Location | Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA |
Status | Operating |
Opened | October 1, 1971 |
Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
Operator | Disney Parks, Experiences and Products |
General manager | Phil Holmes (vice-president) |
Operating season | All year-round |
Area | 107 acres (43.3 ha) |
Website | http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/magic-kingdom/ |
Magic Kingdom is the first of Walt Disney World's four amusement parks. The park opened on October 1, 1971, five years after the death of Walt Disney himself. The park was the most visited amusement park of 2018, with over 20 million visitors.
History
Walt Disney World was opened on October 1, 1971. The park had 23 attractions, only three of which were not copies of those from Disneyland. The park was split into six themed areas: Main Street, U.S.A., Tommorowland, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Liberty Square. Liberty Square was the only one of these areas that was not copied from Disneyland.
Magic Kingdom and the rest of the Walt Disney World Parks were closed on September 11, 2001 following the terrorist attacks.[1]
Themed Areas
Main Street, U.S.A. is the first area entered upon walking through the park's entrance. This area is designed to combine the architectual styles from all over America into one condensed location. Main Street, U.S.A. does not feature any rides, but contains many gift shops and confectionaries, and is the area through which daily parades travel through. Some points of intrest are a barber who will cut hair for a fee; Guests Relations; and The Emporium, a giant gift shop contianing a plethora of Disney merchandise. In the distance from Main Street, U.S.A. lies Cinderella's Castle, the centerpiece of Magic Kingdom. The castle was designed as a living space for Disney himself before his untimely death, and is now rented out as a hotel room for very high prices. The castle lights up in different colors throughout the night and often features fireworks.
Adventureland is located at a far edge of the park. This section is designed to resemble jungles of many different countries, such as Africa and South America. One section is themed as a Caribbean town square. Some of the notable attractions in this area are the Jungle Cruise and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
Frontierland is located on the borders of the park and is designed to resemble the Old West. The area lets its guest explore the Old West, from cowboys to indians. This section contains Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain.
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 aimed towards a younger audience and features the appearances of many disney characters from Snow White to Cinderella. This area is undergoing major renovations for the 2013 season, including the addition of a new roller coaster. An area similar to this, Storybook Circus is expected to open by 2012. Storybook Circus revolves around the Mickey Mouse related characters and is a renovated version of the previously closed Mickey's Toontown Fair. This area will feature the refurbrished roller coaster The Great Goofini (previously The Barnstormer).
Tommorowland is located on the far right side of the park. With a futuristic theme, Tommorowland contains the most amount of attractions compared to other areas of the park. This area is themed to show a view of the future from the eyes of people living in the 1950's. It is heavy in appearances of UFOs, rockets, and robots. Some notable attractions include Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.
Roller coasters
Present (5)
Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened |
---|---|---|---|
Barnstormer | Vekoma | Family | 1996 |
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | Arrow Dynamics | Mine Train | 1980 |
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train | Vekoma | Sit-Down | 2014 |
Space Mountain | Arrow Dynamics | Twin Enclosed |
1975 |
Tron Lightcycles Power Run | Vekoma | Launched Motorbike |
2023 |
Attractions
Present
Defunct
Name | Manufacturer | Type | Opened | Closed |
---|---|---|---|---|
Snow White's Scary Adventures | Arrow Development | Dark Ride | October 1, 1971 | May 31, 2012 |
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | WED Enterprises | Submarines | October 14, 1971 | September 5, 1994 |
Skyway | Von Roll | Ropeway | October 1, 1971 | November 10, 1999 |
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride | Arrow Development | Dark Ride | October 1, 1971 | September 7, 1998 |
References
- ↑ "Theme parks shut down as precaution". The Star Press. September 11, 2001. p. 34. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
External links
- Magic Kingdom on the Roller Coaster DataBase.
Disney | Amusement parks operated by|||||||||
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Walt Disney World (Florida) | |||||||||
Disneyland Resort (California) | |||||||||
Disneyland Resort Paris | |||||||||
Tokyo Disney Resort | |||||||||
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort | |||||||||
Shanghai Disney Resort | |||||||||
Cancelled projects |