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When visiting the Disney theme parks around the world, there will undoubtedly be a number of words or phrases that you will hear that are not common. Below, I highlight a number of the key terminology that will help you plan your next trip to Disney like an expert!

Theme Park Terminology

Walt Disney World is huge, coming in at around 42-acres including four theme parks, two water parks, a big shopping and dining area, and plenty more entertainment for guests to enjoy! Disneyland is the original theme park experience with two theme parks, a shopping and dining area, and much more! In order to help you on your trip to the theme parks, here are some common park terms and acronyms:

• MK, DAK, EPCOT, DHS, and DCA: The park most people think of when they think of Walt Disney World is the Magic Kingdom or MK. The other parks also have abbreviations, too. DAK is short for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, (sometimes it’s just AK), Epcot is already an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios is DHS. Hollywood Studios used to be called MGM Studios before a rebranding in 2008. At Disneyland, DCA, or Disney’s California Adventure is across the promenade from Disneyland as the 2nd theme park!
• Water Parks: The two water parks in Disney World are Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. These require a specific ticket to enter and can be included in the right ticket package.
• Disney Springs and Downtown Disney: If you want to get a taste of Disney with great shopping and food options, then visiting Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs or Disneyland’s Downtown Disney areas are your best bet! Downtown Disney can be treated as a walk-through before, during, or after your trip to Disneyland as it is attached to the promenade between the parks. Disney Springs is the shopping, dining, and entertainment district that has been growing over the last few years, and is a must-do on your next trip by taking one of the busses after your day at a theme park!
• The Mountains: The mountains is the term for the major roller coasters in Disney that include Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds (at Disneyland) and Expedition Everest (at Walt Disney World). Sometimes, this will even refer to roller coasters that do not have a mountain in the name or are based around a mountain.
• Park Hopper: If you want to visit all the parks and you also want the flexibility of coming and going between the different parks on the same day, you might want to consider getting the park hopper option. This add-on to your ticket allows you to be able to “hop” from more than one theme park per day.
• Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC): When visiting Walt Disney World, you will be making a stop at the Ticket and Transportation Center. The TTC is Disney’s monorail, tram, boat, and bus transportation hub to get around, and is located on the monorail loop around Bay Lake. Guests will park here when visiting the Magic Kingdom and take either a Monorail, a boat, or a bus to the entrance!
• Annual Pass Holder (AP): If you live near Disney or want to visit Disney several times a year, you might want to consider buying an annual pass. It is a ticket that is good for park entry any day of the year and can be a great value if you visit Disney World frequently. Certain AP’s will have blackout dates, so be sure to check these before visiting to make sure you will be able to enter with the pass you have!

Food and Resort Terminology

There are 25 Walt Disney World resorts, 3 Disneyland resorts, and a number of Good Neighbor hotels, ranging from budget-conscious value resort hotels to luxurious deluxe resort hotels. And, there are more than 140 restaurants within Disney World with 30 in the theme parks alone. Some of the common food and lodging terms include:

• On Property: When talking to a travel agent or cast member, you may be asked if you want to stay on or off property. This means, do you want to stay at one of the Disney owned and operated resorts. On property can also include the theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs.
• Good Neighbor Resort: Walt Disney World and Disneyland partner with a number of hotels nearby to offer some of the perks that onsite guests get and allow them to be booked through the Disney websites.
• Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR): Most table service restaurants at Disney World book up fast. When you book your vacation months in advance, and you know you want to go to a certain restaurant for a chance to see Mickey Mouse and friends or eat at one of the world-class restaurants, you might want to get advanced dining reservations. Restaurant reservations can be made up to 180 days in advance of your visit to the theme parks.
• Quick Service (QS) and Table Service (TS): If you are looking to grab a meal without the hassle of a reservation or being formally seated for dinner, you will want to eat at a quick service restaurant, which is like a fast-food dining location, (also referred to as counter service restaurant). On the flip side, a “table service restaurant” is a traditional sit-down restaurant in Disney World where reservations (ADRs) are essential.
• Character Dining: Character dining is a term used for the restaurants that have Disney characters interact with guests around the restaurant visiting tables while you enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner. There are only a few of these both inside the parks and at Disney resorts, so be sure to make sure you are at a restaurant that offers this for the meal you are dining if it is something you or your children are excited about.
• Disney Dining Plan: The Disney dining plan is a pre-paid Disney meal program. Depending on your needs and appetite, this plan can save you a lot of money on food at the parks or might be a pricy alternative. Everyone on the Dining Plan will receive a Resort Mug as well. Each family should plan out their expected meals on their trip to know whether or not this option is right for you!
• Magical Express: A perk for Disney’s resort guests is the use of the Magical Express buses, which are a free shuttle for guests to and from the Orlando International Airport and their Resort. This service is NOT available at Disneyland.
• MagicBand: When you stay at one of the Walt Disney World resorts, each guest will get a free MagicBand. It is a colorful, waterproof wristband that guests wear throughout the duration of their stay at the Walt Disney World resort and through their visits to the parks. The MagicBand is a guest’s access to their hotel room, theme parks, payment for food and souvenirs and much more. This service is NOT available at Disneyland.
• Extra Magic Hours (EMH): Extra magic hours in the theme parks are reserved for guests staying at a Disney resort. These extra magic hours allow guests an extra hour (or two) before or after the parks open or close, to enjoy attractions in a specific park while it is less crowded. This is a key perk for Disney resort guests at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
• Disney Vacation Club (DVC): For frequent Disney travelers, the Disney Vacation Club is something that might be an option for you. DVC is the Disney time-share program that features deluxe resort accommodations and perks that allows you to stay at a resort a few times per year on points. Check out the DVC website for more information.

Park Perk Terminology

Disney has some services or park perks that are specific to their properties all trying to make a guest’s park experience better. These perks come with some uniquely Disney terms:

• FastPass: Historically, Walt Disney World has been known for its long lines for rides. Disney created a way to let people bypass the majority of the line by allowing guests to get a paper ticket with a time to return to the attraction as opposed to standing in the line for the whole time. This allowed those guests to go see a show or eat lunch as they waited for their time to ride!
• FastPass+:  To further improve upon the guest experience, Walt Disney World implemented the FastPass+ service, which will continue to allow you spend less time waiting in line, while also letting you plan out your vacation with pre-booking 3 attractions before arriving (up to 60 days before arrival). You can select your rides and ride times in advance, which helps you enjoy more of the park with less of the waiting.
• MaxPass: Disneyland gets a lot more guests who are visiting just for a day, and does not have the infrastructure or space that Walt Disney World does to implement FastPass+. Because of this, Disneyland introduced MaxPass for its guests. MaxPass allows for associates to book a digital FastPass from their phone upon arriving at either Disneyland or California Adventure theme parks after purchasing the service for $10 a person per day.
• Child Switch or Rider Switch Program: Certain attractions have height limits that prevent small children from riding them. If you are traveling with small children and others in the party would like a turn on the rides after waiting on a line, you are able to use the Child Switch Program. Ask for a child switch ticket at the side entry point of an attraction, and the cast member will help you out!
• Disability Access Card: Guests with disabilities can go to Guest Relations, located at the main entrance of all the parks and at Disney Springs, and pick up a Disability Access Card. This service will allow you a return time for attractions based on the current wait time. As soon as you finish one attraction, you can receive a return time for another.
• Single Rider Line: Another way to bypass parts of the lines is if you are a single rider. A single rider line is a special line at select attractions that is used to fill up seats on those rides. This line typically moves very quickly, but there is no guarantee that it will as it is all based on party sizes at loading.
• Photopass: When you visit Walt Disney World or Disneyland, you will see cast member photographers stationed at key locations throughout the parks, sporting a Photopass vest. Photopass is a fantastic way to get those iconic photos of your whole family. It costs nothing for a photographer to snap your photo, and they will scan your MagicBand at Walt Disney World or give you a card at Disneyland. If you decide to buy the photo or digital photo file, then Disney will charge you per photo. This is something that is included for all Annual Passholders as a free perk.