Magic Kingdom

Navigation Tips

Early Entry:  1 hour before Early Entry, they will open the doors to the bus, follow the crowd under the Train Depot tunnel, do not explore Main Street as you can do that later in the day, tap in on the right side of the castle and head to Fantasyland.  Knock out Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan's Flight and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (unless you have Genie+ reservations for later in the day).

How to Navigate the Park

• Go LEFT once you get off Main Street (Unless you have very young children):

  • • Adventureland

    • Frontier Land

    • Liberty Square

    • Tomorrowland

    • Fantasyland

• Get from Adventure Land to Frontier Land by using the breeze way by Aloha Isle

Best Bathroom:  Tangled Bathroom down from Peter Pan.  Worse Bathroom:  Tomorrowland Terrace & Adventureland Breeze Way.  There are no bathrooms in Liberty Square as it's a representative of that time.

To watch the parade:  Book a reservation for a snack at 2:45 at Tony's town square and ask to be seated on the patio.  Then you will get a great view of the 3:00 parade.

How to end the day:

• If you don't want to be around the crowds during fireworks, head to Swiss Family Treehouse and watch them from the top of the treehouse.

• At the end of the night, head to Fantasy land after the fireworks or do you favorite rides again.  

• You just have to be in the ride line at Park Closing time.  The shops will be open for several hours after park closing so don't feel rushed to leave, even though everyone is waiving good-bye to you.  There are sweepers that make cool water murals on the asphalt with their brooms.  Night photos of the Castle are VERY COOL!  Also, Cinderella's Castle will give you a Kiss Good Night every 30 minutes after Magic Nigh closes.  When you wish upon a Star will play and the Castle will "twinkle" as the music plays.

• If you take an Uber or Lyft home, have them pick you up at Contemporary Resort

• If you need to get back to the TTC, and the link to the Express Monorail is really long, you can take the left Resort Monorail.  It will just stop at the Contemporary before going to the TTC.

Meal Suggestions

• Starbucks is located in Main Street Bakery

• If you want a drink in the Magic Kingdom, you can only buy alcohol at select table service restaurants, and it's only a select option.  No spirits available.

• My Quick Service Restaurant Suggestions:  Columbia Harbour House or Peco Bills 

• My Sit Down Restaurant Suggestion:  Be Our Guest and Cinderella Royal Table

• My snack Suggestion:  Gaston Tavern - Warm Cinnamon roll with extra frosting or Aloha Isle - Dole Whip

Damper Dans

Barshop quartet that sings, tap dances and interacts with guests:  https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/magic-kingdom/dapper-dans/ 

Fun Facts on Magic Kingdom

• • It's the smallest park as it's only about 100 acres.

  • Original adult ticket price for the Magic Kingdom was $3.50 per day.

  • There are 999 ghosts in the Haunted Mansion

  • Disney uses all the senses you'll always hear music, you'll always see Disney magic, but they also push different scents into different parts of the park and rides.

  • They try and keep the different area's of the park out of sight from other areas of the park by using foliage, building and signs that are geographically arranged to block your view of other areas.

  • You won't see cast members come and go as they use the utilidor system.

  • A trash can is always within 30 steps of where you are.  And they use an Automated Vacuum Assisted Collection System to collect trash which launches trash at 60 mph to a central collection system.

  • Liberty Oak Tree was originally on Walt Disney's property and is over 140 years old.

  • Liberty Square - there is a brown path that runs through the red pavement to symbolizes the sewage that would have flowed through the streets back in the colonial times.  Also note there are no bathrooms in this area of the park.

  • The gray walls of the castle are made of fiberglass in order to sustain the hurricane weather of Florida.  

  • The trains were built between 1916 - 1928 by Baldwin Locomotive Works and were used on a railroad system in Mexico.

  • Prince Charming Regal Carrousel is the oldest ride.  It was built back in 1917 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company.  The hard-carved wooden horses are originals.

  • Kids see things differently.  For example, the Cinderella water fountain that is located behind the castle can be interpreted VERY differently depending on your age! As an adult, you look at it and see Cinderella glancing down somberly, but kids look up to see her smiling down at them. 

  • In front of the Prince Charming Regal Carousel, just behind Cinderella’s Castle, sits the Sword in the Stone. Many don’t notice it – but those that do try to give it a pull – and try to remove the sword (making for a great photo!). Inspired by the myths of King Arthur, the Sword in the Stone invites guests to try and pull Excalibur—the legendary enchanted sword—from a solid bronze anvil embedded in a great gray boulder. As the legend goes, only someone with honor and inner strength can remove the sword and become the recognized ruler of England! A little secret: While usually nothing happens, once in a great while, the sword is “released” by a cast member with a remote trigger. The sword is lifted out, and a new ruler is crowned from the crowd! 

  • The Magic Carpets of Aladdin ride features a camel that spits water at unsuspecting park-goers. Many think this electronic machine has excellent aim, but think again! There is actually someone sitting nearby the camel that operates it. 

  • It took an act of Congress to install the Presidential Seal in the “Hall of Presidents” attraction. There are only three seals in the world: one in the White House Oval Office, one in Liberty Bell Hall, and one in the “Hall of Presidents” at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World! 

  • The mosaic murals in Cinderella's Castle were designed by Dorothea Redmond. There are 500,000 tiles in 500 different colors, including some made of 14 karat gold. 

  • The moat surrounding Cinderella Castle contains approximately 3.4 milliongallons of water. 

  • Cinderella's Castle is 189 feet tall.  Just below the 200 feet which would require a red light on it for airplanes.

Fun Facts on Main Street USA

• There are smellitizers to pump amazing scents into areas.  You will smell amazing cookies, sweets, popcorn, and other goodies on Main Street.

• Dapper Dans are a barbershop quartet that performs throughout the day.

• around 5:00 pm at the flag pole, cast members select a veteran to participate in a ceremony to lower the flag, it is then folded and presented to the veteran.

• Designed after Marceline, Missouri which is Walt Disney's hometown.

• The buildings appear larger than they actually are.  They use forced perspective to make it look taller than it is.  The features at the top are smaller than they appear.

• It's actually 4 buildings on Main Street, but built to look like independent buildings.

• Inside the Opera House is a roped off bench, which is from Giffith Park where Disney originally conceived the idea for Disneyland.

• There is a hat shop called "The Chapeau" there is a very old telephone.  If you pick it up, you will be eavesdropping on an ongoing conversation.

• The names on the stores are former Disney employees who had a large hand in bringing the Disney parks to life.

• The flags perched atop most of the buildings aren't actual American Flags.  They are missing either one stripe or one star.  That way they don't have to follow the national flag codes.

• People typically walk on the right hand side of the street, so they placed all the food shops on the right side as you enter.  And merchandise is on the left for when you walk out.

• Mailboxes on Main Street are actually working mailboxes with mail pick-up every other day.

• The lamps change from gas to electric as you go down the street.  This feature was done to represent the technology from gas power to the modern age of electricity.

• Outside of Tony's Town Square Restaurant, you will notice two sets of paw prints within a heart.  Those paw prints belong to Lady & the Tramp.  Ask the hostess for an autograph from its famous residents. They will happily go to the back of the restaurant and grab an autograph from Lady and the Tramp! 

• There is a store that advertises music and singing lessons.  If you listen close enough, you can actually hear someone practicing and tap dancing.

• Main Street is not level.  It's an uphill walk when entering the park.  And downhill when leaving the park.

• Sidewalk is red because they wanted to roll out the red carpet for guests.

• The firestation is called Engine Co. 71 because teh park's opening year is 1971.

• Windows on the shops are lower than normal to ensure the little ones would be able to see in without asking parents for a lift.

• There is the Partners statue which is Walt & Mickey Mouse at the end of Main Street USA.  There is an "STR" symbol stamped on the right side which stands for Smoke Tree Ranch in Palm Springs.

Touring Tips

• If you need a place to escape to just to get away from crowds, check out Pinnochio Village Haus - 2nd floor has a great terrace.