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Magic Kingdom

From The Unofficial DisneyWiki

The Magic Kingdom is a theme park covering 107 acres (433,000 m²) at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Opened on October 1, 1971, it is the most famous of the Florida theme parks. Its layout and attractions are generally similar to those of Disneyland in California, and the park was designed and built by Walt Disney Imagineering.

In addition to the bronze "Partners Statue" of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in front of Cinderella Castle, there is also a bronze statue of Roy O. Disney sitting with Minnie Mouse near the park's entrance.

The Magic Kingdom park is constructed above a series of tunnels called utilidors, short for "utility corridors," used by cast members to reach areas inside and outside the park without being seen by park guests. This means that cast members in Adventureland outfits never have to be seen in Main Street, USA, for example - this comes from an occasion in Disneyland when Walt Disney spotted a Frontierland cowboy strolling through Tomorrowland. The utilidors were built at ground level (due to Florida's high water table) and the area around them was filled in with dirt from the "Seven Seas Lagoon," which was being dug in front of the park, and the Magic Kingdom itself was built on top. This means that, technically, ground level inside the Magic Kingdom is actually on the second story. The utilidors were originally planned to be used for every park, but due to financial constraints were not used in any of the other Walt Disney World theme parks.

Contents

[edit] Attractions

The park contained twenty-three attractions on the day it opened, twenty of them copies of attractions at Disneyland. Today the park map lists forty-eight attractions (though several of these, like the Guest Information Board, probably shouldn't be included in the number) in seven themed "lands." Major attractions are listed below.

The Walt Disney World Railroad runs along the perimeter of the park and makes stops at Main Street, Frontierland, and Mickey's Toontown Fair.

[edit] Main Street, USA

Main Street is lined with shops selling Disney merchandise and park food. The decor is early-20th century small-town America, inspired by Walt Disney's childhood. Main Street is the location of City Hall, which contains a Guest Services counter where castmembers provide information and assistance. There is also a real barber shop here which gives haircuts for a fee. You will also find the flagship Magic Kingdom retailing outlet on Main Street, where you can pick up most things i.e. plush toys, pins - the Emporium.

[edit] Adventureland

  • Swiss Family Treehouse, a large tree with steps and walkways leading high up around it
  • The Enchanted Tiki Room – Under New Management, with Audio-Animatronic birds that sing (the old attraction has been updated to include The Lion King's Zazu and Aladdin's Iago)
  • Jungle Cruise, a boat ride with a skipper who tells jokes to the passengers.
  • Pirates of the Caribbean, a dark ride on a boat through pirate scenes
  • The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, a Dumbo-type spinner ride on flying carpets

[edit] Frontierland

[edit] Liberty Square

Similar to New Orleans Square at Disneyland, the smallest land in the park is based on a American Revolutionary town. The Magic Kingdom's Rivers of America hosts the Liberty Belle.

  • The Hall of Presidents, a show featuring an Audio-Animatronic version of every United States President
  • The Haunted Mansion, a dark ride through a haunted house
  • Liberty Square Riverboats, a colonial ride throught the Rivers of America

[edit] Fantasyland

[edit] Mickey's Toontown Fair

A 'spin-off' from Mickey's Toontown at Disneyland, this area is the location of Mickey's and Minnie's houses, Donald's tugboat, and a county fair tent.

  • The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm, a small steel roller coaster

[edit] Tomorrowland

[edit] Trivia

In Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, Cinderella's own horse is the only one which has a golden bow on its tail. It's in the second rank in from the outside, in the line immediately before the Indian chieftan horse.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is built in the former location of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, based on the 1949 Disney animated film The Wind in the Willows. Fans of the Mr. Toad ride organized a petition in an attempt to prevent it from being replaced, but were unsuccessful. However, the ride contains a picture of Mr. Toad presenting the Toad Hall deed to Owl (look to the left behind the car when you enter Owl's house), and one Mr. Toad car is on display inside the Exposition Hall on Main Street.

Other noteworthy Magic Kingdom attractions which have been removed include "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (based on the film of the same name) and the "Skyway," for which stations can still be seen in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. The "20,000 Leagues" lagoon was left visible for years after the attraction closed, but has recently been drained, filled with dirt, and planted with trees in preparation for a Winnie the Pooh themed character greeting area.

"The Magic Kingdom" is also a nickname for the Disneyland theme park itself. This usage predates the Florida theme park, but Disneyland never officially bore this name. While Disneyland's official nickname is "The Happiest Place On Earth," the official nickname of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is "The Most Magical Place On Earth." This led to the common use in Disneyana literature of the term Magic Kingdom-style, to describe the classic Disney park - with the castle, Main Street etc.

[edit] Former Attractions/Shops

  • Safari Club (1971-1972): Similar to The Frontierland Shooting Hall. Was replaced with Col. Hathi's Safari Club, and later the Island Supply Co.
  • Westward Ho (1971-1973): Gift Shop. Was later replaced by The Country Bear Jamboree queue, the Bearly Country gift shop, and the Prairie Outpost & Supply shop.
  • Flight to the Moon (1971-1975): Show set in a theater themed like a rocket ship. Replaced by Mission to Mars.
  • The WDW Art Festival (1971-1975, 1977): Was an art "festival" located on East Center Street.
  • America the Beautiful (1971-1974, 1975-1979): Circle-Vision 360° movie, identical to the one at Disneyland. Replaced by another CircleVision show, Magic Carpet 'Round the World.
  • Keel Boat Hat Shoppe (1974/1975 - 1978): Soon became the Keel Boat Shoppe.
  • Caverna de los Piratas (1974 - 1980): Became Lafitte's Portrait Deck
  • Liberty Square Riverboat: Admiral Joe Fowler (1971-1980): Damadged in drydock during it's rehab.
  • Mickey Mouse Revue (1971-1980): replaced by Magic Journeys
  • Magic Carpet 'Round the World: Circle Vision 360 movie, replaced by American Journeys
  • If You Had Wings (1972-1987) / If You Could Fly (1987-1989): Omnimover ride, replaced by Delta Dreamflight
  • Mission to Mars (1975-1993): Replaced by ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter
  • Magic Journeys (1987-1993): 3D movie, replaced by Legend of the Lion King
  • American Journeys (1984-1994): Circle Vision 360 film, replaced by The Timekeeper
  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1971-1994)
  • Delta Dreamflight (1989-1996) / Dreamflight (1996) / Take Flight (1996-1998): Omnimover ride, replaced by Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
  • Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (1971-1998): replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  • Skyway (1971-1999)
  • Legend of the Lion King (1994-2002): Replaced by Mickey's Philharmagic
  • ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter (1995-2003): Replaced by Stitch's Great Escape!
  • The Timekeeper (1994-2006): Circle Vision 360 replaced by Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_Kingdom"
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