How big?

[LiloNani]

Is there some place that tells how many square miles the parks are. My husband has never been and I am trying to explain to him how big Disney World is!

[rafiki fan]

I don't know the numbers on each park but have heard that Disney owns 47 square miles of the area. Once an ugly swamp and now a beautiful raised swamp. That is magic!

[imported_PolyGirl40]

This should help.

Walt Disney World Overview: World in Brief

STATISTICS:

Walt Disney World Resort is a contiguous 47-square-mile, world-class entertainment and recreation center featuring four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom); two water adventure parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon); 30 resort hotels (20 owned and operated by Walt Disney World); 99 holes of golf on six courses; two full-service spas; Disney's Wedding Pavilion; Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex; and Downtown Disney, an entertainment-shopping-dining complex encompassing the Marketplace, Pleasure Island and West Side. Walt Disney World Resort is also included in vacation packages of Disney Cruise Line.

Located at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 20 miles southwest of Orlando, Walt Disney World Resort opened Oct. 1, 1971. Open daily, year-round.


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EMPLOYMENT:
More than 54,000 cast members.


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MAGIC KINGDOM:
Opened Oct. 1, 1971, the first theme park at Walt Disney World Resort sits on 107 acres with the 189-feet-tall Cinderella Castle at its center.

Similar to Disneyland in California, Magic Kingdom is divided into seven themed lands -- Main Street, U.S.A.; Adventureland; Frontierland; Liberty Square; Fantasyland; Mickey’s Toontown Fair; and Tomorrowland. Popular attractions include Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, “Mickey’s PhilharMagic,” Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Jungle Cruise, The Hall of Presidents, Mad Tea Party, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Country Bear Jamboree, Tom Sawyer Island, Peter Pan’s Flight and Dumbo the Flying Elephant.


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EPCOT:

An ever-changing international and discovery showplace covering 300 acres. Opened Oct. 1, 1982.

Future World - Theme areas focusing on discovery and scientific achievements. Major attractions: Innoventions, Spaceship Earth (AT&T), Universe of Energy (ExxonMobil), Imagination! (Kodak), The Land (Nestlé USA), The Living Seas, The Wonders of Life, Test Track (General Motors), Mission: SPACE (HP).

World Showcase - Eleven nations surrounding World Showcase Lagoon: Canada, United Kingdom, France, Japan, The American Adventure, Italy, Germany, China, Mexico, Morocco, Norway.

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DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS:

A working film, TV, radio and animation studio, as well as a theme park on 154 acres. Production facilities opened summer 1988. Entertainment facilities opened May 1989. Attractions include: Star Tours (Energizer), The Great Movie Ride, "Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D" (Kodak), "Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!" Catastrophe Canyon, Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour, The Magic of Disney Animation tour, "Sounds Dangerous Starring Drew Carey" at ABC Sound Studio (Sony), "Beauty and the Beast-Live on Stage," "Voyage of the Little Mermaid," The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror", "Fantasmic!" Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-Play It!" "Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage," Walt Disney: One Man's Dream.


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DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM:

High adventures with real exotic animals, close encounters with prehistoric giants and warm, fuzzy moments with beloved Disney characters create unsurpassed fun. This newest and fourth major theme park sprawls across 500 acres reconfigured into deep green jungles, forests and a vast savannah to look amazingly like animal reserves of Africa or Asia and dinosaur dig sites. Opened April 22, 1998.


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DOWNTOWN DISNEY:

Pleasure Island - A six-acre nightclub theme park, adjacent to Downtown Disney Marketplace, featuring eight nightclubs plus shops and restaurants, including a 400-seat Planet Hollywood.

Marketplace - Disney's newly remodeled waterside shopping village with more than two dozen shops including World of Disney, the largest Disney character merchandise showplace in the world, plus dining options such as the 550-seat Rainforest Cafe.

West Side - A lively dining and entertainment district including Cirque du Soleil, DisneyQuest, House of Blues, Bongos Cuban Cafe, Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Virgin Megastore and AMC 24-screen theater.

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DISNEY'S WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS COMPLEX:

A 200-acre complex designed to accommodate professional-caliber training and competition, festival and tournament events and vacation-fitness activities in more than 30 individual and team sports. The complex, which includes a 7,500-seat baseball stadium and 5,000-seat fieldhouse, is the official spring training home of the Atlanta Braves. Also features All Star Cafe. First event: March 28, 1997.


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DISNEY CRUISE LINE:

Disney Wonder and Disney Magic sail from Port Canaveral, Fla., to Nassau and Disney's private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay, as part of cruise vacations that include a stay at Walt Disney World Resort. For Disney Cruise Line reservations or information contact a local travel agent, phone 888/DCL-2500 or visit www.disneycruise.com.


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THEMED RESORTS:

30 resorts in a variety of price points featuring more than 28,000 accommodations.

Disney's Campsites (from $34/night)
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground (784 campsites).

Disney's Value Resorts (from $77/night)

Disney's All-Star Sports Resort (1,920 rooms), Disney's All-Star Music Resort (1,920 rooms), Disney's All-Star Movies Resort (1,920 rooms).

Disney's Moderate Resorts (from $133/night)

Disney's Port Orleans Resort-Riverside (2,048 rooms), Disney's Port Orleans Resort-French Quarter (1,008 rooms), Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort (2,112 rooms), Disney's Coronado Springs Resort (1,921 rooms).

Disney's Home-Away-from-Home Resorts (from $214/night)

Disney's Fort Wilderness Cabins (406 units)
Disney's Old Key West Resort (part of Disney Vacation Club 761 units)
Disney's BoardWalk Villas (part of Disney Vacation Club, 520 units)
The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge (part of Disney Vacation Club, 136 units)
Disney's Beach Club Villas (part of Disney Vacation Club, 205 units)

Disney's Deluxe Resorts (from $194/night)

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (1,293 rooms) Disney's Wilderness Lodge (728 rooms)
Disney's Contemporary Resort (1,008 rooms)
Disney's Polynesian Resort (853 rooms)
Disney's Yacht Club Resort (630 rooms)
Disney's Beach Club Resort (583 rooms)
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (867 rooms) and Disney's BoardWalk Inn (372 rooms)

Official Hotels of Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Swan (758 rooms, operated by Westin)
Walt Disney World Dolphin (1,509 rooms, operated by Sheraton)
Wyndham Palace Resort & Spa (1,013 rooms) Grosvenor Resort (626 rooms)
Doubletree Guest Suites Resort (229 rooms)
The Hilton (814 rooms), Courtyard by Marriott (323 rooms)
Hotel Royal Plaza (394 rooms)
Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel (325 rooms)

Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort (formerly The Disney Inn, 288 rooms) is a U.S. Armed Forces Recreation Center for vacationing servicemen and women from all branches of the armed forces.

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CONVENTION FACILITIES:

More than 600,000 square feet of modern meeting space located throughout the resort areas. Major function space is available at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney's Yacht Club Resort, Disney's Beach Club Resort, Disney's BoardWalk, Walt Disney World Dolphin, Walt Disney World Swan, Wyndham Palace Resort & Spa, The Hilton, Hotel Royal Plaza and Grosvenor Resort.


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RECREATION:

Five 18-hole championship golf courses and a nine-hole family-play course; Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water adventure parks; Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland mini-golf; tennis courts; pools and lakes for swimming, boating, parasailing, water skiing and fishing; jogging paths; horseback riding; biking.


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TRANSPORTATION:

Monorail trains, ferryboats, launches and motorcoach shuttle service between all areas.


It's BIG.



[ January 24, 2004, 11:54 AM: Message edited by: PolyGirl40 ]

[hope2survive]

To give you a frame of reference of how big 47 square miles actually is, Manhattan Island in New York City is only 26 square miles!

[SpecJoe Magic]

I believe I heard that WDW's property is about the same size as San Franciso.

I didn't realize that the Disney/MGM Studios covers more acres than the Magic Kingdom.

[Tightlines]

Once an ugly swamp and now a beautiful raised swamp.