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The kingdom filled with magic

  • planmydisneyholiday
  • Aug 4, 2019
  • 8 min read

Now it is time for the big one, the headliner: Magic Kingdom. This is the one which people picture when they think of a Disney park - castle in the middle, different areas around, characters to meet.


Like I have said in the other blogs Magic Kingdom is made up of different areas and the rides, restaurants, characters are all based on that area. The areas of Magic Kingdom (going clockwise) starts at Main Street USA, Adventureland, Fronteirland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland.


The order of the blog will be Attractions, Characters, Shops, Restaurants, Shows, Pros and Cons.


Attractions

Main Street USA


Starting at the entrance of the park you will start on Main Street USA and the first attraction you will come across is the Walt Disney World Railroad (currently closed due to construction of the Tron coaster and refurbishment). It is a pleasant ride around the Magic Kingdom with stops at Fronteirland and Fantasyland and it is a great place to get off your feet.


Adventureland


Adventureland is the first land to the left and the first attraction you will come across is the Swiss Family Tree house it has 116 steps around this tree house.

Next up is The Magic Carpet Ride which is a slow spinning ride in the carpet can be raised up or lowered. Behind The Magic Carpet Ride is an original attraction the Enchanted Tiki Room which is a great place to get out the sun. It is a show presented by animatronic birds which is a part of a glee club and want you to enjoy their tunes.

Further into Adventureland is another classic The Jungle Cruse - this ride is a boat trip with animatronic animals around but the real amusement of the ride is the driver, be prepared for puns and jokes throughout. The driver of you boat is what makes each trip unique you may hear some of the same jokes but different people have own unique spin on the role.

Finally, one of most favourite rides in Walt Disney World, Pirates of the Caribbean. Again animatronics are used with this ride but this time they are pirates. You follow the hunt for Captain Jack Sparrow as he scraps out of tough situations another boat ride, but this is a darker ride in comparison to the others so far.


Frontierland


This area is home of two out the three mountain rides in Magic Kingdom. Splash mountain is a log flume ride based on the animated characters from Song of the South, meanwhile Big Thunder Mountain is a mining train in the search of gold that goes out of control both have height restrictions and are thrill rides. Another attraction is the Tom Sawyer Island where you take a small boat across to the island and have an explore of the island based on the story. The final attraction is Frontierland is another animatronic show, so amazing place to get away from the weather, but this time it is the Country Bear Jamboree.

One attraction that is different from everything else is the shooting arcade which is different from every other attraction because it has a small additional cost. It uses infrared light to hit the targets with to cause some actions.


Liberty Square


Liberty Square is home to two attractions both great to get out of the weather. Firstly, there is the Liberty Square Riverboat which a slow moving 20 minute boat ride around the river around Frontierland and Liberty Square, but my experience is that it is for certain age groups. I remember going on this as a 10 year old and getting bored, but now I appreciate the chance to sit down and get out off the sun or rain. The other attraction is another animatronic show but this 25 minute show involves the American presidents.

The final attraction is The Haunted Mansion (this came before the Eddie Murphy film) that is a dark ride with constantly moving carriages. This ride is very popular and anyone can ride this one, but it is dark and can be scary in some places. The ride has a great soundtrack that ghosts sing throughout, and it has a great sense of humour to it.


Fantasyland


This is a very popular area because of the attractions in this part of the park. Following the way round the first two rides are Peter Pan's Flight and It's a Small World. both are dark rides but are very different. Peter Pan's Flight retells the story of the film while you are flying in a pirate ship, meanwhile It's a Small World is a slow boat ride with little animatronic children from different countries of the world singing the song.

Next up is the Prince Charming Regal Carousel which pretty much tells you everything in it's name it is a simple carousel in the middle of Fantasyland.

The big thrill ride in Fantasyland is the Seven Dwarves Mine Train which has high speeds and tight turns and is based on the animated Snow White.

Next to this is the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh which has scenes from the stories of Winnie the Pooh. This is a dark, swirling, car ride with bounces like Tigger at points.

Under the Sea - Journey of The Little Mermaid is a slow moving car ride retelling the story of the animated film with songs and scenes from the film.

Further on into Fantasyland is Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride, which like the magic carpet ride, spins with your Dumbo rising and falling.

The Barnstormer is a very children friendly rollercoaster it has some turns and fast speeds, and is prefect for those young ones.

On the subject of young ones, there is Casey Jr Splash 'n' Soak station, it gives guests the chance to cool off in a water area. How wet you get is how much you venture into the area yourself there are sprays and all sorts of ways to get wet in this part.

The final part of Fantasyland before moving on is the Mad Tea Party which is a spinning tea cup ride.


Tomorrowland


The final part of Magic Kingdom is Tomorrowland. Here there are a range of different types of attractions and the first is a family friendly car race on the Tomorrowland Speedway where the driver has 'control' of the car.

Next up is the final mountain ride, Space Mountain, it is a dark ride with big drops and tight turns at high speeds, meanwhile in comparison there is the Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover. Which is a slow car ride around the land seeing all there is to offer, and even at points goes inside the Space Mountain building, and shows Walt Disney's plans and ideas for EPCOT.

Next to the entrance of the People Mover is the Astro Orbiter, which is like Dumbo and Magic Carpets but this time it is a rocket ship which has great views of Magic Kingdom.

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress is a 20 minute ride/show about how electricity and inventions have changed people's lives. The audience rotates around the stage as animatronics present the changes that have happened. This is another great escape of the weather if you ever need it.

Next to the Carousel of Progress is Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin a dark, spinning car ride with infrared guns on the front and targets throughout the ride.

Finally there is the Monster Inc. Laugh Floor which is an interactive comedy show featuring characters from the Pixar film Monster Inc.


Characters


Like the other parks there a range of characters that you can meet.


Mickey and Minnie are in one of the buildings as you first enter the park where as the rest of the gang is in Fantasyland near the train station.


Tinkerbell can be found in the same building as Mickey and Minnie.


In Adventureland you can meet characters from Aladdin and in Tomorrowland you will see Buzz Lightyear.


Meanwhile, In Fantasyland you will find a range of characters. Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh and friends, and Alice can all be found around their rides.


Ariel is in her grotto next to her ride and Gaston can be found showing off outside his tavern.


In Princess hall you can meet Cinderella, Elena, Rapunzel and Tiana, and in her own target practise area you will find Meredith.


Shops


You will find a lot of different shops on Main street USA as well as throughout the park with souvenirs for Disney and the rides.


One store I like to look round, even if I cannot afford anything in it, is Crystal Arts with glassware and artwork.


Restaurants


Like the other parks, there is a mixture of counter and waiter service restaurants each with their own unique theming.


On Main Street USA there is a bakery, ice cream parlour, and Casey's Corner - which sells hot dogs, meanwhile there is waiter service restaurants at either end of the street.

Tony's is based on Lady and the Tramp with an Italian menu, The Plaza is a casual dining with a range of meal types and there is The Crystal Palace which offers a chance to eat with Winnie the Pooh and friends.


The other character dining experience is Cinderella's Royal Table which an opportunity to eat with royal characters the character appearances do change.


Other waiter service restaurants to try are the different ones in Liberty Square for family favourites dishes, and Be Our Guest restaurant to eat in Beast's castle.


Favourite counter service restaurants include Pinocchio Village Haus, which sells a range of choices, and Sleepy Hollow for some great desserts.




Shows


There is a mix of different type of shows at Magic Kingdom, from fireworks to live street performances.


At the end of the night there is the firework show Happily Ever After and before hand there is Once Upon a Time both of them are based around the castle with fireworks, music, and projections on the castle. As you are leaving the park you might have the chance to see the Electric Water Pageant on the Lagoon in front of Magic Kingdom which is made up of floats on the water decorated with lights.


At the start of the day there is a small show called Let the Magic Begin to start off your day as Disney intended.


At points throughout the day there is a range of shows such as Citizens of Main Street, Dapper Dans, Casey's Corner Pianist, Main Street Trolley Show, The Royal Majesty Makers, and Main Street Philharmonic.


In Fantasyland there is a 3D show called PhilharMagic Concert which has songs and scenes from favourite films.


Also at certain points during the day are shows that include Disney characters these include The Muppets retelling stories from American history in Liberty Square.

Move it! Shake it! MousekeDance It! Street Party is in front of the castle and gives children the chance to dance with different characters from new and old films.

Mickey's Royal Friendship Fare is preformed on the stage in front of the castle and features favourite songs and characters from a range of films.


3:00 has always been a special time in Magic Kingdom because that is when the parade happens and the current parade is called Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade and has amazing floats with a range of characters on. One float in particular looks amazing and is based on when the Wicked Queen turns into a dragon in Snow White.


Finally at 5:00 the flag on Main Street USA in lowered as part of the Flag Retreat.



Pros and Cons


Cons

  1. It is very busy and popular - It is the main park in Disney World so that would be expected.

  2. It can spoil the other parks - a lot of magic goes into building Disney and some people go to Disney World and then compare the other parks to it.

  3. Food and shops are slightly limited in comparison to other parks - EPCOT has an amazing choice of unique food options and great souvenirs.

  4. Fantasyland and Liberty Square can become crowded in the middle of the day - no matter which direction people walk in they end up around Fantasyland and Liberty Square at the same time.

  5. It is a long day if you try to do it in one go - Let the Magic Begin starts the day at 8:55 am and the Electrical Water Pageant finishes the day off at 10:35pm

Pros

  1. It is based on Walt's dream - it is what everyone thinks of when thinking of Disney World and it is magically to be in.

  2. Range of attractions - from Dumbo to Space mountain there is a ride for someone in every family.

  3. Plenty of places to escape the Florida weather - there is rides and shows that offer a great place to take cover no matter what the weather, my personal favourite is the People Mover

  4. Great food - even though there isn't much choice the food is amazing. I personally love Casey's Corner and the ice cream across the street is fantastic.

  5. Unique experiences - I know that each park has this but there are unique characters and shows that can only be seen in Magic Kingdom. The fire works behind the castle is a sight to see.

Magic Kingdom map


 
 
 

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