May 2007 featured the opening of "Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island". Frontierland is also home to the Golden Horseshoe Saloon, a show palace straight out of the Old West.

Critter Country

Splash Mountain is a combination log flume and dark ride attraction at three Walt Disney Parks, based on the 1946 Disney film Song of the South.Critter Country opened in 1972 as "Bear Country", and was renamed in 1988. Today, the main draw of the area is Splash Mountain, a log-flume journey inspired by the Uncle Remus stories of Joel Chandler Harris and the animated segments of Disney's Academy Award-winning 1946 film, Song of the South. In 2003, a dark ride called The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh replaced the Country Bear Jamboree. The Country Bear Jamboree presented shows featuring singing bear characters that were visualized through electronically-controlled and mechanically-animated puppets, known as Audio-Animatronics.


Fantasyland

Fantasyland, a place where classic stories of everyone's youth have become realities for youngsters - of all ages - to participate in, like flying with Peter Pan over moonlit London, or tumbling into Alice's nonsensical Wonderland. Fantasyland was originally styled in a medieval European fairground fashion, but its 1983 refurbishment turned it into a Bavarian village. Attractions include several dark rides, the King Arthur Carrousel, and various children's rides.


Mickey's Toontown

Mickey's Toontown opened in 1993 and was partly inspired by the fictional Los Angeles suburb of Toontown in The Walt Disney Studios' 1988 release Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Mickey's Toontown is a 1930s cartoon come-to-life and is home to Disney's most popular cartoon characters. Toontown features two main attractions: Gadget's Go Coaster and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. The "city" is also home to cartoon character's houses such as the house of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.


Tomorrowland

The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future.
Initial attractions included Rocket to the Moon, Astro-Jets and Autopia; later, the first incarnation of the Submarine Voyage was added. The area underwent a major transformation in 1967 to become New Tomorrowland, and then again in 1998 when its focus was changed to present a "retro-future" theme reminiscent of the illustrations of Jules Verne.
Current attractions include Space Mountain, Innoventions, Star Tours, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, Autopia, the Disneyland Monorail Tomorrowland Station, Astro Orbitor and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage opened on June 11, 2007, resurrecting the original Submarine Voyage which closed in 1998.


Transportation

Disneyland Railroad

Encircling Disneyland and providing a grand circle tour is the Disneyland Railroad (DRR), a short-line railway consisting of five oil-fired and steam-powered locomotives, in addition to three passenger trains and one passenger-carrying freight train. With a three-foot gauge, the track runs in a continuous loop around The Magic Kingdom through each of its realms. Each turn-of-the-19th-Century train departs Main Street Station on an excursion that includes scheduled station stops at: Frontierland Station; Toontown Depot, the gateway to Fantasyland; and, Tomorrowland Station. The Grand Circle Tour then concludes with a visit to the "Grand Canyon/Primeval World" dioramas before returning passengers to Main Street, U.S.A.


Disneyland Monorail System

The original Mark I and Mark II, was the first trains that were created especially for Disneyland. Five generations of monorail trains have been used in the park, since their lightweight construction means they wear out quickly. The most recent operating generation, the Mark VII, was installed in 2008. The monorail shuttles visitors between two stations, one inside the park in Tomorrowland and one in Downtown Disney. It follows a 2.5 mile (4 km) long route designed to show the park from above. Currently, the Mark VII is running with the colors Red and Blue with one more color to be added in the coming months.

Monorail Blue travels over the former Submarine Voyage ride which is now the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage in Tomorrowland.


Live entertainment

Fantasmic! is a popular multimedia nighttime show hosted by Mickey Mouse which debuted in 1992. The presentation is made at the Laffite's Tavern end of Pirate's Lair at Tom Sawyer Island and uses the Rivers of America as part of the stage. It uses Frontierland and New Orleans Square as the spectator arena.
It consists of synchronized lighting and special effects, with floating barges, the Mark Twain Riverboat, the Sailing Ship Columbia, fountains, lasers, fireworks, thirty-foot-tall "water screens" upon which animated scenes are projected, and an automated forty-five foot fire-breathing dragon.


Fireworks

Disneyland Fireworks from Sleeping Beauty CastleElaborate fireworks shows synchronized with Disney songs and often an appearance by the Peter Pan character Tinker Bell. Recent presentations have become more elaborate, featuring new pyrotechnics, launch techniques and story lines. In 2004, Disneyland introduced a new air launch pyrotechnics system, reducing ground level smoke and noise and decreasing negative environmental impacts.

1958–1999 Fantasy in the Sky
2000–2004 Believe... There's Magic in the Stars
2004–2005 Imagine... A Fantasy in the Sky
2005–Present Remember... Dreams Come True
During the Holiday Season, there is a special fireworks presentation called Believe... In Holiday Magic which has been running since 2000, except for a short hiatus in 2005 during the park's 50th Celebration.


Tomorrowland Terrace
The Tomorrowland Terrace is a stage in Tomorrowland. It is a two-story stage where the lower stage rises from below with dramatic effect. It was popular in the 1960s with music performers of the day. Over the years, it was eventually replaced with Club Buzz, a Buzz Lightyear themed stage and show featuring the space character from the Toy Story movies. In 2006, it was restored to the Tomorrowland Terrace with the same style and design as the original. It is now home to the Jedi Training Academy interactive stage show where children are chosen as Jedi padawan and taught how to use a Lightsaber. Each child then has the opportunity to face either Darth Vader or Darth Maul.



Tickets
From Disneyland's opening day until 1982, the price of the attractions was in addition to the price of park admission. Park-goers paid a small admission fee to get into the park, but admission to most of the rides and attractions required purchase a book of tickets that consisted of several coupons, initially labeled "A" through "D". The coupons were also sold individually. "A" coupons allowed admission to the smaller rides and attractions such as the vehicles on Main Street, whereas "C" coupons were used for the most common attractions like the Peter Pan ride, or the Tea Cups. As more thrilling rides were introduced, such as the Monorail or the Matterhorn bobsled, "D" and then eventually "E" coupons were introduced. Coupons could be combined to equal the equivalent of another ticket, e.g. if an "A" ticket was worth 1/5th of an "E" ticket, a "B" ticket was worth 2 "A" tickets, a "C" ticket was worth three, etc., for an "E" ticket ride one could use one "E" ticket, three "B" tickets, two "B" and one "A", two "C", or five "A" tickets, or various combinations; two "A" tickets could be used for a "B" ticket or three "A" for a "C"; one "A" and one "B" or two "B" tickets could be used for a "C", etc.

Disneyland ticket book circa 1975–1977. The tickets are actually printed as "coupons".Later Disneyland featured a "Keys to the Kingdom" booklet of tickets, which consisted of 10 unvalued coupons sold for a single flat rate. These coupons could be used for any attraction regardless of its regular value. Obviously it would behoove the buyer to use these for the most thrilling attractions or rides.

In 1982 Disney dropped the idea for individual ride tickets to a single admission price with unlimited access to all attractions, "except shooting galleries" . While this idea was not original to Disney, its business advantages were obvious: in addition to guaranteeing that everyone paid a large sum even if they stayed for only a few hours and rode only a few rides, the park no longer had to print tickets or ticket books, staff ticket booths, or provide staff to collect tickets or monitor attractions for people sneaking on without tickets.

Later Disney introduced other entry options such as multi-day passes, Annual Passes which allow unlimited entry to the Park for an annual fee and Southern California residents' discounts.

Disneyland Resort Map

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the segment of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds, and manages the company's theme parks and holiday resorts, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises. It is one of four major business segments of the company, the other three being Consumer Products, Media Networks, and Studio Entertainment.

The Parks and Resorts division was founded in 1971 as Walt Disney Attractions when Disney's second theme park, the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, opened, joining the original Disneyland in California.


Disneyland Resort

In 2001, the area was officially named the Disneyland Resort with the opening of Disney's California Adventure Park, two new resort hotels and the Downtown Disney retail, dining and entertainment district. The resort occupies 500 acres, listed below, and are divided into parks, shopping centers, and resorts:

Parks:
Disneyland
Disney's California Adventure Park

Shopping centers:
Downtown Disney

Resorts:
Disneyland Hotel
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel


Walt Disney World Resort

The Walt Disney World Resort opened Oct. 1, 1971, with the Magic Kingdom (similar in layout to Disneyland) and three resort hotels in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The property is twice the size of Manhattan, with about a quarter of it having been developed to date. It has become the most popular tourist destination on Earth, with four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping and entertainment complex, 20 resort hotels and eight golf courses. The resort is divided into parks, shopping centers, and resorts:

Parks:
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Disney's Blizzard Beach
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
Disney's Wide World of Sports

Shopping centers:
Downtown Disney

Resorts:
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney's Contemporary Resort
Disney's Polynesian Resort
Disney's Port Orleans Resort
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Disney's Old Key West Resort
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney's BoardWalk Resort
Disney's Beach Club Resort
Disney's Yacht Club Resort
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Disney's Pop Century Resort
Disney's All-Star Movies Resort
Disney's All-Star Music Resort
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground


Tokyo Disney Resort

Tokyo Disney Resort, located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, opened April 15, 1983. On Sept. 4, 2001, the resort expanded with Tokyo DisneySea. There are several resort hotels on site, but only three are actually owned by the resort, which boasts the largest parking structure in the world. Tokyo Disney Resort is fully owned and operated by The Oriental Land Company and is licensed by the Walt Disney Company. Its properties, listed below, are divided into parks, shopping centers, and resorts:

Parks:
Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo DisneySea

Shopping centers:
Ikspiari shopping, dining and entertainment complex

Resorts:
Disney's Ambassador Hotel
Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta
Tokyo Disneyland Hotel


Disneyland Resort Paris

Disneyland Resort Paris, Disney's second resort complex outside the United States, opened April 12, 1992, as Euro Disney Resort. Located in Marne-la-Vallée in the suburbs of Paris, France, it features two theme parks and a golf course, an entertainment complex and six Disney resort hotels. It is maintained and managed by Euro Disney S.C.A., a company partially owned by the Walt Disney Company whose stock is traded on Euronext. Its properties sit on 4,940 acres, listed below, and are divided into parks, shopping centers, and resorts:

Parks:
Disneyland Park
Walt Disney Studios Park
Golf Disneyland

Shopping centers:
Disney Village

Resorts:
Disneyland Hotel
Disney's Hotel New York
Disney's Newport Bay Club
Disney's Sequoia Lodge
Disney's Hotel Cheyenne
Disney's Hotel Santa Fe
Disney's Davy Crockett Ranch


Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

Hong Kong Disneyland, Disney's fifth resort and its second in Asia, opened Sept. 12, 2005. The resort is located in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. Currently, the resort consists of one theme park and two hotels, with land reserved for future expansion. It is owned and operated by Hong Kong International Theme Parks, an incorporated company jointly owned by The Walt Disney Company and the Government of Hong Kong. Hong Kong Disneyland Resort sits on 310 acres.

Parks:
Hong Kong Disneyland
Inspiration Lake Recreation Centre

Resorts:
Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel
Disney's Hollywood Hotel


Disney Cruise Line

Though it is part of the Walt Disney World Resort venture, Disney Cruise Line is an altogether separate branch of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Disney Cruise Line was formed in 1995; its two ships, the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, began operation in 1998 and 1999, respectively, and were designed in collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering. Both ships offer three-, four- and seven-night Caribbean cruises, each with a stop at Disney's private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay. The Disney Magic temporarily relocated to Los Angeles in 2005 to offer cruises along the Mexican Riviera in coordination with the 50th anniversary of Disneyland, and the ship will return to the West Coast in 2008 for similar itineraries. The Magic also offered several cruises in the Mediterranean in 2007.

Properties:
Disney Wonder
Disney Magic
Castaway Cay