Disney World Resort Florida - Orlando wonder

With a seemingly endless array of attractions and accommodation options, Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, presents the ultimate family getaway.

Walt Disney World 101

With four theme parks, two water parks and 26 hotels, Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, presents almost endless choices, whether you want to get wet and wild, go back in time to the see dinosaurs or blast off into space.

As the folk at Disney like to say, ‘unforgettable happens here’, and you can understand why when you see what’s on offer. Study up on what’s in store with this ultimate run-down to help you plan your perfect stay.

Dedicate at least one full day to each park, and then simply return to your Disney Resort hotel to rest up and get a head start on the fun the next day.

The perfect five-day holiday itinerary

DAY 1 – Get ready for the magic

After being collected at Orlando International Airport by Disney’s Magical Express, a complimentary transfer service for you and your bags, check in to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, a colourful storybook landscape seen in Disney Pixar films like Finding Nemo and The Lion King.

Take time to settle in to your The Little Mermaid Standard Room (there are four themed rooms/suites on offer) and then take the complimentary bus transfer to Magic Kingdom Park where Disney stories come to life, from voyages with pirates to timeless tales with princesses.

Catch the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular before returning for dinner in Landscape of Flavours five distinctive food shops.

Your must-see checklist at Magic Kingdom Park:

– Splash Mountain

– Space Mountain

– Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

DAY 2 – Blast off into space

Take the complimentary transfer to Epcot this morning and have breakfast at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall with Cinderella. Then stay at Epcot to test out a high-speed car and blast off into space.

If you have little princesses in tow, make sure you head straight from the new Frozen: Ever After ride to the Royal Sommerhus to meet Anna and Elsa in person.

In the evening, the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth show charts the fiery creation of the Earth to humanity’s triumphs to a glimpse of the future.

Your must-see checklist at Epcot:

– Soarin’ Around the World

– World Showcase

DAY 3 – Meet the stars

It’s an early start this morning to take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours, offered exclusively to Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests (see below to find out more), so surprise your little ones with a special wake-up call from Mickey Mouse.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios you can experience the thrills of stage and screen while blasting to galaxies far, far away, playing games with Toy Story pals, and rocking on a wild rollercoaster ride.

Also make time for the kids to take part in Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple. Under the tutelage of a Jedi Knight, the recruits learn how to use the Force to wield Lightsabers, before coming face-to-face with Darth Vader.

You’ll need to register at the kiosk located outside the exit to Star Wars Launch Bay – it’s first come, first served so get in early as this one’s popular.

Your must-see checklist at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

– Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

– Toy Story Mania!

– Fantasmic!

DAY 4 – Animals galore

Today it’s all about Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, where you will venture into the realm of exotic creatures from the real world and those of your imagination. A highlight is Finding Nemo – The Musical, a 40-minute musical based on the Disney Pixar movie.

After dark, ride off in an open-air vehicle to tour a lush African savanna, to glimpse real African animals in their natural habitats during an 18-minute expedition into the Harambe Wildlife Reserve on Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Have dinner at Disney Springs, which is filled with shopping, eating and entertainment venues.

Your must-see checklist at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park:

– Festival of the Lion King

– DINOSAUR

– Kali River Rapids

DAY 5 – It’s all about the water-slides

Make the most of some more Extra Magic Hours, then grab a towel and make a beeline for Disney Water Parks – Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Disney’s Blizzard Beach – waterslides, wave pools, and more.

At the end of the day do some souvenir shopping at World of Disney store at Disney Springs, and stay on to catch the captivating La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil.

Your must-see checklist at Disney Water Parks:

– Humunga Kowabunga

– Cross Country Creek

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Stay and play

There are a total of 26 amazing Walt Disney World Resort hotels to choose from right in the middle of the magic, giving you the opportunity to stay longer and see much, much more.

VALUE FOR MONEY: $

Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Enjoy larger-than-life themes and family-friendly rates in a fun-filled Disney Resort hotel featuring comfort, convenience and amenities. There are generous guest rooms, pizza delivery, themed feature pools and a playground and arcade.

MODERATE: $$

Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts

A themed setting that’s close to all the magic and comes with loads of extras at budget-friendly rates, with family-friendly guest rooms, themed feature pools with waterslide, a health club, bicycle and watercraft rental.

DELUXE RESORTS: $$$

Disney’s Contemporary Resorts

In addition to its ideal location, you’ll find an eye on design with some of the finest Walt Disney World Resort hotel rooms and suites on offer.

Choose from standard rooms, suites or club-level rooms (available at select locations), and get Disney Character Dining, themed feature pools with waterslide, a health club, bicycle and watercraft rental.

DELUXE VILLAS: $$$

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas

Savour the comforts of home in spacious villas created for multigenerational travel. Most have kitchens and in-room washer and dryer, with a choice of one- and two-bedroom villas. And of course there’s all the other benefits including Disney Character Dining.

Benefits to staying at a Walt Disney World Resort

Our favourites are Extra Magic Hours, giving registered hotel guests extended theme park hours, with access to select attractions at one Theme Park each day beyond the standard opening hours, and MagicBands, colourful, waterproof wristbands that you touch to a sensor allowing you to unlock your Disney Resort hotel room, enter theme and water parks (with valid admission), charge food and merchandise to your Disney Resort hotel room during your stay, as well as unlock your pre-reserved places at shows and attractions throughout the Walt Disney World Resort!

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

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