Walt Disney World Resort: Magic Kingdom
- Jen Cook
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 86
- Reviews
-
226
- Photos
Editor Pick
How to Have a Magical Day
- October 27, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Meggysmum from Oxford, United Kingdom
Visiting the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, Florida is a dream come true for many children and adults alike. The whole experience can be magical but it can also be very overwhelming so it is a good idea to take time to find out as much as you can about the park before you visit to ensure that you can get the best from your trip.
Arriving very early is recommended. Car-parking is quite a way from the park entrance and unless you are staying on Disney you will need to take a boat or monorail to reach the park entrance. Although the monorail is usually quicker the boat trip affords a wonderful first glimpse of Cinderella’s castle and an indication of the magic to follow.
Bag searches are carried out before approaching the turnstiles. Tickets cannot be purchased at the Magic kingdom entrance, they have to have been purchase (or vouchers exchanged) at the transportation centre before you boarded the boat or monorail. Maps are available and now is a good time to look at the show times and also work out where you and your family want to visit first.
Arriving early allows you to watch the arrival of Mickey and friends on the railroad and to witness the opening of the park with heart-warming songs and a cascade of pixie dust. The gates then open and it is time to enter Mainstreet USA. The crowds entering the park can seem a little overwhelming which is why it is good to already have an idea in your head about which direction you should be heading. Mainstreet is very attractive with lots of shops but it is better to ignore them for now and to head back here later in the day when the crowds have lessened. Do not wait until the end of the day as the crowds getting out of the park after the fireworks makes this impossible to look at.
Photographers abound and are ready to capture your first photo with the castle in the background. You will then be given a Photopass which enables you to collect all your photographs on the card and then view and order them at your leisure when you have returned home via the website, unfortunately most ride photos cannot be added to the card.
If the futuristic excitement of Tomorrowland appeals then take a right, traditional Disney is your thing then head past the castle to Fantasy land, big thrills of Frontierland beckon to the left of the castle and adventure land with its Pirates is directly left. The rope drop for each area happens several minutes after the gates open, cast members will WALK people to the most popular attractions to prevent racing resulting in falls and injuries, but you can walk very fast!
If you are near the front of the ropedrop you can usually ride your desired attraction immediately. Then come out and decide if you want a fastpass to ride it again or do you want to get a pass for something else. The fastpass is a brilliant system that puts you in a "virtual-line" for a ride; you are given a time to return and you will enter the shorter Fastpass queue. Once you are holding a fastpass for a ride it will tell you when you are able to get another for an alternative attraction. Being smart with the fastpass system lets you do a lot of riding but you may find that it also involves a lot of walking as you keep crossing the park.
Magic Kingdom has something to please everyone and because of its enormous variety it is much easier to plan a less exhausting day than at some other parks.
Magic Kingdom has three Mountains that offer their best thrill rides:
Space Mountain- brilliantly atmospheric queuing leads to a high speed coaster ride in the semi-darkness amongst the stars.
Big Thunder Mountain- high speed runaway train whisks you through a mine collapse and out safely. Look out for the Hidden Mickey at the end.
Splash Mountain- follow the story of Brer Rabbit in this log-flume attraction but be ready for the breathtaking plunge into the briar patch, rain ponchos recommended.
There are plenty of slower attractions that are very popular with all the family:
Pirates of The Caribbean- this ride was revamped a few years ago and now has the most amazing animatronic Captain Jack Sparrows. They are so life-like and gave new attention to the ride. You travel on a journey past pirates in a gentle boat-ride but it is dark and may scare younger children.
Indy Speedway- this noisy and smelly attraction enables children to "drive" cars around quite a long track, parents be warned- you will get a stiff neck when your little one is in charge of the steering!
Haunted Mansion- after a chilling introduction you enter a carriage to take you through the mansion, lots of spooky effects and great music will terrify and thrill the whole family, watch out for your extra passenger as you leave.
It’s a Small World- A classic Disney ride, travel calmly around a musical world whilst in a boat. This is charming and will have you singing the theme tune for the rest of the day. A perfect attraction to allow you to rest your weary feet.
Buzz Lightyears Space-Ranger Spin- everyone gets to compete by shooting targets as you battle against the evil Zurg. You will ride this again and again whilst trying to beat your previous score.
When you are really in need of a rest it is time to head for one of the shows:
Monsters Inc. Laughter Floor- A partly interactive experience that will amuse the whole family.
Mickey’s Philharmagic-this is a musical magical 3D adventure with great effects.
Disney’s Carousel of Progress- the moving theatre takes you on a journey through time watching a family embracing new technology as it arrived. This is a lovely way to spend a quiet 20 minutes and there is rarely a queue.
The rides that are particularly popular with younger guests in fantasy land do tend to get very long queues so it is worth getting fastpasses, particularly if Peter Pan or Winnie the pooh are your childrens favourites.
Special mention should be made of Stitches Great Escape, this has a fastpass system that is rarely used as it is probably the worst attraction in MK. Children are frightemed by the long time in absolute darkness and parents are bored and then made uncomfortable by the shoulder harnesses pressing down, the only attraction that I would suggest you avoid at all costs.
Magic Kingdom has lots of dining opportunities but many are booked up a long way in advance so if the Character meals are important to your family it is worth checking the website for booking details. If you are quite happy to eat on the go there are plenty of snack places and a great fast-food outlet in tomorrow land with lots of variety. Water is expensive to buy so it is worth bringing your own bottle into the park and then using the water fountains to fill it up again.
The Dreams Come True Parade is not to be missed. The best viewing spots are taken a good hour before the parade starts but you should be able to find somewhere to view it if you walk the route a while before it starts. The marshals are very strict so you will not be able to hover in an unsuitable spot, they will move you. The magnificent floats carry all the most loved characters with plenty of others dancing and singing alongside. If you really dislike parades then this is the time to ride the major rides as the lines are shorter but getting around the park is more difficult.
When the evening falls the Magic kingdom becomes even more special. Thousands of lights produce a dream-like quality and the Wishes firework display is not to be missed. This firework and music extravaganza can be enjoyed from most areas of the park but avoid being behind the castle as it is far less effective there. Some nights there is also the Spectromagic parade. This is so magical it will bring a tear to your eye as you watch children enthralled by the ever changing lights on the costumes and the floats, a truly magical end to a wonderful day. You will leave enchanted and will be planning your next trip as soon as you get home.
From journal Walt Disney World Theme Parks
Great Information for Florida Attractions Tickets
- September 14, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
rickkythomas from orlando, Florida
Last year I had gone Florida Disney world with my family. This was really a great experience for me and my family, when we celebrated my 1st year old son’s birthday in Disneyland. He was too happy to get a company of his favorite Florida attraction. Really Florida Disney world has so many attractions.
I was found great information and discount tickets about Florida theme park from www.florida-attractions-tickets.com. This is useful site for you.
I have been a delighted customer of this website and would certainly make any booking of discount Florida attractions tickets from this website in future as well.
Editor Pick
Magic Kingdom: The Dream is Alive!
- September 12, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
tinkerbell7856 from New Orleans, Louisiana
When you think of Disney World, the iconic Mickey Mouse, Cinderella's Castle, and famous attractions like Space Mountain and Pirates of the Carribbean undoubtedly pop into your mind. Magic Kingdom is the most magical, nostalgic, and kid-friendly park on Disney property. Clearly, if you take a trip to Orlando, you can't miss spending a day here.
The best way to start of your day at the Kingdom is to dine with Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Sleeping Beauty and a host of other princesses at Cinderella's Royal Table breakfast. Although the meal is expensive, it is quite worthwhile to dine inside the castle with the princesses. We made our reservation before the park had officially opened, so we got to enter the park before anyone else. If you want these reservations though, they are very difficult to get. Make sure you call Walt Disney World dining (407-WDW-DINE) as soon as you are allowed to make advanced dining reservations for your desired day.
Hitting Magic Kingdom is less difficult than some of the other parks because it is much smaller and its hub design makes it a lot easier to navigate. At the beginning of the day, the general philosophy is to rush either to Space Mountain or Splash Mountain. I always visit Space Mountain first then head to Frontierland and hit Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain next. If you have children that want to do the Fantasyland attractions, go early in the day because these get long lines and many do not have Fastpass. The only Fantasyland attractions that I consider worth waiting for are Mickey's Philharmagic 3D show and the always delightful It's A Small World.
Other Magic Kingdom attractions worth hitting are the Haunted Mansion and Hall of Presidents (blessed air conditioning!) in Liberty Square, Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Carribbean in Adventureland, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Monster's Inc Laugh Floor, and Carousel of Progress. Of course there is a parade in the middle of the day, but I was disappointed with how short and not worth the wait and heat it was. Skip the parade and instead stay in the park till dark and cath the Wishes firework show.
Between hitting the major rides be sure to take advantage of the numerous opportunities to meet the characters and pose for pictures with them. There are also great shops that go along with the themed lands that are worth exploring. Magic Kingdom gets very hot so be sure to bring lots of water and sunscreen. It is also often a good idea to go in the morning and hit most of the rides, return to the afternoon in the heat when it gets crowded, and come back in the evening when lights are less and the park is absolutely beautiful.
From journal Walt Disney World & Universal Orlando!
A Must Do!
It was a great time for the entire family. Although the weather was very hot, that takes some getting used too. Our first day we went to Magic Kingdom, we did not arrive until 3:00pm, but you take advantage of the extra magic hours and stay until 2:00am, after 11:00pm the park really clears out. I recommend getting a fast pass for Space Moutain & Splash Mountain as soon as you get in.
From journal Disney- Family Grand Gathering
Editor Pick
Something Magic for Everyone in this Kingdom
- July 11, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Poole Party from everywhere, Virginia
Magic Kingdom is one of the main reasons that people come to Orlando. It is one of the big theme park attractions. I'm not a big theme park fan, but once I got over the thought of tons of people everywhere and waiting in line, and because I was not psyched to go on any ride in particular, I found it relatively fun.
First tip - get there early! - Right at the beginning and get on the most popular rides, or if lines are already forming, get FAST pass tickets for later. These require you putting your ticket into a machine located outside some of the more popular attraction, then instead of waiting in line, you just get a ticket with a time for you to return. When you return - no line wait - just walk up the FAST pass lane ahead of the people waiting in line.
Some of the rides to hit first - Space mountain, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain. The roller coaster-ish rides appear to be the ones that rack up lines.
Other kiddie rides get busy in a hurry - It's a Winnie the Pooh, the delightful 3D Michkey's PhilarMagic was fun, along with the flying boat in Peter Pan's Flight.
As long as you stay hydrated and balance the indoor rides with the outdoor rides and waits, you are good to go. There are restaurants and food galore everywhere, although if you want to save your pocket book from wearing thin, I would recommend you bring a good supply of snacks and drinks.
If you are able, try to stay until the evening, when it gets much cooler, and the atmosphere changes drastically in preparation for the parade. If you want to stay for the parade, bring something to sit on, and perhaps a shawl or blanket for the little ones.
As for the almost daily Florida rainshowers, bring a raincoat or just be prepared to duck for cover sometime during the day.
This is a FULL FULL day for the whole family. Just keep cool and be prepared for waits and you'll have fun!
From journal Activities in Orlando, FL