With numerous individual parks, hotels, and dining areas, it’s no surprise that Walt Disney World is the largest theme park resort in the world. But exactly how big is Disney World?
Walt Disney World sprawls across 43 square miles, more than 25,000 acres, just south of Orlando, Florida. After opening on 1st October 1971, it completely eclipsed the original Disneyland in size.
Disney World attendance numbers vary but, on average, more than 50 million people visit the Most Magical Place on Earth each year. And that’s only half the story – let’s look at the number of parks, attractions, and dining locations that make up the expansive Walt Disney World resort.
How Many Parks Are in Disney World?
Walt Disney World is significantly larger than any of Disney’s other resorts. It consists of four theme parks and two water parks, plus the Disney Springs shopping and dining area where guests can enjoy a delicious meal after a day of park-hopping.
Adding to its mega size, the area containing Walt Disney World boasts more than 25 hotels and resorts. And that’s not counting partner brand hotels like the Swan and Dolphin or any of the surrounding Hilton Hotels.
Magic Kingdom
Small but mighty, Magic Kingdom clocks in at just 107 acres. Despite this, Magic Kingdom is slightly larger than Disneyland Park (101 acres) over on the West Coast.
There are over 20 major rides and attractions inside the Magic Kingdom, ranging from family-friendly favourites like Pirates of the Caribbean to thrill rides such as Tron Lightcycle Run. And, with expansion rumours running rife, this is likely to increase in the next few years.
When hunger strikes, there are 38 – and ever-growing – dining locations to choose from. Whether you fancy a refreshing Dole Whip from Aloha Isle or want to sit down for a full-service meal at Be Our Guest, you won’t go hungry in the Magic Kingdom.
Hollywood Studios
Spanning 135 acres, Hollywood Studios is slightly bigger than Magic Kingdom, though it has significantly fewer major rides and attractions (even with the Star Wars land expansion). In terms of dining, there are 32 places to grab a bite to eat and drink.
This Walt Disney World park is made up of seven lands: Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake, Grand Avenue, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Toy Story Land, Animation Courtyard, and Sunset Boulevard.
This park has already seen plenty of growth. When Hollywood Studios first opened as Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, there were just five attractions: The Great Movie Ride, the Studio Backlot Tour, the Monster Sound Show, The Magic of Disney Animation Tour, and Superstar Television.
Animal Kingdom
Unsurprisingly, Animal Kingdom is the biggest park at Walt Disney World (and the world), coming in at a whopping 580 acres. However, the vast majority of this is the savannah area where the animals are free to roam and is not accessible to guests unless riding Kilimanjaro Safaris.
The park is home to eight major rides across its seven themed areas, plus countless other attractions and shows all centered around the animal world. There are 32 dining locations, ranging from pathside huts selling ice-cold refreshments to swanky restaurants like Tiffins.
Read our guide to Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life to learn more about this park.
EPCOT
At 305 acres, EPCOT is another Walt Disney World park on the larger side… and we’re not complaining (we might be a little bit biased as it’s our favourite park). EPCOT contains 12 rides, plus an abundance of fun and educational shows that teach guests more about our planet.
EPCOT is split into three areas: World Discovery, World Nature, and World Showcase. The latter is filled with 11 country-themed pavilions and takes guests on a rather tasty adventure around the world.
Thanks to the World Showcase, it boasts the most dining locations out of all the Walt Disney World parks: 66. This grows even more when the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival takes place in the summer months.
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