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The Magic Kingdom theme park -- Disney's first theme park in Florida
-- has seven themed lands featuring attractions built around wonder,
fantasy and fun. It also features food locations and merchandise
locations.
History The Magic
Kingdom park opened Oct. 1, 1971, and soon after was dedicated on Oct.
25. Many celebrities were on hand for the festivities, as well as Walt
Disney's entire family. Arthur Fiedler conducted the World Symphony
Orchestra at the base of Cinderella Castle. Roy O. Disney stood with
Mickey Mouse in Town Square and read the dedication plaque. The park
opened with six themed lands: Main Street, U.S.A.; Adventureland;
Frontierland; Liberty Square, a land originally planned for
Disneyland; Fantasyland; and Tomorrowland. (Mickey's Birthdayland was
created in 1988 to honor Mickey Mouse's 60th birthday, and eventually
changed its name to Mickey's Starland in 1990. In 1996, the land
changed again to Mickey's Toontown Fair.) Eventually, all the lands came together with their own unique themes.
Ordinary buildings were cloaked with intricately designed exteriors
and interiors. Details were installed and the final coats of paint
were put on. Imagineers used an architectural trick called "forced
perspective" to make buildings look taller than they actually are.
They shrunk windows, balconies and even furniture on the second floors
and shrunk any third floors even further to achieve the illusion of
tall buildings climbing far into the sky. To complete the feeling of
being in a three-dimensional movie, background music was created for
each particular land, as if it was part of any film's soundtrack. In
the end, it took more than 9,000 workers to build the world's most
famous vacation resort. Location
The Magic Kingdom park occupies 107 acres. It is
located off Interstate 4 on Walt Disney World Resort property, Lake
Buena Vista, Fla., approximately 22 miles southwest of Orlando.
Dining & Merchandise
View Menus
Food locations are situated throughout the Magic Kingdom park, with
character dining opportunities located at The Crystal Palace at Main
Street, U.S.A.; Liberty Tree Tavern at Liberty Square; and
Cinderella's Royal Table at Fantasyland. Priority seating for
full-service restaurants can be made at City Hall on the day of visit
or in advance by calling 407/WDW-DINE. Merchandise locations offer quality items from clothing to
collectibles. Major Attractions
- Walt Disney World Railroad (1971): A grand
circle-tour of the Magic Kingdom park aboard an authentic steam
train.
- Mad Tea Party, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Snow
White's Scary Adventure and Peter Pan's Flight (all 1971):
Attractions inspired by animated Disney film classics.
- It's a Small World (1971): Hundreds of doll-like
figures sing and dance in their native costumes.
- Jungle Cruise (1971): Board from a last-outpost
river landing to observe curious gorillas, playful Indian elephants
in their daily bath and frolicking hippos created in life-like
realism by Disney artists.
- Country Bear Jamboree (1971): The zaniest troupe
of singing bears ever assembled celebrate old-time music with a
foot-stompin' beat.
- Hall of Presidents (1971): The most impressive
moments in American history are presented in life-like realism with
all of the nation's chief executives on a single stage through the
three-dimensional magic of Audio AnimatronicsÆ.
- Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue (1971): Where
dance-hall ladies and elegant gents sing and dance.
- The Haunted Mansion (1971): The liveliest
collection of ghosts ever assembled for all to see as they travel
through ancient rooms.
- Pirates of the Caribbean 1973): Aboard buccaneer
launches, adventurers travel through mysterious grottos, then plunge
down a waterfall and into the midst of a pirate battle for control
of a harbor town.
- Tom Sawyer Island (1973): Log rafts take guests
across the river where Injun Joe's Cave, the Magnetic Mystery Mine
and old Fort Sam Clemens await exploration.
- Space Mountain (1975): Action, speed and
perpetual motion await as guests "blast off" into night skies for a
twisting, diving "return-to-earth" aboard miniature space shuttles.
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (1980): A wild ride
on a runaway mine train.
- Splash Mountain (1992): A log-flume ride with one
of the world's longest flume drops -- a five-story, 47-degree
descent reaching speeds of nearly 40 mph.
- The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter (1995)
NOW CLOSED: A
mysterious corporation from a distant planet, X-S Tech, displays a
new teletransportation device that brings the audience face-to-face
with an alien.
- The Timekeeper (1995): A hysterical blast through
time in a Circle-Vision 360 format.
- The Barnstormer (1996): A kid-sized roller
coaster zips and zooms through Goofy's Wiseacre Farm in crop-dusting
biplanes.
- Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (1998): Board
your star cruiser, grab hold of your laser cannon and help Buzz
defend the universe from the Evil Emperor Zurg.
- The Enchanted Tiki Birds-Under New Management
(1998): Hollywood featherweights Iago, from Disney's animated
feature "Aladdin," and Zazu, from "The Lion King," have become the
new landlords of this classic attraction, creating a witty, upbeat
show filled with old and new choreographed musical numbers.
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1999):
The whole gang's here, joining guests on a journey into the Hundred
Acre Wood.
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (2001): Genies,
flying carpets, magic lamps and Middle East mystique inspires this
new attraction.
Entertainment & Shows
- Daily entertainment in every "land" includes:
- "Share a Dream Come True" parade celebrating
Disney's 100 Years of Magic.
- "Cinderella's Surprise Celebration," a singing
and mingling "party" at Cinderella Castle featuring more than 20
Disney characters.
- "SpectroMagic" nighttime parade with
spectacular lighting effects.
- "Fantasy in the Sky"
fireworks presented nightly above Cinderella Castle,
now replaced by "Wishes"
- The Dapper Dans barbershop quartet on Main
Street, U.S.A.
- The Pedaling Piano Bike -- a piano that can be
played anywhere you can pedal a bicycle to!
- Character greetings at Mickey's Toontown Fair
and throughout the park.
- Themed holiday entertainment.
- High school bands, dance and musical groups
from throughout the world.
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