Introduction: Destination Disney – The Best Way to Plan your Vacation to see Mickey Mouse Destination Disney, full speed ahead, Mickey awaits. Whether you are planning a trip to the original Disneyland in California or the Walt Disney World of Orlando, Florida, you are in for a very special treat at the house of the mouse. Walt Disney and his brother Roy Disney founded Disney studios in 1923. Walt began to realize when traveling with his own children that there was a need for a fun family oriented park with the positive aspects of carnivals but minus the negative. People who visited his studio wrote letters expressing their enjoyment, and he became committed to creating the park, eventually buying 160 acres of land in Orange County, California. Needing outside financing Walt created a TV show called Disneyland for the ABC television network, a show which lasted many years and is still in reruns today under the various names it held: Walt Disney‟s Wonderful World of Color, Walt Disney‟s Wonderful World, and World of Disney. The show always opened with a scene from Disneyland and the fairy, Tinkerbell, spreading fairy dust. Opening day in 1955 included Walt‟s guests; Ronald Regan, Bob Cummings and Art Linkletter, and a massive crowd. Disneyland was quickly becoming the most popular theme park in the world. Disneyworld in Florida opened in 1971. It includes the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney‟s Animal Kingdom, as well as two water parks, six golf courses, a sports complex, an auto race track, more than 20 hotels and many other sources of entertaining, shopping and dining suited for the entire family. Disneyworld in Florida is the world‟s largest theme park. Disney originally envisioned his Florida property to be just a larger Disneyland that could expand without the land limits or the California Park. He also wanted to include EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. A true man of vision, Disney created the place to be a land of fun for the family, but Disney died in 1966 and wasn‟t able to see it completed. His brother Roy renamed it Walt Disney World in his honor. Page -2- When planning a mouse vacation in Florida, try to stay in one of the onsite properties to save time. They cost about the same as other hotels farther away, but can save a tremendous amount of time for the family and are available for all budgets. These include several themed hotels, rental condominiums, cottages and even family friendly camping grounds.