The Magic Kingdom is sprinkled with pixie dust and blanketed with Disney magic. Everyone should see the Fireworks at the very least once.
Magic Kingdom is divided into 6 lands:
- Main Street USA
- Adventureland
- Frontierland
- Liberty Square
- Fantasyland
- Tomorrowland
Magic Kingdom is perfectly geared towards younger visitors, but there’s plenty for teens and adults too.
Printable Disney Theme Park Maps:
Main Street USA
Main Street USA is a celebration of an early 1900s American small town.
It was inspired by Marceline, Missouri where Walt Disney spent some of his childhood years. Inspiration also comes from the movie “Lady and the Tramp”.
Picturesque buildings play home to a variety of unique boutique stores, dining options and confectionary outlets. The aroma of cookies makes it quite difficult task to walk by Main Street Confectionary!
Forced perspective in the buildings is a clever trick used by Disney Imagineers. The windows become progressively smaller the higher they are. It gives a false impression of the buildings’ height so they appear taller. Notice the name signs in the windows. These are credits and dedications to those crucial in the development of Disney. The window above Main Street Emporium is dedicated to Elias Disney, Walt’s father.
“Main Street, U.S.A. is America at the turn of the century – the crossroads of an era.
The gas lamps and the electric lamps, the horse drawn car and the auto car.
Main Street is everyone’s home town…the heartline of America.”
Walt Disney
The iconic castle also has forced perspective and looks much taller than its’ 189 feet.
In front of Cinderella Castle is the famous Magic Kingdom statue, “Partners”, featuring Walt Disney and his creation, Mickey Mouse.
The plaque below the statue reads: “We believe in our idea: a family park where parents and children could have fun — together.”
According the sculptor, Disney Legend Blaine Gibson, Walt is saying to Mickey, “Look at what we accomplished together. Look at all the happy people coming to visit us.”Another Magic Kingdom statue is “Sharing the Magic”, a tribute to Roy Disney and Minnie Mouse.
Disney Enchantment
The icing on the cake, la piece de la resistance, has to be Disney Enchantment.
Cinderella Castle is the backdrop for state of the art projection that bring the castle alive. Projections extend along Main Street USA too.
Magic Kingdom Parade
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade is a Magic Kingdom must see.
Witness a spectacular parade of state-of-the-art floats carrying a host of famous Disney characters and performing artists winding their way round the streets. Along with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto, watch out for Disney Princesses Cinderella, Anna, Elsa, Belle and Tiana.
The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Peter Pan and many other films are represented by their stars as well as one or two of the villains including Captain Hook.
Adventureland
Following the Magic Kingdom pathway in a clockwise direction, the first port of call is Adventureland. This area has been created to replicate the remote jungles of Asia, Africa, South America and the South Pacific.
Attractions and Entertainment:
The Jungle Cruise – a 10 minute adventure on a tramp steamer reminiscent of The African Queen. Travel past audio-animatronic animals from the Amazon River to the Nile and Mekong Rivers. Dealing with natives who attempt to ambush the boat makes for an exciting trip. Your Disney cast member, acting as your pilot and guide, narrates and entertains with ad-libs along the way.
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin – a 90 second ride. The front seat controls the height the carpet can soar. The back seat tips it forward or backwards.
After suffering considerable fire damage, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room re-opened in 2011 as a Polynesian musical extravaganza. The show has over 225 choreographed audio-animatronic singing birds, flowers, Tikis and chanting wooden masks. This is a sing along, clap your hands fun-filled event for kids of all ages.
Pirates of the Caribbean – a 9 minute dash in a barge to escape pirates on a high-seas adventure. Through a spooky grotto, past ghostly catacombs and down a small rushing waterfall. Pass the Pirates’ Grotto and the battle at the Fort. Looters set fire to a town during an attempt to escape from the dungeon by some hapless freebooters. All this and Blackbeard, skeletons of dead pirates and singing mermaids. How much can an honest seafaring lad take?
Inspired by the classic Disney film, The Swiss Family Robinson, The Swiss Family Treehouse is a walk-through attraction. It shows the living conditions created by the family after they were shipwrecked. See their living room, kitchen and dining room, the crow’s nest, library and jungle lookout. The view from the top is a 360-degree spectacle of Adventureland, Magic Kingdom and the Jungle Cruise. At over 6 stories high and 116 steps to get there, this may be a bit too far to climb, especially if you don’t have a head for heights.
A Pirate’s Adventure – Treasures of the Seven Seas – a family treasure hunt to assist Captain Jack Sparrow find 5 missing pieces of treasure. Make your way to the Crow’s Nest in Adventureland to claim your magic talisman and map to begin your hunt. Find all five and you get enlisted as one of Captain Jack’s crew. Beware of dangerous enemies including the evil Captain Barbossa and the motley crew of the English navy. This activity can be done at your leisure throughout the day and shouldn’t take more than an hour and a half to two hours to complete.
Frontierland
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – a thrill ride roller coaster with a height restriction of 40”. Race through a haunted mine and round a mountain on a runaway train.
Splash Mountain is another thrill ride with a 40” height restriction. There’s water, a hollow log and a lazy gentle ride through the mountain. Along the way you’re entertained by characters from Disney’s film, Song of the South, before plunging down a 5 story drop. It’s not called Splash Mountain for nothing so you may get a bit wet.
The Country Bear Jamboree is a knee-slappin’, good time, laugh out loud performance with hillbilly bears celebrating America’s country and western heritage. This fun-filled show is a must for all the family even if you can’t sing a note.
Tom Sawyer Island is a self-guided tour along a route you can imagine the early American settlers using from a bygone age. This is the heart of early America inspired by Mark Twain.
For a small additional fee, 50 cents, you can test your ability with a rifle at Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade. With over a hundred targets to aim at, this sophisticated infra-red technology is safe for all the family to compete against each other.
Liberty Square
Climb aboard the Liberty Belle riverboat for a relaxing 17 minute trip. View the America of yesteryear narrated by Mark Twain.
Do ghosts and ghouls really exist? Find out for yourself in the Haunted Mansion. Take a supernatural journey on a Doom Buggy. Decide for yourself if your imagination is playing tricks on you or if things that go bump in the night are for real. After your expedition through 15 freaky phantom filled rooms and a graveyard, you will know more about poltergeists than the Ghostbusters. Happy haunting!
The Hall of Presidents brings all America’s Presidents together in this historical presentation of America on film from its’ origins to the present day.
Fantasyland
Attractions and Entertainment:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- It’s a Small World
- Mad Tea Party
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Prince Charming Regal Carousel
The Barnstormer is a thrill rollercoaster ride for children over 35” tall featuring a Goofy stunt bi-plane following a gentle flight path before landing safely with a fun-filled finale.
Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station is an interactive play area with water activities where kids can cool off and parents grab a few minutes of well-earned rest and relaxation.
Become an acting star with Belle in the interactive story adventure, Enchanted Tales with Belle or be enchanted as an audience member in this storytelling experience.
Mickey’s PhilharMagic is an excuse, if you need one, to sit down and be thoroughly entertained by this short 3-D film with songs from famous Disney films including Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Peter Pan and “A Whole New World” from Aladdin. The special glasses bring them all to life for a magical 12 minutes.
The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantastyland is suitable for kids over 38” tall and involves an exciting rollercoaster ride around the mine. This then slows to a sedate entrance into the mine where the Seven Dwarfs can be seen hard at work mining and collecting valuable gems and diamonds. Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho they sing as you leave them before passing their cottage, Snow White and, at a safe distance, the Wicked Witch. Fun for all.
The Princess Fairytale Hall is the place to head for if you or the kids want to meet and chat to our heroines, Cinderella and Elena.
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland also has slow-moving, no height restriction kiddy rides to keep the youngsters happy and occupied including Astro Orbiter, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover and the educational Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. Tomorrowland Speedway has a height restriction of 32” accompanied by another rider over 54” or 54” for a single driver. Race round a speedway track against family members or against the clock.
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor is a live comedy show starring characters from Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University.
Space Mountain is a rollercoaster thrill ride in partial darkness with flashing lights and a height restriction of 44”. If you close your eyes in terror on outdoor daylight roller coasters, then this ride should be right up your street.
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