Top 10 Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

The Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando is known the world over as the home of The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Visitors from all over the world come to Disney World to visit Mickey Mouse and his pals at these theme parks.

One of the biggest challenges for a potential visitor is deciding where to stay. While there are hundreds of hotels in the immediate vicinity of Walt Disney World, there 32 actually located in Walt Disney World; with 23 of those actually owned by the Walt Disney Company. While staying in Walt Disney World is exciting, it does not necessarily mean you'll be staying on the doorsteps of one of the four theme parks. After all, Walt Disney World is over 34 square miles in size. However, all of the Walt Disney World Hotels are connected to all of the Walt Disney World theme parks by monorail, boat, and/or bus (and all these modes of transportation are free for guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel).

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is inspired by the grand Victorian resorts of Florida in the late 1800s. The resort, with direct monorail connections to the Magic Kingdom, is located on the Seven Seas lagoon and offers guests white sand beaches, a marina, and two swimming pools. Additionally, as the names implies, the hotel is home to a world-class spa.

Disney's Contemporary Resort

A very distinct landmark at Walt Disney World, Disney's Contemporary Resort is an A-frame hotel in which the Walt Disney World's monorail system glide through the hotel. Situated on both the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake, this resort is prefect for those who want to be in the middle of it all. The hotel is just outside the Magic Kingdom's main gate, and because of that, offers resort guests a spectacular view of the nightly fireworks from the Magic Kingdom (and the music that accompanies the fireworks is even simulcast in the hotel's California Grill restaurant on the 15th floor).

Disney's Polynesian Resort

Situated on the Seven Seas Lagoon and on the Magic Kingdom monorail line, the resort invokes the lush landscaping and hospitality of the Polynesian islands. From the main Ceremonial house to the longhouses in which guests stay, Disney's Polynesian Resort feels like a South Seas hideaway; right in the middle of Walt Disney World.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

This African themed resort sits, aptly enough, near Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. One of the things that make this report special is that some of the guest rooms overlook a savanna full of animals. Where else at Walt Disney World can you wake up and look out over a vast savanna and see, among other animals, giraffes looking back at you.

Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Modeled after Yellowstone National Park's Old Faithful Inn, Disney's Wilderness Lodge evokes the spirit of the American Pacific Northwest. The hotel features rustic and Native American style all presented in a deluxe resort. The resort is located near Disney's Fort Wilderness (hence the name) and offers easy boat transportation to the Magic Kingdom.

Disney's BoardWalk Resort

Disney's BoardWalk Resort was inspired by the grand boardwalks from the heydays of Coney Island and Atlantic City. The resort features a boardwalk with restaurants, shops, and clubs all set on Cresent Lake. It is located between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios and both theme parks can be reached by walking or by boat.

Disney's Beach Club Resort

You'll feel like you're spending the summer in Newport during the turn of the century at Disney's Beach Club Resort. It's lush white sand beaches and Stormalong Bay, the resorts pool complex featuring a replica of a shipwreck, all add to what makes this resort one of Walt Disney Worlds top 10.

Disney's Yacht Club Resort

Reminiscent of New England's yacht clubs of a bygone ear, Disney's Yacht Club Resort is located on Crescent Lake next to Disney's Beach Club Resort (both hotels are often referred to together as the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts). This resort shares guest amenities with Disney's Beach Club Resort, including Stormalong Bay.

Walt Disney World Dolphin

Designer Michael Graves imagined this hotel together with its sister hotel, the Walt Disney World Swan. While located on Disney property, the hotel is operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Guests of this luxury resort enjoy all the privileges of a guest staying at a Disney owned resort, including on-property transportation.


Walt Disney World Swan

Like the Walt Disney World Dolphin, this resort was designed by Michael Graves and, while located within the Walt Disney World Resort, is operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts. The 12 story resort is themed after swans in the same manner that the Walt Disney World Dolphin is themed after dolphins.

Planning Your Summer Vacation at Walt Disney World

So it's not a top 10 list, but here I offer some great tips for a trip to Walt Disney World in this article I wrote for another website.

School is almost out for the summer and it’s time to plan your family’s summer vacation at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. After all, is there a better place to spend time with your family that at Disney? In my opinion, not really; however, if you’re going to visit in the summer, be prepared for hot weather, large crowds, and higher than the rest of the year hotel rates.

Sure, there are downsides to visiting in the summer, but there are upsides, too. For one, the four theme parks at Walt Disney World are open later (sometimes until midnight or 1am!). And, because there are more people in the parks, the entertainment in each park such as parades and shows are presented more often (for example, in the Magic Kingdom, the nighttime parade, SpectoMagic, is presented twice nightly during peak periods but isn’t even presented once during times of slow attendance).

Here are some tips to help you plan your summer vacation to Walt Disney World and get the most out of your vacation. (Also, be sure to check out the tips from an article I wrote, 7 Tips for Saving Money on a Walt Disney World Vacation. These money saving tips apply all year – after all, nothing beats saving some money, especially in this economy! http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/623005/7_tips_for_saving_money_on_a_walt_disney.html).

Be Prepared for the Weather

The average high temperature for the summer months in Orlando (June, July, and August) is 91 degrees with the average low temperatures in the mid 70s. And, most summer afternoons in Orlando there are rainstorms. The rain usually lasts only an hour or so, but it can be severe with thunder and lightning.

Be sure you pack light, airy clothes to wear while in the theme parks. While many of the queue areas for the attractions are indoors or undercover, you will find yourself queuing outside, often in direct sunlight. And in the Magic Kingdom, the daily parade is presented at 3pm; a time when the sun in most intense. Because you won’t want to miss the parade, be sure you wear lots of sunscreen (actually, it’s a good idea to apply sunscreen several times daily regardless if you’re in direct sunlight or not – the Florida sun can be intense and nothing ruins a vacation faster than a bad sunburn!).

When it comes to the rain, the best thing to do is to duck into a restaurant for a meal or an indoor show and enjoy yourself as it passes by. Also, don’t wait until you’re in the theme parks to buy rain ponchos. Sure, the ones they sell in the theme parks have a cute Mickey Mouse on the back, but they’ll set you back about $10 each. The better option is to buy yours before visiting from a store like Wal-Mart where cheap disposable rain ponchos will cost around a dollar. Also, rain ponchos are a great way to stay dry (mostly) on those water rides like Splash Mountain or, if you’re visiting Sea World and want to sit in Shamu’s splash zone during the, Shamu show!


Take Advantage of the Water Parks and your Hotel’s Pool

One of the best reasons to stay at a Walt Disney World hotel (and there are many reasons to do so), is that when it’s the hottest during the midday, you can just hop on a monorail or boat from the theme parks and spend some time in the hotel’s pool – all of which are only a few minutes from the parks. Spend some time cooling off and avoiding the crowds (and midday tends to be the busiest at the parks, too). When it starts to cool off, and the crowds start to thin out, head back to the theme park cooled off and refreshed!

Also, there are two water parks within the Walt Disney World resort; Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach. Both water parks charge admission and are open to anyone regardless if you’re staying at a Walt Disney World hotel or not. Many of the ticket packages you buy for admission to the four Disney theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom) include admission to the two water parks. These places are a great place to spend the day, or just a few hours cooling off. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon (my favorite) is a tropical oasis will sand beaches, palm trees, both tame and wild water slides, and a lazy river that circles the whole park. Disney’s Blizzard Beach is Disney’s version of a ski resort “thawed out” (including a ski jump turned slide!) Most of the other attractions in this water park are similar to those at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon.


Drink Lots of Water

This may sound like a no brainer, but when you’re surrounded by fizzy soda at every turn, it’s easy to forget. It’s hot and your body will be working overtime to stay cool and hydrated. There are water fountains throughout the parks and they sell bottled water, too, at most food locations. The bottled water they sell is pricy, especially since you’ll need to drink several daily. The best thing to do is bring a large bottle of water with you each day (and buy your water from a store and don’t be tempted to take the one that hotels leave in your room; it’s convenient but at several dollars per bottle added to your hotel bill it’s not worth it). When the bottle of water your bring with you to the parks is empty, refill it at one of the water fountains in the parks (don’t worry, either, the water from the water fountains is filtered and just a good as bottled water - after all, do you think Disney would serve bad water and risk someone complaining about the water from the fountains?!).

Above all, have fun. Walt Disney World is a great place to spend time with your family and make memories that will last a lifetime.

10 Must Sees at Walt Disney World

There’s so much to see and do at Walt Disney World near Orlando that it can be overwhelming. There are hundreds or rides, attractions, and shows between all of the four theme parks. Regardless if you’re visiting The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Here are my top 10 things to see and do at the Walt Disney World Resort listed in no particular order.

Disney Dreams Come True Parade (Magic Kingdom) - This lively parade is presented daily at 3pm in the Magic Kingdom. All of your favorite Disney characters dance and sing along the parade route from Frontierland to Main Street USA.

Sorin' (Epcot) - Based on the popular attraction at Disney's California Adventure, "Sorin' over California," this flight simulator takes thrill seekers on a hang glider ride over California. Flying high over the major cities, the Napa valley, the coast, orange groves (complete with orange grove smell), and eventually Disneyland, riders have the sensation of flying as the movie screen surrounds the hang glider that is suspended in mid air.

Mission Space (Epcot) - Feel the sensation of blast off with the same technology that NASA uses to prepare their astronauts for flight. In the space vehicle, each person on the four person flight crew is assigned a task to make the mission successful. As your space craft "launches" into space, you feel the G forces push you back as your window to space shows your progress as you race toward the heavens.

Expedition Everest (Disney’s Animal Kingdom) Enjoy a scenic train trek to the top of Mount Everest, that is at lest until the infamous Yeti changes the plan. As your train emerges from a cave, riders catch a glimpse of the Yeti's shadow and notice the train track ahead is ripped into two. Unable to proceed, the train starts going backwards, downhill into a dark cave and speeds over and around Mount Everest to escape the Yeti.

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (Epoct) - Each evening the World Showcase at Epcot comes alive with music, fireworks, water fountains, and lasers as the night-time spectacular Illuminations is presented on and above the World Showcase lagoon.

Rock 'N' Roller Coaster (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) - Aerosmith invite riders to be VIP's at their concert. The only problem is that the show beings in just a few minutes. Riders get into a stretch limo and it shoots of from 0 - 57 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds. From there, it's a super-fast journey through the freeways of LA to get to the show on time. Along with plenty of ups, downs, and loops, riders rock out to an awesome speaker system in each "limo" playing some of Aerosmith's greatest hits.

Cirque Du Soleil's La Nuba (Downtown Disney) - While not a "Disney" show, it is at Walt Disney World at Downtown Disney entertainment area, La Nuba is Cirque Du Soleil's permanent show at the purpose built theater in Downtown Disney. If you've seen any of Cirque's other productions, then you know what you're in for; a 90 minutes of beautiful, artistic performance that will take your breath away.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Disney’s Hollywood Studio) - Find yourself in an episode of the classic TV show "The Twilight Zone." From the moment you step in to the deserted Hollywood hotel, you know something's not right. From the hotel's boiler room, riders are whisked in to a service elevator for a journey to the top of the hotel... 13 stories up. Along the way, the elevator stops on different floors to reveal scenes straight out of the Twilight Zone. Then, without warning, the elevator plunges 13 stories straight down.

Fantasmic! (Disney's Hollywood Studios) - Mickey Mouse's dreams quickly turn in to a nightmare as the forces of good and evil battle for control of Mickey's dreams in the spectacular show at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Presented in the Hollywood Hills Theater, the memorizing show features all of your Disney friends, fireworks, music, floating stages, and patented water screen technology on which clips from classic Disney movies are shown.

Wishes (Magic Kingdom) - Exploding above the skies of the Magic Kingdom, Wishes tells the story of the power of dreams through fireworks. Jiminy Cricket and the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio narrate this breathtaking display of dreams in the sky.

Top 10 Disney’s Hollywood Studio Attractions

Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened in 1989 as the Disney-MGM Studios. When it first opened, it was a real production studio where many TV shows such as the New Mickey Mouse Club (the one with Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and more) and Star Search were filmed. There was even a real animation studio where some of the Disney Classics such as Mulan where made.

Over time, however, most production stopped, and the focus shifted to make the studios more of a theme park and less as a center of production. Because of that decision, many of the great attractions from the early days that revolved around being in an actual studio have disappeared.
Here I list my 10 favorite attractions from Disney’s Hollywood Studio (or some existed when it was called Disney-MGM studios), regardless if they still are in operation or not.

The Backstage Tour – When the studios first opened, the backstage tour was completely different than it is now. The total tour was around two hours and began with a tram ride. While the tram portion still exists (albeit in a much changed format), the original tour also included a walking portion that took you through the sound stages to see actual productions. There was also a great movie starring Bette Midler called The Lottery that explained the film making process.

The Art of Disney Animation – When there was still a working animation studio within the Disney-MGM Studios, the walk through tour of the facilities included a chance to see real animators at work creating future releases. The tour began with a charming film staring Robin Williams as one of Peter Pan’s lost boys. After the film, which explained the animation process, visitors would then “follow” Robin’s character on overhead monitors thought the animation studio seeing artists bringing Disney magic to life.

Star Tours – Climbing aboard a star speeder, visitors blast off into space on an intergalactic adventure. Star Tours is a great ride, and has a wonderful preshow area showing C3PO and R2-D2 as they prepare for the voyage. The problem is the pilot of the star speeder is a newbie and it turns into a rocky ride!

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - This attraction at the end of Sunset Boulevard takes place in a deserted, and haunted, hotel. Visitors begin by entering the hotel and proceeding to the basement. From there, they board a service elevator and journey up – thirteen stories up. From there it’s a nightmarish is 13 story plunge to the bottom. This ride is not for the faint of heart.

Rock 'N' Roller Coaster - Aerosmith invite riders to be VIP's at their concert. The only problem is that the show beings in just a few minutes. Riders get into a stretch limo and it shoots of from 0 - 57 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds. From there, it's a super-fast journey through the freeways of LA to get to the show on time. Along with plenty of ups, downs, and loops, riders rock out to an awesome speaker system in each "limo" playing some of Aerosmith's greatest hits.

Fantasmic! - Mickey Mouse's dreams quickly turn in to a nightmare as the forces of good and evil battle for control of Mickey's dreams in the spectacular show at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Presented in the Hollywood Hills Theater, the memorizing show features all of your Disney friends, fireworks, music, floating stages, and patented water screen technology on which clips from classic Disney movies are shown.

Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show – A relatively new addition to the studios, this action-packed stunt show was imported from the Disney Studios in the Disneyland Paris resort. The outdoor spectacular shows many of the tricks used to create chase scenes from your favorite movies. This is a fantastic addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (although they had to raze the “residential street” which used to be part of the backstage tram tour and included such gems as the Golden Girls house to make room for this attraction.

The Great Movie Ride – One of the original opening day attractions, the Great Movie Ride is mild compared to many other offerings. That said, this ride which is housed in an exact replica of Mann’s Chinese Theater, takes riders on a voyage through scenes from some of Hollywood’s greatest movies. From following the yellow brick road to Oz, to soaring above the rooftops of London with Mary Poppins, this ride is sure to bring back many memories of your favorite movie classics.

Toy Story Mania – The newest attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Mania invites guests into the wacky world of Toy Story. In this interactive ride, riders wear 3D glasses and their ride vehicle is equipped with guns so riders can play carnival style games as they progress through the ride. Games such as Woody's Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Gallery and Pie Throw Practice Booth allow riders to accumulate points throughout the ride.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular – This is another attraction that’s been around since opening day and is still “wow-ing” guests. In this live action stunt show, guests see how stunts are done and a few lucky guests are cast in a role in this show. Indiana Jones stars are he fights off the bad guys to save the day (and win the girl, of course

The 10 Must-See Live Shows and Parades Walt Disney World

So, you’re planning a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and you’re not sure what to see and what to miss? Here, in no particular order, are the 10 best shows and entertainment options for Walt Disney World.

Disney Dreams Come True Parade (Magic Kingdom) – This lively parade is presented daily at 3pm in the Magic Kingdom. All of your favorite Disney characters dance and sing along the parade route from Frontierland to Main Street USA.

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (Epoct) – Each evening the World Showcase at Epcot comes alive with music, fireworks, water fountains, and lasers as the night-time spectacular Illuminations is presented on and above the World Showcase lagoon.

Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade (Disney’s Animal Kingdom) – Rafiki from The Lion King leads the way for this jungle trek that winds its way around Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Along for the ride, besides the stilt walkers and various jungle critters, are Goofy, Pluto, Minnie, and of course Mickey Mouse.

Fantasmic! (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) – Mickey Mouse’s dreams quickly turn in to a nightmare as the forces of good and evil battle for control of Mickey’s dreams in the spectacular show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Presented in the Hollywood Hills Theater, the memorizing show features all of your Disney friends, fireworks, music, floating stages, and patented water screen technology on which clips from classic Disney movies are shown.

Wishes (Magic Kingdom) – Exploding above the skies of the Magic Kingdom, Wishes tells the story of the power of dreams through fireworks. Jiminy Cricket and the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio narrate this breathtaking display of dreams in the sky.

SpectoMagic (Magic Kingdom) – The Magic Kingdom’s follow-up for The Main Street Electrical Parade, SpectoMagic is a nighttime parade featuring a million points of light that wind around the park and transform the night into a brilliant display of color and sound that only Disney could pull off.

Dream Along with Mickey (Magic Kingdom) – Presented several times daily in front of Cinderella Castle, this live stage show has all of your favorite Disney pals and the Kids of the Kingdom dancers. Dream Along with Mickey is an entertaining, kid-friendly show that will have you singing along.

Cirque Du Soleil’s La Nuba (Downtown Disney) – While not a “Disney” show, it is at Walt Disney World at Downtown Disney entertainment area, La Nuba is Cirque Du Soleil’s permanent show at the purpose built theater in Downtown Disney. If you’ve seen any of Cirque’s other productions, then you know what you’re in for; a 90 minutes of beautiful, artistic performance that will take your breath away.

Block Party Bash (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) – Characters from Disney/Pixar films come to life in this moving show that makes several stops as it makes its way through the Disney Hollywood Studios. Buzz, Woody, and other characters plus acrobats and dancers bring the Disney/Pixar films to life in this party in motion.

Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue (Fort Wilderness) – Enjoy an all you can eat dinner buffet at this wild and lively musical review. One of the dinner shows presented at Walt Disney World, the Hoop-De-Doo Musical Review servers classic American food such as fried chicken, BBQ ribs, corn on the cob and more together with the a classic frontier show. It’s a rootin’ tootin’ good time for the whole family!

10 Disney Theme Parks and Attractions That Were Never Built

Here's a list (in no particular order) of 10 unbuilt Disney projects that I think would have been great.

Disney's America This history-based Disney theme park was to be built in Haymarket, Virginia. With 8 themed area that included Native American Village, President’s Square (complete with Walt Disney World’s Hall of Presidents), and Ellis Island, Disney’s America was going to showcase the complete American experience from the founding of our country to the mid 20th century. The project was well in to the planning stages when it was blocked by historical preservation groups who opposed a large-scale development in and around historical sites where famous Civil War battles took place.

WestCOT Planned as an Epcot style park for the west coast, WestCOT was to be built on the area that was the Disneyland parking lot and is now Disney’s California Adventure. With guests visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando for several days – or even a week, Michael Eisner wanted to keep guests at Disneyland for more than one day. The answer was to build a second park and he challenged the Imagineers to “wow” him. The result was a three billion dollar park, WestCOT. However, following the dismal financial performance of the opening of EuroDisney (now Disneyland Paris), Michael Eisner was weary of investing such a large sum of money. Instead he had plans drawn up for a less-expensive option for a second park, and Disney’s California Adventure was born.


Port Disney Planned for Long Beach, California, Port Disney was first proposed in 1990, but soon was cancelled after the financial drain on the company because of EuroDisney’s financial woes. Port Disney would have included a theme park based on Tokyo Disneyland’s DisneySea Park, hotels, a shopping and entertainment district as well as a cruise port to serve as the west coast home for Disney Cruise Lines.


Dark Kingdom Proposed as a new theme park for the Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the theme was to be based on the Disney Villains. It was to pre a reverse of the Magic Kingdom as it would be the Disney Villains who would be in charge. The park’s centerpiece was to be Malificent's castle and the park would have included rides based on Captain Hook, Ursula, and other villains.


Mineral King Ski Resort To be located in the Sequoia National Park, this was one of the last projects that Walt Disney worked on before his death. The resort was going to be an Alpine themed resort complete with hotels, ski runs, and the Country Bear Jamboree (which was revived and moved to Disneyland and Walt Disney World). This project faded away after the death of Walt Disney and was never built.


Lava Lagoon In order to help build EruoDisney (now Disneyland Paris), plans were drawn up for a water park to be built. The park was to feature a Polynesian theme with lush foliage and spectacular scenery. To compensate for the often cold, overcast days common to Paris, the entire park was to be built under a glass dome. This park met its fate because of the bad first year EuroDisney had and was never built.


Disney's MGM Studios Backlot 40 acres of land in Burbank was the proposed site for this entertainment/shopping complex. It featured several rides that eventually made their way to the Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) in Orlando. Rumor has it that this proposed development was just a threat against Universal Studios in hopes that they would not build a studio attraction in Florida.


Beastly Kingdom Planned as one of the original “lands” for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, this area was scrapped at the last minute due to budget cuts and was replaced with Camp Mickey and Minnie instead. This land would have featured animals that never were such as dragons and unicorns and would have had a rollercoaster featuring a dragon theme. This land was so far along in development before it was scrapped, you can still see reminders of it around Disney’s Animal Kingdom including a “Unicorn” section in the parking lot and a dragon including the logo for the park.


Discovery Bay A new themed land for Disneyland in the 1970’s, Discovery Bay was to be a small 19th century village populated by invertors and those who imagined the future. There was to be a Journal to the Center of the Earth ride and a port into which giant airships could fly. Although never built, many of the ideas ended up in other Disney parks around the globe.


Liberty Street Imagined as a side street of Disneyland’s Mainstreet USA, Liberty Street was to be a New England village from the time of the American Revolution. It would have featured shops and restaurants featuring colonial American items and food. The main attraction of Liberty Street was to have been The Hall of Presidents. Many of the ideas, including the Hall of Presidents, were eventually built in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Top 10 Epcot Attractions of All Time

Since opening on October 1, 1982, Epcot (opened as EPCOT Center but changed names in the late 1990’s) several attractions have come and gone, while others were changed and updated.

Here is my list for the best attractions of all time, regardless if they still exist or not, for Epcot presented in no particular order.


The Living Seas (the originals and not the current The Seas with Nimo and Friends). The Living Seas used to begin with movie about the seas and how they were created followed by a trip to Sea Base Alpha aboard a hydralator. Once at the bottom of the ocean, you would board a Sea cab for the final part of your journal to the center of Sea Base Alpha. When I was younger, I always found this attraction to be inspiring and made me want to learn more about the ocean.

Horizons “If we can dream it, then we can do it” was the motto for this EPCOT Center favorite. Riders would board their vehicle for a look at how we used to depict the future in the past to what the future might look like years from now. I remember riding this in the 1980’s and some of what was shown was not too far off. I remember seeing the redhead girl “talking” to her boyfriend via video conferencing!

The American Adventure This is one of the few original opening day attractions that remains relatively the same as it did on October 1, 1982, although the film at the end has been updated to include more current events. This grand show depicts the story of America, from the Pilgrims landing to the dawn of the 21st century.

Spaceship Earth As the symbol of Epcot, Spaceship Earth was designed to be a grand attraction, showing how humans communicated through the centuries and giving us a glimpse into the future of communication. The ride has gone through several small and large refurbishments and the narrators have included Walter Cronkite, Jeremy Lions, and the current Dame Judy Dench, yet this attraction, to me, has always been great. Sure, some of the small changes have been hit or miss (like taking away the great ending song, “Tomorrow’s Child”), but overall Spaceship Earth always gets me excited about my day at Epcot.

Test Track The first venture at Epcot to create a thrill ride (unless you count Maelstrom), Test Track took the place of the World of Motion attraction. While Test Track is no roller coaster, it is fast enough and just a bit scary to count as a tame thrill ride. I love when the car goes through the anti-lock break test for the first time… without the anti-lock breaks!

O’ Canada (the original version) This attraction, which is a CircleVision film was updated in 2007. The updated film is “cute” it isn’t nearly as good as the original film. That said, it was time for an update. Viewers who saw the original film, which premiered in 1982, today would have wondered why Canadians still dressed like they were in the ‘70s!

Soarin’ This is one of the newest attractions at Epcot and taken from the popular ride at Disney’s California Adventure, “Soarin’ over California.” Soarin’ takes riders on a hang glider ride over California and allows you to smell the fresh orange groves as you fly over them (reminds me of the orange smell from Horizons desert farming scene).

World of Motion Now closed and replaced with Test Track, World of Motion was a tribute to transportation evoking the phrase “it’s fun to be free” in its theme song. Like most original Future World attractions, the ride would begin showing the beginnings (in this case, transportation) and end with what the future will be like. Unfortunately, for World of Motion, the future looked like an Epcot with this wonder attraction.

El Rio De Tiempo Before it got a makeover in 2007 to feature Donald Duck as “Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros” this lazy boat ride through the history of Mexico (which was appropriate as this ride was in the Mexico pavilion in the World Showcase) was always a favorite on hot or crowed days at Epcot. I could always get on this ride with no waiting and the market girl chasing my boat to buy handmade Mexican souvenirs never got old.

Tapestry of Nations This pageant of performers, oversized imaginative costumes, still walkers, and more was presented nightly during Epcot’s Millennium Celebration. The Time Keeper would call on all nations to wish for hope and peace in the new millennium while the World Showcase would come alive with music, light, sounds, and color in the one of a kind parade.