This article is about the Magic Kingdom, a theme park. The Magic Kingdom is also a reference for every Disneyland Park around the world. For the band Magic Kingdom, see Magic Kingdom (band).

The Magic Kingdom is a theme park covering 107 acres (433,000 m²) at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company, through its Walt Disney Parks and Resorts unit. Opened on October 1, 1971, it is the most famous Florida theme park and is credited with beginning the Floridian tourism boom. Its layout and attractions are generally similar to those of Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, and the park was designed and built by WED Enterprises. Because Disneyland was still the name of both the park and hotel complex during the planning of the Walt Disney World resort, it was decided that it would be wrong to have a Disneyland Park in the Walt Disney World resort, thus it was settled that the theme park would be called The Magic Kingdom, for the Walt Disney World resort would most certainly expand with both more theme parks and hotels in the years to come, however the Magic Kingdom was also a reference to Disneyland Park, even though it was never officially called that.

Dedication

May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place... a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn -- together." - Roy O. Disney, October 1, 1971

Areas of the Magic Kingdom

The park contained twenty-three attractions on the day it opened, twenty of them copies of attractions at Disneyland. Today the park map lists forty-eight attractions (though several of these, like the Guest Information Board, probably shouldn't be included in the number) in seven themed "lands."

The Walt Disney World Railroad runs along the perimeter of the park and makes stops at Main Street, Frontierland, and Mickey's Toontown Fair.

Main Street, U.S.A.

Main Street is lined with shops selling merchandise and food. The decor is early-20th century small-town America, inspired by Walt Disney's childhood. City Hall contains the Guest Relations lobby where cast members provide information and assistance. A real working barber shop gives haircuts for a fee. The Emporium carries a wide variety of Disney souvenirs such as plush toys, collectible pins, and Mickey-ear hats. Tony’s Town Square and the Plaza Restaurant are sit-down restaurants. Casey's Corner is at the end of Main Street and sells traditional American ball park fare including hot dogs & fries. In the distance beyond the end of Main Street stands Cinderella Castle. Though only 180 feet (55m) tall, it benefits from a technique known as forced perspective. The (fake) second stories of all the buildings along Main Street are shorter than the first stories, and the third stories are even shorter than the second, and the top windows of the castle are much smaller than they appear. The resulting visual effect is that the buildings appear to be larger and taller than they really are.

In addition to the bronze "Partners Statue" of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in front of Cinderella Castle, there is also a bronze statue of Roy O. Disney sitting with Minnie Mouse near the park's entrance.

Adventureland

Adventureland represents the mystery of exploring foreign lands. It is themed to resemble the remote jungles in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and the South Pacific.

Frontierland

Frontierland is where guests can relive the wild west -- from cowboys and indians, to exploring the mysteries of the Rivers of America.

Liberty Square

This area of the park is based on an American Revolutionary town. The Magic Kingdom's Rivers of America hosts the Liberty Belle river boat.

Fantasyland

In the words of Walt Disney: "Fantasyland is dedicated to the young at heart and to those who believe that when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true."

Fantasyland is themed in a medieval-faire style.

Mickey's Toontown Fair

An expansion of the expansion Mickey's Birthdayland and Mickey's Starland, this area is the location of Mickey's Country House, Minnie's Country House, and Donald's Boat.

Tomorrowland

In the words of Walt Disney: "Tomorrow can be a wonderful age. Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come. The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future."

Tomorrowland is themed to be a futuristic bustling spaceport.

Trivia

• "The Magic Kingdom" is also a nickname for the Disneyland theme park itself. This usage predates the Florida theme park, but Disneyland never officially bore this name. While Disneyland's official nickname is "The Happiest Place On Earth," the official nickname of the Magic Kingdom is "The Most Magical Place On Earth." This led to the common use in Disneyana literature of the term Magic Kingdom-style, to describe the classic Disney park - with the castle, Main Street, etc.

• Up until the early 1990s, the Magic Kingdom was officially known as the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom, and was never printed without the Walt Disney World prefix. This was to differentiate between the park and Disneyland in California, which was and is also commonly referred to as the Magic Kingdom. Between the opening of the Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney acknowledged the growing need for consistent theme park names - EPCOT Center was renamed in 1994 to Epcot, and gradually the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom dropped the prefix and became the Magic Kingdom Park.

• Cinderella Castle, along with the entrance plaza in front of the Main Street Train Station, are two of the most photographed icons at Walt Disney World. At one time, it was said that Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland was the most photographed building ever, but that designation is open to debate, with Big Ben, the CN Tower, and the World Trade Center also laying claim to that title in various online discussions.

• 2005 saw the release of a novel set inside the Magic Kingdom, The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson. The novel is authorized by Disney, and sees a group of teenagers searching for treasure in the park following clues laid by Walt Disney and his Imagineers. Another novel that takes place inside and around the Magic Kingdom is Cory Doctorow's 2003 science-fiction book Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom.

• The Magic Kingdom park is constructed above a series of tunnels called utilidors, short for "utility corridors," used by park employees (cast members) to reach areas inside and outside the park without being seen by park Guests. This means that Cast Members in Adventureland outfits never have to be seen in Main Street, USA, for example - this comes from an occasion in Disneyland when Walt Disney spotted a Frontierland cowboy strolling through Tomorrowland. The utilidors were built at ground level (due to Florida's high water table) and the area around them was filled in with dirt from the "Seven Seas Lagoon" which was being dug in front of the park, and the Magic Kingdom itself was built on top. This means that, technically, ground level inside the Magic Kingdom is actually on the second story. The utilidors were originally planned to be used for every park, but due to financial constraints they were not used in any of the other Walt Disney World theme parks, except for a small network of utilidors in the Future World area of Epcot.

• The Magic Kingdom itself is the setting for the Disney on Ice play, Disney Presents Pixar's The Incredibles in a Magic Kingdom Adventure.

External links

• Walt Disney World Resort - Magic Kingdom web page
• WDW Photos and Videos on Theme Park Review

Disney parks and attractions | Walt Disney World Resort | 1971 establishments

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