Perhaps the most successful family entertainment and vacation spot ever created is the over 30,000 acres carved from central Florida swampland known as Disney World. It is almost a rite of passage for children to visit Disney World and every world championship sporting event ends with some athlete declaring that he or she is "going to Disney World!" The park is really four major parks in one: the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's MGM Studios, & Disney's Animal Kingdom. It also has two water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. It takes days, if not weeks and several vacations, to begin to see everything at Disney World.

History
The precursor to Disney World was Disneyland, which opened in 1955 in Anaheim, California, and became the epitome of theme parks for an entire generation. Filmmaker Walt Disney and his brother Roy O. Disney started plans in 1958 for something bigger. They wanted to build an enormous amusement park somewhere in the east. The brothers visited the Orlando, Florida, area and started buying up land in 1964. Plans for the new park included the Magic Kingdom, but also a park about the future called EPCOT which stands for experimental prototype community of tomorrow. Disney World opened in 1971, five years after Walt Disney's death, but his dream lives on in the world's largest and most successful theme park.

Costs and Deals
Over 15 million tourists visited the Magic Kingdom of Disney World in 2004. The park has a "Magic Your Way" plan and pricing structure which ranges from an adult ticket of $60 for one day to $200 for seven days. The park encourages attendance at one of the four parks at a time, but also offers ticket-hopper options that allow visitors to visit several parks. Children's tickets are less expensive, but still costly, and a family of four can plan on budgeting about $2000 to $4000 for a week's stay in Disney World. In addition, package deals can be found online and at travel agents, especially for off-season rates.

Tips
The busiest times at Walt Disney World is, of course, whenever schools are out. Summer, holidays, and vacation times are by the busiest and most costly. So, it's best to plan a trip when it's not so busy. There are over 40 hotels in the Disney World complex ranging from an upper limit of $300 down to $90 for a room per night. Cheaper off-site options are available. The only major airport serving the area is Orlando International. Also, meals are not cheap in the park, so budget in food purchases and souvenir allowances for your trip.