Magic Kingdom Overview



Magic Kingdom is the heart of Walt Disney World. It was the first park to open in Florida and has the most attractions. Magic Kingdom follows a similar plan to the first Disney Park, Disneyland. Six themed lands surround the central hub telling the stories of “yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.” For this post I’ll give a more general overview, my next post will be a more in depth look into each attraction.

Town Square on Main Street
The first land to greet you as you walk in the gate is Main Street, USA and evokes the feeling of turn of the century America with its shops and horse drawn carriages. Though there aren’t really any attractions on Main Street, there are lots of shops most with more than just souvenirs. My favorite is the Crystal Arts shop where they have live glassblowing throughout the day.
Bridge to Adventureland
Going clockwise around the hub from Main Street is my favorite land, Adventureland. Tropical south seas jungles, a middle eastern bazaar, and a Spanish fort in the Caribbean come together seamlessly for this land. The must-see attractions in this land are Jungle Cruise, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Adventureland is also where you can find the famous Dole Whip, which is pineapple soft serve and tastes like a tropical oasis.

Frontierland
Next to Adventureland is Frontierland, themed after the American West during the time of cowboys and gold rushes. This land is home to two Disney Mountains, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Tom Sawyer Island serves as a good break from the crowds because you take a raft out to the island and there are tons of trails to explore, with caves, a fort, a mill, and more. My favorite place in Frontierland is along the Rivers of America, the river that Tom Sawyer Island sits in. There is a boardwalk that goes along the river and is usually less crowded than the main pathway.

Liberty Square
Frontierland transitions into the smallest land in Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square. Themed after Colonial America, Liberty Square tells the story of the early days of the country. The big attraction here is the Haunted Mansion, which is a classic. I love all the detail in this land, most of which goes unnoticed. The pavement in the land has an oddly dark section in the middle of the walkway. This is meant to represent the sewage system of the time, a river in the street.

Fantasyland
Fantasyland is next and sits across from Main Street. This is here most of the attractions in Magic Kingdom are, but the must-dos are it’s a small world, Peter Pan’s Flight, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Under the Sea~Journey of the Little Mermaid, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant. The overall story of the land is that the attractions close to the castle are within its walls, which you can see as you head towards New Fantasyland. New Fantasyland opened in 2012 with the “discovery” of lands beyond the castle walls. These are the lands of Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid, and a Storybook Circus. There aren’t really any big thrill rides in this land and the main audience is mostly kids, but don’t let that stop you from going on these rides as they are enjoyable for all ages.
Bridge to Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland is the last land in Magic Kingdom and celebrates the future as it as imagined back in the 60s and 70s. Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, and the
Carousel of Progress are not to be missed here. The land is meant to feel like a futuristic spaceport and it does, kind of. Space Mountain is like the airport for space travel and the PeopleMover is the transport within the city.

Magic Kingdom has no lack of things to do. I recommend spending two days at the park to be able to see and do everything. The current afternoon parade, Festival of Fantasy, is great and worth seeing even if you don’t have little kids with you. The floats are fantastic, and the music is fun. The night time spectacular (think fireworks show) is Happily Ever After and brings various Disney and Disney Pixar movie to life with projections on the castle and fireworks I have yet to see it, but it sounds amazing. No trip to Magic Kingdom is complete without that kiss goodnight (watching the fireworks).

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