Back to childhood in the Magic Kingdom

Anyone who visits theMagic Kingdom Parkcan once again – and quite uninhibitedly – indulge in memories of their childhood. The big, shining eyes of your own children reinforce this feeling many times over and in the evening, despite all the exhaustion, it is clear: that was a fairytale day. The most popular park in the Disney World Resort was opened in 1971 and attracts as many visitors every year as the three other Disney parks combined.

The highlights at a glance

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The magical theme worlds in the Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is divided into six lovingly designed themed areas – each a world of experiences in its own right. From nostalgic streets and tropical adventures to fairytale castles and space missions, each area offers unique attractions, shows and encounters with well-known Disney characters. Whether adrenaline, nostalgia or family experience – everyone will find their favorite place here.

Cinderella Castle takes center stage

On arrival at the ample parking spaces, a small train takes visitors to the Ticket + Transportation Center. From here, the journey continues by ferry across a small lake or by monorail. Either way, the fairytale “Cinderella Castle”, which is the heart of the Magic Kingdom, can be seen for the first time.

During the day it is the perfect photo opportunity, and in the evening the stage for the spectacular “Happily Ever After” show with projections, music and fireworks.

The ferry ride is nicer, but takes longer. You should allow around 30 minutes for the journey from the parking lot to the park entrance. Once you have entered the park, all you have to do is immerse yourself in the illusion and fairytale atmosphere of the park’s other themes:

Exciting Adventureland

A wooden bridge from Main Street leads to Adventureland, which is designed in the style of a Caribbean fishing village with African, Asian and South American influences. On the Jungle Cruise, boats sail through jungle landscapes on the Amazon, Nile and Mekong – including elephant, crocodile and monkey animatronics. Those who understand English will also enjoy the skippers’ humorous banter.

At Tinkerbell’s Magical Nook, you can meet Tinkerbell and other fairies in front of the Swiss Family Treehouse, which you can climb up to the crown – with a beautiful view and usually no waiting time.

At the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, you control your own flying carpet. Just opposite, the Enchanted Tiki Room attracts visitors with an animated parrot show and well-known Disney songs – especially recommended in the front rows.

One highlight is Pirates of the Caribbean: the boat ride takes you through scenes full of pirate life, waterfalls and animatronics – just like Jack Sparrow. If you want to eat in style, visit the Blue Bayou restaurant in the middle of the attraction. For a quick snack in between, the Sunshine Tree Terrace offers slush, soft ice cream and the popular Citrus Swirl.

Wild frontier country

The entrance to the Wild West in Frontierland is modeled on St. Louis in the 1940s. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn would have loved the home of cowboys and Indians. An out-of-control mine train, aka the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, races through the Big Thunder Mountains.

New since 2024 is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as the successor to Splash Mountain: The thrilling water ride has been extensively redesigned and has been open since June 28, 2024. Based on Kiss the Frog, visitors experience a musical journey through the Louisiana bayou with new animatronics and a revised storyline.

Tom Sawyer Island is located in the middle of the Big Thunder Mountains lake. The adventure island offers many climbing and discovery opportunities. The Liberty Square Riverboat sails around the island. The paddle steamer with its port in neighboring Liberty Square appears to have just arrived from New Orleans.

On the way there, it’s worth stopping off at the “Country Bear Jamboree Animatronic Show”, where country bears show just how much rhythm they have in their blood. On July 17, 2024, the classic Country Bear Jamboree was replaced by a modern version. The new show combines well-known country tunes with Disney classics and offers a fresh experience for the whole family.

Historic Liberty Square

The central theme of Liberty Square is – how could it be otherwise – the history of America. In the middle is a replica of Philadelphia’s famous Liberty Bell and the Liberty Tree, a 140-year-old oak tree.

All US presidents are presented in the “Hall of Presidents”. You can also encounter ghosts, ghouls, mummies and other spooky creatures in the Haunted Mansion. The site forms a smooth transition from Frontierland to Fantasyland.

Fairytale fantasyland

The highlight in Fantasyland is the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – a family-friendly coaster with a smooth ride, impressive animatronics and interactive queue – the highlight in Fantasyland.

The Cinderella Castle towers over 60 meters high in the center of Fantasyland. Here you can meet many Disney characters. On Peter Pan’s Flight, you fly in small boats through a London diorama at night.

Afterwards, the 3D movie Mickey’s Philharmagic in the style of the Disney classic Fantasia will delight you. This classical musical performance surprisingly develops into a true 3D spectacle with numerous effects.

The fantastic world also includes imaginative carousels, of which there are several: The Prince Charming Regal Carousel, the rotating cups of the Mad Tea Party, the Dumbo flying carousel and the small coaster The Barnstormer with Goofini.

Girls aged between 3 and 12 can transform themselves into princesses in the Bibbidy Bobbidi Boutique – complete with styling and dress. At Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid, they can experience Ariel’s world on an indoor ride, including a photo in Ariel’s Grotto.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is the home of the honey-loving bear who, accompanied by his friends Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore and co, takes you on an indoor themed ride. The oversized honey pots promise an adventure in the Hundred Acre Wood.

The Casey Jr. Splash’N’Soak Station offers welcome refreshment, especially in summer, in the form of a circus-style water playground. Amidst tents, lion cages and the Casey Jr. circus train, you can splash around to your heart’s content. In the neighboring large circus tent, the most popular Disney characters are ready for photos at “Pete’s Silly Sideshow”.

New Fantasyland has had the Enchanted Tales With Belle since 2013. When you enter Maurice’s hut, you are enchanted into the Beast’s library, where Belle is already waiting. Here you can experience Beauty and the Beast live.

The Be Our Guest Restaurant is not to be missed after all the excitement. For a relatively reasonable price, the restaurant offers top-class self-service menus in a fabulous ambience during the day. In the evening, it transforms into a full-service restaurant with a separate menu featuring exceptional culinary highlights.

Fictional Tomorrowland

This park area is more for the “older” visitors. The technology of the future is brought to life in space, in the monster world and through the history of household appliances. You don’t need to reserve any time for this with small children.

In Astro Orbiter, amateur astronauts steer a spaceship into space. This is a Disney flying carousel that allows you to fly your little rocket up into the air by pulling a lever. At the Disney attraction “Splash Mountain”, you can float down a river on a water ride in a hollow tree trunk and experience the story of the Gevattern Hare.

In the small cars of the Tomorrowland Speedway, you drive through numerous bends on a mini race track and can steer yourself. The cars don’t go really fast, so even the kids can take the wheel.

The white dome of Space Mountain can be seen from outside and is only for the hardy. Inside is a double dark roller coaster where passengers sit one behind the other and experience a space adventure. In complete darkness, the ride takes you through numerous bends and steep drops.

In the Transport Authority People Mover, you can take a few laps around the walkways of Tomorrowland and take a look inside Space Mountain. Incidentally, you can also see this with the “Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin”. During this interactive indoor themed ride, you fight against the evil Emperor Zurg with the aim of stopping him from using the energy of all the batteries for his evil purposes. To do this, you are equipped with Astro Blasters, which can shoot laser beams at targets during the ride.

The Carousel of Progress is a completely different kind of carousel. The visit lasts around 30 minutes. The historical revolving theater changes the stage every 5 minutes and travels from one chapter of household electronics to another. Passengers accompany a typical family man from the first era to a vision of future living.

Anyone with claustrophobia should avoid Stitch’s Great Escape. In a circular theater, you are “tied” to your seat with rollercoaster-like shoulder restraints and meet the actually quite lovable Stitch from “Lilo and Stitch”. He breaks out of the intergalactic prison and wreaks havoc in the audience. There are no loops here, but the shoulder bar is crammed full of technology.

Then it’s time for comedy again. In the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor Comedy Club, the monsters from Monster AG discover that more energy can be produced with laughter than with shouting. The interactive show is performed by up-and-coming artists who tell the most popular jokes from Monster AG and get the audience involved. However, you should be able to speak English to hear the jokes, otherwise you won’t have much to laugh about.

Beautiful Main Street

At the Main Street station, Mickey and his friends open the park every morning in a colorful ceremony. The 19th century-style Main Street is connected here.

The guest service counter is located on the square directly in front of the town hall. Information about the shows and brochures are also available here in German. If you want to get an overview of the park first, we recommend a round trip on the Walt Disney World Railroad. This steam train runs once around the entire park with stops in Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. During the season, however, there are too many visitors for this idea and you should postpone your train ride until midday.

In the Town Square Theater, popular Disney characters welcome visitors for a photo session. In addition to numerous restaurants, snacks and large merchandising stores, the guest information center is located here in the form of City Hall. Here you can, for example, reserve tables in the restaurants throughout the resort or obtain information about the parks and their location.

At the end of “Main Street USA” is the fairytale Cinderella Castle, reminiscent of Neuschwanstein, which lies at the center of six adjoining adventure lands. The “Main Street Vehicles” run along the entire Main Street. To take a ride, you queue at a stop until the vehicle arrives.

Parades and fireworks

During all the shows and attractions, there are various highlights throughout the day such as the famous Disney parades Celebrate a Dream Come True or “Main Street Electrical” and the fireworks in the evening. The Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade is not to be missed, as it takes you back to your Disney childhood in fast motion.

Every day at 3 p.m., all the Disney characters present themselves on the Main Street on colorful and magnificently decorated parade floats, just like at carnival. The Electrical Parade takes place in the evening. At nightfall, Main Street is completely illuminated by equally illuminated floats and figures, making it another highlight of a wonderful day. The Magic Kingdom culminates in the “Wishes” fireworks display. The spectacular twelve-minute light show is accompanied by Disney film music and is an unforgettable experience of an unforgettable day.

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