Category — Family Vacations

Before you visit Disneyland Paris, you may be wondering how is it different from Disney World Orlando? And, is it really worth the day. Paris theme park enthusiasts who’ve been to both parks have ascertained that the more up-to-date Pirates of the Caribbean ride is far superior to its American counterpart, the Indiana Jones ride is worth the money alone and the park itself is actually bigger than the Magic Kingdom, featuring many of the same areas. Of course, you won’t get Epcot or the Animal Kingdom like Disney World Orlando has nearby, but the Disney MGM studios have been recently added (called “Walt Disney Studios.”) As a singular park, the massive Paris park brings European charm to the Disney magic melting pot!

There are a few subtle nuances that make Disneyland Paris unique. For one, there’s a subterranean dragon chamber beneath Sleeping Beauty’s castle! Not Cinderella’s castle here. There’s also an Alice In Wonderland maze for kids and a thrilling Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril ride that can’t be found elsewhere! An updated 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction can still be seen at Disneyland Paris, though it was scrapped from Disneyland California in the 1960s. Disney’s Haunted Mansion has been revamped as Phantom Manor and includes scenes from the Thunder Mesa “ghost town.”

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“Our strong portfolio of franchises has delivered recent growth, and we expect will deliver growth for the years to come,” said Walt Disney Company CEO Robert Iger. Similarly, Thomas O. Staggs, Disney’s chief financial officer told the New York Times, “People tend not to let anything get in the way of their Disney vacations. Our occupancies are higher at the hotels and spending is higher. Thus far, the business remains really solid.”

The Walt Disney Company has always been an imaginative leader in the entertainment industry, planning a myriad of changes for the Disney parks to keep consumers staying longer and visiting more frequently. For instance, 2007 brought Paris Disneyland new attractions, such as the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Crush’s Coaster, Toon Studio and Cars Race Rally. Disneyland California received the only Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage attraction and Pirates Lair, while Tokyo Disneyland opened Disney’s WaterWorks and the Animation Academy. Magic Kingdom added some extra work to its Haunted Mansion and added the Monsters Inc. Laughing Floor show.

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Where else in the world can you see robots, dinosaurs, ghosts, an African safari, princesses and pirates all within a quick tram ride? Amid the crocodiles, humidity and palm trees of Orlando, Florida, you’ll feel free as your imagination soars, whether you’re eight, eighteen, forty-eight or eighty! Disney World is comprised of five different Disney parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Downtown Disney – all with their own wonders, amusements and unique décor.

The secret to getting a Disney World discount is to look into "Parkhopper" tickets. To get the most from your vacation, you can purchase 3, 5, 6, 7 or 10-day passes that allow you to go from one park to the next at your leisure. That way, if you miss a few attractions at one park, you can go back and hit them, without having to "kill time" there, or you can catch all your favorite rides again before you leave.

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Which Disney World tickets should you buy for your family? Unlike other amusement parks, Disney encompasses many Disney parks, all with their own compelling themes. Whether you’re eight, eighteen, forty-eight or eighty, there is something at Disney for you! The flexibility and versatility of the Disney ticket-purchasing options allows visitors to migrate between parks, buy tickets that never expire or even just visit for the day, depending on your family’s needs. Be sure to examine all available options before impetuously buying the first Disney tickets you come across because there is something for everyone!

For starters, you’ll want to buy tickets for the Magic Kingdom which is comprised of several distinct lands: Main Street USA, Mickey’s Toon Town Fair, Adventureland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland and Liberty Square. Magic Kingdom was the first of the Disney parks that opened in 1971. You’ll know it by Cinderella’s breathtaking castle, which makes for an ideal tourist photo spot. Adventureland takes you from pirate ships on the Caribbean seas to jungle cruises down the Amazon. Frontierland takes you back to the Wild West, into saloons and on train rides. Liberty Square brings you the famous Haunted Mansion and Hall of Presidents attractions. Toon Town Fair has attractions for young children, as does Fantasyland, which is set up like a medieval carnival fair mostly geared toward children who love Peter Pan, Dumbo and Snow White. Tomorrowland is an intergalactic convention center with some rides geared toward thrill-seekers.

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Your youngest can’t wait to see “Bug’s Life 3-D,” your middle child loves Port Orleans’ sea serpent waterslide and your teenager is a fan of the Animal Kingdom safari. You and your wife have never left the continent but look forward to experiencing it all at the Epcot world exhibition. Your senior citizen parents are amazed at all of Tomorrowland’s high-tech gadgets. At Disney World Orlando, there truly is something for everyone, and for as thrilling as it is, it’s also in many ways educational. Every minute detail is engineered toward making your vacation a dream-like adventure. The first step toward making this dream a reality is choosing which Disney tickets to buy!

Some travelers are coming to Orlando to visit family, ride swamp boats, hang out at the beach, go to Universal Orlando or participate in some other activity. Perhaps you’ve been to Disney before, many years ago, before Animal Kingdom was built. For these visitors, it might be practical to purchase a single-day ticket to one of Disney’s amazing theme parks. For those 10 and over, the day pass is $71 or two-day passes are $69.50/day.

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You may be wondering where to get hot deals on Walt Disney World tickets. You may also be surprised to learn that most of the best deals can be found right on the official Disney website! Unlike other vacations, where you have to hunt down "the right" travel agent or heckle over minute details, Disney wants to bring as many children and families to the front gates as humanly possible. Did you know that a family of four can take a Disney vacation and stay right on the property for just $1455?

If you plan on just making a quick run through Disney World Orlando and it’s not the sole basis for your trip, then there are a few ways to save on single day tickets. For some, $71 is small potatoes for a whole day of fun. However, when you add meals, parking and hotel accommodations, that single day can be somewhat expensive. DiscountThemeParkVacations.com is currently offering two one-day Disney tickets for $25! However, you will have to stay at one of the hotels near Disney World that the site is partnered with. The good news is that these hotels are value-conscious and if you don’t have a spot booked yet, then this will be the least expensive way to see Disney for the day.

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"The only thing better than visiting Walt Disney World is staying there!" boasts WDWVacationPlanning.com. You can choose from camping accommodations and budget options to deluxe luxury resorts and villas. Whether your Disney vacation budget is $2,000 or $6,000, you’ll find something in your range to provide the getaway of a lifetime for everyone!

If you love Davey Crockett and a weekend away at the cabin, you’ll love the Walt Disney World Fort Wilderness resort and campground! This is one of the original Disney resorts, first opened in 1971, but guests still love the winding tree-lined roads, rustic log cabins or tented campsites and special dinner shows. The Hoop-de-Doo Musical Revue and Mickey’s Backyard BBQ make for great entertainment, as do the many amenities offered, from horseback riding and fishing to 2.3-mile exercise trail and petting zoo. An outdoor movie screen and smore-roasting fire pits make this experience truly wonderful, and sites are as low as $42/night!

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So you want to stay at a Disney World resort? Excellent choice! You may have already heard about the giraffes and zebras milling around outside the Animal Kingdom Lodge, or the filling feasts at the Polynesian Resort’s nightly luau dinner, or about the behemoth monorail and mosaic artwork of the Contemporary. But were you aware that you’ll also be entitled to special offers that park guests staying in hotels near Disney World won’t get?

As a resort guest you’ll receive additional benefits that other park attendees miss out on. For example, early bird visitors can enjoy the theme parks one hour before scheduled opening time! Or if you’d rather beat the heat, you can enjoy nighttime “Extra Magic Hours,” staying up to three hours past the scheduled close time. To take advantage of this benefit, you’ll need a special wristband from a park cast member.

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What is the secret to the longevity of the Magic Kingdom at Disney World Orlando? Some say it was the simple vision of the Walt Disney Company, establishing a place where families can come together and experience wonderment over the same things, as well as transporting parents back to their childhood, while educating and entertaining children at the same time. Others say it’s the attention paid to minute details, such as the secret corridors to transport cast members from one area of the park to the next to maintain the “illusion,” or the ornate signage and cue line for Splash Mountain, or the “Figaro Fries” at the Pinnochio Village Haus restaurant, or the cleanliness and professional service every step of the way. Every visitor’s starting point should be Cinderella’s Castle, arguably the happiest place on Earth.

Once guests pass through the Main Street “opening credits,” as the Disneyworld imagineers call them, Tomorrowland appears to the right. This part of the Magic Kingdom was designed to look like the future, as 1920s science fiction writers imagined it. Space Mountain, a fast-moving indoor rollercoaster, is by far the most popular attraction at Disney, as a whole. Kids will love Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin that puts you right in the middle of an arcade game. Parents will marvel at one of the oldest Disney rides, the Carousel of Progress. Kids will also enjoy the neighboring Mickey’s Toon Town fair, where they can climb through cartoon replica houses and ride Goofy’s barnstormer mini-rollercoaster.

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