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
| Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Main Street, U.S.A. | Main Street, U.S.A. is the first area entered upon walking through the park's entrance. This area is designed to combine architectural 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 interest are a barber who will cut hair for a fee; Guests Relations; and The Emporium, a giant gift shop containing 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 | Adventureland is located at the far edge of the park. This section is designed to resemble the jungles of many different countries, such as Africa and South America. One section is themed as a Caribbean town square.
Some notable attractions in this area are the Jungle Cruise and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. |
| Frontierland | 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 Tiana's Bayou Adventure. |
| 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 aimed towards a younger audience and features the appearances of many Disney characters from Snow White to Cinderella.
The area is split into three sub-sections - Castle Courtyard, which houses most of the surviving opening day attractions, Enchanted Forest, which houses the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Storybook Circus, which houses an expanded version of Dumbo The Flying Elephant and the Barnstormer. |
| Liberty Square | Liberty Square is inspired by a colonial American town set during the American Revolutionary War.
The Haunted Mansion is located in this area, alongside the Hall of Presidents. |
| Tomorrowland | Tommorowland is located on the far right side of the park. With a futuristic theme, Tomorrowland 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 appearance 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 | Sit-Down | 1996 |
| Big Thunder Mountain Railroad | Arrow Dynamics | Sit-Down | 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 | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | WED Enterprises | Submarines | October 14, 1971 | September 5, 1994 | Scrapped |
| Donald's Boat | Unknown | Walk-Through | June 29, 1996 | February 11, 2011 | Scrapped |
| Mickey's Country House | Unknown | Walk-Through | June 18, 1988 | February 11, 2011 | Scrapped |
| Minnie's Country House | Unknown | Walk-Through | June 29, 1996 | February 11, 2011 | Scrapped |
| Mr. Toad's Wild Ride | Arrow Development | Dark Ride | October 1, 1971 | September 7, 1998 | Scrapped |
| Skyway | Von Roll | Ropeway | October 1, 1971 | November 10, 1999 | Scrapped |
| Snow White's Scary Adventures | Arrow Development | Dark Ride | October 1, 1971 | May 31, 2012 | Scrapped |
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.
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