The Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment resort complex located about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of The Walt Disney Company. The property covers nearly 25,000 acres, of which half has been developed. Walt Disney World contains numerous recreational facilities designed to attract visitors for an extended stay, including four theme parks, two water parks, four golf courses, conference centers, a competitive sports complex and a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex. Additionally, there are 19 Disney-owned resort hotels and one camping resort on the property, and many other non-Disney-operated resorts on and near the property.
Disney Transport is the public transit system of the Walt Disney World resort near Orlando, Florida, United States. It offers guests a variety of fare-free options to navigate the resort, including buses, the iconic Walt Disney World Monorail System, the Disney Skyliner gondola lift system, and watercraft. This network facilitates movement between the resort's four theme parks, its shopping district, and all Disney-owned lodging on the property. Additionally, Disney Transport operates trams, providing assistance navigating large parking lots, and the Minnie Van rideshare service, offering on-demand, point-to-point transportation.
The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is a vacation timeshare program owned and operated by Disney Vacation Development, Inc., a subsidiary of Disney Signature Experiences, a division of Disney Experiences, a segment of The Walt Disney Company. It allows buying a real estate interest in a DVC resort via a flexible points-based membership system. There are an estimated 220,000 club members.
Disney's River Country was the first water park at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida. River Country, located along the shores of Bay Lake and near Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, was themed as a rustic, old-fashioned swimming hole. Opening on June 20, 1976, the park closed indefinitely on November 2, 2001. On January 20, 2005, after roughly three years of closure, The Walt Disney Company announced that the park would remain closed, permanently.
Bay Lake is a natural lake about 1 mile across and with a depth of 35 feet (11 m), located in Orange County, Florida, United States, in the north end of the Walt Disney World property, in the Disney-controlled city of Bay Lake, Florida, and immediately to the east of the Magic Kingdom.
The Carolwood Pacific Railroad (CPRR) was a 7+1⁄4-inch gauge ridable miniature railroad run by Walt Disney in the backyard of his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It featured the Lilly Belle, a 1:8-scale live steam locomotive named after Disney's wife, Lillian Disney, and built by the Walt Disney Studios' machine shop. The locomotive made its first test run on December 24, 1949. It pulled a set of freight cars, as well as a caboose that was almost entirely built by Disney himself. It was Disney's lifelong fascination with trains, as well as his interest in miniature models, that led to the creation of the CPRR. The railroad, which became operational in 1950, was 2,615 feet (797 m) long and encircled his house. The backyard railroad attracted visitors to Disney's home; he invited them to ride and occasionally drive his miniature train. In 1953, after an accident occurred in which a guest was injured, the CPRR was closed to the public.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge is an African-themed deluxe resort at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. It opened on April 16, 2001. The resort is owned and operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
Disney's Beach Club Resort is a beach-themed resort at the Walt Disney World Resort. It opened on November 19, 1990. The resort is owned and operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort is a Disney-owned and operated resort located at the Walt Disney World Resort. It began operation on October 1, 1971 as one of Walt Disney World Resort's first two on-site hotels. The resort has a South Seas theme, and originally opened with 492 rooms. It was designed by Welton Becket and Associates and constructed by US Steel Realty Development. The resort is owned and operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is a themed camping resort located in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area at the Walt Disney World Resort in the U.S. state of Florida. It officially opened on November 19, 1971. The resort is situated adjacent to Bay Lake, near Disney's Wilderness Lodge. It also formerly contained Disney's River Country, a water park which closed on November 2, 2001.
Disney's Old Key West Resort is a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) resort located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
The Disney Davy Crockett Ranch is a campground at Disneyland Paris which consists of 595 cabins in a quiet, wooded area located outside the perimeters of the main resort.
The Magic Kingdom Resort Area includes five resorts located along the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake, near the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort. The area began with the opening of Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. The Walt Disney World Monorail System connects Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa to the Transportation and Ticket Center and the Magic Kingdom.
Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort is a large water resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. It is one of the largest indoor waterpark complexes in the world with a combined size of 240,000 square feet (22,000 m2). It is part of a chain of two resorts, the newer and smaller one being Wilderness at the Smokies in Tennessee. The chain also includes four small outdoor waterparks.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas is a Disney Vacation Club resort located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The Fort Wilderness Railroad (FWRR) was a 3.5-mile (5.6 km), 2 ft 6 in narrow-gauge heritage railroad located at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground in Walt Disney World. The railroad officially opened on January 1, 1974, and provided transportation for the resort's various campsites. Due to issues with track maintenance, pedestrian safety, noise concerns, and the low fuel capacity of its steam locomotives, the FWRR closed permanently in February 1980. Railroad ties remain in place along certain sections of the railroad's former right-of-way, and its four locomotives and surviving passenger cars are now owned by private collectors.
Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort, commonly known as Bay Lake Tower, is a Disney Vacation Club resort located at the Walt Disney World Resort that opened in 2009. It is located in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area, adjacent to Disney's Contemporary Resort, Bay Lake, and Magic Kingdom.
Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort is a residential community within the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering and is owned and operated by a newly formed Disney subsidiary, Golden Oak Realty within Disney Signature Experiences. The first phase of development is located southeast of the Magic Kingdom Park in Bay Lake. The area was named to pay homage to Walt Disney's Golden Oak Ranch in California. The first few home sites were available for purchase in late 2010 and completed in late 2011. Later on, a Four Seasons resort was opened north of the property with the company purchasing several properties to serve in its "private residences" initiative on the WDW property.
Disney's Riviera Resort is a Disney Vacation Club resort at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It was built by Disney Experiences between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is the first newly constructed resort to be served by the Disney Skyliner gondola system and the 15th Disney Vacation Club property to be built. The resort is themed after Walt Disney's trips and experiences in Europe and a love of the French Riviera and Italian Riviera. A collection of his travel images are incorporated into the resort's decor. Popular Disney characters are also painted into the overall theme of the resort including known characters' boat storage. It opened on December 16, 2019.
Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge was a planned Disney Vacation Club resort at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It was to be built between Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. It was to be constructed on the former site of Disney's River Country Water Park. The new hotel was to feature several Disney characters for each of the rooms including Bambi, Brother Bear, The Fox and the Hound, and Pocahontas among others. A lakeside restaurant featuring the characters from The Princess and the Frog was also slated to open along with the new resort.
