A place full of magic, fantasy and positive vibes: a visit to Disneyland Orlando is an experience that you should definitely take a look at. There are worlds waiting for you that mysteriously touch you deeply.

My wife, our two children and I only had one week left in Florida before we headed back to Germany. We thought long and hard about whether we should visit Disneyland in Orlando. In the end, we decided on talking ducks, mice and lots of fantastic adventures. We bought tickets for four theme parks over two days.

Arrival and first impressions

On Saturday morning, we drove to Orlando by car. The journey took about three hours for the 150 miles (approx. 241 km). After a few stops and a traffic jam just before the Walt Disney World Resort, we reached our destination in the blazing Florida sun. Our first destination was the Magic Kingdom. Even the parking lot impressed us. Everywhere we looked we saw employees with straw hats and fans directing us to free parking rows. We parked quickly, fortified ourselves with food and water and memorized the number of our parking row and the animal pictured. That was important, because with these dimensions, it's hard to find your car otherwise.

A small white slow train took us to the entrance. During the ride, we were constantly reminded of potential safety risks. These notices are particularly noticeable in Florida. After the security checks and a ride on the monorail, we finally reached the Magic Kingdom. At the entrance, we showed our online tickets and were given cards with Disney heroes that were fingerprinted.

The heart of the Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is the most visited park in the world and Disney's first park in Florida. The sun shines here almost all year round and around 17 million visitors flock to Disney World's theme parks every year. The park is open every day of the year and is divided into various themed sections, each with its own attractions. At the center of the park is the 57-meter-high Cinderella Castle, the second tallest Disney castle in the world.

Right at the beginning, we entered Main Street, U.S.A., which is reminiscent of a typical American small town. Walt Disney's memories served as inspiration here. Main Street is mainly home to souvenir stores and restaurants. Above the entrance to Main Street is a stop on the Walt Disney World Railroad, which offers a train connection through the entire Magic Kingdom. The Festival of Fantasy Parade takes place here every day at 3 pm. The princesses and fairy tale characters from the Disney films wave to the children, and the elaborately designed floats and characters are great fun for everyone.

A striking feature is the Swiss Family Treehouse, a large treehouse inspired by the Disney adaptation of the novel "The Swiss Robinson". The world-famous Pirates of the Caribbean attraction is also located here. This themed ride takes visitors into the exciting life of pirates and is accompanied by the antics of the clumsy Captain Jack Sparrow. The ride through the different countries is also an exciting experience for children. The attention to detail of the attractions is immediately noticeable.

In Adventureland, we rode the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, where you glide through the air in circles on a flying carpet. Before evening fell completely, we took the bus to another park, which turned out to be a highlight. Inspired by the streets of Los Angeles, this area invites you to stroll around and immediately transports visitors to the glamorous world of Hollywood. A main attraction here is Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway in the famous Chinese Theater. Here, guests join Minnie and Mickey on an exciting ride through their popular cartoons. The queue was worth it. First we saw a cartoon where Mickey Mouse and Minnie were going on a Sunday outing. But suddenly their train, with Goofy as the driver, blows up. A huge hole opened up on the wall where the movie was being shown, through which the audience could walk to board a train with individual gondolas. It was a great experience with lots of variety, amazement, scary moments and energetic dance interludes. 

A spectacular finale at Hollywood Studios

Shortly before the park closed, a fantastic show took place at 10 pm: Fantasmic. A Mickey Mouse dream about the game between good and evil. With spectacular elements that will leave you in awe. This show alone is worth the entrance fee. However, we had to cover our daughter's eyes from time to time as she found individual elements such as the evil spirits, which were visible through a light effect in a water fountain, scary. We carried the children, who were overwhelmed by the many impressions, the whole way back. We were excited to see what the second day would bring.

We hadn't expected it, but our favorite place was to reveal itself on the second day: Disney's Animal Kingdom. This newest treasure in the Walt Disney World Resort opened its gates in 1998 and covers an impressive 230 hectares. True to Walt Disney's vision, the park is dedicated to preserving wildlife in the most natural habitats possible. Over 1,700 animals from 250 species live here in areas that are modeled on their wild habitats. Patience is required, as the animals do not always show themselves immediately.

Artwork with animal figures

But Animal Kingdom offers more than just animal watching. In addition to the wild fauna, there are roller coasters, dark rides and shows. Since 2017, the themed area Pandora - The World of Avatar has been captivating visitors, inspired by the fascinating planet from the film "Avatar". 

A real highlight is the Tree of Life, which towers a proud 40 meters into the sky. This tree is a work of art in itself - full of countless animal figures carved into the trunk. Have fun trying to count them all!

As soon as I arrived at the park, a young father approached me: "I remember you. You parked near us earlier. Can you please tell me which row number you're in and which animal symbolizes our park group?" Carter, on the road with his wife and three children, had forgotten to remember the parking lot in the rush. "I ran back to memorize the number, but I couldn't find my car again." Fortunately, we met up and Carter was able to relax and spend the day at Animal Kingdom Park.

Heat and crowds

It was Sunday and the sun was beating down on our heads at 35 degrees. Many visitors had the same idea as us: Explore Disneyland. As soon as we entered the Animal Kingdom, we found ourselves in the Oasis themed area. This tropical garden, lush with dense greenery, small streams and rippling waterfalls, provided the ideal backdrop to set the mood. From there we went straight to the Tree of Life.

We struck up a conversation with Kateyln Wooster at the big tree. Perched on her right shoulder was a blue parrot that had just given park visitors a little flying show. Every day, the parrot shows what it can do in five shows. Kateyln has been working at the park for ten years and loves her job. She appreciates the fact that her employer is committed to preserving nature and bringing visitors closer to the animals and their natural environment. "I never get tired of watching those blue parrots fly."

After our experience at the Tree of Life, we went straight to the theme area Pandora - The World of Avatar. Waterfalls rushed gently, exotic plants stretched to the horizon, animal sounds pierced the air and the majestic Hallelujah Mountains towered above it all. There is also a roller coaster there, but with a waiting time of over an hour, we decided to forgo the daredevil pleasure. We enjoyed the spectacular scenery and sought shade in the next themed area: Africa.

Learn how to draw animals

From there we took the train to Rafiki's Planet Watch. Once we arrived at the station, we walked through a small park and ended up at the Conservation Station. A drawing course was taking place there, where visitors were taught how to draw fantastic animals. Exotic small animals such as snakes and spiders were also on display. You could also watch the rangers at work as a glass wall gave visitors a direct insight into the laboratory.

Have fun and educate yourself

Initially, Epcot was known more as an educational park and mainly attracted those who wanted to learn something, while the typical Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck were given less space. However, this has changed over the years. Today, Epcot is a mix of education and fun. Epcot's landmark, Spaceship Earth, is located in a giant sphere which, depending on how you look at it, looks like a giant golf ball or a meteorite that has fallen from space. The World Celebration forms the center of this area, flanked by the World Nature and World Discovery themed areas.

As we didn't have much time left, we opted for the World Discovery, which promised action-packed excitement. We set off on our journey around the globe in a space rocket simulator. Beforehand, we were briefed like real astronauts and started our journey with much fanfare. When we left World Discovery, it was already dark. We only had time to admire the fireworks that gently accompanied us out of the park.

Conclusion

Four parks in two days is not enough time to discover everything. Nevertheless, the visit was worthwhile for us as a family. We took away some wonderful impressions and could probably have spent at least two days in each park. After our visit, I am no longer surprised that the average visitor spends up to ten days on the site in order to have enough time to visit the various parks. If you are in Cape Coral, I can only advise you to make a detour to Orlando. With children anyway, but even without children it is worth immersing yourself in the magical world of Disney.