If you’re an east-coast Disney fan, the best way for you to get a slice of Disney Park magic is to visit the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida. The good news is that Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park is arguably Disneyland 2.0. There’s so much to experience and enjoy in this park, it’s no wonder that it’s such a favorite amongst the majority of Disney fans. But with so much to do and explore, where could we possibly start?
Fear not, Mousketeers. We’re here today to put your indecisive worries at ease as we take a long hard look at the map of the Magic Kingdom to see what all this park has to offer. The Disney Parks are divided into various lands, and Magic Kingdom is no exception. In fact, it’s the inspiration. So let’s take a tour through the areas that make up the Magic Kingdom and plot our strategy for storming the castle. These are our rankings of the lands of this beloved park.
Main Street USA
Since it’s literally the first land you encounter when visiting the Magic Kingdom, what better place to begin our adventure than on Main Street USA? Inspired by Walt Disney’s hometown of Marceline, Missouri, Main Street USA has an early 19th-century charm and welcoming atmosphere. It’s the small taste of the magic to come, but it definitely has several different experiences to offer.
On Main Street, you can hear a barbershop quartet and enjoy the marvelous melodies of the Dapper Dans of Main Street, visit Mickey Mouse and Tinkerbell at the Town Square Theatre, enlist with Merlin the Magician and play Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, shop for food, souvenirs, and more in the shops, and interact with the colorful citizens of Main Street as they make their way to the castle. But our tour doesn’t stop there, we’re on our way for a trip through the past in our next entry.
Liberty Square
In our humble opinion, Liberty Square is perhaps the most underrated and underappreciated area in all of the Magic Kingdom. It might lack the thrill rides and character Meet and Greets of the rest of the park, but there are still many places worth visiting and experiences worth having in this tribute to the early days of our nation. It might be one of the Smaller areas on our list, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your time.
Take a hot and hearty meal at the Liberty Tree Tavern, or visit the Harbor House for a quick seafood dinner. After that, you can journey to the Hall of Presidents and spend a little time with 45 faces of our country’s leaders, or visit a certain haunted house by the Liberty Bell Riverboat ride. With this much to do, we highly recommend spending a little extra time with this piece of the park.
Adventureland
After Liberty Square, we recommend journeying to one of two places, Frontierland or Adventureland. It was a hard decision, but we have to give Adventureland this spot, simply due to the fact the attractions featured here all cater to a certain central theme, and we’re not talking just the overall adventuring atmosphere. Adventureland’s attractions mainly cater to exploratory rides, but light on thrills. Don’t get us wrong, we love floating on flying carpets, cruising through the jungle, and sailing with Captain Jack and his crew, but the rush is sort of basic.
That all being said, Adventureland does have more than a few perks that make it stand out from the rest of its peers. For instance, it’s the only place in the Magic Kingdom that serves the one and only original Dole Whip, has the original Enchanted Tiki Room still in operation, and offers an audience with the great Captain Jack Sparrow. Let’s see Liberty Square top that.
Frontierland
Though it’s attractions are of a much different breed than Adventureland’s, Frontierland still has plenty to offer in terms of rides, attractions, food, and Meet and Greet experiences for fans of all ages. As you mosey through the streets of this delightful western town, you can try your hand at the shooting gallery, rustle up some grub at the Diamond Horseshoe or the Tall Tale Inn, jam out with the Country Bears, take a dive into the Briar Patch on Splash Mountain, or take a runaway train through the wildest ride in the wilderness on Big Thunder Mountain.
If that little description doesn’t get you in the mood for a hoedown and a turkey nothing will. Home to a generous portion of the Mountain Challenge, Frontierland is definitely a park area catered to guests who want a little more spit-fire in their magical day. If that sounds like you, strap on your boots and ride on over to this hunk of the wild west.
Fantasyland
We might be cheating, but we’re counting New Fantasyland and the original kingdom as well. This area puts the Magic in the Magic Kingdom and is perhaps the most popular and populated area in the park. That being said, population does not equal popularity, but more on that later. Let’s take a moment to journey into this mystical side of the park and turn the pages of this fairy-tale land.
For starters, it’s every classic Disney fan’s dream, home to rides and attractions that pay tribute to some of their most legendary films, namely their princess pictures. But if Disney’s royalty isn’t your thing, there’s still loads to see and do in Fantasyland. You can go for a spin at the Mad Tea Party, soar on Dumbo the Flying Element, fly over Neverland with Peter Pan, ride through the Hundred Acre Wood with Winnie the Pooh, or take in a manic and magical concert with Mickey’s Philharmagic. With enough rides, attractions, and Meet and Greets to satisfy any Disney buff, it’s no wonder this land gets so much love.
Tomorrowland
With that recent and lengthy description, you’d think Fantasyland would be our number one pick of the Magic Kingdom, you’d also be what we in the Disney fandom like to call wrong. Our pick for the best Magic Kingdom land is Disney’s retro-futuristic wonderland that is Tomorrowland. We know what you’re thinking, we’ve got to be out of our gourds to pick this place over Fantasyland. Well sit back and start taking notes, space rangers.
Tomorrowland has one big deal going for it over Fantasyland. One word, variety. Tomorrowland has a beautiful blend of classic and modern, of Disney and Pixar, thrills and ease, and of retro and current. You can swing through the stars on Space Mountain or simply kick back on the Tomorrowland People-Mover, then you can grab a bite at Cosmic Rays or say Aloha to Stitch afterward. In our experience, this land has been the least populated, a great place for photos, rides, and just taking a breather. Some of us could spend a whole afternoon in Tomorrowland and be quite content to just hang out in the world of the future.
