Park-Tip Friday

Everyone loves the end of the work week, or in other words... Friday. It means the weekend is beginning and it's time to relax! Why not start the weekend off right with a helpful Park-Tip to make your vacation planning a little bit easier? So here's my first Park-Tip Friday post!

Magic Kingdom
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To begin, you need to understand the varying sizes of the Parks that Disney has. Pictured to the left is Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is the main Park and has 7 different lands that you can visit: Main Street U.S.A., Tomorrowland, Mickey's ToonTown Fair, Fantasyland, Liberty Square, Frontierland, and Adventureland. Each land located inside this park has attractions and rides from your favorite Disney movies and books.

Epcot
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Pictured here on the right is Epcot. Epcot is known for the World Showcase Tour where you can experience 11 different countries. Have you always wanted to eat ham and cheese croissants in France? Maybe drink German beer? How about visit a Mexican market? All of that can be done here.
On the other side of Epcot's property is Future World East and West. Here lies Mission Space, Test Track, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and other attractions that will spark your interest.

Animal Kingdom
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Animal Kingdom is pictured on the left and it is considered to be the smallest of the Disney Parks. You can enjoy the animals native to Africa by visiting the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction, or see if you can find the Yeti on the Mount Everest roller coaster. Visit Africa, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Asia, Dino Land, or Discovery Island (where the Tree of Life is housed). Camp Minnie Mickey is usually housed at this park, but due to recent construction, it is temporarily closed down. Disney is renovating and expanding the park to now house an Avatar experience. This is believed to be the largest expansion done at the park.

Hollywood Studios
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Hollywood Studios allows you to experience Show-Biz all in one place; walk the streets of New York, or visit a Hollywood movie set. Attractions in this Park include The Great Movie Ride (move through the years of Hollywood's greatest movies), The American Idol Experience, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, and the Rockin' Rollercoaster, to name a few.


All of these parks contain attractions and events that are unique to them. Understanding what each park holds inside will help you plan out your vacation timeline. If you're taking a trip with your young children, visiting Epcot or Hollywood Studios for an entire day might become boring to them.

What Disney movies interest you? If you really enjoyed The Lion King, making a trip to Animal Kingdom is something you'd probably enjoy. If you liked Peter Pan or Snow White, visiting Magic Kingdom is right up your alley.

Going to Walt Disney World can be enjoyed with little planning done, but knowing the Parks and what each park holds within is beneficial for making this a magical Disney vacation.

Now that my first Park-Tip Friday post is complete, what questions about the Parks do you have?

Picture of the Day

Before we dive into planning your Disney vacation, I want to acknowledge this image.
Initially, this image appears to be random dots scattered around a dark background.

But look at the image again.

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Do you see it?

It's pure magic.

Those dots represent all the various Cast Members that work at Walt Disney World. Each of the colors appear to look like another one in the image, yet they are not the same; they are unique. The Cast Members who work incredibly hard to make your entire Disney World experience magical come from all over the world and are different from the next Cast Member. All of the Cast Members come together, just like these dots, to create a beautiful and magical experience for you.
The same dots you see in this image portray the unique characteristics of each day and night spent at the Parks. Visiting the same park over two days will provide you with different experiences and
meeting new people. The Opening Ceremonies at each of the Parks will be similar, but the morning will begin with new magic each time. When the fireworks go off at closing in Magic Kingdom, it will not be the same firework show you witnessed the night before. Each day spent at the Parks will allow magic to happen in new ways.

Below is a video from a Guest who recently visited Magic Kingdom and captured the Opening Ceremony they experienced.

Now that you know what that original image means to me, what do you see?

YOUR Dreams Can Come True

Walt Disney World was my favorite vacation spot with my family when I was little and still continues to be my first choice when we vacation. The atmosphere at the parks and the hospitality provided by the Cast Members makes the entire experience memorable. I have to use both my hands when counting how many times I have visited Walt Disney World, and each time I visit there is something new to experience. I have worked at the local Disney Store for over a year and continue to learn about Walt Disney's creations every day. To work at the Disney Store you do not have to be a Disney knowledge master, but you become one by immersing yourself in all the magic around you.

I am not an expert on this topic, but believe from my many personal experiences of vacationing at Walt Disney World and working at the Disney Store, I have many tips and tricks to making your Walt Disney World vacation magical. My goal is to share the knowledge I have acquired and listen to your needs as a couple, or as a family, when wanting to take a trip to the Parks. Certainly if I do not know the answer to your Disney World question, my job is to find out the answer for you. I will ask a co-worker, or I will personally call Guest Services myself to get that answer you need. Is your entire

Sorcerer Mickey at Disney's Fantasmic
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family (kids included) going to be accompanying you? I know where to find the characters your children want to see and how long you may have to stand in line for. Maybe it is a husband and wife getaway for an anniversary? I know when you need to make reservations for Mama Melrose's restaurant in Hollywood Studios and how you can get free passes to Fantasmic. I have the answers and want to share them with you!