Tips for planning a magical vacation at Walt Disney World
retired Walt Disney World attraction Land, air, and water can get dirty. Scouts who visit Epcot’s The Land Pavilion and view the Circle of Life film featuring over 30 countries will be introduced to eco-friendly concepts to a cleaner environment. Laugh and learn as Simba teaches …
**Disclaimer: This attraction has been retired/discontinued.** About INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®Located in the heart of Epcot®, Innoventions is a unique attraction filled with hands-on, interactive exhibits. Guests discover how science and technology can simplify and enhance their lives today and tomorrow. This interactive playground allows guests …
Walt Disney World is a large place – almost the size of San Francisco or two Manhattans – there’s a lot of area to cover between the 4 main theme parks, 2 water parks, 26+ resorts, Disney Springs, and Disney’s Boardwalk area. Your family will have the opportunity to explore many different modes of transportation.
You and your scout will definitely get your steps in during your Disney vacation. Remind scouts to use the buddy system everywhere, from refilling their beverage mugs at the resort food court to navigating through a crowd from one attraction to another in the theme parks.
There are also some ‘off the beaten path’ areas which are perfect for mini-hikes. Places where you can explore the plants, animals, sounds, and sights made magical by nature and the Disney Imagineers.
To meet rank requirements, your scout should make a list of the different types of plants and animals they find.
WDW Boats Ferry Boats Pontoon Boats Jet Boats Boat Rides Boat Water Slides Marinas Boats at the Boathouse (Disney Springs) Learn about other WDW Transportation: Walt Disney World Transportation – boats, trains, and buses, oh my! Traveling to and around Disney World is exciting and …
Disney offers a behind the scenes tour of the Living with the Land attraction in Epcot’s Future World. Behind the Seeds is a kid-friendly, interactive journey backstage in The Land Pavilion living laboratories. Scouts visiting this agricultural exhibition will interact with amazing plants, insects, and fish—and even see American …
Spending the day at Epcot is fun for older and younger guests alike!
Epcot is a wonderful place for your family to find rides, attractions, and plenty of fun with the Characters.
There are two character dining locations in Epcot. Both have characters available at all three meals. As with all character dining locations, you’ll want to make sure to schedule Advance Dining Reservations before you arrive. They do book up quickly, and there are seldom tables available for walk-ups.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall welcomes guests to dine with the Disney Princesses including Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Mulan (note that all of these characters may not be present at every meal). One thing to note about this restaurant is that lunch and dinner feature Norwegian food that may be a bit too unique for picky eaters! Plan for breakfast here if you don’t have an adventurous eater.
Garden Grill is a family-style, all-you-can-eat restaurant that rotates slowly around over the Living with the Land attraction. You’ll have a chance to meet characters such as Mickey, Chip, Dale, and Pluto while you dine. Ready to start planning your next visit to see Mickey and friends? The perfect vacation begins with scheduling your complimentary consultation.
Meet these characters throughout Epcot:
There’s a lot younger kids are sure to enjoy.
Rides
Other Attractions
Special Events
Don’t even think of skipping Epcot because you think it’s not for little kids! There is lots of fun to be had for younger guests. Beyond rides, there are many attractions which are just perfect for your little ones to enjoy at Epcot! Other Attractions …
Have you heard this before? “Epcot is just for older kids and adults.” It’s a popular misconception among parents of young children, but I couldn’t disagree more! Many parents of young children are worried that their kids will not enjoy Epcot as much as the …
When it comes to fireworks, light shows, and other nighttime spectaculars, no one does it quite like Disney! They are definitely worth waiting for!
Each day in the Walt Disney World theme parks is packed with fun… but when the sun goes down, the evening entertainment in the parks is second to none!
The Tree of Life is the central focal point of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. It is an impressive sight during the day but be sure to plan to see it at night! Once the sun goes down the “Tree of Life Awakening” happens every 10 minutes until the park closes.
The awakening celebrates the harmony and balance of all living things. The tree lights up with flickering fireflies and colorful lights illuminating the animals carved into the tree’s trunk. This is a sight you won’t want to miss!
Several times each night, the Discovery River in Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park comes alive for the Rivers of Light show celebrating the beauty of all living things. The show combines, water, music, and light effects in a stunning display.
Guests are transported to faraway destinations such as African savannahs, Asian jungles, the mountains of North America, and the depths of the ocean as they watch the light displays transform into the spirit forms of elephants, tigers, birds, and turtles.
You’ll want to find a spot for the show early to get a good view!
The popular Illuminations: Reflections of Earth show at Epcot ended September 2019 with a new show titled Epcot Forever to debut on the park’s anniversary on October 1st.
The new show focuses on the “spark of imagination” that started all of the Disney magic guests have come to love and will celebrate all things Epcot and will include fireworks, lasers, choreographed kits, and even jet skis all set to classic theme park music.
Epcot Forever takes place nightly at 9 PM in the World Showcase Lagoon.
Fantasmic! Is a fan favorite at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland… it is one of Disney’s classic nighttime entertainment options. During the show, Mickey Mouse dreams that he has become a sorcerer’s apprentice. In the dream, he has powers that allow him to control water, color, and magic as he fights off some of Disney’s most notorious villains.
Along the way, Mickey is joined by lots of classic Disney characters including Belle and the Beast, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Arielle, Aladdin, and the Simba. Of course, the villains come out to play too including the Evil Queen from Snow White and Maleficent, who takes on the persona of a giant, fire-breathing dragon.
This show can be a little intense for small children. If you are concerned, check out videos on YouTube to see if you think it will be right for the little ones in your party.
If you’ve got Star Wars fans in your travel party, you definitely won’t want to miss Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular. The show features thrilling special effects, fireworks, lasers, pyrotechnics, and action sequences starring some of your favorite Star Wars characters all set to the tune of John Williams’ familiar Star Wars soundtrack music.
You’ll want to find a spot out in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater (Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway) well in advance to make sure you have a great view of the projection show.
This unique projection show is displayed right on the face of Cinderella Castle each night. Narrated by Mrs. Potts and her son, Chip from Beauty and the Beast, the Once Upon a Time show features scenes from classic Disney films such as Frozen, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Beauty and the Beast.
No Walt Disney World vacation is complete without watching fireworks exploding over the Magic Kingdom! If you are visiting near a holiday, or for a special event, there may be a unique, custom fireworks display but most nights the Magic Kingdom will feature the “Happily Ever After” fireworks show.
Since the show, which tells the tales of “heart and heroism” from several Disney classics, features both fireworks and projection displays on the front of Cinderella Castle, the best views will be around the castle hub and down Mainstreet, USA.
With all of the nighttime spectaculars, you will want to consult the theme park calendars for available dates and times. You will also want to plan to arrive and stake out your spot well in advance of the show times.
Don’t want to brave the crowds to find a good spot? Many of the nighttime shows offer special events or dessert parties with reserved viewing areas (these events are reserved in advance at an additional cost.
Of course, we also love making sure our guests have scheduling and tips for all of the evening entertainment to make sure they know how to avoid crowds and find the best viewing areas to watch the shows.
Walt Disney World Height Chart Are you planning your Walt Disney World trip with toddlers and young children in mind? Then you’ll want to know which rides have height requirements and which are suitable for little ones to enjoy. Print our Disney World Height Chart …