Magic Kingdom Rides

There are so many rides and attractions it is difficult to know where to start. But perhaps we should start at the very beginning! Walt Disney was fascinated with steam trains so he designed the Magic Kingdom to have a train track running all the way around the theme park.
When you enter Magic Kingdom the first attraction that you see is Main Street Station. Take a leisurely trip around the Magic Kingdom - go full circle or hop off at one of the stations.

Try as you might you will never get that theme tune out of your mind. The theme song was originally recorded in 1964 and is one of the most beloved of the Disney theme park songs.

It's A Small World actually debuted at the 1964-65 World Fair ( a concept training ground for many of the Walt Disney World theme park attraction ideas). It then debuted in a Disney park at Disneyland in California. It was one of the original rides when Walt Disney World opened in Florida in 1971.
This 11 minute ride is located in the Fantasyland area of the park.
It is a gentle boat ride which takes you on a happy tour of the world through dancing, singing dolls representing many of the nations of the World. It's a 'world of laughter a world of tears' with a message of hope that all nations have a common bond.
Love it or loathe it - the It's A Small World ride will always be at Disney World.

Snow White's Scary Adventures is a dark ride at the Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris theme parks. Located in Fantasyland, it is one of the few remaining attractions in any of the parks which was there on Disneyland's opening day in 1955. The ride's story is based on Disney's Snow White Movie.
Disney guests travel through the two and a half minute attraction in mining cars - the whole feel of the ride is a little like a ghost train attraction. The Evil Queen relentlessly pursues Snow White.
Be warned! This ride can terrify small children. The images of the Evil Queen are extremely vivid and are repeated many times over. Yes, Snow White does have a happily ever after ending, but by this point your young child may be too upset to notice!

The 9 minute Jungle Cruise was one of the first rides not based around a Disney animated movie. Originally in Disneyland, the ride made it to Magic Kingdom for it's opening day.
Disney World guests cruise around in a large boat with their own Jungle Cruise guide. They encounter elephants, alligators, hippos and monkeys. The Jungle Cruise guide script is dated and so is the technology but this is still a ride worth seeing. The lines will confirm that this is still a popular Magic Kingdom ride!
Walt Disney originally wanted to use live animals but soon realised that wild animals could not be counted on to perform and be in the right place at the right time! So the Imgaineers created animotronics wild animals for the Jungle Cruise. Walt's original idea was used much later in the whole Animal Kingdom theme park where new technology and ideas allow animals and guests to be separated.
The script for the Jungle Cruise guides is cheesy at best, and some of the technology looks very dated ( it is)! But the appeal of the Jungle Cruise is it's rustic charm. A great Magic Kingdom ride for all the family ( except perhaps the most cynical of teenagers)!

Yo ho ho it's a pirates life for me. Or so the song goes on this very popular 7 minute Magic Kingdom ride.

This has been a Disney favorite for many years, debuting in Disneyland. It debuted in 1973 in Magic Kingdom - not opening day as Disney thought that guests would not be interested in Florida as they were too close to the real Caribbean.

Guests are transported on an indoor cruise through various pirate animotronics scenes. It is a dark ride with a very catchy tune. It is an extremely popular ride and you will experience very long lines at busy times. You can get a Fast Pass and you really should. Be aware that young children can find it scary. My 5 year old will not go anywhere near it. The start is a small water plunge in the dark which is followed by scenes of pirate battles.
The rides popularity has been boosted by the success of The Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

No visit to the Magic Kingdom is complete without a journey on Space Mountain. This roller coaster in the dark is a definite 'must do' at Disney World.

Autopia is a very popular ride and there isn't a Fast Pass - so you could be in a for a wait. But it is worth it. There is something about this classic Disney Magic Kingdom ride that makes it a favorite. You drive along in your own car around a track. This is one of the classic Magic Kingdom rides which was taken from the design in Disneyland.

Photo By Kind Permission of Michael Gray

This is a fun roller coaster that is great for all the family - provided you are over 40" tall. Ride through hair pin bends, travel through caves and hot springs, and a flooded town. Big Thunder Mountain travels at 36 mph but there are no big drops to really scare you - so it is a good first roller coaster for a child or faint hearted adult!

Want to feel that you are going faster - sit at the back! If you have ridden Big Thunder Mountain in the day try it at night too - the atmosphere is very different and the effect is better as you can't see the twists and turns coming!