Magic Kingdom Tomorrowland

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This is a bit of Disney History. Originally debuting in New York at the 1964 World's Fair, Walt Disney created this exhibit to be included in a General Electric Exhibit titled Progressland. It opened in Magic Kingdom in 1975.

You enter a circular auditorium of which you can only view a segment at a time. The story is told on stage by Audio-Animatronic figures forming a family.

You first see them in the 1920's and follow the progress of the family through time to the present day.

This is seen by many as very dated, but it is certainly worth a visit for nostalgic reasons. The ride does not operate all year round and is only open during the busier peak times.

Queues are usually short.
Length of ride : approx 20minutes.

My Daughters verdict : I want to go somewhere else!

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is great fun no matter how old you are. Many people (especially those with kids) would rate this as one of the best rides in Magic Kingdom, if not Disney.

Basically you sit in a car that you can rotate whilst you shoot lasers in a battle with the emperor Zurg. The ride is made much better by the fact that as you shoot the aliens and other targets you rack up points. Who will score the most?

The cars are designed to take two people and are fitted with two laser guns and a rotation joystick.

You pass through 13 different zones and are presented with a score and a ranking at the end of the ride. There are numerous ways of increasing your score eg moving targets score more.

Photos are available on this ride.
Fastpass is available on this ride.

My Tip: Get there as soon as the park opens, you should be able to ride 2 or 3 times before the queue builds.

Length of ride : 4 minutes.

My Daughters verdict : I beat you! Can we go again?

Disney have tried to bring an old ride upto date and some people will like this, whilst others will see it as cheap-skate. Visit the show and make up your own mind.

Sit at the front and you may get alien spit on you!

Minimum Ride Height 40"/102cm

My Daughters verdict : Can we go somewhere else?

Length of show : approx 18minutes.

The Laugh Floor is Disney's latest addition to Tomorrowland. It is an interactive comedy show featuring characters from Monsters Inc.

Kids will love this show, especially if they like taking part or if they want to see their Mother or Father embarrassed.

Esentially Monsters Inc have found that energy can be created from Laughter and they need to collect laughter from the audience. So the jokes and gags start to flow.

Video cameras home in on unsuspecting members of the audience and either feature them as part of the show or ask them to tell a joke. Mike Wazowski is your host and the technology employed really makes it appear that he is on stage talking with the audience.

Jokes can be texted before hand and if you are fortunate your joke may feature in the show. If your kids are the type to volunteer and get picked then you may want to make sure they are already primed with a suitably clean joke.

If you don't like the thought of being in the limelight you may want to try and get out of this one.

Show length : about 15minutes.

My Daughters verdict : Howdo I get picked?

This is great for all those budding racers, although nothing like the Karts that you can try elsewhere outside of Disney.

You get to drive a real gas (petrol) powered car around the track. Length of the track is about 0.4mile and you get to travel at upto about 7mph.

There are four lanes each with its own guide rail which keeps you on the right route. There is steering in the vehicle but the geometry of this means that no matter how hard you try the car will always take ages to react to your input and then imediately over compensate. This means that you are always bouncing along the rail.

Queues are long for this ride and the wait to exit the car can sometimes be nearly as bad. Typically the right hand lane of the queue as you approach the bridge is quicker than the left hand lane. This is especially true in less busy times when they only have 3 of the 4 races lanes open and the left hand queue is all directed to a single race lane.

Anybody can drive, so many parents take their children on the ride and let them steer whilst they operate the gas pedal. Children can ride alone if they meet the 132cm minimum height requirement.

Minimum height to ride alone 52"/132cm.

My Daughters verdict : Can I drive?

Whilst Space Mountain is now quite an old ride it still ranks up there with the best that Disney and indeed Florida has to offer.

Some of the effects are now getting a little dated, but this just adds to the overall effect and makes the ride that bit more memorable.

Queues can be long for this ride, often over 2 hours long. Fastpass is available but runs out quickly. Either be prepared to queue or ride early or late in the day. One advantage is that most of the queue is inside so you do not have to stand in the sun for long periods.

The approach seems to go on forever, but you will eventually come to the launch area where the line splits in to two.

The ride from both launch pads is very similar, and it would only be a true expert who could tell you of any differences. I have rode both sides many times and enjoyed every single ride.

If you are riding as a couple, keep your eyes open as often the ride loaders will be looking for couples to fill the cars and this can get you on the ride a couple of minutes earlier.

The ride is reasonably fast, and seems faster than it actually is because most of the ride takes place in the dark.

You ride in a two car chain, each car holding 3 people in single file. Watch all the stars fly by as you travel through space.

After you exit the ride there is a long moving walkway to take you after ride area. Be sure to observe yourself in the video cameras as you move along this route.

There is an after ride area which is great for non riders to hang out in and wait. There are video games and the usual array of related gifts available.

Once you have been on Space Mountain, you will most surely want to ride again and again.

If Space Mountain is shut down for any reason, check with a cast member how long it is likely to be non-operational, this can be a good way to get to the front of a short line.

Also if Space Mountain is shut down, take a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. This travels all round Tomorrowland but more importantly it travels around the inside of Space Mountain. If they have technicians working on the ride there is a good chance that the flood lights will be on and you can get to see whole ride in all its glory.

Length of Ride : 2 minutes 30 seconds
Fastpass is available.
Minimum Height 44"/112cm
Disabled guests must transfer

My daughters verdit : Great, can we go again!

Astro Orbiter has got to be approaching the ultimate for what is basically a carosel. This said it is definitely not for the timid.

You approach this ride by taking an elevator up to the loading area. The cars seat two people and once you are on your way you can raise and lower the car yourself.

The views from this ride are amazing. You can see over the whole of the Magic Kingdom and beyond. It is worth taking the ride for the views.

The ride spins at 11 revolutions a minute so consider young children before letting them ride.

Queues can be long for this ride, although once you have reached the elevator, lack of space above means that you then only have a short wait.

Length of ride : 1 Minute 30 Seconds
Disabled Guests must transfer.

My daughters verdit : Good ride, want to go again.

The Tomorrowland Transit Authority was opened in 1975. It was Walt Disney's vision of local transport in the future. It is driven by a series of linear inductors which uses the principle of magnetism to propel the vehicle along the track.

You board your car from a moving walkway and take your seat and sit back. Each car will carry 4 people comfortably, 2 facing forward and 2 facing rearwards.

The tour takes a leisurely route all around Torrowland, take time to watch what is happening in Space Mountain, you will see the luminous stripes on the side of the cars as they travel through space. If Space Mountain is broken down, there is a chance that the floodlights will be on and you will see the ride in its full glory. Then watch the Buzz Lightyear attraction. This is a good opportunity to identify some of the harder to reach targets.

The ride takes about 10 minutes and it can be a good way of getting a short rest from the walking that you would otherwise be doing.

The Ride is accessed by a moving walkway which is on quite a steep slope. It is certainly worth holding on to small children as you exit the ramp as they can easily fall on their way down.

Queues tend to be short and the continuous loading means that any queue will move quite quickly.

Length of Ride : 10 Minutes

My Daughters verdict : Do we have to go again?

Magic Kingdom Guide     Epcot Guide     Animal Kingdom   Hollywood Studios
Adventureland                 Epcot Dining
Frontierland                     World Showcase
Liberty Square
Fantasyland
Tomorrowland
Mickey's Toontown Fair
Main Street USA