It cost us a fair bit of change when we visited Disneyland last year, which is a big part of why we haven't been back since. Now, we can save all that money and avoid the hassle of crowds and cross-country travel by visiting Disney World in Florida virtually. Last week, Google and Disney announced that the entire Disney World park would be available within Google Earth, a free mapping software that lets users virtually explore the entire planet.

Disney has built an "interactive, three-dimensional tour of Walt Disney World Resort that brings you one step closer to a true park experience." According to Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, the virtual tour of the park is the "next best thing to being there." Guests can fly down Main Street to the Cinderella Castle and through the rest of the park.

I'm not sure I could pass it off as a substitute for a Disney Vacation, but it sure sounds like a great planning tool, especially if you've never been there.