We visited the four Walt Disney World theme parks again this year.
I’m doing a separate post for each park visit, starting with a half a day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park, which is part theme park, part zoo.
Some posed photos:
Avatar land:
Avatar ride:
Lunch:
Heading to the safari ride:
Tree of Life:
Snack:
Expedition Everest ride:
Not sure what it says about us that it’s worthwhile to have a summary post about theme parks, but here we are.
Again, you can also see the attractions from 2023, from 2022, and from 2021. And you can see all of the attraction-related blog posts via the exploring category, with the earliest posts at the top, or the latest posts at the top, or more specifically the theme park category (with earliest or latest posts at the top).
Universal Islands of Adventure Theme Park in Orlando, Florida:
Universal Studios Florida Theme Park in Orlando, Florida:
Disney World: Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida:
Disney World: Epcot in Orlando, Florida:
Disney World: Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida:
Disney World: Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida:
Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee:
Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California:
Disneyland in Anaheim, California:
Fun times.
We also spent a day at Disneyland.
The park was festooned with Halloween decorations:
The train station was looking a little more 2D, being refurbished:
Castle selfie:
Marching band:
Lunch:
It’s a Small World was closed:
We did the Runaway Railway ride:
And the Roger Rabbit ride:
And Teacups ride:
Jenn during the teacup ride:
Jungle Cruise ride:
Stormtroopers:
Blue milk snack:
The Haunted Mansion was (of course) Halloween and Nightmare Before Christmas themed, with a special virtual queue to access:
Pumpkin and castle:
We visited Disneyland in California last year, and Disney World in Florida in April this year… so of course when back in California we visited the Disney parks again. We seem to be somewhat Disney adults.
This time, we only spent one day in each of the two parks, starting with Disney California Adventure.
We visited in October, when the parks had Halloween decorations:
Fancy churros:
We spent most of our time in our favorite area, Cars Land:
We did the Radiator Springs Racers ride:
Spiderman:
Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout ride:
Pym Test Kitchen for lunch:
The San Francisco area has been rebranded as San Fransokyo:
San Fransokyo:
Back out of the park, where there were long lines waiting for an evening event:
We visited Dollywood, Dolly Parton’s theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Theme park map; click or tap to view on their site:
An interactive map:
Finally, we spent a day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park, which is part theme park, part zoo.
The central Tree of Life:
Avatar land:
Africa:
Jenn likes collecting the pressed pennies:
African safari:
Lunch:
Train:
Snack:
Tortoise:
The Tree of Life; if you look closely, it’s covered with animal sculptures:
The backside of water:
One day was enough to see everything we were interested in at this park. Worth a visit, but probably not a re-visit.
We also visited Hollywood Studios in Disney World a couple of times.
Entrance:
Main street:
Us in front of the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge:
Smugglers Run ride:
Drinks and snacks at Oga’s Cantina:
Uh oh:
Lunch:
Rise of the Resistance ride:
Muppets:
Runaway Railway:
Hollywood Tower of Terror:
Video:
Mickey ice cream:
Toy Story Mania:
Alien Swirling Saucers:
We went to the Brown Derby restaurant for dinner:
Neon:
Another day:
Back to our favorite part, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge:
Transition from Galaxy’s Edge:
… to freeway tunnel:
We had dinner at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater restaurant:
Neon:
The Fantasmic! show, better than in Disneyland as they have actual seating:
More neon:
We visited Epcot within Disney World a couple of times.
Epcot’s Spaceship Earth globe:
We dropped off our backpacks at a locker, and marveled at the advanced futuristic technology nearby:
Spaceship Earth:
A customized video created at the end of the ride.
Topiary:
Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind ride:
Monorail:
Epcot is arranged in several sections called pavilions, around a central lake. We first visited the Mexico Pavilion:
Frozen ride:
United Kingdom Pavilion:
Fish & chips for lunch:
France Pavilion:
Morocco Pavilion:
Japan Pavilion:
USA Pavilion:
Germany Pavilion:
We had dinner at the Coral Reef Restaurant:
Seas exhibits:
Mission: Space ride:
During our second visit the Flower and Garden Food Festival was underway, so we sampled several of the options:
Journey of Water:
The second day, we had dinner at the Space 220 Restaurant, which simulates a restaurant on a space elevator 220 miles above the Earth:
Spaceship Earth globe:
We did the Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind ride again:
Monorail:
We spent eight days at the four Walt Disney World theme parks. We took over 3,000 photos during that time… so a bit of a challenge to filter them down to a reasonable number for the blog. (Where “reasonable” is rather subjective.)
I’m doing a separate post for each park, starting with Magic Kingdom.
Us in front of the railway station:
Main Street USA:
Cinderella’s Castle:
Adventureland:
Pirates of the Caribbean:
Something we don’t see in California’s Disneyland: alligators and snakes:
It’s a small world:
The line was inside, vs outside in Disneyland:
New Zealand representation:
Teacups:
The new Tron lightcycle ride:
A video:
Speedway:
Carousel of Progress:
Train:
Liberty Belle Riverboat:
Haunted Mansion:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:
The Dapper Dans:
Haunted Mansion:
Parade:
Skipper Canteen restaurant:
Back to the campground:
Boat from campground:
Monorail:
Train station:
Jungle Cruise:
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train:
A video:
Rain:
Tomorrowland:
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor:
Peoplemover:
Space Mountain:
Peter Pan’s Flight:
Journey of the Little Mermaid:
Gaston’s Tavern:
Monorail:
Ferry boat:
Parade:
On the other two days, we visited the Universal Studios Florida Theme Park.
The Simpsons characters:
Spongebob Storepants:
Jenn in a pineapple under the sea:
Coming soon:
Springfield:
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter:
Knight Bus:
Diagon Alley:
San Francisco:
New York:
On another day, we started at Starbucks for some coffee:
The Brown Derby Hat Shop:
Beverly Hills:
Kings Cross Station:
Diagon Alley:
We did the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts ride:
Frozen butterbeer:
Diagon Alley dragon:
Back to the Future:
Finally, we got some Voodoo Doughnuts on the way out:
More fun stuff. We’re not so interested in Universal properties, other than Harry Potter, so we basically went to the parks just for that, but enjoyed exploring the other areas too.