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Magic Kingdom

Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA

“You won’t be alone…”

It’s hard not to think about Magic Kingdom when talking about Walt Disney World. Just like Orlando is known as the world’s theme park capital, Magic Kingdom could easily be described as the king of theme parks. With over 17 million visitors annually, this place is ranked first when it comes to theme park attendance. On average, more than 46,000 guests pass through the park’s turnstiles every day and they’re all searching for something that’s called magic.

ROLLER COASTERS

Walt Disney World is in direct competition with Universal Orlando Resort, which can be found just a few miles further along Interstate 4. And since Universal is heavily relying on thrills, Disney just had to add another sensational roller coaster to its lineup. This ride opened in April 2023 as TRON Lightcycle/Run, which is a nearly identical copy of the TRON roller coaster at Shanghai Disneyland. And just like I adored the ride in China, I’m very positive about Magic Kingdom’s version. TRON Lightcycle/Run consists of a powerful acceleration, a photogenic outdoor part and an enjoyable indoor section. What really sets this ride apart from others, however, is its visual appearance. I just can’t think of another roller coaster that’s as Instagrammable and futuristic as this one. If you’d take away all of the visual components, this wouldn’t be much more than an okay experience. But in its current form, TRON is one of my favourite coaster experiences in Orlando.

It’s kind of cool to see that Magic Kingdom’s newest and oldest thrill coasters are literally just a few steps away from each other. TRON may currently be the hottest ticket in Tomorrowland, but Space Mountain still manages to attract a decent crowd as well. This is quite an achievement, as this version of Space Mountain was the first of its kind to be build at any Disney park in 1975. Because of its age, Space Mountain obviously isn’t extremely modern or comfortable. However, I do appreciate the ride experience. Despite being in operation for nearly five decades, Space Mountain turns out to be a surprisingly thrilling experience with powerful twists and turns. I wouldn’t be opposed against a modernisation of the queue and theming elements, but overall Space Mountain doesn’t fail to impress.

Another classic Disney mountain can be found at the opposite side of the park. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was inaugurated in 1980 and it was the slightly larger version of Disneyland Anaheim’s runaway mine train. The ride is more or less similar to the west coast version and it creates just as much fun. Big Thunder Mountain remains one of the world’s best family coasters and this is especially true in the dark. A little warning for European visitor’s, though: if you’re used to the Parisian version of Big Thunder Mountain, it might be a good idea to lower your expectations. Large parts of the layout are identical, but the two underwater tunnels and the splashdown effect are nowhere to be found.

What’s better than one mine train? Two mine trains, of course! When Fantasyland was being revamped in the early 2010’s, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was added as the area’s focal point. It’s right in the middle of Fantasyland and it delivers a great dynamic. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is beautiful to look at, but the ride experience turned out to be quite mediocre. Its two coaster sections are everything but thrilling and the dark ride scene is just too short to be convincing. Still, this doesn’t seem to bother the majority of Magic Kingdom visitors, as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train often has the longest queues of the entire park. By the way… Magic Kingdom’s 5th and last coaster can also be found at Fantasyland, but it’s not that interesting. Standard Vekoma Junior Coasters don’t belong in a Disney theme park, if you ask me.

DARK RIDES

Roller coasters may be popular, but Disney usually shows its greatest strength in dark rides. And although there aren’t as many dark rides as in Disneyland Anaheim, Magic Kingdom offers all the classics a Disney theme park needs. Fantasyland, for example, is home to It’s a Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Under The Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. Especially Under The Sea, which was added in 2012, never fails to amaze me with its intimate atmosphere, its catchy music and its incredible audio-animatronics. The exterior of the ride is at least as stunning, so this definitely is an A+ attraction.

If you’re talking about classic Disney dark rides, you’re actually talking about The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. These two oldies both premiered in California, but their popularity was so huge that they just had be rebuilt in Florida. The Haunted Mansion was one of Magic Kingdom’s opening day attractions in 1971 and it’s just as good (maybe even better) than its namesake at the west coast. Magic Kingdom’s version of Pirates of the Caribbean is a little less impressive, though. The ride is considerably shorter and it misses the distinctive atmosphere which makes the Californian version so awesome.

OTHER EXPERIENCES

Many Magic Kingdom rides can be defined as classics, since they can be found at several other Disney theme parks across the globe. However, some attractions only exist in Florida and that makes them even more interesting. I’m thinking about The Hall of Presidents (a patriotic show with animatronics of all former US presidents), Enchanted Tales with Belle (an interactive experience inspired by Beauty and the Beast, mostly interesting for young girls), Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress (a nostalgic animatronic show that has played at New York’s 1964 World’s Fair and at Disneyland Anaheim, before moving to Florida) and last but not least… Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. This unique ‘highway in the sky’ travels through Tomorrowland and it gives an overview of most rides in the area. PeopleMover hardly ever has a long line and the ride lasts pretty long, which makes it an ideal attraction for escaping the crowds. PeopleMover is one of my favourite Magic Kingdom rides and I guess that many Disney fans have the same opinion.

Main Street is the place to be for admiring the majestic Cinderella Castle and this is also an ideal viewing spot for parades and nighttime entertainment. Magic Kingdom has been home to the Festival of Fantasy Parade since 2014. And despite the fact that it’s a fine parade, I’m kind of shocked that Magic Kingdom (which welcomes many repeat visitors) hasn’t had a new parade in over 10 years now. In the evening, Magic Kingdom presents its nighttime spectacular Happily Ever After. It features projection mapping, lasers, famous Disney songs, flying fairies and a whole lot of fireworks. No really, I’m serious: the amount of fireworks that’s used during one performance of Happily Ever After is incredible. I’ve seen many nighttime spectaculars at all kinds of theme parks, but nothing compares to this. Do not miss it!

BEAT THE CROWDS

Since we’re talking about the world’s most visited theme park, this shouldn’t come as a surprise: Magic Kingdom is busy year-round. Of course there’s a difference between busy and horribly packed days, but in general you should anticipate large crowds. Fortunately, Magic Kingdom is designed for these huge numbers of visitors and attractions have a huge capacity. Still, being prepared can make your day considerably more enjoyable. This should speak for itself, but guests who arrive early undoubtedly have the best Magic Kingdom day. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Jungle Cruise and Space Mountain tend to get long lines, so it’s a good idea to visit these rides as early (or late) as possible. Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes also help you to avoid the longest queues, but note that these services aren’t free of charge.

Making restaurant reservations is another valuable step while planning Walt Disney World vacations. All meals at table service and buffet restaurants should be planned in advance, because it may be nearly impossible to get a table on the spot. Popular places to eat include Skipper Canteen (cosy restaurant in Adventureland) or Be Our Guest (in all honesty… the Grey Stuff is indeed delicious, but I found this restaurant overrated). If you don’t mind having dinner outside of the park, it might be a good idea to make reservations in one of the nearby resort hotels. We’ve already had wonderful experiences at Kona Café (at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort) and the atmosphere in these restaurants is a lot more relaxing than inside the park. By the way: time slots around 6 PM are ideal, because these allow you to get back to the park before Happily Ever After starts.

WORTH A VISIT?

Magic Kingdom is a brilliant theme park and it’s easy to see why it attracts so many people. Thanks to its great variety of rides, shows and entertainment, a day at Magic Kingdom is the highlight of every stay at Walt Disney World. However, if you easily get agitated by large numbers of people, this might not be the holiday you need. The park is always full of strollers, everyone’s loud and there are lines for literally everything. But once you get used to these queues and crowds, Magic Kingdom will provide a truly magical day.

Are you Team Orlando or Team Anaheim? Has your day at Magic Kingdom ever been negatively affected by large crowds? And what’s your favourite nighttime show? Share your opinion in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

This article reflects my personal experience at Magic Kingdom during a visit in April 2024.