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Magic Kingdom

Theme Park Guy Rating: 55555
Date Visited:
December 18, 2007 / May 13, 2010

Construction Update May 13, 2010

I was really stunned when Air Traffic Control allowed our helicopter to fly at low altitude over the Magic Kingdom; and I won't forget the wide, unbelieving eyes of the pilot as he told me that this had never happened to him before. The air space above Disney's main park is heavily restricted, probably for security reasons.

So off we went. Leaving the decayed, old Disney water park 'River Country' (closed in 2001) behind, we got a great, close look at the upcoming Fantasyland expansion area and all the good old attraction classics the Magic Kingdom has to offer:


Here we come! Air Traffic Control gives us a few seconds... Here we come! Air Traffic Control gives us a few seconds...

This used to be the River Country water park This used to be the River Country water park

Disney's Magic Kingdom aerial Disney's Magic Kingdom aerial

Disney's Magic Kingdom aerial 2 Disney's Magic Kingdom aerial 2

Splash Mountain from above Splash Mountain from above

Fantasyland expansion Fantasyland expansion

Review December 18, 2007

Here are two reasons why Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom is not the best Disneyland park in the world:

1) Access: the car park is a one-mile walk and boat/monorail ride away from the park's entrance. This takes a lot of time and energy and creates a bottleneck, particularly when the park is busy.

2) It's not as enterprising as Disneyland California, not as beautiful as Disneyland Paris and not as attraction-packed as Tokyo Disneyland. If you make it to Walt Disney World, visit the much more thrilling and unique Epcot and Animal Kingdom parks first: these are the real highlights.

Magic Kingdom's best attractions are: 'Big Thunder Mountain' wild west roller coaster, the very atmospheric 'Splash Mountain' flume ride, 'The Haunted Mansion' ghost train and 'Space Mountain', Disney's trademark roller coaster in the dark. Unique to this park is 'Stitch's Great Escape!' with its awe-inspiring life-like animatronics: there is an alien in one of the queue rooms that keeps on amazing me with its random eye movements! The Stitch ride itself is dynamic, surprising and better than you would expect from the appearance of the room in which it takes place.

It's an amazing theme park and a must visit, but don't make it a priority over the other, more experimental and one-of-a-kind Disney parks around the corner. 


Magic Kingdom from above Magic Kingdom from above

Castle aerial view Castle aerial view

Big Thunder Mountain helicopter view Big Thunder Mountain helicopter view

Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster

On-ride view On-ride view

Big Thunder Mountain Big Thunder Mountain

A Disney classic A Disney classic

Splash Mountain flume ride Splash Mountain flume ride

Approaching the lift hill Approaching the lift hill

Splash Mountain atmosphere Splash Mountain atmosphere

Drastic drop Drastic drop

Dropping faces Dropping faces

Haunted Mansion ghost train Haunted Mansion ghost train

Riverboat ride Riverboat ride

Hall of Presidents attraction starring well-designed president robots Hall of Presidents attraction starring well-designed president robots

Jungle Cruise from above Jungle Cruise from above

Jungle Cruise loading station Jungle Cruise loading station

Jungle Cruise boat Jungle Cruise boat

Elephants on the Jungle Cruise Elephants on the Jungle Cruise

Pirates of the Caribbean building Pirates of the Caribbean building

Pirates of the Caribbean dark ride Pirates of the Caribbean dark ride

Impressive Johnny Depp animatronic Impressive Johnny Depp animatronic

Tomorrowland from above Tomorrowland from above

Tomorrowland entrance Tomorrowland entrance

Space Mountain indoor roller coaster Space Mountain indoor roller coaster

Space Mountain coaster cars Space Mountain coaster cars

Autopia Autopia

Stitch's Great Escape, a world-exclusive attraction Stitch's Great Escape, a world-exclusive attraction

Brilliant animatronics in the Stitch ride queue Brilliant animatronics in the Stitch ride queue

Fantasyland Fantasyland

Tired dad Tired dad

Fantasyland crowds Fantasyland crowds

It's a Small World boat ride It's a Small World boat ride

Magic Kingdom aerial Magic Kingdom aerial

Magic Kingdom aerial, the second Magic Kingdom aerial, the second

The heart of Disney's Magic Kingdom The heart of Disney's Magic Kingdom

Disney castle at Walt Disney World Disney castle at Walt Disney World

Entrance and Main Street Entrance and Main Street

Frontierland section Frontierland section

Tomorrowland looks a bit like Yesterland Tomorrowland looks a bit like Yesterland

Magic Kingdom, Orlando, Florida Magic Kingdom, Orlando, Florida

Castle at night Castle at night