Grampa pointed his crooked, spotted finger in the air and said, We’re going up there – In the air – On an airplane to Disney World. My blonde 9-year-old head pivoted toward my brother. His eyes got bigger. We were going to Disney World 🙂 .
As all of us grow older, Disney World’s effect on us matures. We know that the Mickey Mouse we just took a picture with is operated by someone trying to make a living. Cinderella isn’t real and neither is Winnie the Pooh. But, what does that matter? Disney World is an epicenter of creativity and nostalgia. We can lose the kid inside us along our way, but somewhere on Walt’s ~28,000 acres of land, we can rescue the young me and you.
Walt Disney World is where dreams come true. Reach 52 inches tall and you’re allowed to ride the scary roller coasters. At 15, the fireworks remind you of how much you used-to love watching Disney movies at home. And when you’re 20, you’re spending more close-contact time with your older and more embarrassing parents. Disney World is not the outdated jungle gym we used to hangout on. Look at my research to enjoy your next forced family trip, or understand the reason why your 30-year-old friend loves WDW so much.
**Won’t change your mind on Disney World? Scroll down to “Don’t Believe Me?”.
One of Disney World and Land’s main criticisms is that its roller coasters don’t compare to those of much cheaper theme park experiences. I have experienced roller coasters at places like Six Flags and Universal Studios, and I can see why some people think this. There are a lot of rides at Disney World that arouse more nostalgia than they do screams (slower rides). What we tend to overlook is the world built around those rides.
A Disney World theme park ticket pays for an entrance into another world… Disney World. The streets are cobbled, windows stuffed with golden embellishments, and alleys filled with colorfully dressed vendors. Castles cast shadows on rivers. Bridges connect Buzz LightYear Ion Blasters to tree-hallowed canoes. Street sweepers are late-night sidewalk artists.
Walt Disney thought of an all inclusive theme park where a parent could take a child and enjoy themselves as well. Since 1928, Walt’s predecessors have invested time into providing entertainment for all of us. Disney World hands you a vacationer’s paradise with more than one way to make it your own. Nowhere else in the world, can you find such a drastic shift from reality to fantasy, than at the entrance to a Walt Disney Theme Park.
It’s not easy to chase an 8-year-old through crowds of other 8-year-olds. But it is easy to please them at Disney World. I have a brother that is twelve years younger than me, and I experienced this first-hand. When he was 3, his eyes would widen at the sight of Mickey and Donald in real life. He also cried a ton and turned into a 30 pound weight to carry around after 8PM.
When he was 8, Disney World was perfect for him. He met his favorite characters, ate meals with them and saw fireworks turn the night sky Inside-Out every single night. When they’re under 12 years old, your biggest worries are crying and diapers, not entertaining. Mickey’s got that covered.
Downtown Disney is a shopping mall surrounded by picturesque bodies of water and nearby Disney Resort hotels. It features renown restaurants, 2 Starbucks and top-of-the-line designer brand names that include Free People, Anthropologie, Lily Pulitzer, Coach, Levi’s and Kate Spade. Downtown Disney is a mini-metropolis.
Wanna make it a whole day? Stay at one of the nearby Disney Resorts. Enjoy a romantic walk to and from your favorite shops and restaurants. And don’t feel bad. Your partner won’t hold your hand ‘cus their’s will be carrying those new jeans you bought, but didn’t want to carry 😉 .
Not everyone comes here to chase after their kids. Spend more time on your butt than your feet, and you’ll really feel like you left the office. Enjoy a stay at any one of Disney’s Resort stays for one reason: pool. Each stay option includes excellent food, a thoughtfully designed hotel room or villa, and a pool feet away from your door.
When each hotel features a pool bar, it’s up to you to decide which one suits your fancy. Click here to get closer to those tropical drinks you dream of at your fluorescently-lit city office. Mickey has you and your Minnie covered.
Maybe you’ve been to France, Morocco and Italy. Mexico, Germany and Canada. Airplane flights tire you out nowadays. And all you want is to stay somewhere nice without the long-ass flight. Enjoy meals at any one of Disney’s culturally inspired restaurants at the Epcot theme park. Drop your passport, buy a ticket, make a reservation and plop yourself at a window seat where you can eat expensive food and watch the 9 o’clock fireworks. Walk home in the 75 degree weather and maybe do it the next day. Just at a Chinese or French restaurant this time.
Visit Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Morocco, France, The United Kingdom and Canada all in a few hours at Epcot. Epcot is one of the theme parks at Disney World that functions less as a theme park and more of a utopian community (BusinessInsider.com). Out of this plan, came Epcot: an exhibition of the world, all in a town in central Florida. Disney recruits chefs and wait staff native to the area of the world that the restaurant’s cuisine emanates from, to offer the customer a believable escape once they pull their chair up to the table.
A Walt Disney retail store will reflect the magic and attention you will experience at a Walt Disney theme park. Use this as your test-visit to Disney World.
The employees will cheerfully greet you as ‘Prince’, ‘Princess’, ‘King’ or ‘Queen ‘. In-store castles will catch your eye. Their covered corridors tempt you to crouch underneath them. The sounds of Disney movie clips and tv shows also bring characters into the store with you. Famous animated creations hang from the ceiling with outstretched hands, welcoming you from where you stand to where they stand…in Disney World.
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