Orlando, Florida is the theme park capital of the world, and Walt Disney World may just rule them all. With four main theme parks-Magic Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios-and two themed water parks-Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park-it's the perfect destination to travel with the whole family, with new attractions being added constantly. With so much to do and see, here's a summary of the very best Walt Disney World has to offer.

After walking underneath the Walt Disney World Railroad, you finally get a glimpse. Main Street, U.S.A. and the famed Cinderella's Castle. You're here. You're finally here. Walt Disney World does a phenomenal job of immersing you into where you are-you can no longer see or hear the outside world. Now it's time for a fun-filled day with everything Disney.

Animal Kingdom is unlike any theme park I have been to before-a beautiful mix of well-thought-out zoo space and just enough fast-paced attractions. Kilimanjaro Safaris is one of the highlights of the park, and every time you ride it, you'll get a new adventure. That's the beauty of Animal Kingdom's Harambe Wildlife Reserve-animals in their natural habitat. There have been times that giraffes have walked beside our open-air vehicle and another time where we were stopped for ten minutes because a rhino didn't want to get out of the road. And can you imagine being one of the lucky ones who saw the baby giraffe born while on their safari earlier this year?

Even Disney's water parks are fully decked out in themes. Walking into Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, it's obvious that some big storm passed through here, leaving Miss Tilly shipwrecked at the very top of a volcano. It's surprising that such a well-thought out park could have more rides inconspicuously integrated into the park. But that's just what happened with Miss Adventure Falls. Although Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park opened in 1989, Miss Adventure Falls was not added until March 2017.

The ride itself is truly a novelty. Riders board their raft at the bottom, in a shallow waiting pool, and are then transported to the top by conveyor belt. On the way up, be sure to look for hidden Easter Eggs like the contract Ariel signs with Ursula and King Triton's trident.

This ride has been a long-time favorite and there is still a small cult following for the original ride, 'Maelstrom.' Reopening in 2016 with a Frozen overlay and cohesive themed queue line, this ride is great for every member of the family. Plus it's nice and cool inside, which is a great reprieve from the intense heat of sunny Florida.

Another way to beat the summer heat is by ducking into Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom. The ride opened in August 1969 and has since been made into its own movie. Starting with a precursor explanation to the ride, guests are corralled into a small room that 'stretches' until you are released to board your Doom Buggy. This is a bit of a dark ride and may scare smaller children. We can only hope that Magic Kingdom will take a page out of Disneyland's book and give this a 'Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas' theme during the Halloween season.

Another newer installment to Walt Disney World is Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Upon entering into the area, guests are 'shrunk' down to the size of toy Green Army Men, which you will probably see parading around the area, and are transported to Andy's backyard. Andy has built the Slinky Dog Dash out of a multitude of toys, and the crayon 'blueprint' can be seen as you board onto Slinky Dog. The ride is very smooth with a couple of twists and turns, but no large loops or drops.

Thrill-seekers only, please. This ride is intense. And don't be ashamed if you get to the top only to realize that this may be a little too much for you-aka me. Perched on the very top of Mount Gushmore, visitors can see the whole park and even the balloon ride at Disney Springs (if it's in the air). Summit Plummet takes guests into a complete freefall down twelve stories-some of that time your back won't even be touching the ride. And at the end of the ride, you can see your top speed.

One of Magic Kingdom's newest rides, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train debuted in 2014 with all the latest in ride technology. I have never been on a smoother rollercoaster. Although not a towering, high-impact ride, there are a few drops, with the largest being similar in size to the drop with Splash Mountain. Mine for brightly-colored jewels in the mountain with the dwarfs and watch as Snow White dances in the cottage. Just be on the lookout for the Evil Queen disguised as the old lady at the end.

Traverse into the depths of the Himalayan Mountains in search of the elusive Yeti. A true rollercoaster with its sharp drops, a surprise re-routing and a face-to-face meeting with the beast himself. Just please don't contribute to the hair-tie pile at the very top of the ride-why this is even happening, I don't know. Instead, toss a couple of coins into decorative areas of the queue lines-Disney collects these occasionally and donates all of it.

Typhoon Lagoon's wave pool at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park is unlike any other. It may not be for smaller children and definitely not for rafts. Every few minutes, large waves are released and the ensuing guest's cheers begin. The water park even has its very own surf school. Don't worry though-the added experience takes place in the mornings, so you won't be falling in front of the normal crowds.

Guests board a ship with their mateys and travel down to a land of pirates, where you will be shot at by canons and see the lively streets of Tortuga. At Halloween, you may even see real characters prowling the set. This is another ride that was given its own movie in 2003. Pirates of the Caribbean, the ride, has had a couple of changes of the years, most recently with the removal of the red-haired woman being sold at auction. This ride itself is steeped in its own unique history as it was the last ride overseen by Walt Disney himself at Disneyland. Plus, the ride at Magic Kingdom is said to have its very own ghost.

One of the best things about Epcot are its festivals. From the International Festival of the Arts at the beginning of the year and the International Flower & Garden Festival in the springtime to the International Food & Wine Festival in the fall and the Festival of the Holidays near Christmas, there seems to always be a festival going on at Epcot. With special food items to try, fun drinks and concerts, it's important to check what's going on during your next trip.

Disney's Hollywoods Studios is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year in a big way. And, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has been around for twenty-five of those years. This free-fall ride has guests climbing into a sci-fi elevator that moves them-weightlessly-to the 'Fifth Dimension'.

For those riders who need to build themselves up to the intensity of Summit Plummet, there's Slush Gusher. This vertical plummet is broken up by two hills during its 90-foot drop, but you'll still catch plenty of air-and maybe a wedgie-on this fast-paced water slide.

Follow Br'er Rabbit as he outwits Br'er Bear and Br'er Fox by jumping into the Briar Patch. You're sure to get soaked on this water ride, but the cast members are kind enough to give you a "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" plastic bag to keep your valuables-like cell phones-safe during the trip.

The land of Pandora debuted at Disney's Animal Kingdom only two years ago and guests have been wowed ever since. Avatar Flight of Passage has grown a bit of a notorious reputation for its long lines, so you may want to schedule a FastPass+ for this one. Once inside, visitors are matched to their Avatar counterpart before boarding their Banshee, which kind of looks like an arcade-style motorcycle. The ride itself is a 4-D virtual reality flight through Pandora where you feel the sprinkle of waves as they splash by you, smell the air surrounding you and feel your Banshee move underneath you. The constant billowing of wind in your face really helps if you are someone who occasionally gets sick on augmented reality rides.

There are three separate ride paths to choose from on Crush 'n' Gusher, with Coconut Crusher and Pineapple Plunger being almost identical and Banana Blaster offering a slightly different route with a longer tunnel. But it's important to try all three because, well, they're just that fun. Ride them in either a single or double raft as you shoot down the various twists and turns of these 'fruit shoots.' These water roller coasters were the first of their kind and were seamlessly added to the park 2005.

Soarin' Around the World got a whole new film presentation in 2016, so if you haven't ridden this one in a while, be ready for a new experience. Climb aboard your thirty-ish person hand glider and fly over Mount Everest, the pyramids and even a polar bear. Be wowed by even more sights before gliding back down to your original lift-off station.

This is one of the best ways to see all Tomorrowland has to offer at Magic Kingdom. Just ride the upward sloping moving sidewalk up to the ever-moving PeopleMover carts. Four people can fit in each car and the open-air vehicles give you great views throughout the entire ride. Pass through Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, learn about the city of Tomorrowland and even pass over a gift shop.

Most of Disney's theme parks have a night show. At Disney's Hollywood Studios, it's called 'Fantasmic!' and located near The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Guests fill up the amphitheater area-quickly too-so get here early or plan to use a FastPass+, and await the arrival of Mickey Mouse. Sorcerer Mickey travels through multiple Disney classic plots, climatically fighting off numerous villains on his quest and culminates with steamboats filled with Disney characters dancing and waving. The show has action, water displays, music, light projections and a full cast of characters.

Teamboat Springs is one of the longest raft rides at Disney's water parks. Fun for the whole family, each raft holds up to six people, and you can be sure to get wet no matter where you're positioned on the raft. From rapids to quick turns, this offers a fun way to traverse down Mount Gushmore.

Probably one of Magic Kingdom's most famous roller coasters is Space Mountain. Guests are situated in their rocket ships and blasted off at thrilling speeds into darkness. During Mickey's-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, this ride gets even more exciting as the music is changed out and no light whatsoever is let in.

Part of Animal Kingdom's new Pandora land, the Na'vi River Journey really showcases the innovative technology of Disney. The animatronics are simply amazing, with fluid movements and even blinking eyes. This slow-moving bioluminescent water ride is reminiscent of Magic Kingdom's Pirates of the Caribbean, but with no drops or chances of getting splashed.

Another family-fun raft ride (with room for four), guests will travel under a rope bridge and through a rocky cave-The Forgotten Grotto. Passing through waterfalls and spinning around the twists and turns of Gangplank Falls, you'll want to go on this ride a couple of times.

Character Meet and Greets are a highlight at all the Disney parks-yep, even the water parks-especially for the younger members of your party. FastPass+ tickets can even be used to meet some of these characters. Classic Disney characters can be found throughout Magic Kingdom, with Belle, Megara, Alice and others scattered around Epcot. Goofy can be found in his swim gear at Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park, while Lilo and Stitch normally hang out at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. Edna Mode from 'The Incredibles' has even recently taken up residence at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Every night, Magic Kingdom has its very own firework display and light projection show on Cinderella's Castle. Currently, the 'Happily Ever After' show has been running since 2017, an amazing display ending with Tinker Bell zip lining off towards Tomorrowland. And yes, Tinker Bell is an actual person who is shoved out the top of Cinderella's Castle in an effort for her to make it all the way to the end, a tidbit that can be learned on Disney's Keys to the Kingdom Tour.

Located off to the side of the iconic Spaceship Earth in Epcot is Mission: SPACE. With two ride choices-the Orange Mission or the Green Mission-guests get to choose the intensity of their ride through space. Everyone will be assigned a role and it's up to you to travel back home safely.

Toy Story Mania! is an interactive ride in Disney's Hollywood Studios. Compete against your partner in trying to score the most points as you are twisted through a plethora of carnival rides.

One of the best features of Disney's Blizzard Beach is there are very few rides that require a height restriction. Runoff Rapids is open to guests of all heights who are able to swim. Choose from three different slides that will twist and turn you down to a drop pool.

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress is a marvel, and I have to ride this every time we go. The carousel was designed by Walt Disney himself and brought to the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. The ride takes just over twenty minutes, and guests are warned that they cannot move from their seats at any point during the show. The seats themselves move slowly as they follow a family and their dog, Rover, move through the last century. It sums up the marvels of the twentieth century and shows just how far we've progressed in a short amount of time.

The night show at Disney's Animal Kingdom is unique. With so many animals nearby, they can't very well have fireworks going off every night. Instead, there is a light projection show at the lake area near the base of Mount Everest. Another recent night show addition, 'Rivers of Light' takes place in an amphitheater allowing for all guests to have a great seat for the dancing watercrafts as they float along the water. Water shoots out from the sides of the stage and creates a 'screen' for some of the show.

The five stories you plunge down in this ride is thrilling enough, but did I mention that it's completely dark as well? Race your friends down in this heart-pounding slide.

Okay, this might be cheating-the World Showcase takes up the majority of Epcot and is comprised of 11 different countries. But taking time to explore each one is well worth it. Every pavilion features their own shops, food and even their own entertainment. Walk into a pyramid at the Mexico pavilion, taste school bread from the famed Kringla Bakeri og Caf¨¦ in Norway, and listen to Taiko-the drum show-at the Japan pavilion. There are rumors of more countries being added to the showcase and a new ride, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, is already in the works to be added to the France pavilion.

Hop abroad your clamshell and journey through the songs of Sebastian as you make your way through Ariel's home under the sea. Contrary to the name, there is no water on this ride. And, its slow-moving nature is perfect for all family members.

The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is a true rollercoaster set to music of Aerosmith. The cars are made to look like stretch limos and speed guests down the streets of L.A. Be driven through loops and a corkscrew as you pass the quintessential Hollywood sites.

This area is fun for everyone, especially those who like to be competitive. Race your family members across icebergs-soft-sided floating lily pads-and zip line into the pool.

All aboard! Hop on this fast-moving train as it twists and turns around Big Thunder Mountain. There are a few small drops but no loops. Located at the end of Frontierland, the ride opened in 1980 and the bumpiness only adds to the experience of traveling to the Wild West in search of gold.

I don't think I've ever seen someone step off this ride without being soaked. Board your twelve person raft and get ready to be spun through waterfalls and journey down rapids in the heart of the Asian jungle.

Located at the top of Mount Mayday is Mayday Falls at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. The park's longest waterslide, guests hop inside single-rider inner tubes and traverse down rapids and through caves until they reach the bottom.

This ride is not for everyone, but it is definitely a classic Magic Kingdom attraction, making its debut with the park in 1971. The oversized teacups spin around under the Mad Tea Party tent and guests have the option of rotating their cups in addition. It's even rumored that the purple teacups spin the fastest.

Before boarding your car, visitors get to design their own vehicle, focusing on power, capacity, responsiveness and efficiency. Next, you'll board the ride and be shot off on a race track that takes you outside and reaches up to 65 mph. Test how your car will fare through a multitude of assessments, and return to see how well your custom-built car managed on the excursion.

Disney's Hollywood Studios actually has two nighttime shows, but it's near impossible to see both of these on the same night as they're scheduled a mere thirty minutes apart. 'Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular' takes place in the Animation Courtyard and light projections are done on the Chinese Theatre. Relive all the highlights of Star Wars and be treated to a spectacular fireworks show at the end.

This is the best racing ride at Disney's Water Parks because it all ends with a timer on how long it took you to shoot down one of the tubes of Downhill Double Dipper. Perfect for knowing exactly how much you beat your significant other by and win bragging rights for the rest of the day.

Another ride originally created for the New York World's Fair in 1964-65 is "It's a Small World". The ride opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971 and is a favorite among many. This slow-moving boat ride takes you through a multitude of countries represented by singing dolls. Just be warned-the song is sure to stay with you for the rest of the day.

This is one of the best live-action shows across Walt Disney World parks. A Broadway-style show featuring songs from the movie, astounding acrobatics and even a fire dancer! This is a can't-miss at Disney's Animal Kingdom and you'll find yourself wanting to re-watch this show on a regular basis.

One of Disney's innovative events are the H2O Glow Nights at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Parks. Premiering for the first time last year, and set to make a return this summer, these Glow Nights are held throughout the summer and allow visitors a whole new experience of the water park-with DJs, neon lights and getting to slide through the park at night.

As if Magic Kingdom's staple rides and attractions weren't enough, throughout the day are parades down Main Street, U.S.A. My personal favorite is Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade, where Maleficent has already made her remarkable comeback after an unfortunate mishap last year.

A thirty-minute live-action show that takes place three times a day in Disney's Hollywood Studios is Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! And it's just as its name implies-full of stunts, explosives and even a massive rolling boulder. This is one can't miss show.

Both Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park feature their own lazy river, but Cross Country Creek at Disney's Blizzard Beach has the longer of the two at 3,000 feet. And with plenty of inner tubes, guests are able to float the entirety of the water park at their leisure.

The food at Walt Disney World has become its own attraction. With unique bites at each of the parks and its own merchandising line-I'm coming for you Minnie Mouse Donut Pillow-it certainly justifies a spot on our list. Will you choose from one of the classics like a Mickey ice cream bar, churro, dole whip or pretzel? Or, will you venture out to the famed mini donuts and chocolate covered key lime pie at the water parks, Mickey Mouse-shaped beignets at Disney's Port Orleans - French Quarter, or the specialty eggrolls that can be found at the Adventureland food cart across from Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room?