- The Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland (Part 1)
- The Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland (Part 2)
This is Part 2 of a three-part series about the Fantasyland section of Walt Disney World‘s Magic Kingdom.
Once you step outside Cinderella Castle the enchantment does not end. Beside the castle you may find a special little place called Fairytale Garden where Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) stops several times a day to read a story and mingle with guests. Check the Park Times Guide to find out show times.
Willie the Giant
Moving on from Cinderella Castle, fans of Tinkerbell might want to get there early. The first one to enter Tinkerbell’s Treasures, right on the other side of Cinderella Castle, may awaken the fairy by opening her wooden box on a shelf behind the cashier at the back of the shop. If you are not the first you may still observe the pixie dust trail she leaves as she moves through the shop during the day. Peeking through the first keyhole of the sewing drawer near the front of the shop you can catch a glimpse of her. The shop is divided into the Darling children’s nursery and Captain Hooks ship with the ship’s wheel in the middle.
Across from Tinkerbell’s Treasures you will find Sir. Mickey’s Shop, based on Disney’s version of Jack and the Beanstalk. Looking at the ceiling toward the back you might spot Willie the Giant lifting the roof to peak in the building. Down the street, before reaching Cinderella’s Golden Carousel you will find Excalibur protruding from an anvil just like in the legend of King Arthur. Another little detail, if you look down at the pavement you will find the bricks to be shaped like the blade of a sword.
When you come to Cinderella’s Golden Carousel you should look for Cinderella’s Horse. It is the one with a golden ribbon around its tail. This carousel was made in 1917 at the end of a golden century of carousel building. Discovered in Olympic Park in Maplewood New Jersey after the park closed, it was brought to the Magic Kingdom and refurbished.
Mickey’s PhilharMagic is to the left of the carousel, and it is a show you will not want to miss as Mickey and other well-known characters play in this mixture of music, special effects and 3-D animated film. Perhaps you will catch a whiff of jasmine or apple pie as you watch the show.
Toward the back of Fantasyland you will find Ariel’s Grotto. Your passage from land to under the sea starts with a sandy beach full of shells underfoot. By the time you pass the squirt fountains you will be on your way to Ariel’s home beyond.
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