Amidst all the thrill, fun and magic of Disney, you’ve probably never stopped to think just how big it is. So, how many acres is Disney World?
The Walt Disney World entertainment resort complex sits on about 30,000 acres, or roughly 47 square miles. It was roughly 27,000 acres in size up until 2018 when the Disney acquired 3,000 more acres. The sheer size makes Disney World the largest theme park in the world.
Within its massive territory of land that encompasses a huge part of western central Florida there are four theme parks and two water parks. While the theme parks cover a whopping 980 acres of land, the water parks are a lot smaller. Specifically, the Typhoon Lagoon Water Park makes up 56 acres of Disney while the Blizzard Beach Water Park covers 66 acres.
Putting The Numbers into Perspective
30,000 acres is a huge number by any measure. In fact, Disney World is so big that it has its own autonomous government, called the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID).
And why not? After all, Disney World is bigger than the five smallest independent nations in the world – COMBINED. These five are Monaco, Nauru, San Marino, Tuvalu, and Vatican City.
It is twice as big as Manhattan and the same size as San Francisco. Alongside the four theme parks and two water parks, Disney World has enough land for more than 25 hotels and resorts, Disney Springs (which is a huge shopping district), an enormous private transportation network, four golf courses and so much more. Yet, there are still plans to expand some parts of the park.
With over 58 million guests annually, Disney World’s expansion plans are certainly justified. It’s officially the most visited resort in the world. The two water parks alone boast a combined total of 4.274 million attendees per year:
- Typhoon Lagoon Water Park – 2,271,000
- Blizzard Beach Water Park – 2,003,000
That said, how many acres is Disney World divided into per theme park? More on that in the following sections.
How Many Acres Is the Magic Kingdom?
Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom sits on 107 acres of land. It is the smallest theme park in size at the resort, yet by far the most popular. It boasts a massive 20,859,000 visitors each year.
That’s all down to its 34 attractions that include rides, adventures, fantasies and so much more. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean are just a few of the flagship attractions that should not be missed!
How Many Acres Is Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
Spanning 135 acres, Disney World’s Hollywood Studios is not the biggest either. But it attracts an impressive 11,258,000 visitors annually!
Designed to celebrate Disney’s contributions in film and television, the park is divided into six different-themed mini-parks. Guests get to enjoy up to 20 rides and shows. Commissary Lane, Echo Lake, Grand Avenue, Hollywood Boulevard, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Sunset Boulevard, and Toy Story Land are always among the most popular places to visit while at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios.
How Many Acres Is Epcot?
Epcot is going through a massive renovation and update. But even still, with a current total area of 305 acres, Disney World’s EPCOT is nearly three times the size of the Magic Kingdom. It plays host to a number of live shows, musical performances, food and wine exhibitions, rides and other attractions.
The thing with EPCOT is that its shows and festivals are constantly rotating and changing as Disney discovers new ways to entertain its guests. As such, what you find today might not be the same thing you find the next time you visit.
That makes EPCOT one of the most fascinating destinations at Disney. No wonder it hosts roughly 12,444,000 visitors each year.
How Many Acres Is Disney’s Animal Kingdom?
Of all the theme parks, Disney World’s Animal Kingdom is the largest – by a long stretch. It sits on 540 acres, roughly the size of all the other three parks combined.
Surprisingly, with an annual visitation of 13,750,000, it’s not the most popular. That award goes to the Magic Kingdom, which attracts up to seven million more guests.
That said, Animal Kingdom is home to some of the best spots at Disney. They include the new(ish) Avatar-movie inspired Pandora with Flights of Passage (which is arguably THE best ride in the entire Walt Disney World Resort!) and Na’vi River Journey, Expedition Everest, Maharajah Jungle Trek, Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Conservation Station, and many others!
How Much Bigger Is Disney World Than Disneyland?
We know that the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando is roughly 30,000 acres. So how does that compare to Disneyland in California?
Well, Disneyland – which is located in Anaheim, California – covers roughly 500 acres. To put that into perspective, you can fit roughly 60 Disneylands in the same space as the current Walt Disney World in Orlando.
While Disney World boasts four theme parks and two water parks, Disneyland contains the original Disneyland Park and the Disney California Adventure. Alongside those two theme parks is Downtown Disney which offers hotels and resorts for visitors.
In terms of visitors, Disneyland attracts roughly 18 million guests per year. That makes it the second most popular theme park in the world after Disney World. Even so, the 18 million guests are barely as many as what the Magic Kingdom alone manages to pull.
But Disneyland is still a fun-filled, magical place! It has over 60 attractions, which include rides, shows and exhibits. The ones that you should never miss while there include Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Disneyland Railroad Main Street Station, Disneyland Railroad Mickey’s Toontown, Haunted Mansion, The classic “It’s a small world”, Jungle Cruise, Mickey’s Costume Party Cavalcade, Mickey’s Mix Magic, and the original Pirates of the Caribbean.
How Much of Disney World Land Is Still Undeveloped?
Currently, less than half of the total land resources available at Walt Disney World are actually in use.
In more precise terms, and according to Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) records, 62% of it is either completely undeveloped or open space. Only about 1100 acres are devoted to the four theme parks.
Disney has put away a chunk of the undeveloped land for conservation, which includes 7,500 acres which Walt Disney himself set aside in 1970. That portion of land is used exclusively to preserve cypress trees and offer a habitat for the area’s natural inhabitants.
In Short…
Disney World is massive! If you’re looking to visit, you’re better off planning for a longer stay so that you enjoy all the attractions that this impressively enormous entertainment resort has to offer.
