Fun in Disney World – Orlando, Florida

Posts Tagged ‘magic kingdom’

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.

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 ships wheel in the middle.

Willie the Giant

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 peek 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.

As I am starting this Blog as a new writer the logical place to start is at the beginning. The Magic Kingdom was the first of the Disney World Parks and I believe still one of the most popular for children of all ages. As you enter the front gates of the park you walk down Main Street USA, the most amazing street in the world.

Take A Stroll Down Main Street

This is a place that allows one to suspend the imagination and immerse ones self in another world. The scent of fresh baked cookies welcomes and follows travelers the length of the street, giving a sense of familiarity and comfort as they explore the main street of an old fashioned small town. Walking from block to block the scenery changes subtly, allowing one to anticipate the new adventures ahead. But resist temptation and do not hurry for there is much to see.

One of the things to watch is the progression of streetlamps from gas to electric as you move through time from past toward present. Movie credits roll in the upper windows listing the creative people responsible for this show, advertising the services to be found there and representing the businesses involved in its creation.

Don’t Forget to Stop in Town Square!

Along the way you will run into the Town Square. On the left you will find fire station 71 across from the cinema and the town restaurant, Tony’s from Lady and the Tramp. At the central park there are benches where one can relax in front of City Hall and perhaps have a chat with Goofy. If you are around at 5 pm you will be able to see the flag ceremony, typically performed by veterans or people associated with 9/11.  Afterward the participants receive the flag that’s been taken down and a special pin.

Returning to Main Street one finds an old time General Store on the corner complete with a wall mounted telephone with party line call in progress. Back on the street you will notice Cinderella Castle at the end is much closer and dominates ones attention. Another little detail, barely noticed at first is that the shop windows have been getting progressively lower than normal. This is so small children can see the displays inside.

At the end of Main Street you will have reached the turn of the century with Casey’s Corner, a hot dog stand on one side and Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on the other. Above the Plaza Restaurant Walter Elias Disney’s window faces Cinderella Castle honoring the director of the Show. The master planners responsible for designing the Magic Kingdom are listed below. Beyond Main Street USA you will move into Fantasyland.

Most theme parks these days are extending their traditional summer time high times with holiday specials.  While parks in the northern states close for regular business by October, and only open for Halloween & Christmas on the weekends, Disney World of course is open year round, thanks to the beautiful sunny & warm weather Florida has to offer.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom does celebrate Halloween though!  Not with frightful ghouls and goblins, meant to scare visitors, like some theme parks have catered to.  Instead Disney allows visitors to purchase exclusive tickets for Halloween at the Magic Kingdom, where the younger guests won’t be so scared, and can trick or treat around the Magic Kingdom in their costumes with Mom & Dad.

On certain days during the months of September and October Disney’s Magic Kingdom shuts down to the general public at 7 p.m.  Once the gates shut, then the Halloween fun begins! Children are given special trick or treat bags, and the shops within the Magic Kingdom, along with characters and the staff all get into the spirit of Halloween with the children.  Disney’s “Not So Scary Halloween Party” is definitely a treat for the kids.

From about mid-September until the end of October, the park is decorated in Halloween attire, too.  From the pumpkin statues that greet you as you enter the gates, to the staff’s very “Halloween Themed” uniforms, it’s easy to see that the Magic Kingdom goes all out for this fun holiday.  There’s even special character statues around the center garden area in front of Cinderella’s castle.  From Donald Duck, to Mickey & Minnie Mouse, each has it’s own bronze looking Halloween statue.

For the special Halloween entrance to Disney’s Magic Kingdom for Trick or Treating, check out the Disney World’s event page.

The first time I went to Disney World, like most first time visitors, I constantly had to be correcting myself. I would refer to Disney’s Magic Kingdom as Disneyworld, when in fact Magic Kingdom, is just one of many parks that make up Disney World. Little did I realize just how huge Disney World really is! I wonder if Walt Disney really fathomed everything his dreams would become?

Disney’s Magic Kingdom

This park is of course, Walt Disney’s original theme park in Florida. Based off of his original Disneyland (which opened in 1955) in California, Walt Disney scoured all of Florida to find the perfect spot for Disney World, long before it would open, and unfortunately something Walt never got to see. The oldest of all the Florida attractions, it opened in 1971, and has been the main place people think of when they talk about Disney World. Magic Kingdom features 5 areas, Fantasyland, Liberty Square, Tomorrowland, Mickey’s Toon Town, Frontierland and Main Street USA. Of course right in the middle of it all is the iconic and ever familiar Cinderella’s castle.

Disney’s Epcot

Disney World’s Epcot theme park first opened 27 years ago in 1982, to a bevvy of buzz. EPCOT was something Walt Disney had dreamed of creating long before his death in 1966, but people wonder what does Epcot really mean?  Well it stands for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow”.  The next question people usually ask is “What is that huge round silver ball at the entrance?”

The attraction that was the centerpiece of Epcot soon became the theme park’s icon. Spaceship Earth is one of the many attractions in the Futureworld section of Epcot that gives visitors a glimpse into what tomorrow might bring us. This section of Epcot is divided into “Innovations East” and “Innovations West”. For those who’d rather keep their feet on the ground, and yet feel like they are traveling a bit, Epcot features World Showcase which surrounds World Showcase Lagoon. The space of this section is 1.2 miles and features food and entertainment, along with attractions featuring such countries as Mexico, France, Italy, Germany, America and a lot more.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Originally opened in 1989 as Disney-MGM Grand Studios, this park invites visitors to step into the world of movie making and entertainment. From Narnia to ToyStory, Indiana Jones to Star Wars, and even fan of those old black and white movies, most visitor’s are likely to find a favorite section of Disney’s Hollywood Studios to make them feel like they can escape and enjoy for a while. At the center of it all is a giant replica of Mickey’s Magical Sorcerer’s Hat, but other sections of this theme park include: Hollywood Boulevard, Streets of America, Pixar Place and Sunset Boulevard.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The newest of the 4 major theme parks that are part of Disney World, opening in 1998, Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park is for those visitors that would love to have the experience of a safari, without the 10+ hour plane ride to get to Africa to do it. In size, Animal Kingdom is 5 times the size of Magic Kingdom. But don’t worry, most of the space in Animal Kingdom is reserved for our animal friends. When entering this theme park visitors are greeted with the Oasis area, but can then move on to Camp Minnie-Mickey, Discovery Island, Africa, Asia and last but not least Dinoland.

With four parks, you need more than a day to get to them all, but wait, those are just the theme parks, there’s even more to Disneyworld! Disney World includes water parks, sports complexes, shopping areas and a lot more. In part 2 of our series of “What Makes Up Disney World” we’ll be covering such other attractions as Typhoon Lagoo, Blizzard Beach, Downtown Disney, Disney’s Wide World of Sports and a bit more!