Map Skills for Your Disney Vacation

Planning for your Disney vacation is a lot of fun. Incorporating educational moments into your planning process is natural for many homeschooling families. Reading a book about the attractions, creating a lapbook about the resort and parks, and helping parents decide on dining experiences are a few ways to enhance onto the building excitement of a Disney countdown.

Another terrific skill to have when visiting the parks is map reading.

Children will enjoy carrying their own map throughout the trip and helping locate the next attraction or ride while in the parks. Park maps are plentiful and available at the front entrance as well as in most gift shops and dining locations. Everyone in the family is welcome to pick one up so they have their own copy.

5+ Helpful Map Skill Resources

Many geography curriculum’s cover basic map reading skills. My favorite introduction to to maps skills is a book: Legends & Leagues By: Ned Bustard.  (Description excerpt: Mr. Tardy explains he’s always lost, and therefore always late, and his two new acquaintances take it upon themselves to explain maps and globes and cartography in an effort to help him understand where he is and where he wants to end up.)

Here are 5 other unit studies or worksheets:

1. Free Printable Mini Unit Latitude and Longitude for Kids ages 8-10
2. Royal Castle Floor plan – Free, Printable PDF
3. Campground Map – Free, Printable PDF
4. Map Skills – Super Teacher Worksheets, some free
5. Map Skills for Kids, Unit Study

Disney World Maps

Now it’s time to practice with actual Disney World Maps. Before your trip, you may request maps from your travel agent or contact Disney directly and request maps of the four parks, the water parks and Disney Springs.

Or use these maps:

• Magic Kingdom Map

• EPCOT Map

• Animal Kingdom Map

• Hollywood Studios Map

• Disney Springs Map

• Water Parks Maps

~coming soon~ Related: A Pirate’s Adventure~Treasures of the Seven Seas

While in the parks, plan to search for pirate treasure as you look for clues while reading a map in a self-guided quest through Adventureland.

Please share your favorite map skill resources in the comments.

Penny enjoys helping others plan their Disney vacations (click to find out how she can help your family) and writing about how her family enjoys their Disney vacations at ScoutingWDW.com, TheDisneyMoms.com and HomeschoolingWDW.com

Born and raised in the south, I now live in central New Jersey. My days are filled with homeschooling, reading, and ministry work. My son and I are active members of our local church and enjoy camping with the Boy Scouts of America.

We believe every day is a day to celebrate and if you visit our kitchen, you will find us putting sprinkles on everything from pancakes to ice cream! Between baseball games and scouting trips, we enjoy dreaming about our next Disney vacation.