When it comes to planning a Walt Disney World trip there are a lot of questions that come to mind!
In Part 2 of this series I will answer even more of the most asked questions on Google about Disney World!
Today we will cover the are, where, will and near questions. Look out for Part 3 which will be coming in the following weeks!
You can read Part 1 here!
So let's answer some more of the most burning questions about a trip to Disney World!
ARE
Are Disney World Tickets Refundable?
Unfortunately Disney World Tickets aren't refundable. But unused, unexpired tickets can be used for a future trip!
There is a hurricane exception clause when it comes to tickets. If the National Hurricane Center issues a warning for Orlando, or for your place of residence, within 7 days of your scheduled arrival date you may be able to reschedule or cancel your tickets or vacation package.
Are Disney World Parks Open?
Yes! Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom all open!
Blizzard Beach, one of Disney World's water parks, is set to reopen on the 7th March!
The only Disney World Park that remains closed without an opening date yet announced is Disney World's other water park, Typhoon Lagoon.
Are Disney World Hotels Open?
The great news is a large majority of Walt Disney World Resorts are now open!
The following Disney Resorts are open for reservations and are currently welcoming guests:
Art of Animation Resort
Bay Lake Tower at Contemporary Resort
Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Wilderness Lodge
Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas – Kidani Village
Beach Club Villas
Boardwalk Villas
Caribbean Beach Resort
Contemporary Resort
Coronado Springs Resort
Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Old Key West Resort
Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
Pop Century Resort
Riviera Resort
Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Yacht Club Resort
The Villas at the Grand Floridian Resort
In the coming months more resorts will be reopening their doors. These are:
All-Stars Movies Resort – 22nd March 2021
Beach Club Resort – 30th May 2021
Wilderness Lodge – 6th June 2021
Polynesian Village Resort - Summer 2021
Are Disney World Pools Heated?
Yes! All Disney World pools are heated to 82 degrees all year round! This makes them perfect to use whichever time of the year you visit!
Are Disney World Rides Open?
The great news is almost all the rides at the Disney World Parks are open!
The rides and attractions that are currently closed are:
Magic Kingdom
- A Pirates Adventure – Treasures of the Seven Seas
- Swiss Family Treehouse (closed March 12th – March 26th)
- Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Walt Disney World Railroad
- Mad Tea Party (closed February 22nd – March 5th)
- The Hall of Presidents
- Main Street Vehicles
- Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover (reopening 28th February 2021)
EPCOT
- Advanced Training Labs
- Bruce’s Shark World
- Project Tomorrow: Inventing Wonders of the Future
- Turtle Talk with Crush
Hollywood Studios
- Star Wars Launch Bay
- Star Wars Launch Bay Theater
- Voyage of The Little Mermaid
Animal Kingdom
- Kali River Rapids
- The Boneyard
- Affection Section
Are Disney World Spas Open?
Sadly Disney World Resort spas are temporarily closed due to Covid-19. This also includes Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and the Harmony Barbershop.
WHICH
Which Disney World Park Is The Best?
This is almost an impossible question to answer as everyone will have a different favourite park! What makes each park special, and why it may become your favourite, will be down to personal preference.
Magic Kingdom is often voted people's favourite Disney World Park as it has the most 'Disney' feel to it. Magic Kingdom also has the most amount of rides and attractions and has a great variety so there are rides to suit everyone. You also have iconic dining locations such as Cinderella's Royal Table inside Cinderella Castle and Be Our Guest where you can dine in the ballroom from Beauty and the Beast! It is also home to the most iconic photo location at Disney World - Cinderella Castle!
EPCOT is a great park for trying international cuisine and beverages, with a huge range of different dining locations in each of the different pavilions in World Showcase. This part of EPCOT has become a firm fan favourite due to the brilliant theming of each country you get to visit! However EPCOT is often ranked to be the most divisive park with people either loving it or not quite getting it. People either love the pavilions or find a few shops and some restaurants themed to each country a little lackluster. Future World and World Showcase can feel a bit disjointed but with the massive updates happening at EPCOT in the coming years the revamp will see EPCOT completely transformed! EPCOT has the least amount of rides out of all the Disney World Parks and is a park to visit for the theming and food rather than the thrills.
Hollywood Studios is the best park for Star Wars fans! Galaxy's Edge is an incredibly highly themed land and is super impressive! The awesome Toy Story Land is also a must visit for fans of Toy Story! Hollywood Studios is great for fans of thrill rides who will enjoy Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This is the smallest park to visit in size. This can mean you get a lot done in a day as there is less walking to do! But it can mean it can feel busier than the other parks.
Animal Kingdom is the best park to visit if you love animals, nature and have an interest in conservation! It is a beautiful park with super detailed theming throughout and lots of beautiful animals. It is the largest Disney Parks so be prepared for a lot of walking! There are fewer dining locations here than in the other Disney Parks but there are great options such as Yak & Yeti Restaurant, Satu'li Canteen and Flame Tree Barbecue. Pandora is spectacular, particularly at night when it glows with bioluminescence! Don't miss out on Kilimanjaro Safari, the crown jewel of this park. Here you will see so many incredible animals so have your cameras ready!
Which Disney World Hotel Should I Stay At?
This is another topic that is hard to answer as everyone will have their own preferences and needs!
The things to factor in when picking a Disney Resort are:
Your budget
The amount of Disney theming you would like
Proximity to the Disney Parks
Disney Complimentary Transportation links
If you will be dining at your resort often
What type of trip you are having, for example a family trip, a couples trip, an adults only trip etc
Disney offers three types of resort: value, moderate and deluxe. These vary with the amount of facilities and restaurants on offer, proximity to the parks and of course price!
Value
Value resorts are the best for your budget. They cost the least amount to stay in and are the most affordable out of all the resorts.
Another bonus is parking here is the cheapest at $15 a night. Disney Resort guests get free park parking, which usually costs $25 a day, so staying at a value resort can save you $10 a day on park parking, which over the cost of your trip can offer some big savings!
Value resorts have fewer facilities on offer at the resort and in the rooms. They also have the least amount of dining locations, with typically one large quick service restaurant available.
A great benefit to value resorts is they have the most amount of theming! If you really want to feel like you are staying in a Disney Resort then choose a value hotel! These resorts are particularly great for families.
All Disney Resorts offer free Disney buses from the resorts to the parks. If you stay at Art of Animation Resort or Pop Century Resort you will also have the Skyliner which takes you to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT via a cable car! If you are looking to have multiple transportation links it is definitely worth paying a bit more to stay at one of these two value resorts.
Moderate
Moderate resorts offer more facilities on offer to you and more dining locations than value resorts. Moderate resorts will have a table service restaurant as well as multiple quick service locations.
The theming is more subtle and because of this moderate resorts are the best for adults only or couples trips to Disney World.
All the resorts offer free Disney buses to the parks but most of the moderate resorts have additional transportation too. Caribbean Beach Resort has the Skyliner to take you to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter have a boat service that goes from the resorts to Disney Springs.
Parking at a moderate resort costs $20 a night, so you still get to save money on parking by staying here!
Deluxe
Deluxe resorts are the most expensive and do cost a pretty penny! But they offer the most facilities, the most amount of restaurants, the most modes of transport and are closest to the parks. They are tastefully decorated and made to feel luxurious. All of these benefits are what make these resorts deluxe!
Deluxe resorts have the most variety of restaurants on offer and will have multiple quick service and table service locations as well as fine dining restaurants too. For example the Grand Floridian Resort offers 3 fine dining locations, 2 table service locations and 1 quick service location! If dining at your resort is a big part of your trip then deluxe resorts will offer you the most amount of options and variety.
Deluxe resorts are closest to the parks and offer many convenient ways to get to them. Magic Kingdom has three resorts on the monorail loop, meaning you can be at Magic Kingdom in minutes! There are also two resorts that are within walking distance to Magic Kingdom! The Contemporary Resort is a 5-minute walk and the Grand Floridian Resort is a 15-minute walk. There are also boats to travel to Magic Kingdom from the Grand Floridian Resort, Polynesian Village Resort, Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness.
Animal Kingdom Lodge is the deluxe resort that is furthest out but the reason for this is because it backs onto Animal Kingdom Park so you have a spectacular savannah at this resort where you can see all the beautiful animals!
The three BoardWalk Resorts are all deluxe resorts and offer buses to the parks, boats to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT and you can even walk to these two parks from these resorts too!
If you are looking for proximity, many transportation links and excellent dining then a deluxe resort is for you!
Another bonus for deluxe resorts is the hotel is one building, rather than a collection of buildings like at value and moderate resorts. The benefit to this is if there is a big storm you can easily walk around the resort without getting wet!
Plus if there is a hurricane and there is a curfew or lockdown where you need to stay inside you can still walk around your resort, visit the dining locations, shops and entertainment which you can't do at value or moderate resorts, where you have to stay in your room.
Which Disney World Opened First?
Magic Kingdom was the first Disney World Park to open. It opened on 1st October 1971. This year marks its 50th anniversary!
There is only one Disney World in the world which is in Orlando, Florida. But the first Disney park in the world to open was Disneyland in Anaheim, California on 17th July 1955.
Which Disney World Park Is The Biggest?
Animal Kingdom is the biggest Disney World Park and covers 500 acres! One of the reasons it is the largest park is there are massive backstage areas for the animal enclosures as well as areas to help maintain and look after all the animals at this park.
Which Disney World Hotels Are Closed?
The following Disney World Resorts remain closed at this time
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House
All Star Music Resort
All Stars Sports Resort
BoardWalk Inn
Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter
Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Although closed at the moment in the coming months the following resorts will be welcoming guests. These are:
All-Stars Movies Resort – 22nd March 2021
Beach Club Resort – 30th May 2021
Wilderness Lodge – 6th June 2021
Polynesian Village Resort - Summer 2021
Which Disney World Park Has The Most Rides?
Magic Kingdom is the park with the most rides! It also has the greatest variety in types of rides, meaning there is something for everyone to enjoy!
Which Disney World Restaurants Are Open?
Get ready to enjoy so much good food as most Disney World restaurants are now open!
The restaurants that remain closed are mostly at resorts that are yet to open, buffet restaurants and character dining locations.
Some fan favourite restaurants that remain closed include:
Casey's Corner
Columbia Harbour House
Rose & Crown Dining Room
Tangierine Cafe
Tusker House Restaurant
Boma
Trail's End Restaurant
1900 Park Fare
Victoria & Albert's
Ohana
Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
Yachtman Steakhouse
For an up-to-date full list see my Guide To Which Restaurants Are Currently Open At Walt Disney World!
WILL
Will Disney World Close Again?
There is always a possibility that Disney World could close again, depending on what happens, but it seems very unlikely.
In regard to the Covid-19 pandemic the Governor of Florida is keen to keep everything open so it is highly unlikely he would issue an order for Disney World to shut down. Disney as a private company may wish to close, as they did in March 2020, but with the new and enhanced measures they have put in place it seems they feel confident they can operate safely and that makes it very unlikely that Disney would choose to close down again.
One event that can close Disney World down is hurricanes. Luckily this is a very rare occurrence and often the closure is for a very short time. Disney are amazing at helping their guests if this does occur to help cause as little disruption to their trip as possible.
Will Disney World Be Back To Normal in 2021?
The simple answer is unfortunately no. Disney World won't be operating the way it did before Covid-19 in 2021. Physical distancing and face coverings will be required throughout this year. Bob Chapek, the CEO of Disney, recently announced that face coverings will likely be needed until 2022.
Disney are now allowing people to book their Park Pass reservation up until 2023, which tells us needing to book reservations to visit the Disney Parks will be kept for at least the next 2 years.
However, it seems likely Disney will reintroduce as many elements as they can safely do in 2021. We may start to see some shows return to the Disney Parks. A modified version of The Festival of the Lion King has been announced to be returning to Animal Kingdom in the summer of 2021! The Tree of Life: Awakenings nighttime show has also made a surprise reappearance after dark in Animal Kingdom.
Both of these show us that Disney are keen to bring back their entertainment, something they are renowned for. To do this some modifications will be required for the performers and audience and in some instances it may not be possible with physical distancing measures. Due to this the Disney entertainment and fireworks shows will not be operating as normal in 2021 but we will see the return of some modified shows.
Disney have also announced that Remy's Ratatouille Adventure will be opening this year! This is a great sign as all new attraction grand openings were postponed in 2020 and we were unsure that with the limit on how many people can visit the parks at the moment if any new rides would open this year. Remy's Ratatouille Adventure will be in the France Pavilion at EPCOT and is rumoured to be opening in the next few months!
EPCOT are also running modified versions of their festivals which is great news! Disney want to be able to offer as many of the elements that people love and enhance a trip to Disney as possible. These amazing festivals offer many outdoor food stalls, activities and entertainment so as a perfect way for Disney to offer additional benefits to people visiting EPCOT.
Currently not all the Disney World Resorts are open and some do not yet have a reopening date. Many services, spas and activities are temporarily suspended without a date announced for them to reopen. But the good news is four more resorts are reopening this year which is a positive sign as Disney are expecting more people to be visiting so are opening resorts to help with the increase in guests.
Will Disney World Be Busy in 2021?
It is likely that Disney World will get busier throughout 2021, particularly from 1st October onwards, as this marks the start of the 50th Anniversary celebrations.
With more people wanting to travel, Disney having offers for their resorts in 2021 and the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine more visitors will be returning in 2021. We will likely see attendance rise throughout the year.
International travel is still not allowed and it is unsure when the restriction on this will be lifted. If this does happen at some point 2021, which may be unlikely, it will possibly lead to a big surge in the numbers of visitors to Disney World later in the year as people are desperate to return to the Most Magical Place on Earth!
Will Disney World Be Back To Normal by 2022?
In 2022 it is likely a lot of Disney will be back to normal or at least operating in a modified manner, but for the Disney parks to go back to running totally normally may take a few years.
It is likely that in 2022 more Disney Resorts will reopen or have a date announced for when they will be welcoming guests back.
As mentioned above Park Pass reservations will be needed in 2022 to visit the Disney Parks.
New attractions, such as TRON Lightcycle Power Run in Magic Kingdom, are set to open in 2022!
The 50th Anniversary celebrations will be running throughout 2022 which is fantastic news! We don't have details yet as to what new shows, parade of entertainment we may see but Disney will be planning a whole range of special ways to celebrate!
Face coverings and physical distancing may not be a requirement during 2022, but this is something Disney will keep reassessing as they are doing whatever they can to keep the parks safe for all guests and cast members. So if you are planning a trip in 2022 keep in mind these may still be required during your trip.
2022 is looking to be a busy year for Walt Disney World! Last week Disney announced the 50th Anniversary celebrations will last 18 months so can be enjoyed all through 2022. In the same week Disney also released vacation packages for 2022, leading to a surge in bookings. With four more Disney Resorts reopening this year this shows us Disney are preparing for more people to visit in 2022 so it is also likely park capacity may increase to accommodate this.
Will Disney World Survive Covid?
All signs point towards Disney World being able to survive Covid-19. Disney World has been able to remain open whilst a lot of other Disney Parks around the world have had to reclose and Disneyland is yet to reopen.
Disney is a multi-billion dollar company so luckily have the ability to stay afloat throughout this difficult time, although the events of 2020 did bring huge financial losses as well as many losses in jobs, services and perks on offer.
Disney have also closed resorts and restaurants and stopped parades, shows and fireworks to save on operating costs. Disney have made these drastic cuts to try and save money to help them remain open in the longterm.
Disney+ has been a big help financially. With nearly 94 million subscribers worldwide this streaming service launched at just the right time! It helped Disney make an income when the parks and film studios weren't able to. Plus it gave people entertainment whilst having to stay at home.
Netflix started out as a DVD rental company, before launching a streaming service and is now one of the biggest production houses in the world. Disney seem keen to replicate this by offering incredible tv shows and films made exclusively for Disney+, such as The Mandalorian. This has been able to draw huge numbers of people to subscribe to not only watch classic films and beloved TV showed but to also gain exclusive access to exciting new content. This has been a huge financial win and is helping Disney to maintain an income during this difficult time for the Disney Parks.
Will Disney World Ever Be The Same?
Yes and no. It will most likely take a few years for Disney World to operate the same way it did before the Covid-19 pandemic. Features such as FastPass+ and the Disney Dining Plan will likely not return for some years. Shows and parades will likely take a while to return too due to the need to maintain physical distancing for the foreseeable future.
But with more resorts reopening, EPCOT festivals and shows returning and new attractions opening it seems Disney World is on its way to returning to what everybody knows and loves! It just may be a slow process.
The great thing is Disney World is always getting better, opening new rides and introducing new experiences so it will never be the same as the last time you visited!
NEAR
Disney World Near Me
There is only one Disney World in the world in Orlando, Florida in the US but there are 6 Disney Resorts in total around the world!
Here is where they are located:
Disneyland is in California, USA
Disneyland Paris is in France
Tokyo Disneyland is in Japan
Shanghai Disneyland is in China
Hong Kong Disneyland is in Hong Kong, China
Disney World Near Hotels
Disney Resorts nearest each park are:
Magic Kingdom
Contemporary Resort
Grand Floridian Resort
Polynesian Village Resort
Wilderness Lodge
Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort
EPCOT
Caribbean Beach Resort
Beach Club Resort
BoardWalk Inn
Yacht Club Resort
Hollywood Studios
Caribbean Beach Resort
Art of Animation Resort
Pop Century Resort
Riviera Resort
Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Coronado Springs Resort
All-Star Movie's Resort
All-Star Music Resort
All-Star Sports Resort
Disney Springs
Port Orleans French Quarter
Port Orleans Riverside
Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
Old Key West Resort
Resorts not own by Disney on Walt Disney World Property:
Four Seasons Resort Orlando
Beuna Vista Palace Hotel and Spa
Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort
Doubletree Suites Resort by Hilton
B Resort Hotel & Spa
Holiday Inn
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
Wyndham Orlando Lake Buena Vista Resort
Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
Shades of Green Resort
Lake Buena Vista is the closest location to stay off-site at Disney World. Flamingo Crossing also getting more popular and is located on the other side of Disney World, near Animal Kingdom.
Disney World also has a list of Good Neighbor hotels. You can find out all the resorts around Orlando that are WDW Good Neighbor Resorts here!
Disney World Near Beach
Disney World in Central Florida and has access to both the East and West coasts within 90 minutes!
To the East of Disney World:
Cocoa Beach, which is 71 miles away or a 70-minute drive.
Daytona Beach, which is 77 miles away or an 80-minute drive.
To the West of Disney World:
Clearwater, which is 88 miles away or a 90-minute drive.
Disney World Near Miami
Disney World is around a 3 and a half hour drive from Miami and a distance of 235 miles away.
Brightline are building a train line that will enable people to travel from Disney World to Miami and is expected to be open in 2023.
Disney World Near Airport
There are two main airports that people visiting Disney World fly into. These are Orlando MCO International Airport and Sanford International Airport.
Orlando MCO International Airport is 17 miles away from Walt Disney World Resort and about a 20-minute drive away.
Sanford International Airport is 45 miles away from Walt Disney World Resort and it takes around 45 minutes to drive to.
Disney World Hotels Near Hollywood Studios
There are a number of hotels near Hollywood Studios. The best hotels for Hollywood Studios are Skyliner resorts as you can easily jump on this mode of transport to get straight to Hollywood Studios (and EPCOT too!).
The Skyliner resorts are:
Caribbean Beach Resort
Art of Animation
Pop Century Resort
Riviera Resort
Disney's BoardWalk Resorts also are a great pick for Hollywood Studios. You can even walk to the park from here! Boats and buses also are available.
The BoardWalk Resorts are:
Yacht Club Resort
Beach Club Resort
BoardWalk Inn
Disney World Hotels Near Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom has a lot of resorts close by and all with easy transport links straight to the park!
All of the resorts near Magic Kingdom are deluxe resorts and are all located around Seven Seas Lagoon.
The resorts are:
Contemporary Resort - 5 minute walk or monorail to Magic Kingdom
Grand Floridian Resort - 15 min walk, monorail or boat to Magic Kingdom
Polynesian Village Resort - monorail or boat to Magic Kingdom
Wilderness Lodge - boat to Magic Kingdom
Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground - boat to Magic Kingdom
I hope this has helped answer some of the most asked questions about Disney World for you! What do you think about some of my predictions for 2021 and 2022?
If you have any more questions let me know in the comments below, over on Instagram @most.magical.guides or in my Facebook planning group!
If you are planning your next Disney World trip be sure to check out my full range of helpful guides and planning templates in the Most Magical Shop! Or in my Etsy store!