Magic Kingdom Park, Orlando, is instantly recognisable by the turrets of iconic Cinderella Castle which dominates the park’s skyline. The amusement park was the first of the Walt Disney World Resort Parks to open in Florida. This fun-filled kingdom is made up of several themed lands, including Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Enchanted Forest and Tomorrowland. The Disney fireworks displays and entertaining parades along Main Street, USA are legendary. No visitor to Orlando should miss out.
The hub of Magic Kingdom is the striking Cinderella’s Castle, and it’s the perfect place from which to discover the rest of the park. Pathways lead away from the castle in several directions. Visitors who don’t fancy walking can make use of Walt Disney World Railroad which circles the 2.4 kilometre park perimeter. Intrepid travellers should head for Adventureland, one of the themed zones. Step into the exotic land of lush vegetation, totem poles and Pacific architecture. Once inside there are Jungle Cruises, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and Tarzan’s Treehouse to explore. Frontierland was based on the old Wild West. A highlight is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a thrilling rollercoaster which traverses in and out of a mountain. Fantasyland features Cinderella’s Castle, plus a variety of carousels and rides all set in a charming Bavarian style village. Favourite cartoon and movie characters meet and greet visitors in Fantasyland, and there are plenty of areas in this zone and all over the park for eating and drinking. Lovers of all things futuristic or sci-fi related should head for Tomorrowland. Visitors will enjoy the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Space Mountain white knuckle ride and myriad Star Wars attractions. Stay late into the evening and marvel over spectacular light shows and firework displays.
Reaching Magic Kingdom is easy to reach by car via Interstate 4 from downtown Orlando. The journey takes 25 minutes, or from International Drive, it’s a 15 minutes’ drive. Walt Disney World Resort accommodations offer boat or shuttle buses to the entrance of Magic Kingdom Park. There are also shuttle buses which operate from other attractions such as Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. If travelling without a vehicle, LYNX buses operate to and from Disney Springs Marketplace, to other theme parks and shopping malls. Taxis, minibus shares and Uber are available from most locations in Orlando.
Magic Kingdom Park opened in Orlando in 1971. Originally Walt Disney wanted underground tunnels to link each of the zones, but Florida’s high water table prevented this. The park is instead built on an elevation of 33 metres. The tagline for Magic Kingdom is “The Most Magical Place on Earth” and many of the 20 million annual visitors who venture here agree wholeheartedly.