Disney World Magic Kingdom

If you are planning your Disney World holiday, or if you're just interested in Disney, then check out my other Disney lenses.

Disney World Animal Kingdom Ride Guide - A Guide to the attractions at Animal Kingdom
Disney World Epcot Ride Guide - A Guide to the attractions at Epcot
Disney World Typhoon Lagoon Ride Guide - A Guide to the attractions at the Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
Disney World Hollywood Studios Ride Guide - A Guide to the attractions at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney World Blizzard Beach Ride Guide - A Guide to the attractions at the Blizzard Beach Water Park

More to come!

Image by Flickr Member Jonathan Mc

Disney will put on a special show entitled "Disney's Celebrate America! - A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky" which will be a tribute to America, it's people and traditions. It will include fireworks, pyrotechnics and excellent music and is scheduled for 9pm.

It will be followed by two showings of SpectroMagic, one at 10:30pm and one at 12:30pm.

Image by Flickr Member athena1970

This year there are no new rides planned at The Magic Kingdom but there are some great ones planned at Hollywood Studios.

However, they have decided to continue the Year of a Million Dreams celebrations throughout 2008. To mark this they have introduced some great new prizes including:

• A private breakfast on Main Street USA with nearly all the Disney characters
  
• A ride in a hot air balloon that looks like Spaceship Earth at Epcot
  
• A day at Disney's island in the Bahamas 'Castaway Cay'
  

Obviously loads of the original prizes remain, the Dream fastpasses, overnight stays in the Cinderella Castle, and loads of others!

There's no trick to winning the prizes unfortunately - it's about being in the right place at the right time. The 'Dream Squad' have set days, times and places to give out prizes and if no one's there they roll over to the next one. Good Luck!!!

Image by Flickr Member d4rr3ll

Main Street USA is mainly shops and the awesome view up to the castle so there aren't many rides - well there are pretty much none. Even though there are 3 stations altogether on the Walt Disney world Railroad, I have decided to put it just in this section so as not to cause confusion. Main Street is also the most popular place to view the parade - although it does get VERY busy VERY early.

Walt Disney World Railroad

An old-fashioned steam train ride around the outside of the park. This ride takes about 15-20 minutes, is 1.5 miles long, goes about 10-12 mph and has 3 stations. A recorded narration acts as your tour guide. A good tip is to catch the train from the Main Street station as soon as the parks open - with a bit of luck you can get to splash Mountain before the crowds! This ride is suitable for all the family.

Disabled guests must transfer to a regular wheelchair

It's easy to get carried away at Disney and spend ridiculous amounts of money on your perfect holiday. However, with a few helpful hints you can save some serious cash so here's a few of mine:

• Take water in with you - the stuff in the park is pretty expensive


• Buy a cheap fan before you arrive - the heat will tempt you to buy one of those overpriced spray fans which aren't worth the money and you won't fit in your suitcase to take home!


• Check out the local Disney outlet stores and even Wal-Mart for merchandise as it's generally cheaper than in the parks - they're especially good for t-shirts.


• Hunt around for the best deals on park entrance tickets - you can even get them in Wal-Mart! If you're travelling form the UK then check out the new Ultimate tickets - they give you unlimited access for 2 or 3 weeks and are only available to UK guests.


• Don't link your credit card to your room key - you'll end up spending way more money!


• Think carefully about purchases, that huge plush toy of Buzz Lightyear may seem perfect for your youngest's bedroom but have you got the space (or the baggage allowance) to get it home?


• If you want a picture of the Castle but not necessarily with you in it then buy a postcard!


• Generally, food in the parks is quite expensive so have a big breakfast, perhaps at one of the many all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets then you won't need so much for lunch.

Also, one thing I would definitely recommend for hundreds of money-saving tips is Beth Haworth's Ultimate Disney world Savings Guide. She's a former cast member and she gives some great money saving advice. Just some of the things you can expect to find in her guide are:

• Get a 10 night stay at a 5* Disney Resort Hotel for $1,100 (RRP $3,100)


• Save up to $500 just on entrance tickets and tips on where and when to buy them


• Ideas for rainy days


• How to beat the queues


• Hidden entrances


• Comparing hotels to see which one suits you best


• Where to shop for souvenirs


• The best Downtown Disney attraction


• The best places to eat

There's much, much more than that (it's over 100 pages) and you also get a lifetime of updates - it's updated regularly and you are entitled to receive those updates forever. I would definitely recommend this guide - it makes that Disney dream a little more possible - especially if you're strapped for cash!

Click the image below for more information about this guide.

Image by Flickr member Bokista

Adventureland is a pretty cool place, especially for those boys aspiring to be pirates! It's home to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and you will often find Captain Jack Sparrow lurking around.

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin

This ride is very similar to the Dumbo ride - but obviously with an Aladdin theme! As with the Dumbo ride, the flying carpets are rider-controlled so you can go up and down as you please. Watch out for the camels that 'spit'! It's quite short but the kids will love it and you may find Aladdin and Jasmine nearby if you're lucky.

Disabled guests must transfer to a regular wheelchair

Jungle Cruise

This is a river ride with animatronics as you ride along the Nile, the Amazon, the Congo and the Mekong. You will encounter a variety of animals and natives along the way and it's pretty funny in places. You will pass waterfalls and jets so you might get a little wet. One thing to realise is that the cruise takes 9 minutes - a pretty long ride I think. Young children will probably prefer the cruise during daylight hours but it's pretty cool at night - a little scarier in places though. If your child is the only one on your cruise then the skipper might let them take the wheel!

Fastpasses are available
Disabled guests may remain in their own wheelchair/ECV

Pirates of the Caribbean

This is an indoor boat ride which tells the Pirate's story. It has recently been updated to follow the storyline of the film and the animatronics are amazing - Jack looks like a real person! It is a little scary with some very dark bits and some gun shots but we took a 2 yr old and a 4 yr old (both girls) on it and they were fine. They also often have great children interactions with Jack whilst you wait.

Disabled guests must transfer to a regular wheelchair and then to the ride vehicle.

Image by Flickr Member Pinkpollyanna

This is the wild west of the Magic Kingdom and has some of the good thrill-seeking rides. Pecos Bill's is a great place to eat here and there's a meet and greet with Jessie, Woody and Bullseye from Toy Story 2.

Splash Mountain

This is essentially your classic log flume but really it's much more than that! It tells the story of Brer Rabbit as you go around - not to be missed! You can pretty much guarantee that there'll be long queues but it's definitely worth the wait. You'll get pretty wet but you'll soon dry off in the Florida heat - it's a great way to cool down. Oh, and just in case you're wondering - it's a 5-storey drop!

Minimum height - 102cm (rider switch is available)
Fastpasses are available
Disabled guests must transfer from their wheelchair

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

This is a classic runaway train roller coaster is a must-do. It's pretty fast with some great dips and turns. If you fancy trekking over in between the Wishes fireworks and the second SpectroMagic parade (if there are two) then you can usually get on a couple of times with no queue - and it's great in the dark! It's great for those who are a little too scared for Space Mountain but it is fast enough to keep the thrill-seekers entertained.

Minimum height - 102cm (rider switch is available)
Fastpasses are available
Disabled guests must transfer from their wheelchair

Show Name

Show description

Suitability for Children

Important Information

The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management

Iago from Aladdin and Zazu from the Lion King are the new landlords and Iago is trying to change the show! The Tiki Gods intervene and everyone joins in for a musical finale. Sing-song animatronics show.

Some children may find the goddess Uh Oa frightening, but generally it is fine.

Handheld Captioning (Devices at guest relations). Assistive Listening (receivers at guest relations). Disabled guests can remain in their own wheelchair/ECV.

Country Bear Jamboree

Another animatronics musical show with some classic old-fashioned songs (16 mins).

Great for all the family.

Reflective Captioning. Assistive Listening (receivers at guest relations). Disabled guests can remain in their own wheelchair/ECV.

The Hall of Presidents

Begins with a film about the history of America. This is followed by the unveiling of animatronics versions of each of the presidents who gesture in some way as their names are called. Concludes with speeches from George Bush and Abraham Lincoln (20-25 mins).

Small children may get bored if they do not understand the history.

Reflective Captioning. Assistive Listening (receivers at guest relations). Disabled guests can remain in their own wheelchair/ECV.

Fairytale Garden: Story Time with Belle

Belle retells the story of Beauty and the Beast with a lot of audience participation - great for photographs (20 mins). Belle will pose for photographs and sign autographs after.

Easy to miss but definitely don't, especially if your children love Belle. It is very intimate and the kids love the participation.

Disabled guests can remain in their own wheelchair/ECV.

Toontown Hall of Fame Tent

Private meetings for photographs and autographs with Disney characters. Look at the beginning of the queue to tell you which characters are inside.

This is definitely worth doing if your kids love the characters that are there - but the queues are usually very long.

Disabled guests can remain in their own wheelchair/ECV.

Judge's Tent

Meet Mickey by going through his house into the Judge's Tent. Has a video showing Mickey's Country Fair adventures.

Always worth a visit to Mickey!

Video Captioning (Devices at guest relations). Disabled guests can remain in their own wheelchair/ECV.

Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor

A comedy show which involves several sketches from different monsters alongside images of audience members being given funny captions. The idea is that the audience needs to laugh A LOT to provide power (15 mins).

Great for all the family, although some of the humour may be lost on young children.

Assistive Listening (receivers at guest relations). Disabled guests can remain in their own wheelchair/ECV.

Dream Along with Mickey

A show which is presented in front of the Cinderella Castle. It revolves around happy dreams but Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty appears intent on turning them into nightmares. There's a happy ending though, of course (20 mins)!

Great if your kids love the princesses and the pirates. Beware that there is not really any shade so it can be difficult on hot days.

Disabled guests can remain in their own wheelchair/ECV.

Image by Flickr Member Arranging Matches

Liberty Square is a little taste of America in 1776. There's a great replica of the Liberty Bell to look out for and The Yankee Trader is a really fun kitchenware shop.

Liberty Square Riverboat

This is a steamboat ride round the Rivers of America which takes you around Tom Sawyer Island. It takes about 17 minutes and departs several times a day. One thing to note is that although there are some seated areas, most are standing room only. You can sometimes find Disney characters on the cruise boat - check the park map for times.

Disabled guests may remain in their own wheelchair/ECV

The Haunted Mansion

This is a relaxing drive through the mansion to see dancing ghosts and other special effects. I would consider it a must-do - but then I feel the same about most of these rides! You ride in an egg-shaped "doom buggy" and your "ghost host" explains things as you go around. I think this is one of the best attractions in all of Disney world - although it's essentially a haunted house, it is meant for the whole family. However, parents should note that there are some spooky noises and dark rooms as well as things like spiders, bats, skeletons and tonnes of ghosts! You know your child best so you'll be best to make the decision about whether they'd like it.

Disabled guests must transfer from their wheelchair

Image by Flick Member Joe Shlabotnik

Fantasyland is situated just behind Cinderella's Castle and is my personal favourite as a park area. It's got heaps of cool rides for kids (and us big kids too!) and is home to the infamous It's a Small World ride. It's a proper fairytale setting, every little girl's dream. If you're taking little girls with you, I would strongly recommend trying to get a booking for a meal in Cinderella's castle - be warned though, you have to book pretty early so don't tell the kids until you've got a place!

It's a Small World

The classic! It's a must-do for all the family, a slow and gentle boat ride which takes you on a journey around the world through animatronics. The music is great, but once it's in your head it'll be there for days! Suitable for all the family.

Disabled guests must transfer to a regular wheelchair

Peter Pan's Flight

This is a lovely ride - it is almost totally in the dark so may be a little scary for some children but it's not too quick and doesn't move around too dramatically. You ride in a ship, predictably, over London at night and then on to Neverland! This is one of the most popular rides in the Magic Kingdom and the queues form fast! I would strongly recommend using the Fastpass system for this ride to save a lot of queuing.

Fastpasses are available
Disabled guests must transfer from their wheelchair

Mickey's PhilharMagic

This is definitely a must-see attraction; it's not really a ride but more of a show. It's basically a 3D film with added smellovision! It lasts about 12 minutes and is great for all the family to enjoy. The show included loads of the classic Disney characters, particularly Mickey and Donald Duck. The 3D is combined with winds, smells, vibrations, etc. to make pretty much a 4D experience. The movie is projected on a 180-degree screen - it looks pretty awesome, I LOVE this and it's great for if you need a little time off your feet, the seats are really comfy! I would advise going for the left hand door and trying to get in the first 5 rows for the best view. Tiny children might be better watching without the glasses - the 3D effects can be a little TOO real and it's also quite loud in places - just warn them.

Fastpasses are available
Disabled guests can remain in their own wheelchair/ECV

Snow White's Scary Adventures

You travel in diamond mine cars for this ride and follow basically the story of Snow White. The ride is Snow White themed but the Wicked Witch appears throughout - obviously it's got the happy ending though! I wouldn't wait too long for this ride; if it's got a long queue then I'd leave it out. This ride can be VERY scary for young children, especially with the Witch so I would build up to it and see if you think your kids would cope. There is a danger that if you make this the first dark ride you go on, your children may not want to do anymore!

Disabled guests must transfer from their wheelchair

Cinderella's Golden Carousel

The explanation's in the name really - it's the carousel. It is beautiful though and goes slow enough to get some good photos of the kids if you're watching. It's in Fantasyland where there are loads of rides for the little ones all together. If you've got young kids then it's probably a good idea to set up camp here for a few hours - don't bother taking the pushchairs from ride to ride - they're all pretty close together.

Disabled guests must transfer from their wheelchair

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

On this ride you get to fly riding in Dumbo. It's a bit like the TriceraTop Spin at Animal Kingdom It spins and you can control whether your elephant goes up or down. It's pretty cool and the kids love it - perhaps not straight after lunch though (although it's a pretty wide circle that it spins on). I'd say that most kids would be fine on this ride; generally they love it and want to ride again and again!

Disabled guests must transfer from their wheelchair

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

On this you get to ride in a honey pot - what more can you want! I love this ride and so do kids, it's a storybook ride with all the classic characters; there are some dark bits that are a little scary for the tiny tots but I'd advise taking them on it anyway - they'll love the rest even if they get a little scared in the dark. Also, you bounce like Tigger!

Disabled guests must transfer to a regular wheelchair

Mad Tea Party

The tea cups - I wouldn't advise them straight after lunch! If your child has motion sickness I would advise avoiding this ride though. You may spot characters from Alice in Wonderland near this attraction throughout the day. The lines can also get quite long - try riding early or during the parade times if you've seen them already.

Disabled guests must transfer from their wheelchair

Image by Flickr Member Teny Jr

This area of the park is designed for disney's littlest guests and there's tonnes for them to see and do. They can take a look around both Mickey and Minnie's houses, go to lots of character greetings in the Judge's Tent or the Toontown Hall of Fame (be prepared for huge queues in the afternoon) or even ride on a perfectly downsized rollercoaster made especially for kids.

The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm

This is the only roller coaster in Disney designed specifically for children. It's a great first coaster for a child who wants some excitement. The coaster is themed to be a biplane (a crop-duster) and you finish by safely 'crashing' into one of the barns. It's very short - even with no queue it will probably take you longer to walk through the queue area than it will take to ride it! The queues can get very long so I would advise doing Toontown early in the day - especially if you want to do the character greetings too! I would say that it may be too rough for children under 3, but it depends on the child. Also, you might just find Goofy standing nearby!

Minimum height - 89cm (rider switch is available)
Disabled guests must transfer to a regular wheelchair and then to the ride vehicle

Image by Flickr Member Zesmerelda

Tomorrowland is a glimpse of the future, with space age rides and places to eat. There's something for everyone here - from Buzz Lightyear to Space Mountain!

Tomorrowland Indy Speedway

These are real gas-powered cars that can be driven by anyone who's tall enough - every boy's dream! Riders are strapped in and travel along a 0.4 mile track (it takes about 5 minutes) - spectators can watch from the observation bridge. The queues can be LONG for this ride so try to go early. Also, children who are not tall enough to drive can be passengers. The cars are quite difficult to steer and do remember that inexperienced drivers may stop suddenly or ram you from the back - it's all fun and games though!

Minimum height to drive alone - 132cm
Disabled guests must transfer from their wheelchair

Space Mountain

On this space-age ride you sit in a 6-perosn rocket in single file. It's a fast (gets to about 28mph) rollercoaster in the dark with many twists and turns - great! The queues can be upwards of 2 hours in peak times so use the Fastpasses or get there VERY early. Some children will love it and others will hate it - let them decide!

Minimum height - 112cm (rider switch is available)
Fastpasses are available
Disabled guests must transfer from their wheelchair

Astro Orbiter

This is pretty much like Dumbo but with flying rockets. It often has a long queue so check out the queue for Dumbo or Aladdin if your kids really want a ride like this and go on whichever is shortest! However, it does have an awesome view at night - definitely worth doing if the queue is not too long.

Disabled guests must transfer from their wheelchair

Tomorrowland Transit Authority

This is a 10 minute journey in and around Tomorrowland with spectacular views. One thing to realise though is that you have to step onto a pretty steep conveyor belt to get to the loading platform. Once you're there though the conveyor moves at the same speed as the vehicles so it's easy to get in. it's also a great place to take a look at the queue lengths in Tomorrowland - if you're not sure what to ride next then hop on, rest your feet and make a decision based on the queues! An added bonus is there's usually no queue!

Riders must be ambulatory

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

This ride is great, you ride in twos and you can spin your ship as well as shoot the aliens. At the end you get a grade based on how many points you got - watch out for the secret bulls eye for tonnes of points! It is dark and there's lots of flashing but it's not really scary. If you suffer from motion sickness then try not to spin your ship too much and you should be fine - I was. Little boys will love this one but it's great for all the family. With really little ones, make sure they know how to operate the gun or they won't have much fun. There is a great ride coming soon at Disney's Hollywood Studios similar to Buzz but with 3D!

Fastpasses are available
Disabled guests must transfer into a regular wheelchair

Stitch's Great Escape

This has been adapted from the previous show Alien Encounter to include Stitch and make it more friendly for children. It can pretty much be summed up as it is on the map, a dark, interactive alien adventure. However, all the elements that made it scary are still there - and the harness can be pretty uncomfortable. Children who love Stitch may not be scared but others may be petrified.

Fastpasses are available
May be frightening for children
Minimum height - 102cm (rider switch is available)
Disabled guests must transfer to a regular wheelchair

Image by Flickr Member Joe Shlabotnik