What is in the Magic Kingdom?
Magic Kingdom is my favorite park! In this post I will discuss Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. It is one of Walt Disney World Resort’s 4 theme parks plus 2 water parks, and is located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
It opened in 1971, and is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. The park is over 100 acres divided into six lands with Cinderella’s castle as the hub in the center.
I will explore each of these topics in much greater detail in related posts. For now here is a BRIEF summary of this article.
What are the six lands and main attractions in Magic Kingdom?
List of all table service options in Magic Kingdom!
Looking for the best quick service options?
Popular must-try snacks available!
Hotels near Magic Kingdom!
Tip: Short on time? Skip these attractions!
What is in the six lands?
The lands are themed areas in Magic Kingdom. Each one has themed rides, attractions, and dining options, except Main Street, USA. Main Street, USA doesn’t have rides. The six lands are:
The only ride in this land is the train!
- Main Street, USA starts upon entering Magic Kingdom. It is a ‘street’ that leads to the castle, and is mainly stores along both sides of the street. You will find some food/snack locations here as well. There is an entrance to the train if you want to take a short-cut to Frontierland or Fantasyland. It is only a short-cut in that it saves you from walking, but it is by no means a quick ride. Please allow time to wait for the train to arrive and unload. Then the train needs to load passengers before departing the station. This process can take 20-30 minutes between waiting and loading. I recommend walking if you’re short on time. I also recommend stopping in for a haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop!
These lands have multiple rides and attractions!
Tomorrowland
- Space Mountain- Popular Roller coaster in the dark! (44″+ ride)
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin-Fire lasers to defeat Zurg, and see who gets the best score/aim in your ship! This does not spin and make you dizzy as I thought the first time I heard the name.
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover- Mass transit system of the future. Tip: Ride this in between FastPasses, and to take a break from walking.
- Tomorrowland Speedway- Take a ride in a hot rod! My boys love this one! It gets very hot sitting in those cars. They are open on top. Tip: Ride early in the morning, or later in the day. (32″+ or 54″ to ride alone)
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress– Theater that rotates around slowly. Watch how technology has improved our way of life. Younger kids tend to find this boring, but older children and adults find it to be a very interesting attraction using animatronics to show how technology has changed so much over the years. Tip: Ride to escape the heat between FastPasses, and/or to take a break from walking.
- TRON-NEW-expected to open later in 2021.
Fantasyland
Fantasyland is huge and probably the most popular land in Magic Kingdom! Here are the most popular attractions!
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant-Ride Dumbo the flying elephant! Cute interactive waiting area for little ones.
- Fantasyland Railroad Station-Ride the train around the park, or get off in Frontierland, or at the main entrance.
- Goofy’s Barnstormer-very short (1 minute long) junior roller coaster, but I found it to be a rough ride! (35″+ to ride)
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train-My favorite family roller coaster! You rock and roll through the diamond mine! Very smooth ride!! (38″+ to ride)
- Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid-You will feel like you’re under the sea as you’re riding in the clamshell!
- The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh-Cute ride through the highlights of the Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh movie!
- It’s a Small World-We all know this boat ride around the globe!
- Peter Pan’s Flight-Fly with Peter Pan aboard a ship! A fan favorite!
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic-3D movie like no other! Take a break from the heat inside this theater!
Liberty Square
- Liberty Square Riverboat-Boat ride on the Belle.
- Haunted Mansion-ride a buggy through this dark, haunted house. (Might be scary for toddlers.)
- The Hall of Presidents-22 minutes indoor show with life-like presidents’ speaking. Young children may find this boring.
Frontierland
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad– Runaway roller coaster in a mining town! (40″+ to ride)
- Splash Mountain, log-flume ride being reimagined into the Princess and the Frog theme (40″+ to ride)
- Tom Sawyer’s Island-Mark Twain hideaway
- Country Bear Jamboree-dated-singing bear show…this is a favorite for some, and a one and done for many.
- Frontierland Railroad Station-take a ride around the park, or get off at Fantasyland or the main entrance.
Adventureland
- Swiss Family Treehouse-A real treehouse inspired by the classic film. For us it’s a quick ‘in-and-out’ visit.
- Magic Carpets of Aladdin-Fly on a magic carpet. (It’s just like Dumbo, but with carpets.)
- The Jungle Cruise-Boat ride outdoors on a ‘river’ with very dated storyline, and ‘fake’ animals. Some people feel this is a classic must-do, but many others skip it for newer, and more advanced attractions.
- Pirates of the Caribbean-Ride in a pirate ship and see the sights of that world! Great ride to escape the heat of the day! Everything for this attraction is are inside where it’s cool. This ride is mostly on the darker side. It can be scary, and loud for little ones.
What food options are there in Magic Kingdom?
There are several quick service (formerly known as counter service), and table service restaurants to choose from in Magic Kingdom. I recommend making a reservation for any restaurant that is considered a table service. Quick service you can just walk-up, or use mobile ordering. Looking for snacks? There are a lot of snack option in Magic Kingdom too.
What is a table service restaurant?
Table service are restaurants where you go in and are seated by a hostess and then greeted by a server. These meals generally take approximately 1-2+ hours, so consider this when planning ride times or attempting to see a show after this meal. There are 5 table service restaurants in Magic Kingdom.
Two table service restaurants are in Fantasyland.
- Be Our Guest is based off of the movie Beauty and the Beast. It is ‘order off the menu’ French cuisine. We didn’t care for the food, but the castle is absolutely gorgeous inside! You can watch snow falling out the window in the main ballroom, or eat in the Rose Room. You can watch the petals falling off the rose in its glass enclosure. It’s an amazing dining experience, but I only recommend eating here at lunchtime. I’d rather use a quick service credit here rather than a dining service credit.
- Cinderella’s Royal Table, aka Cinderella’s castle. Here you order off the menu, but the food here is not great. Again, you’re eating here for the experience of eating inside the castle. The interaction with Disney princesses is very good. The day we visited we saw Ariel, Snow White, Belle, Jasmine, and of course Cinderella. There is a special area where you can pose with Cinderella before even being seated. The other princesses come around one at a time to your table throughout your meal. This place is very expensive, so for us it is a one-and-done meal. We enjoyed the experience, and that’s what you’re paying for here!
Two table service restaurants are located on Main Street in Magic Kingdom.
- Tony’s Town Square is order off the menu Italian food. This place is hit or miss. Some like it and some don’t. Be sure to check restaurant reviews before choosing to eat here.
- Crystal Palace is an all-you-can-eat buffet located near the castle. Crystal Palace is where you will find a character dining experience with Winnie the Pooh and Friends. If you choose to go to Crystal Palace I recommend breakfast only. I have been there for lunch and dinner and was not as pleased with either meal.
One table service restaurant is located in Liberty Square.
- Liberty Tree Tavern is a colonial-style restaurant. You are served all-you-can-eat family-style Thanksgiving dinner. We have eaten here several times, and have always been pleased with the meal.
What is a quick (counter) service restaurant?
In the majority of quick (counter) service restaurants you will walk up to the counter and place your order. (Pick it up if you use mobile ordering.) Then, you pay at the time you place your order. Next, wait at the counter until your food is ready. Lastly, go find a clean table to sit down and eat.
There are several quick (counter) service restaurants in Magic Kingdom. Our three favorite quick service restaurants are:
- Columbia Harbour House located in Liberty Square. It is a great Colonial-style place to eat as is Liberty Tree Tavern! The menu here offers many healthy options. I love like the tuna sandwich.
- Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe located in Tomorrowland serves American-style food on their menu like cheeseburgers chicken sandwiches, french fries, etc.
- Pecos Bill located in Frontierland has a Mexican menu including as fajitas and nachos. Salads are available at most Disney restaurants.
What are the most popular snack options in Magic Kingdom?
There are several snack options available in Magic Kingdom. The most popular snacks are:
- Dole Whip which is available at Aloha Isle and Sunshine Terrace in Adventureland.
- Main Street Bakery located in Main Street, USA has some very delicious items as well as coffees.
- Sleepy Hollow in Fantasyland offers some very delicious desserts and snacks, including a very tasty funnel cake.
- Many people enjoy the HUGE turkey legs available in Liberty Square/Frontierland.
Which hotels are closest to Magic Kingdom?
There are 5 Disney hotels closest to Magic Kingdom. Only three of these Disney resorts have designated monorail stops. They all have bus and boat transportation to and from Magic Kingdom. One of the monorails will also take you to Epcot. I will review each of these more in depth in related posts.
The hotels directly attached to the monorail are:
- Grand Floridian is a Victorian-style resort with a 1930’s Golden-age theme.
- Polynesian Village Resort has a South Pacific tropical island theme.
- Contemporary Resort is ultra-modern with the Monorail running through it.
Magic Kingdom area resorts that are NOT located on the monorail:
- Wilderness Lodge represents the majestic great Northwest at the turn of the century, compete with pine forests and totem poles.
- Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground is a camping-themed resort.
How do I get to Magic Kingdom?
There are several ways to get to Magic Kingdom depending on which resort you are staying.
- Buses from Disney Resort hotels
- Ferryboat from parking lot
- Boat from Magic Kingdom resorts
- Express monorail from parking lot (TTC)
- Monorail from Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Contemporary
- Walking path from Contemporary or Grand Floridian
- Taxi or rental car at your expense
Tip: Short on time? Skip these attractions!
Sometimes you may not have enough time to do everything at the park. If so, skip these attractions, and I recommend not wasting a FastPass on these either. There are so many other rides that make better use of your allotted FastPasses. We visit these rides while we’re waiting to use our FasPasses.
- Adventureland: Swiss Family Treehouse; The Magic Carpets of Aladdin; Jungle Cruise
- Frontierland: Tom Sawyer Island, Country Bear Jamboree
- Liberty Square: The Hall of Presidents, Liberty Square Riverboat
- Fantasyland: Prince Charming Regal Carrousel; Mad Tea Party
- Tomorrowland: Astro Orbiter; Tomorrowland Transit Authority People-Mover
Final Thoughts:
In conclusion, this is a summary of the main topics surrounding Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park. I will be blogging in depth about experiences and sharing tips for exploring Magic Kingdom. You will find these posts under the category: Magic Kingdom. Is Magic Kingdom your favorite park? What are your favorite Magic Kingdom rides/attractions?
Note: Some attractions and restaurants mentioned in this post were closed during Covid-19, and may not have reopened yet.
