Walt Disney World Resort Magic Kingdom Reviews (Orlando, Florida)

Real Magic

by Rajeshkumar

Morrisville, Pennsylvania

March 20, 2013

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My visit to Disney is always a memorable one. I went along with my Wife and we really liked the shows, fieworks, parade

Very Magical Indeed!

by CarolinaPanthers1983

Jacksonville, North Carolina

March 7, 2013

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The Magic Kingdom is an attraction that anyone of all ages should visit at least once in their lifetime. My family and I made our first visit to Disney World; this place would be our first stop. The one thing that struck out the most while visiting ...Read more

From journal Christmas/New Years Vacation: Part Two

Tomorrowland

by dkm1981

Blackburn, England, United Kingdom

October 30, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo As you might expect from the name, this land is all about the future and the rides and attractions have a spacy type theme to them. Everything in this area is shiny and silver and futuristic. There are some pretty fun rides here.The best is the ...Read more

From journal The Magic Kingdom

Fantasyland

by dkm1981

Blackburn, England, United Kingdom

October 30, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo This is the area of the park that Walt Disney is famous for and is absolutely fantastic for young visitors. It is where they will see all their favourite characters and where they will be able to go on every ride because there are no restrictions. ...Read more This is the area of the park that Walt Disney is famous for and is absolutely fantastic for young visitors. It is where they will see all their favourite characters and where they will be able to go on every ride because there are no restrictions. Everything is very tame although the focus is on bright colours and appealing songs.

The Many adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a very popular ride and, being a fan, I had to queue up and have a go. The queuing area is very good and demonstrates just how much Disney value’s its younger visitors because there are games and activities all the way round that went down an absolute storm with all the kids. It was loud though! The ride itself is like going through a story book that features Winnie and all his friends. You sit in a little car and go round a track watching animatronic characters. It is pleasant and fun and very bright and appealing for kids.

There is a cute carousel which is hosted by Prince Charming and has lovely carriages and multi coloured horses that you can choose from. Soar over Fantasyland on a Dumbo flying elephant or spin around at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, which is one of those spinning cup type rides and is great for everybody to enjoy.

There are a couple of good shows in this area as well, which make for some fun entertainment whilst having a nice sit down. The Mickey’s PhilarMagic show is a lot of fun. It’s a 3D movie and you get proper plastic glasses, not those rubbish card ones that don’t stay on. There is also the Pete’s Silly Sideshow which takes place under a big top at various times throughout the day.

If you want something to eat, there is plenty of that too. You can even have a character breakfast, lunch or dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table, which is located in the castle itself. It’s not cheap though – you should expect to pay between $35 and $50 dollars per person for a meal, which does at least include drinks. If this is beyond your budget, you can have a much cheaper lunch of pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs or snacks at various cafes and stands.
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From journal The Magic Kingdom

Frontierland and Liberty Square

by dkm1981

Blackburn, England, United Kingdom

October 30, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo Frontierland is one of my favourite places in the park because I love the theme. It is sort of an old western theme and Disney pulls it off really well, even right down to the little details like having the food and drink stalls done up like old ...Read more Frontierland is one of my favourite places in the park because I love the theme. It is sort of an old western theme and Disney pulls it off really well, even right down to the little details like having the food and drink stalls done up like old travelling carts.

There are a couple of good rides in this land and they are a bit more exciting for older guests too. Disney does really do high action thrill rides because obviously their target audience is younger but the two main rides here are the closest you are going to get. Big Thunder Mountain is a roller coaster that is a runaway train raging around the mines. It is fast and there are lots of turns and a couple of dips. It is fun. The other one is Splash Mountain, which is a log flume. It’s quite a long ride and you go through Brer Rabbit’s ‘Laughin’ Place’ which is quite amusing, before plunging down a five storey drop. You don’t get ridiculously soaked although you will obviously get a bit wet. Both rides have minimum height restrictions of 40 inches. The good thing about both of these rides is that they last a while so, even if you have queued for a while, you don’t feel short changed.

Outside of the Splash Mountain ride, you’ll find the meet and greet area for the characters from Toy Story. We saw Woody and Buzz Lightyear, and although there was a little queue, they seemed to be spending quite a while with each person, so it was worth the wait.

Liberty Square is a new area to me – it wasn’t there last time I visited – but it is quite small. It is here that you can board the Liberty Square Riverboat which is a huge paddle boat that travels around the man-made lake. It is a pleasant little trip that takes about fifteen minutes. You can get departure times from the gate here.

There is an animatronics show called The Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square but I can’t tell you anything about it because we just didn’t fancy it, even despite its proud claims that it has been re-imagined to include Barack Obama! I will however recommend the last ride here which is the Haunted Mansion. You queue through the graveyard which isn’t actually that scary because the tombstones all have little comedic ditties on them although it is very well designed and quite atmospheric. The ride itself is very good; clever and chilling rather than being out and out scary and suitable for all ages.

There are quite a few American themed diners and cafes in this area which is pretty handy because this is about the half-way point in the park and is a good place to have a rest and a bite to eat. There is something for all tastes and budgets here, even a little picnic area if you’ve brought your own food.
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From journal The Magic Kingdom

Main Street USA and Adventureland

by dkm1981

Blackburn, England, United Kingdom

October 30, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo Main Street USA is the backbone of the park and provides the grand entryway to the rest of the lands beyond. It is headed by Cinderella’s Castle and is absolutely the best place to get the iconic picture of the grand fairy tale castle. There isn’t ...Read more Main Street USA is the backbone of the park and provides the grand entryway to the rest of the lands beyond. It is headed by Cinderella’s Castle and is absolutely the best place to get the iconic picture of the grand fairy tale castle. There isn’t much in the way of attractions in this street, but it is the theme and the carnival atmosphere that exudes from the area that provides the attraction. The street is lined with shops and eateries that are all themed around traditional American bakeries, hot dog stands and ice cream parlours. There are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat before you start your day or to grab your souvenirs at the end of the day. It is actually a great place to do your shopping at the end of the day because you have to go down this street to get out of the park, so you don’t have to carry bags of things around with you. Be warned though, the shops get very busy just before park closing time.

Main Street USA also has, like I said, a carnival theme to it. That is down to the fact that many of the parades and shows take part here, so there is almost always something going on throughout the day and there are plenty of opportunities to spot your favourite characters around these parks. The main parades all go down the main road and they are worth watching, especially if you are with young children. The ‘A Dream Come True’ parade takes place every night and involves all the main characters on different well-made and fun floats, it is lovely to watch, even for older fans! Throughout the day there are also little one-off performances featuring popular characters and you can meet and greet Minnie, Mickey and everyone else in front of the castle. There is usually a queue for Mickey, but all the others are just milling about so it is fairly quick and easy to meet them.

Adventureland is a cute little area of the park and is the first land you get to if you walk in a clockwise direction from Main Street USA. There are a few rides in this area although none of them are for thrill seekers. The main ride is Pirates of the Caribbean, which is a boat ride through the Spanish Main and features Jack Sparrow. It is a very tame ride, although I have to say the Jack Sparrow animatronics look pleasingly like Johnny Depp! Fans of Tinkerbell can meet her in her little nook, whilst fans of Aladdin will enjoy The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. The Swiss Family Treehouse is quite fun especially for younger adventurers and, if you make it to the top over all the obstacles, you can see over the park which is nice. There are a couple of eateries in this area that feature predominantly Mexican food and ice creams.
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From journal The Magic Kingdom

Become a kid again!

by RLB2

Scarborough, England, United Kingdom

November 17, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo I don't actually think that 1500 words will be enough for me to review the Magic Kingdom, but I'll just have to give it a go won't I? I have been to the Magic Kingdom more times than I can remember and everytime I've been it has been truly magical. ...Read more I don't actually think that 1500 words will be enough for me to review the Magic Kingdom, but I'll just have to give it a go won't I? I have been to the Magic Kingdom more times than I can remember and everytime I've been it has been truly magical. However, I must say that although we are there on holiday we try to pack everything in and so it doesn't always feel like a holiday, more of an experience.

So my best advice for visiting any of the DIsney parks is to:
1) wear comfy shoes
2) have a big bottle of water with you
3) remember sunscreen
4) pick you're top 5 things to do and make sure you do them
5) make sure you have a meet-up point in case you get separated

Disney in Orlando is massive, there are 4 main parks, 2 pool/swimming parks and lots of other attractions. Depending on how long you have in the area will decide the ticket that you buy, but obviously a hopper-pass that allows you to jump between the parks over 7 or 10 days is the best value. We always buy our tickets prior to arriving at the park and we always arrive as the park opens, which will vary depending on the time of year. Usually by 8am we're in one of the huge parking lots waiting for a shuttle to take us to the main gate. It's a long way from the car parks to the front gate at Magic Kingdom and you get to cross the lake on a big ferry boat (or on the Monorail). The excitement on the boat is palpable and it's an excellent opportunity to enjoy a coffee while watching the castle of Magic Kingdom get slowly bigger.

If you're arriving at a peak time then you will be met by queues of people at the entrance (which is why it is a good idea to arrive early), however we often visit Florida in February so usually everything is quite manageable. Once inside the first thing you'll see is Main Street USA, from here you can catch the steam train around to see Mickey, you can meet a few other characters in the square at the front, or you can do a bit of shopping. Hopefully you'll have taken the opportunity to pick up a couple of maps on arrival and you can decide which things are most suitable for your group.

For example if you have small children you're probably going to want to go to Mickey's Toy Town Fair and Fantasy Land for some suitable rides (think Dumbo and the Teacups), you'll want to maybe have some pictures with their favourite characters so you have to find out where they will be and you'll probably want to watch the parades, so you need to know when they're on. If you're a young couple, then you will probably be more interested in the high adrenaline rides like Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad and so will want to start in Tomorrow Land and then head to Adventureland and Frontierland, you'll also want to watch a couple of parades too, especially SpectroMagic (I think this is now known as the Wishes Nightime Spectacular) which is usually when it has got dark, but you may be less interested in meeting lots of characters. Basically you have to accept that you will not get round the whole park in one day, so if you only have one day to spare then just head to your favourite things and then see what time you have left.

We usually take a paked lunch with us, because no matter where you are in the world eating out in a family of 7 is expensive. However, inside the Magic Kingdom there are a whole host of eating options, from snack stands to three-course dinners with Disney characters. If you have kids I would really recommend treating them (and you) to a character dinner, be it Disney Princesses for little girls or Pirates of the Caribbean for little boys. Another thing that little girls who love the Disney Princesses will enjoy is a trip to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique where they will be transformed into the Princess of their choice, although this is expensive and so would have to be a real treat.

The thing that I like best about the Magic Kingdom is that it's always changing. The changes usually reflect the most recent films, but if you visit it more than once over a few years there is always something new to enjoy. I usually end my day at the Magic Kingdom tiredly watching the SpectroMagic Parade (and shedding a little tear about how magical it all feels). A visit here makes you feel like a big kid again, so whether you have some of your own or just like to act like a kid yourself, this theme-park is so much more than just a theme-park. The staff are impeccible, the whole park is clean all the time, the rides are innovative, everything is organised to run on schedule and there is plenty to do for the while family. I obviously am now just gushing about a place that I have a whole load of very happy memories from and so can just say you have to give it a go! Close

From journal My Favourite Place in the whole world (so far!)

Top 16 Things To See and Do at Magic Kingdom

by Amber Autumn

Chalmette, Louisiana

June 20, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo The Magic Kingdom is full of adventures and activities, but no trip to this "happiest kingdom of them all" can be complete without seeing these favorite things. 1. Dance and sing on Main Street during the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street ...Read more

The Magic Kingdom is full of adventures and activities, but no trip to this "happiest kingdom of them all" can be complete without seeing these favorite things.

1. Dance and sing on Main Street during the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party where you can see all your favorite characters.

2. Catch "Wishes", a nighttime spectacular, at 10pm in Fronteirland, on Main Street, or in front of the Castle for this wonderful display of fireworks. If you can plan it right, there's an area in front of the castle where you can sit and enjoy the fireworks!

3. Disney's Electrical Parade brightly appears around the Castle and Main Street around 9pm and 11pm. In this parade, you can see all your favorite characters from Tinkerbell, Mickey, Snow White, Cinderella, and Pinnochio.

4. See at least one Disney character around the park. Check the Times Guide and New Information for details where and when.

4. Laugh hysterically at the jokes on "The Jungle Cruise" (even if some aren't that funny). Don't take red rocks for granited, or planely miss how your skipper was stranded in the fierce jungles.

5. Ride all the rides that include the word "mountain" like Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Splash Mountain.

6. Catch the raft to Tom Swayer's Island in Fronteirland early to explore this secretive hideaway and fun place. On this island, you can explore old mills and secret caves. However, this attraction is only open from dawn to dusk.

7. Sing along and experience the "new" Haunted Mansion in Adventureland. Also, be sure to take the "Scenic Route" line so you'll enter the new graveyard and see some spooky things.

8. Kiddies - join the Pirate's League and participate with Captain Jack's Pirate Tutorial held daily in Adventureland from several times around 10:15am to 4:25pm. You might even get to see Angelica from "Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides".

9. The Tomorrowland Speedway is calling all drivers to test their need for speed.

10. Check out the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover and the Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland. The PeopleMover is like an introduction of the different rides and places, and has some behind-the-scenes looks. Finally, the Carousel of Progress is a cool place to relax and watch Disney's creation that was demonstrated at the World's Fair in 1964.

11. For teens and in-betweens, go to the Clun 626 Character Dance Party to dance with some of your favorite characters and listen to the hottest music nowadays.

12. See the glass blowing demonstration at Crystal Arts on Main Street. It's an impressive sight, and later browse the different creations in the shop.

13. Spot the hidden mickeys on each of the rides in Magic Kingdom. Hint: There's a book sold in souvenir stores and gift shops that tell you where they are. Some that I found were on Haunted Mansion, Mickey's PhilharMagic, and Pirates of the Carribean.

14. Go on the Dumbo Ride in Fantasyland to spy on the new buildings and creations for Fantasyland 2012. If not, it has some great views of the Castle and Fantasyland.

15. Look for the hidden Tinkerbells on Peter Pan's Flight in Fantasyland. I found two!

16. Be sure to check out the alcove to Cinderella's Castle and see the mosaic murals. Beneath the archway tells Cinderella's story, and has columns that shows her mice friends and a slipper. Close

From journal Having A Magical Time in Orlando

The Most Magical Kingdom of Them All

by Amber Autumn

Chalmette, Louisiana

June 20, 2011

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Magic Kingdom was the next park I visited while in Lake Buena Vista. The park is open daily, but the times tend to differ. On Sunday, Monday, and Saturday, it opens from 9 to 11:00pm. Monday and Tuesday nights are great because they stay open ...Read more

From journal Having A Magical Time in Orlando

Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party!

by Meggysmum

Oxford, United Kingdom

February 7, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is held on selected nights from September to the end of October at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. This is a separate ticketed event which means that even if you have a park entry ticket for the day you ...Read more Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is held on selected nights from September to the end of October at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. This is a separate ticketed event which means that even if you have a park entry ticket for the day you will need to leave the park by 7pm and will only be allowed to stay if you have purchased the extra ticket. If you don’t have a normal park ticket for that day you are usually allowed park entry from about 4.30 with your Halloween ticket.

On arrival you are issued with a coloured wristband to prove that you are a party guest, if you are already in the park you get one of these wristbands by showing your party ticket to a cast member at the Stitch attraction where they will also give you a programme of the evening’s entertainment and a map to show places to trick or Treat.

Many of the rarer Disney Characters can be found around the park at the character stops. Photographers are on hand to take your memorable photos which can be added to your Disney photo pass. We had a brilliant time seeing Snow White with all the Dwarfs, Cinderella in her glass carriage and Tarzan with his side-kick monkey. These characters are not normally available for photo opportunities so queues can build up but they are well managed.

Every guest at the party is given a Trick or Treat bag which is usually printed with the latest Disney release. However guests are also welcome to bring in their own bags. There are Candy trails all around the park and the cast members are very generous when handing out their treats, especially towards the end of the evening if they have lots left. We all returned home with more than 100 treats each which considering we didn’t even go to all the candy stops was quite impressive.

The highlight of the evening for us was the Boo To You Parade. This took place twice in the evening. We saw the second one as we had heard it was not quite as crowded as the first, considering how busy it was I am glad we had opted for the second one but we still had to stake out a good spot about an hour before hand. The parade was brilliant, all of the characters were dressed in their Halloween finery and there were lots of floats, it felt much longer than the daytime parade. The start of the parade was heralded by the ride of the Headless Horseman which some very young children found a little scary but most seemed to love. The dancing was excellent and the gravediggers with their sparking spades were something to behold. Once again bags were quickly filled with candy by cast members along the route.

After the parade were the fireworks. We have seen the Wishes display at Magic Kingdom many times and I have always thought it was fantastic but Hallowishes was absolutely stunning. It was a very long firework spectacular and it felt like fireworks were going off all around us as the Trick or Treat Halloween story centred around the castle was told in music. I have never experienced such a stunning display.

The atmosphere for the whole evening is lovely. We visited near the end of October and the vast majority of party goers, both adult and children, choose to dress up. Disney are quite strict and people are not allowed gruesome or very scary costumes and they are also not allowed to make themselves look like a proper Disney character as this would make it difficult to ensure guest safety if they were not sure if someone was an employee or not. This means that you can dress as your favourite Disney character if you wish but as an adult you must make it obvious that you are not impersonating that character. Costumes can be on any theme and we went as Star Trek characters and we were well received by everyone!

This was an expensive evening and I only purchased it as a special treat but we enjoyed it so much that it might become a regular thing for us. We loved everything about it, the atmosphere, the music, the characters and then the parade and fireworks; it was truly a night to remember.
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From journals Fancy a Change?, Around Seven Seas Lagoon

IgoUgo

Walt Disney World Resort Magic Kingdom

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User Reviews

Real Magic

Very Magical Indeed!

Tomorrowland

Fantasyland

Frontierland and Liberty Square

Main Street USA and Adventureland

Become a kid again!

Top 16 Things To See and Do at Magic Kingdom

The Most Magical Kingdom of Them All

Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party!

Walt Disney World Resort Magic Kingdom

What's Nearby?

Nearby Things to Do

Popular Orlando Hotels

Popular Things to Do in Orlando

Avg. User Rating:

User Reviews

Real Magic

Very Magical Indeed!

Tomorrowland

Fantasyland

Frontierland and Liberty Square

Main Street USA and Adventureland

Become a kid again!

Top 16 Things To See and Do at Magic Kingdom

The Most Magical Kingdom of Them All

Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party!