Magic Kingdom

Amusement park in the United States


Magic Kingdom
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

Name Manufacturer Type Opened
Astro Orbiter Unknown Jets January 15, 1975
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin Arrow Development Tracked Dark Ride 1972
Dumbo The Flying Elephant Arrow Development Jets October 1, 1971
Haunted Mansion Arrow Development Tracked Dark Ride October 1, 1971
It's a Small World Arrow Development Dark Boat Ride October 1, 1971
Jungle Cruise WED Enterprises Boat Ride October 1, 1971
Mad Tea Party Arrow Development Teacups October 1, 1971
Magic Carpets of Aladdin Unknown 2001
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Unknown Tracked Dark Ride 1999
PeopleMover Unknown 1975
Peter Pan's Fight Arrow Development Tracked Dark Ride 1971
Pirates of the Caribbean Arrow Development Dark Boat Ride December 16, 1973
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel October 1, 1971
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure Unknown 2012
Tiana's Bayou Adventure
Formerly Splash Mountain
Walt Disney Imagineering Log Flume October 2, 1992
Tomorrowland Speedway Unknown Track Ride October 1, 1971

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

  1. "Theme parks shut down as precaution". The Star Press. September 11, 2001. p. 34. Retrieved December 22, 2021.

External links


Articles on Walt Disney World
Amusement parks operated by Disney