Guide to Magic Kingdom-Disney World
The Kids' Perspective
Written by Staff Writer - 06/16/08Introduction
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Magic Kingdom was the very first theme park
at Disney World in Orlando, opening in 1971.
Like other Disney theme parks, Magic Kingdom
is made up of various sections with a number
of attractions, rides, and dining and
shopping opportunities within each section.
Kids of all ages will thoroughly enjoy Magic
Kingdom, and this is certainly a park where
you can plan to spend more than one day.
The children
offering their perspectives for this article
recently spent five days at Disney World,
including two days and one evening at Magic
Kingdom. Grant and Kayla are brother and sister |
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from Huntley, Illinois, which is about 50 miles
northwest of Chicago. They stayed at Disney’s
Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa with their parents
and their brothers, Carter and Max. |
The Park
To give you a
little information on what the kids experienced at
Magic Kingdom, here are a few highlights of the
various sections. Note that there are dining options
within each section.
Main Street U.S.A. - Main Street U.S.A.
starts at the entrance to the park and takes you to
Cinderella’s Castle at the center of the park. At
Main Street U.S.A., you can hop on board the Walt
Disney World Railroad for a 20-minute ride around
the park, with stops at Frontierland and Mickey's
Toontown Fair. In addition, there are lots of shops
along Main Street U.S.A.
Adventureland - Adventureland features the Pirates of the
Caribbean ride, Swiss Family Robinson’s Treehouse,
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin,
and a Jungle Cruise.
Frontierland - At Frontierland, see why Grant
was so impressed with the Big Thunder Mountain
Railroad, which is a runaway mining train coaster
ride. This area also features the famous Splash
Mountain with its 5-story drop for the big kids and
the Country Bear Jamboree musical revue for the
little kids.
Liberty Square - The main attraction at
Liberty Square is the Haunted Mansion, which Disney
categorizes as a “mild but wild thrill”. Hmmm…just
how mild and wild would that be? Also in this
section, you can board the Liberty Square Riverboat
for a cruise around Tom Sawyer Island.
Fantasyland - Fantasyland is all about the
youngsters. Probably the most famous tots’ ride is
“it’s a small world”, which is a boat ride featuring
animated doll figures from all over the world. There
are lots of rides and shows in this section, each
featuring a beloved Disney character, including
Winnie the Pooh, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella,
Peter Pan (one of Grant’s and Kayla’s favorite
rides), Snow White, Dumbo the Elephant and, of
course, Mickey Mouse.
Mickey’s Toontown Fair - This section
includes Mickey’s and Minnie’s Country Houses, which
you can tour through. At the Toontown Hall of Fame
Tent, meet Disney characters and get their
autographs. The kids will have fun at Donald’s Boat,
a water play area.
Tomorrowland - Space Mountain is the prime
feature at Tomorrowland. This indoor roller coaster
is a blast through space and reserved for the brave
ones. One of Grant’s favorites, driving a racecar at
the Indy Speedway, is located here and both Grant
and Kayla loved shooting targets on Buzz Lightyear’s
Space Ranger Spin. Other options include flying a
spaceship at Astro Orbiter, seeing the Monsters,
Inc. interactive show and assuming the role of
security guard at Stitch’s Great Escape.
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Kayla (age 6)
Grant (age 8) |
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The Kids’ Perspectives |
What was your favorite part
of Magic Kingdom?
Grant: The Buzz Lightyear Ride because I
liked shooting at the targets. Also the
Thundermountain Railroad.
Kayla: The Peter Pan ride and Mickey and
Minnie’s houses. Minnie’s house was the best. My
other favorite part was seeing Tinkerbell fly in the
sky when the fireworks started.
What else did you like?
Grant: The Peter Pan ride. It was funny
seeing the statue guys doing stuff, like the pirates
making a girl walk off the plank and they tied
people to a wall. The Speedway was funny because you
can bump into other cars.
Kayla: The Buzz Lightyear ride.
Your family went to the
character breakfast at The Crystal Palace. How was
it and what did you have for breakfast?
Grant: It was nice because we could get
character autographs. I got autographs from Pooh,
Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet. I had waffles, stuffed
French toast (it was puffy), grapes and watermelon,
donut holes and a mini bagel. It was very good.
Kayla: I liked it because we took pictures
with the characters and got their autographs. I had
French toast, pancakes, a donut, grapes and orange
juice. It was the best ever!
Is there anything you
didn’t like at Magic Kingdom?
Grant: I didn’t like the long lines, but for
one ride we had a fast pass we went by lots of
people in line. Also, it was hot, which was kind of
annoying.
Kayla: I didn’t like the Pirates of the
Caribbean ride. It was too scary.
How were the fireworks?
Grant: They were really loud, but cool.
Kayla: They were pretty good. (Note: Kayla
doesn’t like loud noises and kept her ears covered!)
Do you think your brother
Carter (age 2½) had fun? Your brother Max (age 1)
didn’t go with you during the daytime. What would he
have liked?
Grant and Kayla: Carter liked the Peter Pan
ride and was excited to see the characters at
breakfast. Max would like the characters and
Mickey’s houses. [And Max’s Mom adds that he would
like “it’s a small world”.]
What would you tell a friend
who hadn’t been to Magic Kingdom?
Grant: It’s a big place with lots of
characters all over the park to sign autographs.
Kayla: It’s really fun and you can get
autographs from the characters.
Conclusion
My conclusion is that if I’m taking children to
Magic Kingdom, a Disney autograph book is a
must-have. Of course any book with blank pages will
do, but I’m sure the kids want the Disney version; a
variety are sold at the park.
Another must is character dining. Magic Kingdom
offers three options - the Crystal Palace located in
the Main Street U.S.A. section, Cinderella’s Royal
Table located in Cinderella’s Castle and Liberty
Tree Tavern located at Liberty Square.
In addition to the characters, the main attractions
at Magic Kingdom are the rides, which are suitable
for all ages and levels of thrill-seeking.
The park is large (over 100 acres) and there’s a lot
to see. Your one-day ticket allows in-out privileges
on that day, so you may want to consider arriving
early in the morning, then returning in the evening
for more fun and the fireworks..
Bottom line - if you’re visiting Disney World with
small children, Magic Kingdom must be first on your
priority list. Once you visit, you’ll understand why
Magic Kingdom’s slogan is “The Most Magical Place on
Earth”.
References
Web Attraction
Info:
Official Web Site:
Pricing: The current standard price for a
one-day ticket is $71 for anyone over 9 years of age
and $60 for children 3-9 years. Multi-day passes
reduce the per-day rate. Check Disney’s website for
promotional discounts, multi-day and multi-park
discounts, and Florida resident pricing.
Hours: The hours of operation vary both
seasonally and daily, so be sure to check the
website for the current calendar.
Phone: (407) 939-6244
