Magic Kingdom Park is an amusement park located near Orlando in Florida. Magic Kingdom is part of the vast Walt Disney World entertainment resort, which comprises nearly four dozen hotels, four theme parks, two water parks, and four golf courses. For families, the park is a paradise on Earth, but teenagers seeking roller coasters and adrenaline might rather go elsewhere.
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Table of Contents
Information about Magic Kingdom Theme Park in Florida
Attracting 18 million visitors per year, Magic Kingdom is the most visited theme park in the world. The park opened on January 1, 1971, and is entirely themed around fairy tales and Disney animated characters.
The dominant feature of Disneyland is Cinderella Castle, also known as the 190 ft high Cinderella Castle. The building is a replica of the castle from the 1950 Cinderella movie. Magic Kingdom Park is divided into six circular sections, with Cinderella Castle at the center.
1️⃣ Main Street, USA
In film terms, Main Street serves as the opening credits of the entire park. The lengthy street is lined with souvenir and food shops, all in the style of an early 20th-century small American town. The main attraction in this section is the Walt Disney World Railroad, a small train that transports visitors across the park. If you prefer a leisurely ride, you can take a trip on a horse-drawn carriage.
2️⃣ Adventureland
Adventureland immerses guests in the mystery of exploring distant lands. The setting of this part of Magic Kingdom Park is reminiscent of the remote jungles of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America, and the South Pacific, while the attached plaza evokes the Caribbean.
3️⃣ Frontierland
The American Wild West, cowboys, Native Americans, and the Splash Mountain attraction or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad are the hallmarks of the part of the park known as Frontierland.
4️⃣ Liberty Square
Part of Liberty Square is stylized to resemble a colonial settlement during the American Revolution.
5️⃣ Fantasyland
Fantasyland, styled like a medieval fairy tale, will captivate lovers of fantasy. Some of the attractions originate from Disney fairy tales like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid, or Dumbo. Of note is the unique roller coaster, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
6️⃣ Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland represents an intergalactic city of the future, or at least how people in the 1950s imagined it. Tomorrowland features attractions such as the Space Mountain roller coaster and the Astro Orbiter centrifuge.
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Attractions at Magic Kingdom Park
There are about 50 attractions throughout Magic Kingdom Orlando. I won’t burden you with a complete list, so I’ve selected seven of the best, listed alphabetically. You can find a list of all the attractions on the park’s website.
🎢 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
A roller coaster that may not have a single loop or corkscrew, but the mine train that runs between the canyons can surprise. On a scale of scariness, where 0 is a complete lullaby and 10 is Chuck Norris in a diaper, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is rated a 5. Video of the attraction
🏰 Cinderella Castle
The landmark of the entire Magic Kingdom, the 190 ft-tall castle opened alongside the park in 1971 and has since become a symbol of Disneyland. A replica of it also stands at Disneyland Tokyo. In the accessible interior of the building, you can view wall mosaics, including one made of 14-carat gold and another composed of millions of pieces of glass in 500 different colors. The architects of the castle drew inspiration from the Týn Cathedral in Prague.
👻 Haunted Mansion
A haunted house from the 18th century that is home to 999 ghosts. Your children will be scared (or amused) while waiting in line. Video of the attraction
🏴☠️ Pirates of the Caribbean
A dark boat ride through Caribbean waters gives you a glimpse of plundered villages and pirate ships. The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction was created long before the movie of the same name; don’t let Johnny Depp fool you. Video of the attraction
🚂 Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Another roller coaster styled after a mine train, this attraction, opened in 2014, features the music and visuals from the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs from 1937. Attraction Video
🚀 Space Mountain
The 1975 indoor roller coaster underwent an extensive $12 million renovation in 2009. It takes visitors beyond the boundaries of space and is interesting because it features two coasters running side by side. Video of the attraction
💦 Splash Mountain
Splash Mountain involves riding down a waterbed in a craft resembling a hollowed-out log. In English, this type of attraction is called a log flume. Splash Mountain was inspired by the 1946 fairy tale Song of the South. I also recommend visiting the attraction after dark, as the view of Cinderella’s castle from the top of the mountain is spectacular. Video of the attraction
Every night, the park hosts a truly spectacular fireworks display after dark, so don’t leave the park early.
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Magic Kingdom Park Tickets, Opening Hours, and How to Get There
🧭 How to Get to the Theme Park
Magic Kingdom Park is situated in Central Florida near Orlando. The most convenient mode of transport is by using a rental car, which gives a good understanding of distances and routes from major cities:
- Jacksonville / 161 mi / 2 hours 30 minutes / route map
- Miami / 232 mi / 3 hours 30 minutes / route map
- Orlando / 21 mi / 23 minutes / route map
- Tampa / 70 mi / 1 hour / route map
From Orlando to Magic Kingdom, you can also take bus routes 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 306, 312, and 350 operated by Lynx. Operating daily from around 5:45 a.m. to 1 a.m., a one-way ticket costs $2.00. You can use free buses, ferries, or monorails to navigate the Walt Disney World area.
🕒 Hours
The Magic Kingdom theme park is open all year round from early morning until late at night. Hours fluctuate throughout the year, so it is recommended to check the park’s website before your visit.
🎟️ Tickets
You can purchase Magic Kingdom tickets online on the park’s website, or using the link below (FastPass is included to bypass lines). Various options are available. The price includes admission to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom parks.
A “Hopper” ticket allows you to visit two parks in one day. The waterpark option includes entry to Disney Typhoon Lagoon and Disney Blizzard Beach, among others. The Hopper Plus option includes admission to the theme parks and, on some days, the waterpark. Tickets must be used within 14 days of the first use.
The prices in the table are the lowest possible, they may be higher on different days. Walt Disney World uses a similar system to the airlines, where the price is influenced by current demand. Ticket prices were last updated on April 25, 2024.
Number of Days Basic Includes Water Park Includes Hopper Includes Hopper Plus 1 $184 – $250 – 2 $335 $426 $430 $461 3 $442 $526 $516 $561 4 $546 $657 $626 $726 5 $647 $717 $724 $803 6 $671 $741 $764 $844 7 $691 $762 $788 $865 8 $727 $794 $818 $892 9 $753 $817 $839 $907 10 $775 $834 $857 $923 -
More Tips for Visitors
I recommend arriving at the theme park 20-30 minutes before it opens. Doing so will save you time in line and help you get the most out of your ticket. The park sees the most visitors in the summer months, from June to August. If you prefer shorter wait times and smaller crowds, plan your visit to Magic Kingdom in late September or October.
Review the attractions map in advance. Save it to your phone and select the attractions that interest you the most, just in case you don’t have enough time to visit them all. Don’t forget to include your children in the decision-making process, as this park is especially for them.
Most visitors first head to the Tomorrowland section and then proceed counterclockwise. To avoid the crowd, consider doing the opposite.
Thanks to FASTPASS+, you can reserve a spot on an attraction 30 days in advance (or 60 days if you’re staying at a Disney-operated hotel). This service can save you a lot of time you would otherwise spend waiting in lines. Best of all, the service is completely free. Remember, the most popular attractions tend to reach capacity as early as three weeks in advance.
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Photos from Disneyland Magic Kingdom
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