Magic Kingdom

 

Welcome to a land of fantasy and wonder, the Magic Kingdom. Here, you can explore worlds of adventure in six different lands: Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Main Street, U.S.A., and Tomorrowland. This is where dreams come true and imagination soars, and there's really something for everyone, young and old.

This was the original park in Walt Disney World when the resort opened in 1971. It is inspired by Disneyland Park in Anaheim, even though it's larger and features a bunch of underground tunnels called a "utillidor." Although Walt was involved in the early development of the park, it would open five years after his death, opened by his older brother, Roy. Since then, it has been a beacon of a theme park for both Walt Disney World and the surrounding Orlando area.

Let's go over the top five things to do in this park.

#5 Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Location: Fantasyland

Height Requirement: 38 in.

Opening Year: 2014

Scope: E-Ticket

Located in the heart of Fantasyland is a family coaster through the German mountains. Here, guests will ride some conjoined mine carts that rock from side to side as they head through the mines. With two lift hills, this offers great views of the surrounding attractions.

As guests travel through this attraction, they will go through an interactive queue in the mine, where they can do work for Doc. Then, when they board their mine carts, they will speed through the forest around the mountains. Along the way, they will enter the mines and see the dwarfs hard at work until it's "Heigh Ho!" for them. Then, they will rush back to their cottage, where they are dancing with Snow White.

#4 Haunted Mansion

Location: Liberty Square

Height Requirement: None

Opening Year: 1971

Scope: E-Ticket

In this omnimover dark ride, guests travel through the halls of a haunted estate. Here, they will see 999 ghosts, ghouls, and other spirited surprises who are "dying" to meet them, as well as behold some great technical marvels. They will see ghosts vanish and reappear, portraits stretch, and even ghosts hitch a ride on their vehicles as a joke.

Set in a Gothic Hudson River Valley house, guests will go through a cemetery of interactive elements to help pass wait times, before going into the manor itself. Here, they will enter stretching portrait chambers that set the tone for the attraction: a little scary, but a little funny too. Then, they will board their vehicles as a disembodied voice known as the Ghost Host gives them a tour of the place.

From here, they will pass through many rooms. This includes a dark library where a book is turning its own pages, a conservatory with a slightly ajar coffin, a seance room where the medium, Madame Leota, summons the ghosts, and a ballroom where ghosts waltz and a giant organ spits out specters as a ghost plays it. The ride ends by going through a graveyard, where ghouls pop out from behind tombstones, a ghostly band plays a tune, busts sing, and a caretaker and his dog watch the sight in terror. Then, prepare to be boarded as you pass by the mischievous Hitchhiking Ghosts.

#3: Space Mountain

Location: Tomorrowland

Height Requirement: 44 in.

Opening Year: 1975

Scope: E-Ticket

This indoor coaster, the original roller coaster in the Magic Kingdom, is a fast-paced thrill ride through outer space. Here, guests board rockets and travel through the cosmos as a futuristic soundtrack plays around them.

Guests board space station 75 to board their vehicle. Here, they will see cosmic advertisements and maps of galaxies before getting on their vehicle. Then, they hold on tight as their rocket ascends a lift and then zooms through space, coming across, comets, stars, and even going into a wormhole to take them back to the space station.

#2 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Location: Frontierland

Height Requirement: 40 in.

Opening Year: 1980

Scope: E-Ticket

This Western-themed coaster is a family coaster through the cursed mines of Big Thunder Mountain. With three lifts, several drops, and some animatronic animals, this is the wildest ride in the wilderness!

When gold was first discovered in 1849, several miners headed west to find it and get rich. One such group of miners wound up in Arizona and founded the town of Tumbleweed. There, they dug into the nearby mountain, Big Thunder, to find gold. However, this was sacred land to the Native Americans, and they warned that if they dug too deep, the spirits within would be angry. However, the miners didn't listen to them. Then, they dug so deep, that what the natives said came to pass. A large flash flood came, destroying the town, and then weird things began to happen. Equipment failed, cave-ins occurred, spooky noises came around the caves, and most strangely, trains went around the mountain without drivers. With the place being cursed, Tumbleweed was abandoned and became another ghost town. However, decades later, a new set of miners came, believing the events that transpired there to be folklore. Despite this, they would discover that some legends are true after all.

When guests board their trains, they dive into the mine. From there, they race around the mountain, passing through canyons, geyser zones, caves, and even the flooded remains of Tumbleweed. They may even see some animals as they go, including a goat chewing dynamite.

#1 TRON Lightcycle / Run

Location: Tomorrowland

Height Requirement: 48 in.

Opening Year: 2023

Scope: E-Ticket

This adrenaline-pumping coaster is a race through the world of Tron in a fast-paced thrill ride. Here, guests will climb aboard Lightcycles and speed through the Grid as they attempt to gain a victory for Team Blue. This is the fastest coaster in the park and the second-fastest Disney attraction ever, just behind Epcot's Test Track.

Guests enter the digital realm through a special machine in the queue. From there, they proceed into the load area, where they board groups of Lightcycles. After a thrilling launch, they go quickly through an outdoor canopy before going into the building itself. They will have to pass through the seven energy gates to win, but as they go, they will face off with other programs, including Team Green, Team Purple, and the most menacing one of all, Team Orange.

Honorable Mention: Tiana's Bayou Adventure

Location: Frontierland

Height Requirement: 40 in.

Opening Year: 2024

Scope: E-Ticket

In this log flume ride, complete with five drops, guests ride logs through the bayou. This is a new attraction themed to The Princess and the Frog, serving as a sequel to the film. Here, guests join Tiana and Louis through the bayou in a musical adventure.

A year after her restaurant opened, Princess Tiana has created a food co-op called Tiana's Foods to help out the people of New Orleans. She set up base near an abandoned salt mine, which has been revived for her business. Now, Mardi Gras is approaching fast, and they're planning to throw a big party, but there's a problem: they don't have a band. Luckily, Louis knows just where to find the best musicians, so they go on a journey through the bayou.

As guests join them on this search, they will come across many of New Orleans' lesser-known music. This includes a Rara band, a Zydeco band, and a Afro-Cuban Jazz band. Then, they must hold on tight as they plummet down a five-story splashdown.

And that's all for the top five. Make sure to buy my book, Magecraft: Legend of the Last Snawfus, on Amazon right now.