If You Go

by Cara Goldsbury, Author of The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World: How to Get the Most Out of the Best Disney Has to Offer

 

Getting There

Major airlines servicing Orlando are Delta, United, American, Continental, Southwest, Northwest, America West, Air Canada, and US Airways.

What To Do

Walt Disney World is comprised of four main theme parks: The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, and the Animal Kingdom. Additional offerings include two water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, as well as Disney’s Wide World of Sports, six golf courses, and miles of waterways for boating and fishing. Head to Downtown Disney where you’ll find over 70 scene-setting restaurants, shops, and nightclubs as well as Cirque du Soleil, Disney Quest, and an AMC 24-screen movie theatre.

When To Go

Each season at Walt Disney World has its pros and its cons. Busy season brings congested parks, long lines, and higher resort rates but also greatly extended park hours and nightly fireworks and parades at the Magic Kingdom. The slower seasons offer half-filled parks, little waiting in line, and lower hotel rates along with later opening times, earlier closing times, attractions that are closed for rehab, and often the elimination of the nighttime parade and fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. Here is a guideline to avoiding the parks at their worst:

Busiest: President’s Day week ´the last three weeks of March until the week after Easter ´the second week of June until the third week of August ´ Thanksgiving weekend ´ the week of Christmas until just after New Years

Busy: the last two weeks of February until early March ´ the month of October ´ the week after Easter until the second week of June

Least Busy: the second week of January through the first week of February (avoiding the Martin Luther King holiday weekend in January) ´ the third week of August until early October ´the month of November excluding Thanksgiving weekend ´ the week after Thanksgiving until the week of Christmas, a special time when the parks and resorts are festively decorated for the holidays

The Weather

Summer brings uncomfortably muggy and warm days with almost daily afternoon showers while winter offers many days of beautiful sunshine along with the occasional cold snap. Peak hurricane season begins in August and runs through October, so be prepared for a washout. The best months of the year with delightfully mild and humid-free weather, relatively small amounts of rainfall, and no danger of hurricanes are November, April, and most of the time in early May.

Getting Around

Disney’s complimentary transportation system of buses, ferries, and monorails is in most cases extremely efficient. Taxis can be found at every resort and theme park. If you prefer to rent a car, the convenient Central Florida Greeneway toll road from the airport makes for an easy 25-minute drive to the parks. Once inside the Disney World grounds, excellent signage will direct you to all destinations.

Information

Send for a free Disney vacation planning video or CD-ROM (call 800-515-9450 or visit www.disneyworld.com to order) and call the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau (800-551-0181 or 407-363-5871) for maps of the area as well as a visitor’s guide on the many area attractions. Log on to the following Disney-related sites on the Internet where you will find thousands of tips along with photos, menus, and much, much more: www.disneyworld.com, www.luxurydisneyguide.com, www.wdwinfo.com, www.wdwig.com, and www.mousesavers.com.

Reservations

Call 407-WDISNEY or your travel agent for Disney resort reservations. Dining priority seating can be arranged at 407-WDW-DINE.

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Cara Goldsbury is the author of The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World: How to Get the Most Out of the Best Disney Has to Offer.   Visit her at www.wdwluxuryguide.com.