G Costa - The Independant Guide to Walt Disney World 2021

For the purposes of brevity, acronyms are sometimes used in this guide, such as WDW for Walt Disney World. Below is some more Disney lingo used throughout this guide.

Animatronic The robots you will see in the rides and shows throughout the park.

Attraction The general term for a ride, character meet, or show at the theme parks.

Cast Member (CM) A Disney employee.

Disney Resort A Disney hotel. They are called resorts because of their elaborate theming and amenities.

Disney Springs The shopping district of Walt Disney World Resort.

Fastpass+ (FP+) A free service to save you time waiting in line. We have a dedicated chapter.

Guest You, the person entering the theme park you are not a mere visitor, but a guest!

Off-Property Everything outside of Walt Disney World Resorts land.

On-Property Everything that is within Walt Disney World Resorts 47-square miles of land.

Queue Line Sometimes called a queue, sometimes a line, and other times a queue line. These are all interchangeable and mean the waiting area before a ride, restaurant or show.

Standby Line The regular queue line for attractions for guests without a Fastpass+ booking.

Transportation and Ticket Centre (TTC) An area located next to the Magic Kingdom Parks car parking lot. When arriving by car, you must go through the TTC to get a monorail or boat to Magic Kingdom Park. A monorail service is also available from the TTC to Epcot.

If you have questions about this book or the resort, get in touch via our website at www.independentguidebooks.com - we are happy to help.

Limit of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty:

The publisher has used its best efforts in preparing this book, and the information provided herein is provided "as is." Independent Guides and the author make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose and shall in no event be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Please read all signs and safety information before entering attractions, as well as the terms and conditions of any third party companies used. Prices are approximate, and do fluctuate.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE:

Contents copyright 2012-2019 Independent Guides. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher, unless it is for personal use. Some images and text are copyright The Walt Disney Company and affiliates and subsidiaries. This guide is not a Disney product, not is it endorsed by said company, or any other companies featured herein.

An Important Message Regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic

A t the time we were writing and updating this guide, the world was undergoing a global pandemic, Covid-19. We have included the latest information as to how this may affect your visit. Although most of the changes that are going to be made have already happened by now, there may be additional changes in 2021, especially as things return to normal. We also include how things work in regular times as we expect most of these procedures to return in 2021.

Your visits may be affected by enhanced crowd control and social distancing measures and the possible cancellation (or changes) to shows, attractions, dining experiences, transportation, and meet-and-greets. Check the official website at www.disneyworld.com for any changes that may affect your vacation. Look out for the updates throughout the guide for specific changes.

C hapter 1

Introduction to Walt Disney World

W alt Disney opened Disneyland in California in 1955 here Disney characters could meet their fans, families enjoyed time together, and dreams came true every day.

The park was a great success, but as Disneyland was built in a residential area, other hotels and shops started to appear throughout the area. Guests could see billboards towering from inside the park and the illusion of an imaginary world was easily broken.

In the 1960s, Walt developed his Florida Project, a hugely expanded version of Disneyland. Disney began to secretly buy up a part of central Florida bit by bit 47 square miles to be exact; this was the beginning of Disney World.

Sadly, in 1966, Walt Disney passed away and the plans for Disney World almost collapsed.

Despite the loss of its founder, the company built Walts dream, and in 1971 Magic Kingdom Park was officially unveiled. This park was based on Disneyland, but on a much grander scale. Disney World became known as Walt Disney World.

In 1982, Epcot became the second theme park. It is a place to learn about the future, and to visit pavilions representing countries from around the world.

In 1989, Disneys Hollywood Studios became the third theme park here guests can experience how movies and TV shows are made, and ride attractions inspired by movies.

Finally, in 1998 the fourth theme park opened - Disneys Animal Kingdom Park where guests can learn all about animals, venture on a safari and experience wild rides.

As well as theme parks, Walt Disney World contains two water parks, golf and mini-golf courses, 28 Disney resort hotels, horse-riding areas, backstage tours, Disney Springs, spas, The Boardwalk, ESPN Wide World of Sports and more. It really is a Disney world.