Walt Disney World Resort facts for kids
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Cinderella Castle, the icon of the Magic Kingdom
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| Industry | Theme parks and resorts |
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| Founded | October 1, 1971 |
| Founders | Walt and Roy Disney |
| Headquarters | Lake Buena Vista, Florida, U.S. |
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Key people
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George Kalogridis (President) |
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Number of employees
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62,000 |
| Parent | Walt Disney Parks and Resorts The Walt Disney Company |
The Walt Disney World Resort, also known as Walt Disney World or Disney World, is a huge fun place near Orlando, Florida. It first opened on October 1, 1971, with just one theme park called Magic Kingdom. Over the years, it grew much bigger!
Now, Disney World has four amazing theme parks: Epcot (opened October 1, 1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (opened May 1, 1989), and Disney's Animal Kingdom (opened April 22, 1998). It also has two water parks, 23 hotels, a campground, and Disney Springs. Disney Springs is a cool area with shops, restaurants, and fun activities.
The idea for this resort came from Walt Disney himself. He also created Disneyland in California. The first park at Disney World, Magic Kingdom, looks a lot like Disneyland. Walt Disney wanted Disney World to be a full vacation spot, not just a one-day visit. That's why it has so many sports, fun activities, themed hotels, and shows. It's a huge place, covering about 50 square miles! You can enjoy many different rides at the theme parks and swim at the water parks. Sometimes, Disney characters walk around the parks, which is super fun for everyone. The rides are often based on Disney's famous books and movies.
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Discover the Fun Parks
Walt Disney World is about the same size as San Francisco. It's twice as big as Manhattan! This huge resort has many exciting places to visit. These include theme parks, water parks, and more.
Awesome Theme Parks
There are four main theme parks at Walt Disney World. Each park has many rides, places to eat, and live shows. You can also meet your favorite Disney characters and watch fun parades!
- Magic Kingdom, opened October 1, 1971
- Epcot, opened October 1, 1982
- Disney's Hollywood Studios, opened May 1, 1989
- Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened April 22, 1998
Cool Water Parks
There are two splash-tastic water parks where you can cool off and have fun:
- Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, opened June 1, 1989
- Disney's Blizzard Beach, opened April 1, 1995
Other Fun Spots
Besides the main parks, Disney World has other cool places to explore:
- Disney's Boardwalk: A lively area with shops and restaurants.
- Disney Springs, opened March 22, 1975: This place used to have different names. It's a great spot for shopping and dining.
- Disney's Wedding Pavilion, opened July 15, 1995: A beautiful place where people can get married.
- ESPN Wide World of Sports, opened March 28, 1997: A big sports complex for different games and events.
Past Attractions
Some attractions at Disney World have closed over the years:
- Discovery Island: An island with many animals and birds. It was open from 1974 to 1999.
- Disney's River Country: This was the first water park at the resort. It opened in 1976 and closed in 2001.
- Walt Disney World Speedway: A racetrack that was open from 1995 to 2015.
- DisneyQuest: An indoor theme park with arcade games and virtual rides. It opened in 1998 and closed in 2017.
Planning Your Disney Trip
Disney World is a very popular place for both tourists and local visitors. Because of this, the parks can get very busy, especially during peak times. For example, Disney's Magic Kingdom alone gets over 18.5 million visitors every year!
The parks are usually most crowded in the summer months. They also get very busy during holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. If you want to avoid long lines for rides, it's a good idea to plan your visit during the "off-season." This means going when fewer people are visiting.
It's almost impossible to see everything at Disney World in just one visit. There's so much to do! To make the most of your trip, it's helpful to plan ahead. Booking tickets through travel websites can be a good idea. You might find great discounts and help with planning things like restaurant reservations and hotel stays. Many websites also offer special vacation packages that can make your trip easier and more fun.
Images for kids
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Walt Disney (left) with his brother Roy O. Disney (right) and W. Haydon Burns (center) on November 15, 1965, announcing Disney World.
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Roy O. Disney looking at design plans in Florida.
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Some popular Disney characters: Goofy, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Minnie Mouse.
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Typhoon Lagoon, one of two water parks at the resort.
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Magic Kingdom, the world's most visited theme park.
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The Walt Disney World Monorail System offers free rides across the resort.
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A Disney Security Vehicle in front of Epcot.
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Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom.
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Spaceship Earth at Epcot.
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Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
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The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, a top Disney World resort.
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Disney's Polynesian Resort, a deluxe resort.
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Caribbean Beach Resort, the first moderate resort at Walt Disney World.
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Fort Wilderness, Disney's campground and cabin resort.
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Disney's All Star Movies Resort, one of the value resorts.
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The Walt Disney World Swan.
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The Walt Disney World Dolphin.
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Shades of Green Resort, for the United States Military.
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The Hilton at Walt Disney World.
See also
In Spanish: Walt Disney World Resort para niños
