Disney World mini golf: Fantasia Gardens

A close look and review of Fantasia Gardens, one of the Disney World mini golf courses in Florida:

Today I am very excited to welcome a new guest blogger, Don – also known as my dad! We did a father-daughter trip a few weeks ago and he played the Fantasia Gardens mini golf course.

He agreed to write up a blog post about the experience. It’s not often that I can say there’s something I haven’t done at Disney World, but mini golf is one of them! So you’ll have to rely on my dad for the scoop here 😉

All about Fantasia Gardens

Cost: $19 per adult, $12 per child
Location: Across from the Swan Reserve
Accepts reservations? Yes, though same day tee times are usually available
Length: 18 holes

Disney World mini golf: Fantasia Gardens

I recently accompanied my daughter on one of her trips to Disney World. We stayed for four days. Due to her love of all things Disney, she goes often and has an annual pass. However, I had purchased a three-day pass, so I was on my own for the fourth day.

I was secretly glad about this because, by fortunate happenstance, right next to our hotel (The Swan Reserve) was the Fantasia miniature golf course. I love playing miniature golf; not that I am particularly good at it, I just enjoy it. (And I really stink at real golf!)

So, after breakfast on Day 4, I headed across the road. My expectations of what Disney could do with a mini golf course were through the roof. So much so, that I then realized I was probably going to be disappointed.

Approaching the ticket booth, my emotions were ping-ponging! The truth wound up being somewhere in the middle – more on that later.

After about 45 minutes, my name was called. Game on! The course, of course, is themed around the movie Fantasia. (Is that brilliant or horrible phraseology??).

Each hole is introduced by an attractive stanchion which holds a “book” with a cute poem which connects the movie to that particular hole. The first hole is a good example:

The poem reads:
Our musical game
has just begun
And here comes
treble for everyone
Up to the top
the ball must run
For any hope of
a hole-in-one

Hole 3 really lifted my spirits!

Your ball rings the chimes and then plays a melody as it goes down the steps. Like a xylophone!

Hole 8 leads you through a cavern – kinda fun!

This hole (#9) was pretty simple – a straight shot. But when you sink the putt, the faun plays music for you!

Next, Hole #10 was a toughie: you have to putt up a pretty steep hill. Then the ball bounces off a group of bumps and you have no idea (or control over) where the ball will go.

12, a dancing hippo, was also difficult. If you want to try for a hole-in-one, you need to make a perfect shot into the alligator’s mouth. I tried 4 times and couldn’t do it. (editor’s note: because my dad was solo and the other players in front of him were families, he often had to wait awhile to go to the next hole. So he tried most of them at least twice!)

The great mouse himself finally appears at hole #17. He doesn’t make it easy, though. That hill you have to putt up is a lot steeper than it appears in this photo – you have to give it a pretty good shot!

Overall thoughts

The course is pretty and very well maintained. The theme is clever and stays consistent throughout. My main criticism is that there is very little shade here. It was 95 and humid when I played, so the lack of shade was apparent. (I didn’t want to leave hole #8, the cavern!) That being said, there is a bit of relief — hole #15 sprays a bit of water and on hole #16, the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, you can actually get doused by a bucket of water!

I’ve played on a lot of miniature golf courses and this one, to me, is better than many, if not most, of them. I do believe that with the creative power available to Disney, it could have been even better.

I give it 8 ½ stars out of 10.

Video walkthrough of Fantasia Gardens

FAQs about Disney World mini golf & Fantasia Gardens

How much does it cost to play mini golf at Disney?

The current cost is $19 per adult and $12 per child. If you booked a Disney World vacation package (including resort stay and park tickets), a round of mini golf is included for free with your package. This is part of their “Magical Extras” program.

Is there more than one Disney World mini golf course?

Yes, there are two locations and four courses. At the Fantasia section, near the Swan and Dolphin hotels, you have Fantasia Gardens and Fantasia Fairways (a more challenging course). Winter Summerland, located by Typhoon Lagoon, has a winter themed course and a summer themed course.

How do you get to Fantasia Gardens?

The easiest way is to walk there from one of the nearby resorts. It is walkable from the Boardwalk, the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve.

Can you walk to Fantasia Gardens from the theme parks?

You can walk to it from either Epcot or Hollywood Studios, though it will be a bit of a longer walk. About 1 mile from Hollywood Studios and 1 mile from the World Showcase entrance to Epcot.

Which Disney World mini golf course is better?

That really depends on your preferences! From what I’ve heard, Winter Summer Land can be more fun and silly. Fantasia Gardens is your best bet if you’re a die-hard Disney fan and want to see some of that Disney themeing. Fantasia Fairways is super unique. It’s more like a mini version of real golf, and a great choice for adults.

Is there a wait to play mini golf?

There can sometimes be a short wait if you walk up – typically 30-45 minutes might be expected. This can vary depending on the time of year, weather, time of day, etc.

Can you make a reservation ahead of time?

Yes, you can make reservations to play at any of the mini golf courses up to 60 days in advance. However, walk ups are always welcome.

How long does it take?

It will usually take around 1.5 hours to play through the course. Regardless, I would allot in some waiting time – so I would budget about 2-2.5 hours of your day.

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Have you tried Disney World mini golf? Which course would you want to play?