I have been to Disney almost every year since I was 6 months old (I am now 25) and Magic Kingdom is by far my favorite. I don't know if it's because I love all the Disney movies so much and this is where they come to life.. Or because of all the great rides they have. I do know however that when I walk through the transportation and ticket center and get that first glimps of the castle, each and every time, I turn into a little kid again. Although this park doesn't have many "thrill" rides, there is something for everyone!
I'll go land by land and give my opinions on each ride as I have been on every ride in the park numerous times!
Adventureland:
Swiss Family Tree House - Basically, it's exactly as the name suggests, a walk-through the Swiss Family Robinson's treehouse. Some people think it's 'boring' or 'slow' but just look at how Disney pays such attention to details. When my siseter and I were younger, we used to argue over which "room" we would get if we lived in the treehouse. It's a quick little walk and there is almost never a line.
Magic Carpets of Aladdin: Similar to the Dumbo ride in Fantasyland, you board your carpet for a high flying ride above Adventureland. The carpets tilt forward, backward and even to the side. It's a fun little ride, though it's short and the line seems long at times. Watch out for the spitting camels while you're waiting in line or walking by!
Jungle Cruise: A MK classic, this ride has the FastPass option, though if you ride it in the evening, I've never found it necessary to get the FP. (This ride closes at sunset) As you boat down the rivers of the world, you'll see the wonders of the jungle. If you have a good "tour guide" your experience will be that much better. We always get lucky and have really funny tour guides.
Enchanted Tiki Room: I haven't been to see this show in probably 10 years, but from what I remember it was very funny. Since it's been changed over though, I'm not sure how it is but I've heard positive reviews.
Pirates of The Caribbean: This, also a Disney classic is a favorite of my family. While the ride is not exactly like the movie, remember the RIDE came first, then the MOVIE. The movie was loosely based on the ride. They have aded Jack Sparrow in a few parts of the ride and the Davey Jones effect in the beginning is pretty cool. And of course, the scene where the dog is holding the key to the prison cell is featured in the movie. The endtry way down into the ride may seem long but there is some cool things to look at and we usually never wait long for this one.
Also in Adventureland there are a few places to meet the characters. Check your guide maps for locations, but we've seen Timon and Pumbaa, Captain Hook, Aladdin and the Genie here before. As far as dining, if you like tacos, they have the BEST taco salads at El Pirata y el Perico. It's a HUGE shell and you fill it with whatever toppings you want. It's resonably priced too at $7. Adventureland is also home to the famous oh-so-delicious Dole Whips!! If you've never had one, you should try one out!!
Frontierland:
Splash Mountain: One of my favorite rides at MK, or at WDW for that matter, journey to Brer Rabbits Laughin Place on this wet and wild adventure! This ride is pretty long and it's possible to get pretty wet on it. There are 3 smaller drops and then the big drop down into the briar patch. There is music and so many different things to look at on this ride. I leave laughing every time. This ride also has FP and I recommend it as this attraction usually has very long lines!
Big Thunder Mtn Railroad: A somewhat tame roller coaster. There are no steep drops or heights. more camel back hills, small drops and turns, so it's good for all ages. Wind your way through the mountain and the tiny town of Tumbleweed on this runaway mine train. Also a FP attraction, sometimes the line is long, other times it's not. I find this line to go somewhat quick as long as they have both loading docks going.
Rafts to Tom Sawyer's Island: Explore the island of Tom Sawyer. There are bridges, tunnels, caves and even a fort. Aunt Polly's Dockside has some snacks and drinks so you can sit and relax on the water. This attraction closes at sunset I believe.
Country Bear Jamboree: One of the oldest attractions in the park, this is a favorite for everyone. Although the sound isn't as good as it could be, the show is very cute and it will have you singing and clapping along with the music.
Dining in Frontierland, there are a few places I recommend. Pecos Bill cafe has a pretty good chicken wrap and the Liberty Tree Tavern has an excellent character dinner with turkey, potatoes, mac and cheese and all the fixin's for a typical New England style dinner. There is also a shooting gallery and the railroad makes a stop here between SM & BTMR.
Liberty Square:
Haunted Mansion: Another personal favorite. 999 happy haunts live in this ghostly mansion. There is room for 1000 so are you the lucky one? This ride can be scary for small children but it's more fun than anything. Nothing jumps out and grabs you but a few ghosts pop up from behind tombstones. The special effects are pretty great and watch out for hitchiking ghosts! :)
Liberty Square Riverboat: Enjoy a slow ride aboard the riverboat along the Mississippi. This riverboat circles Tom Sawyers Island. New refurbished, this is good for a relaxation time for anyone!
Hall of Presidents: See all of our past leaders in this show. I have not been on this in a very long time so I'm not sure what they have done to update it but if for nothing better, it's air conditioned!!
The Colombia Harbour House is between LS and Fantasyland for typicl theme park faire (chicken baskets, burgers, fish, etc) There is also a nice place in LS where you can have your silouhette drawn our by an artist. My mother still has ours hanging in her living room from when my sister and I were just toddlers.
Fantasyland: This is the area that I find to be most crowded in all of MK because of all the child friendly rides. Do this area first thing or during the 3:00 parade and avoid large crowds of families!
It's A Small World: Everyone knows the song and yes it does play throughout this ride. Ride in a boat and see dancing dolls from countries all over the world. My personal favorite ones are the dolls from Australia and the dolls dressed in white near the end on the ferris wheel and merry-go-round. This is a huge favorite for everyone! Very cute!
Peter Pan's Flight: Soar in a flying ship above scenes from this Disney favorite. This ride almost always has a VERY long line so FP this one of possible. The way the ships appear to be flying is pretty neat and the London scene with all the cars and Big Ben is cool too.
Mickey's Philharmagic: Probably the best 3D show I have seen. Silly little Donald Duck tries to conduct the orchestra but gets thrown into the midst of classic Disney films. The music is great and the effects are wonderful! Don't miss it!
Cinderella's Golden Carousel: Classic carousel ride with beautiful horses all set to the tune of songs from Disney of course! Look for Cinderella's horse... it's the one with the golden ribbon around her tail!
Dumbo the Flying Elephant: Due to the long lines, I have not ridden Dumbo in a few years but it's one of the park favorites! You make your Dumbo car go up and down as you fly above Fantasyland. If the line is long, skip this one and try Aladdin's Magic Carpets instead.
Snow White's Scary Adventure: Journey through scenes from this film and help rescue Snow White from the Wicked Queen. This ride might be scary for small children as there are some dark parts and the witch appears a few times. This ride usually doesn't have a long line so check it out.
Winnie The Pooh: This ride replaced on of my favorites, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (I was VERY sad when they got ride of it!) But this ride is cute and the effects are great. Bounce with Tigger, visit the land of Hefalumps and Woozles and float around in your hunny pot. Children will love this one! This one has a FP and sometimes you need it and sometimes you don't. It all depends on when you arrive to get in line.
The Mad Tea Party: Classic tea cup ride. Look for the mouse in the center teapot. The line for this is usually kinda long and the ride seems very quick (But maybe that's a good thing for such a spinny ride!) Also the topiary of Alice In Wonderland next to the ride is beautiful! You can sometimes meet Tweedle Dee and Dum here too!
Fantasyland has a few places to eat also: Pinnocchio's Village Haus overlooks Small World and has hot dogs, burgers, etc. There are also a few small snack places likes Mrs. Potts Cupboard which is rumored to have pretty good ice cream, though I've never eaten there.
Mickey's Toontown Fair: If you want to meet characters, this is the place to do it. A few years ago, you used to be able to walk right in and meet the characters. Now that everyone knows this is where the characters hide, the lines can be very long. They usually have 3 lines: one for Princesses, one for Pooh and friends and usually one for the classic Disney characters like Chip N Dale and Donald Duck. You can also go to the judge's tent to meet Mickey. They have a small roller coaster there, The Barnstormer and Donald's boat Miss Daisy. There are some other cute things for kids here, a very large shop with lots of Disney things, and the railroad makes a stop here on it's circle around the MK. There is also a path that leads around the back of MTT and comes out near Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. MTT is great for the little ones and to get your character fix.
Tomorrowland:
Indy Speedway: Trek along the speedway in your own little two seater car. The cars aren;t super fast and they're on a track so it's not like you're really driving freely. The line for this is usually very long and I have not gone on this attraction in many years due to that fact. Maybe they should consider FP for this one as well.
Space Mountain: My favorite ride at MK, it's a small roller coaster in the dark with no upside down loops and only a few drops. I think since it's in the dark it seems larger than it really is. I prefer the left side to the right side. Try and get FP for this because this ride always has a long line. Check out the cool space things as you walk through to the boarding area and the comets that fly across the top of the mountain inside look like giant chocolate chip cookies! Space Mountain ranks among my top 10 favorite coasters I've ever been on.
Astro Orbiter: Fly your rocket above Tomorrowland. This ride is very popular with kids but it seems to take forever to load as you have to take an elevator to the loading platform where the ride is. You get a very cool view from the top of Rocket Tower Plaza and this ride is similar to Dumbo but it feels like the rocket leans in when you reach maximum height and I kinda felt like it was going to tip over!
Tomorrowland Transit Authority: A slow moving ride, perfect for when you want to take a load off and just relax. It propels you above Tomorrowland and into the building that houses Space Mountain (perfect if you're trying to get your little ones to try it out as they can view the ride from the TTA) Nothing too exciting and you can usually just walk right on but its prefect to just relax and enjoy some nice views of the park.
Carousel of Progress: This has always been a family favorite and it's unfortunate they only operate it seasonally. It has been closed the past few times we've visited but on our last trip March 2007 it was open! It was better than I remember. Sit back and watch the show in the revolving theater. Although the show is still great, I still enjoy the original "Now is the time, now is the best time" theme song!
Buzz Lighyear's Space Ranger Spin: This ride is great! Sit two by two and compete to see who can hit the most targets. Each target is worth different amounts of points. There is one target that is worth ALOT and the cast member at the entrance to the ride gave us a special blacklight sensitive stamp that had the word of the target on it. All ages can appreciate this ride. This ride uses the FP system and sometimes you need it and sometimes if you hit it just right, the wait isnt too bad (This ride was previously DreamFlight which I LOVED. I was sad to see it go but BLSRS is fun too!)
Stitches Great Escape: A much tamer version of the Alien Encounter ride that was here before. It's kinda gross as Stich flatulates and burps in your face and the shoulder restraints irriate the shoulders but its ok. Probably my least favorite ride in MK. I liked it better when it was Alien Encounter.
I have yet to try Monsters Inc Laugh Floor but I heard it's pretty good.
Tomorrowland has a bunch of dining. We usually eat at Cosmic Ray's Starlite Cafe as it has something for everyone (chicken, burgers, sandwiches, etc) It was get pretty crowded at lunchtime though. There is also the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station and the Plaza restaurant. There is also a yummy hot dog stand in TL (I LOVE hot dogs!) And right outside Cosmic Ray's is a small little place, I forget the name of it that has a very yummy vanilla soft serve swirled with a strawberry slush type thing. It's very good.
As for other dining in the park, I recommend the Crystal Palace character buffet. We had lunch there and it was very good. You get to meet your favorite characters from the Hundred Acre Wood without waiting in line. They come right to you! We've also eaten dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table. This fils up months in advance (as do many of the Disney character dining and sit down places) so book as far in advance as you can! Tony's Town Square is also nice as well. The shops along Main St are great and if you just take the time to look at the all details you will be impressed.
As far as entertainment, there is a little trolley car of singers that go up and down Main St and the show in front of the castle is always cute. The 3:00 parade (I think it's still Share A Dream Come True but I could be wrong) is very cute. If you're not into parades, this would be the time to hit up Fantasyland or any of the major rides as most people do go to the parade. The evening parade is my favorite thing at WDW. SpectroMagic... it's absolutely amazing. The lights and the music and the effects. It's beautiful. We always see it once, if not twice when we visit. Some nights there are two shows and I recommend the later one as families with small children usually head to the earlier one. We watch it right n front of the castle and then make our way down Main St to watch Wishes firewors. The BEST fireworks display I have ever seen. The music they play along with it is great also. I've been on the brink of tears many times as it really makes me see how magical Disney is. Seeing the childrens eyes light up as they watch their favorite characters go by in the parade and then seeing the fireworks... I cannot wait to bring my children here someday, I can only hope they love Disney World as much as me and my family already do!
Make a plan, see the attractions you really want to see and just relax and remember the magic. This REALLY is the happiest place on earth! :)
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
