Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is the centerpiece of Walt Disney World. As such, it is busier and sometimes more chaotic feeling than the other parks at the resort. The park is divided into six themed lands: Main Street, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

Lands & Attractions

Main Street, U.S.A.AdventurelandFrontierlandLiberty SquareFantasylandStorybook CircusTomorrowland

• Walt Disney World Railroad
• Main Street Vehicles

• Jungle Cruise
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
• Swiss Family Treehouse

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade
• Country Bear Jamboree
• Tom Sawyer Island

• The Haunted Mansion
• The Hall of Presidents
• Liberty Belle Riverboat

• The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Mad Tea Party
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• It’s a Small World
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic

• The Barnstormer
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant

• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• The Peoplemover (formerly the WEDWay Peoplemover and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority)
• Space Mountain
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tron Lightcycle Power Run
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

I’m Walking Right Down the Middle of Main Street, U.S.A.

After the curtain rises on the Magic Kingdon, visitors take a step back in time to an era when horseless carriages and horse-drawn trolleys co-existed and when the steam train was still the center of town.

Main Street U.S.A. is based on Walt Disney’s hometown of Marceline, Mo. Though it is not set in a particular year, it is roughly the turn of the century.

In the Magic Kingdom, Main Street U.S.A. is essentially a gateway to the park, as everyone must pass through the themed land as they enter the park. Main Street U.S.A. begins at the train station and town square and ends at Cinderella Castle and the hub.

The design of Main Street U.S.A. uses what is known as forced perspective to not only make Cinderella castle look taller but to also make the buildings along Main Street look taler.

The second story of the buildings along Main Street is about 5/8 the height of the first floor, and the third floor is about 5/8 the height of the second floor. This is quite apparent when riding the double decker bus along Main Street.

Unlike many of the other lands throughout the Magic Kingdom, Main Street has very few attractions and is primarily built around shopping and dining. However, it does have some of the most memorable attractions, including the Walt Disney World Railroad, the horse-drawn trolleys and antique vehicles.

Over the years, several other attractions have been removed to make room for more shopping, including the Penny Arcade and the Main Street Cinema. Also, the west side of Center Street was removed circa 2001 to allow for an expansion of the Emporium.

At 189 feet tall, Cinderella Castle can be seen from miles away, and that’s just what Walt Disney wanted.

As guests approach the Magic Kingdom, they’ll see Cinderella Castle, which doesn’t greet people traveling to Disneyland. That park’s Sleeping Beauty Castle stands 77 feet tall.

Cinderella Castle was completed in July 1971, more than a month before Walt Disney World opened to the public on Oct. 1, 1971. It was to contain a suite for Walt Disney, but it wasn’t completed as originally envisioned after Disney died in 1966.

Contrary to many people’s belief, no bricks were used in building the castle. The castle was built using steel and concrete.

Max poses circa August 2001.

The Magic Kingdom (Photo by Todd DeFeo, used with permission)

A December 2020 view of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. (Photo by Todd DeFeo)