Magic Kingdom dedication read by Roy O Disney on October 26, 1971

Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney... and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney's dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place... a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh, and play, and learn ... together.

The Magic Kingdom is the heart of Walt Disney World. When people mention Disney more times than not magic, fantasy, and Mickey Mouse come to mind. The Magic Kingdom is the center of all this. Here illusion comes to life.

Most people confuse the Magic Kingdom with Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom is only one theme park covering only around 100 acres of Walt Disney World's 27,000+ acres . It was the first Disney park opened in Orlando. The Magic Kingdom is basically an enlarged version of Disneyland (CA), for those of you who have visited the original. The two parks share many attractions and have a common layout. When walking around one or the other you will feel hints of similarity, but then realize its quite different. The overall feeling of the two parks is quite different. The Magic Kingdom in Florida is much larger and feels very spread out. While Disneyland feels much more intimate. The other difference is the type of guest you find in the parks. At Disneyland you are much more likely to run into "locals" than you are at WDW.

One other misconception we here regularly is people calling the Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, which it is not..

When going to the Magic Kingdom I think you really need to be aware of the crowds and what they are doing. The difference between a good visit and a great visit to the park is the amount of time you spend waiting in line. I personally hate lines so I avoid them like the plague, but that does not mean that I miss any attractions either. The key is timing and a little luck. First off be warned that Friday and Saturday are generally the busiest days of the week. You must prioritize your goals before you arrive and have a general idea of where everything is and how to get there. The worst thing to do is show up on Main Street in the late morning and have no idea what to do and everyone around you is running for there first destinations and you are trying to read the map. To get acquainted with the park you can visit Disney's Website and look at the maps, or write Disney and they will mail you a guidebook or you can try one of the many books or websites(hint this site) that are out on WDW. Take advantage of Disney's FastPass system and when used properly it does work. Check out the FastPass page for more information and strategies.

Keep in mind that you can do the most in the early morning, late at night, and when it is raining. The rain drives people away from the park, and if you don't mind getting wet it is a great time to see some of the popular attractions. Most attractions are indoors so they do not close down in the rain. Also it is fairly easy to get around without having to walk in the rain the whole way(I am not saying you will be dry, but you won't be soakn' wet either).

In the middle of the day try to go to the really big theaters, shows and/or parades. I think they really add to the overall experience and they sure beat standing in line for an hour or two to go on a one minute ride in ninety degree weather. Another nice thing to do in the middle of the day (if your not rushed on days) is to leave the park and experience some of the surrounding area. Go to the resorts on the monorail line. Take a boat ride on the Seven Seas Lagoon or Bay Lake.

One additional note about the Magic Kingdom is this park attracts the most small children. Yes, WDW is a family destination, but in recent years they have been aggressively marketing to other audiences, and its working. While traveling around WDW you will see a much wider spectrum of demographics. The "younger" demographic at the Magic Kingdom leads to much longer lines in the morning and early afternoon. By night fall many of these young kids are starting to tire out and the lines become much more bearable.

A great way to experience the Disney parks is by taking a guided tour. Disney offers several. Check out our Guided Tours section for more information. The Magic Kingdom's tours are listed below:

Family Magic (2 hr)
Keys to the Kingdom (4.5 hr)
The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains (3 hr)

• The Magic Kingdom opened on October 1, 1971
• Magic Kingdom Park 107 acres
• Magic Kingdom Parking Lot 125 acres
• Contains the 3 highest mountians in Florida 197ft Big Thunder, 180ft Space Mountian and 87ft Splash Mountian

• Spectro Magic has 73 costumed performers and 35 tech drivers
• 200-300 lights per COSTUME totaling approximatly 18,000 lights
• 6 units: magic, wonder, music, fantasy, dreams, and imagination
• 37 floats and drivers
• Electroluminescent panels operate when current excites phosphores fiber optics and chase light
• The main difference from the MSEP and Spectro Magic is that Spectro Magic uses ten different colors of light plus white
  
  
  

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• 2022-08-23 - Disney Enchantment @ Magic Kingdom Updated
  
  
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• 2021-10-03 - Disney Enchantment @ Magic Kingdom (Disney Video & Images)
  
  
• 2021-10-03 - Cinderella Castle Beacon of Magic (Disney Video & Image)
  
  
• 2021-09-24 - New Nighttime Spectacular Disney Enchantment Inspires Guests to Find the Magic in Themselves
  
  
• 2021-09-09 - Disney Fab 50 Character Collection
  
  

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