The Ultimate Guide to the Magic Kingdom

The Ultimate Guide to the Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is the most popular and well known theme park in Walt Disney World. Its the park that most people think of when they hear the phrase “Disney World”. On the east coast of the United States, it all started with a mouse (as always), but beyond that, the Magic Kingdom park is where Florida’s theme park capital status began. Opened in 1971, the Magic Kingdom is the original Disneyland in Anaheim on a much larger scale. This is the park where you’ll find many of Walt Disney’s classic creations, as well as some of the most iconic rides in Imagineering history. When you’re in Orlando, it goes without saying that visiting the Magic Kingdom is a must. But with so many attractions, there’s a lot to do, and you could easily spend more than a day at this park alone. Lets cover it.

  • First time to Walt Disney World? I’ve written a post that covers some of the basics HERE.
This is a photo of a performance of Disney characters in front of Cinderella Castle in the middle of the Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom – The Basics

  • Where? 1180 Seven Seas Drive, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
  • When? The Magic Kingdom is open daily, however hours differ by season and day of the week. Disney Resort guests can get into the park 30 minutes before regular park guests. On certain days, resort guests are also eligible for extended park hours in the evening.
  • How much? Basic park tickets start at $109.00 USD per day for one park. Park Hopper passes cost more, and you can also pay to add on the Genie+ feature, which lets you make Lightning Lane (skip the line) reservations for certain attractions. When staying on Disney property, I purchase my tickets with my resort package.
  • How to get there: Most Disney Resorts connect to the Magic Kingdom with shuttle bus service, except for those on the monorail loop (Grand Floridian, Contemporary and Polynesian Village resorts). If you’re driving, you’ll have to park at the Transportation & Ticket Center and get a boat across the lake to the park.
  • Website: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/magic-kingdom/

Things to Know Before Visiting the Magic Kingdom

First of all, the Magic Kingdom is huge. The park covers roughly 43 hectares and all up has over 40 attractions (rides, shows and more). If you’re a first time visitor to Walt Disney World, I feel like you’ll want to spend 2 days to really get the most out of this theme park. I know I needed it on my first visit to Walt Disney World. Having been a few times now, I’m able to tour the Magic Kingdom within a day, but by doing so I’m going in knowing I’m going to skip some of the attractions that aren’t as appealing to me. The Magic Kingdom will always have a place in my heart, but I actually enjoy the other Disney World parks more. With that said, the attractions at this park are especially appealing to younger visitors. Budget your vacation time accordingly.

If you’re an experienced Disney traveller that knows all about the old Fastpass+, you’ll be interested to learn about the Genie+ service. Unlike its predecessor, Genie+ is a paid service, but if you include it with your ticket, you’ll be able to make Lightning Lane (skip the line) reservations throughout the day. You make your first reservation at 7.00pm (if you’re a resort guest), and can make a new reservation every two hours from park opening onwards. Most attractions offer Lightning Lanes at Magic Kingdom, so its worth it. The only major ride that doesn’t is the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which you need to pay extra to book an Individual Lightning Lane for. Note unlike Fastpass+, you can’t book the same ride more than once each day.

You should get to the park at least 30 minutes before opening (an hour at busy times of year). You’ll beat the line to your first attraction.

  • Planning a day at the Magic Kingdom? Read my 1 day touring plan HERE.
This is a photo taken at the park entrance at the beginning of a day at the Magic Kingdom.

The Magic Kingdom Layout

The Magic Kingdom park layout is often referred to as a “hub and spokes” model. Its the same type of design you’ll find at all Disney “castle” parks around the world. You enter the park at Main Street USA and follow the street towards Central Plaza in front of Cinderella Castle, the park’s iconic landmark. From here, you can access the various lands that branch out from the main hub. Moving clockwise around the castle, you’ll find Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. In this post, I’ll take you on a deeper dive into each of these lands.

This is a photo of the partners statue in front of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom.

Main Street USA

Main Street USA is the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. It opens an hour or so before the park’s scheduled opening time, so always plan to get here early to make the most of your day. Main Street USA is made to look like a American small town thoroughfare around the time of the early 20th century. The street is lined with various shops and eateries until you reach the Central Plaza, which is where the nightly fireworks take place over Cinderella Castle. Main Street is also the most popular spot to see the character parades through the day at Magic Kingdom. You won’t find any major rides in Main Street USA, but there’s some popular character meet and greets in addition to all the shopping you can do here.

This is a photo taken heading up Main Street USA into the Magic Kingdom.

The Rides in Main Street USA

Main Street Vehicles

The only real rides in Main Street are trolleys, buses and other vehicles that offer one way trips down the thoroughfare to Central Plaza. Definitely not worth waiting around for.

Walt Disney World Railway (closed at time of writing)

The iconic railway stops at Main Street station, right above the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Its currently closed due to construction on the Tron-coaster in Tomorrowland, but normally provides a means of linking the various lands for guests that don’t want to walk great distances. There’s some interesting scenery along the way, so its worth doing a full loop after you’ve seen everything else in the park (probably on a second day).

Other Attractions in Main Street USA

Town Hall in Main Street is where you can meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse themselves. Naturally, the mouse that started it all is hugely popular, so keep your eye on wait times if meeting Mickey is important to you. In the past, only Mickey greeted guests in Town Hall, but his other half has joined him here in honour of the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. You were previously also able to meet Tinker Bell in Town Hall, but since Minnie arrived, she hasn’t been around. Whether she’ll return in the future is a question that only time will tell.

This is a photo of the Town Square Theatre, where guests can meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Dining in Main Street USA

There’s quite a few spots to eat on Main Street USA. Casey’s Corner is a baseball themed quick service restaurant serving hot dogs and other kinds of American theme park cuisine. As far as table service goes, the Crystal Palace offers a character meal with the Winnie the Pooh characters, while Plaza Restaurant offers affordable comfort food. Finally, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant provides Italian options like pasta and pizza (and is where you’ll find the footprints of Lady and the Tramp outside). For those with a sweet tooth, you’ve also got the Main Street Bakery and Plaza Ice Cream Parlor.

Adventureland

Adventureland is a combination of exotically themed environments. As you venture deeper into the land, you’ll notice your surroundings shift from those of a African safari village to more of a tropical Caribbean theming. The land is home to two classic rides that need to be experienced by every Magic Kingdom visitor.

This is a photo taken at the main entrance to Adventureland.

The Rides in Adventureland

Jungle Cruise

Board the Jungle Cruise for a boat ride along the rivers of the world, complete with animatronic animals and terribly great puns from your skipper. One of Walt’s original rides at Disneyland and replicated in the Magic Kingdom, the Jungle Cruise is a lot of fun, even if it does seem a bit outdated nowadays (its part of the charm!). Be ready for encounters with hippos, piranhas, elephants and of course, the backside of water. You’ll have a blast.

This is a photo of a boat captured by monkeys on the Jungle Cruise.

Pirates of the Caribbean

In my view, the best ride in Adventureland. It takes you on a boating adventure through the times when pirates swashbuckled around the Caribbean. Of course, with the popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, updates have been made, with audio-animatronics of characters such as Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbossa added along the way. There’s two small drops on this ride, but they are quite tame. Pirates moves guests through its queue quickly and is a good choice when other lines pick up throughout the park. Fair warning though, you won’t leave this one without its catchy song being stuck in your head.

This is a photo of one of the sets along the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin

Not a must do by any stretch of the imagination, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin is a spinner style ride in the same vein as Dumbo the elephant. Riders can move their flying carpet up and down to avoid (or hit) the water sprayed by a spitting camel.

This is a photo taken in the Magic Kingdom's Adventureland of the Magic Carpets of Aladdin attraction.

Other Attractions in Adventureland

Swiss Family Treehouse

This walk through attraction takes you up a series of stairs and across bridges to explore a replica of the treehouse from the classic film, the Swiss Family Robinson. Its a good break from the lines when everything else is packed in the early afternoon. You’ll especially appreciate it if you’re a fan of the original story.

This is a photo of the Swiss Family Treehouse in Adventureland.

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

A guilty pleasure of mine, this Walt original is a show starring a myriad of animatronic birds. Led by the quartet of parrots, Jose, Fritz, Michael and Pierre, this 15 minute musical is a light hearted way to escape the Florida heat and rest your feet while being entertained by some musical numbers from yesteryear.

This photo is taken outside the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Dining in Adventureland

Adventureland is home to one of the most popular snacks at the Magic Kingdom – the Dole Whip ice cream from Aloha Isle. You should definitely go out of your way to try one of these when passing through. Also, the spring rolls at the Spring Roll Snack Cart are quite tasty. In terms of sit down restaurants however, there’s only one option in Adventureland, that being the Skipper Canteen. Serving up African and Asian cuisine, the restaurant is themed to the Jungle Cruise next door, and your wait staff will continue that theme with the various puns and cheesy jokes throughout service.

This is a photo of Aloha Isle Refreshments, home of the dole whip - a popular treat at the Magic Kingdom.

Frontierland

Frontierland’s theming takes you back to the American frontier of the 1800s, the very essence of the Wild West. Home to cowboys, prospectors and other gold chasing bandits, Frontierland is also where you’ll find two of the parks most popular attractions (although one currently undergoing a major re-theming). Its an area of the park that I recommend doing in the mid-morning, while queues in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland tend to still be building more rapidly.

This is a photo of Frontierland, taken from the Rivers of America in the Magic Kingdom.

The Rides in Frontierland

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Big Thunder Mountain is one of the most popular rides at the Magic Kingdom. Its a rollercoaster that takes you for a spin on board a runaway mine train, careening through tunnels and a ghost town. There’s no huge drops or inversions, its all about the scenery, special effects and tight turns. This makes it a ride that most family members are able to enjoy. Big Thunder Mountain is definitely a good choice for a Genie+ reservation as lines build up.

This is a photo of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Magic Kingdom's runaway train rollercoaster.

Splash Mountain (currently undergoing re-theming)

Splash Mountain was favourite ride at the Magic Kingdom, so I have to mention it, even if its a thing of the past. It was a log flume ride with countless audio-animatronics and a number of drops. There was always a good chance you’d get wet on this ride, making it a source of massive crowds in the heat of the day. Splash Mountain has been the target of controversy, due to it portraying characters from the outdated Song of the South film. When the attraction re-opens, it will be a new ride based on the Princess and the Frog film. While I’ll miss the original, I hope that I’ll be able to experience the new version of the attraction next time I visit the Magic Kingdom. I was also glad to have been able to ride the original ride one last time.

This is a photo of Splash Mountain, my favourite attraction at the Magic Kingdom.

Other Attractions in Frontierland

Country Bear Jamboree

Similar to the Enchanted Tiki Room in Adventureland, the Country Bear Jamboree is an animatronic musical show, this time hosted by the loveable (and ageing) Country Bears. This Southern folk performance is quite popular with some guests, while others don’t hold it in as high regard. Its a show I personally wouldn’t mind if I missed, but would check it out if I had time when visiting the Magic Kingdom. Its another one of those attractions to consider when its hot outside and lines are long elsewhere.

This is a photo of the Country Bear Jamboree theatre in Frontierland.

Tom Sawyer Island

Situated in the middle of the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island is accessed by rafts in Frontierland. Across the river, you’ll arrive on a brilliantly themed island filled with references to the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. You’ll find caves, a windmill and Fort Langhorn here. Tom Sawyer Island is a great place for kids to run around and burn off steam, but is also a good choice to just escape the crowds at peak time in the park. Its an underrated hidden gem in the Magic Kingdom, even though there’s no major attractions here.

This is a photo of a map of Tom Sawyer Island.

Dining in Frontierland

There’s a few dining options in Frontierland. Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe is a quick service restaurant offering Tex-Mex cuisine, while being themed to the Pecos Bill short from Melody Time. Meanwhile, the Diamond Horseshoe is a table service restaurant, which offers an a la carte menu at lunch, and a buffet at dinner. Either way, you’ll be enjoying more of the Western style food here.

By the way, speaking of Peco Bill – sending a huge cast compliment to Dilicia who was working there on the day of my recent visit. If you come across a cast member that really goes above and beyond in their interactions with you to make your day, you should send a cast compliment on the MyDisney Experience app!

This is a photo of the entrance to Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe.

Liberty Square

Following along the waterfront from Frontierland, you’ll reach Liberty Square – the smallest of the lands in the Magic Kingdom. Continuing the theme of American history, this land is set in the United States at the time of the Revolutionary War, with colonial style buildings found throughout the area. There’s even a replica of the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia, and a large oak tree, adding to the patriotic atmosphere. The area is home to one of the more popular dark rides in the Magic Kingdom.

This is a photo of the Liberty Bell statue in Liberty Square, the smallest land in the Magic Kingdom.

Rides in Liberty Square

The Haunted Mansion

A true Disney favourite, the Haunted Mansion is a dark ride around a haunted house, although its not frightening by any means. The emphasis is more on the immersive atmosphere as your doom buggy takes you on a tour of the old manor. Along the way, you encounter dancing spirits and singing ghouls. This is one of the best traditional dark rides in the Magic Kingdom and should be a priority on any visit to the park.

This is a photo taken outside of the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion.

Liberty Belle Riverboat

This large paddleboat takes guests on a tour around Tom Sawyer Island and deeper into the Rivers of America. Along the way you’ll see displays of mine towns, Indian villages and wild animals. The boat departs every half hour or so and is a good choice to rest your legs during the heat of the day. Its all about taking in your surroundings and relaxing on board.

This is a photo of the Liberty Belle Riverboat docking at Liberty Square.

Other Attractions in Liberty Square

Hall of Presidents

The Hall of Presidents is a mixed film and audio-animatronic show featuring every President in the history of the United States. The show is updated regularly so that the latest president can be added (Joe Biden was up and running on my latest visit). An attraction like this will inevitably draw political commentary, however the overall message of the show is overwhelmingly patriotic and celebratory. I personally found the audience to be quite respectful (though before the show they do make a big deal to ask guests to act appropriately). The level of detail on the animatronics is also incredible, and the film before they show up provides a quick summary of American History.

This is a photo taken inside the Hall of Presidents theatre.

Dining in Liberty Square

Liberty Square is an excellent choice when it comes to dining in the Magic Kingdom. The land offers both a table service and counter service restaurant. The quick dining option is Colombia Harbour House, one of my favourite places to eat in the park, with various seafood options (try the lobster roll!). If you’re looking for a full on restaurant experience, head to the Liberty Tree Tavern for a colonial style thanksgiving platter.

This is a photo taken inside the Colombia Harbour House, one of the Magic Kingdom's best counter service restaurants.

Fantasyland

Fantasyland is the heart of the Magic Kingdom, a village underneath the towers of Cinderella Castle that is home to attractions and entertainment based on many of the characters from Disney’s fairy tale features over the years. This land underwent a significant expansion that was completed in 2014, and the area can now be divided into three subregions. The Castle Courtyard is the original Fantasyland where classic Disney dark rides can be found. Meanwhile, tucked away at the back of the land is Storybook Circus, an area mainly for little kids with a carnival theme inspired by the Dumbo film The Enchanted Forest is the newest section of Fantasyland, hosting the headline attractions and impressive theming based on Disney classics such as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

This photo is taken in Fantasyland, with Beast's Castle in the background.

The Rides in Fantasyland

Its A Small World

Every Disney fan knows what to expect with Its a Small World. This iconic attraction was originally devised by Walt over in Disneyland after being rolled out for the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Its a simple boat ride that takes you past doll covered sets which represent the various countries of the earth. All the while, you’ll never forget the words to the ride’s theme song again, as the dolls sing in unison. Its a very simple attraction with a simple message, but you can’t go to the Magic Kingdom without experiencing it.

This photo is taken on Its a Small World, one of the most well known attractions in the Magic Kingdom.

Peter Pan’s Flight

Peter Pan’s Flight takes your traditional Disney dark ride and combines it with impressive technology for its time to take the experience to another level. In this retelling of Peter Pan, you board a flying pirate ship and cruise above London and Neverland, being taken past animatronic sets depicting the key scenes of the film. This ride is the definition of the magic and charm of Walt Disney and is extremely popular. If you’re not hitting this up very early in the day, scoring a Genie+ reservation would be highly advisable.

This is a photo of the entrance of Peter Pan's Flight.

Prince Charming Regal Carousel

This is just a carrousel ride in the heart of Fantasyland, albeit an elaborately designed huge one. Its not worth queuing up for in my view, but it is beautiful to look at.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Another traditional Disney dark ride. This one sees you climb into a Hunny Pot for a trip into the pages of the Hundred Acre Wood. Along the way you’ll encounter Winnie the Pooh and all his friends. Due to Pooh’s popularity, this attraction can develop lengthy lines later in the day, so try to ride it early on. Its nothing mind blowing, but a fun attraction for Pooh fans all the same.

This is a photo of the entrance of the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

This rollercoaster is the headliner of Fantasyland, and also the most popular attraction in all of the Magic Kingdom. Its flooded with guests literally from park opening. Needless to say, if you don’t want to purchase the individual Lightning Lane for this ride, this needs to be your first ride of the day – you need to be in line right away when the ride starts operating or you can expect a (very) long wait. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a family friendly coaster which is less intense than Big Thunder Mountain in Frontierland. Its a very smooth ride without any big drops, but the carts are specifically designed to sway you around the sharp corners. The highlight of the ride is a brief indoor section in which you’ll pass audio-animatronics of the Dwarfs whistling while they work.

Personally, I find it to be a bit short (hence why its not worth waiting nearly an hour to ride), but I still try to get on it every time I visit the Magic Kingdom.

This is a photo of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in action.

Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

Contained within (or underneath?) the impressive facade of Prince Eric’s castle, this is a dark ride that retells the story of the Little Mermaid. Along the way you’ll see all your favourite characters and sing along to the classic soundtrack from the film. The Ursula animatronic at the end is particularly impressive. There’s nothing that really sets this ride apart from the other Disney dark rides (you can experience the exact same attraction at the California Adventure park), but I always make sure to ride this one regardless. Who doesn’t love Under the Sea?

This is a photo of the Ursula animatronic on the Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid ride.

Mad Tea Party

Mad Tea Party is just a typical cup and saucers spinner ride, except for the fact that its themed to the Mad Hatter’s party from Alice in Wonderland. Its good for a quick spin if the line is short (and you don’t suffer from motion sickness) but its otherwise skippable. Unlike most versions of this ride, Mad Tea Party at the Magic Kingdom takes place under shelter from the hot Florida sun.

This is a photo of the Mad Tea Party ride.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Dumbo is a really simple spinner ride in which guests climb aboard a flying elephant ride vehicle and do a few loops around while controlling the how high they fly. Because its Dumbo however, the ride is really popular, so much so that they actually added a second Dumbo spinner to help manage crowds. If you’re with children, you’ll have to take them on Dumbo, but otherwise I feel like its more an attraction you can watch from the sidelines rather than battling the lines.

This is a photo of the popular Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride at the Magic Kingdom.

The Barnstormer

Located up the back of Fantasyland with Dumbo in Storybook Circus, the Barnstormer is the Magic Kingdom’s junior rollercoaster. Its very tame and is where you’ll want to expose young riders to their first rollercoaster before building them up to Seven Dwarfs or Big Thunder Mountain. There’s not much more to say than that, with more than half of the ride being consumed by the initial ascent. I wouldn’t waste time on this one without children.

This is a photo of the Magic Kingdom's Junior Coaster - the Barnstormer.

Other Attractions in Fantasyland

Mickey’s PhilharMagic

This 3D film features Donald Duck taking a trip through various Disney animated features from the 1990s in his quest to cover for Mickey as the conductor of the PhilharMagic orchestra. Disaster ensues for our favourite duck in the scenes that follow, combined with special effects and cameos from all your favourite Disney characters. There’s never a long wait for PhilharMagic and its great to get into the air conditioned theatre during the heat of the day. This show makes for a good 15 minute break in the packed afternoon hours.

This is a photo of the entrance to Mickey's PhilharMagic.

Princess Fairytale Hall

This meet and greet experience allows guests to meet two Disney princesses. There’s two separate lines here. One normally takes you to Rapunzel and Tiana, while the other is for Cinderella and Elena of Avalor. Expect long waits.

This is a photo of the entrance to Princess Fairytale Hall.

Meet Merida at Fairytale Gardens

Another character meet and greet – this time guests can meet Merida from Pixar’s Brave in a special themed area beside Fairytale Hall.

Ariel’s Grotto (temporarily closed at time of writing)

Fantasyland is definitely the place to come to meet Disney princesses. Here you wander down an immersive queue to Ariel’s underwater grotto to meet the star of the Little Mermaid. This meet and greet hasn’t yet reopened, following the slimmed down line up of attractions that operated during the pandemic, but given its location right next to the Little Mermaid ride, I’d expect it to reopen soon.

Enchanted Tales with Belle (temporarily closed at time of writing)

Enchanted Tales with Belle is a unique attraction – part interactive show, part character meet and greet. The attraction starts with a tour of Maurice’s workshop before you’re transported through a secret passage to Beast’s Castle. Members of your group are subsequently tasked with simple roles to act out with Belle for her birthday. Belle arrives and the play takes place, with those selected for a performance also getting the opportunity to take their photo with the iconic princess. Its a fun way to spend 20 minutes, especially if you have kids that will want to participate. Like Ariel’s Grotto, it hasn’t yet reopened following the pandemic.

This is a photo of Belle's Cottage - the entrance to Enchanted Tales with Belle.

Pete’s Silly Sideshow (reopening soon)

One final character meet and greet in Fantasyland, here you can get in line to meet either Donald and Goofy or Minnie and Daisy. They’re all decked out in circus attire, with this meet and greet being found in Storybook Circus. Like many other meet and greets in Fantasyland, this one was closed on my recent trip to Magic Kingdom, though Disney have already announced that this one will be reopening in the near future.

Dining in Fantasyland

Fantasyland hosts a number of dining options, including some of the most sought after restaurants in the Magic Kingdom. Pinocchio Village Haus is the largest counter service restaurant in Fantasyland, but it serves basic theme park food and is nothing special. On the other hand, Be Our Guest Restaurant is one of my favourite restaurants in the Magic Kingdom as you’ll eat your meal inside the stunning chambers of Beast’s Castle. You can even meet Beast here if you have a dinner reservation (though lunch is also great). If you really want to splurge, you can head to Cinderella’s Royal Table for a character meal with the Disney Princesses inside Cinderella Castle.

This is a photo of Gaston's Tavern in Fantasyland.

Tomorrowland

While Tomorrowland is meant to represent the future, you have to remember that the Magic Kingdom opened in the 1970s. Because of this, the vision of the future on display in this land is quite different to what we might expect for a land of the future today. With that said, Tomorrowland is basically a collection of attractions with vague ties to the future that would be out of place in other areas of the park. Tomorrowland remains a very popular part of the Magic Kingdom however, as its home to one of the most famous rides in all of Walt Disney World, and also contains an assortment of other exciting attractions. I usually tend to tour Tomorrowland in the evening, mainly due to the lighting of the land being particularly impressive at that time of day.

This is a photo of the entrance to Tomorrowland.

The Rides in Tomorrowland

Space Mountain

The big one! Space Mountain is the ultimate thrill ride of the Magic Kingdom and a Florida original. Its basically a wild mouse style rollercoaster without any big drops but instead a series of winding turns. What makes it so thrilling is that the ride is entirely in the dark, with the opening blast off tunnel ascent feeding into the theme of space travel. Space Mountain is incredibly popular. Genie+ is highly recommended here, or alternatively make Space Mountain either your first or last stop when touring the Magic Kingdom. This is one of those Magic Kingdom rides that can’t be missed.

This photo is taken inside the loading area of Space Mountain.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Another Tomorrowland highlight, this attraction sees you join Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story films on a mission to battle the evil Emperor Zurg. You do this by boarding a ride vehicle and going through a virtual laser shooting range, with numerous targets on Zurg’s minions (and an animatronic of the evil emperor himself). Each shot scores you points, quickly turning this into a fun competition with your ride buddy.

This is a photo of a Buzz Lightyear animatronic in the queue for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

Tomorrowland Speedway

This is basically a go-kart track with cars being guided along the course by a rail. Its fun for children, but it smells of exhaust and is definitely not one of my favourite rides at the Magic Kingdom. With that said, racing along the course during the fireworks at night one time was a particularly magical memory I have from the speedway.

This is a photo of the Tomorrowland Speedway.

Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

The PeopleMover is a mini-monorail that takes you around the key sights of Tomorrowland, including a sneak peak inside Space Mountain itself, a model of the original EPCOT project, and the ongoing construction site of Tron Lightcycle Run. Its a good way to enjoy the theming of Tomorrowland, and there’s barely ever a significant wait. Do the PeopleMover when wait times are too long elsewhere. I’ll be the first to admit its a guilty pleasure for me.

This is a photo of the entrance to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover.

Astro Orbiter

Another spinner ride like Dumbo and the Magic Carpets, except for the fact that this one uses rockets that travel higher up and faster (and its also situated up on a higher platform too). It offers great views of Tomorrowland and the rest of the park, but you can skip it on a busy schedule.

This photo shows the Astro Orbiter high above Tomorrowland.

Other Attractions in Tomorrowland

Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

This is a screen based comedy show, hosted by Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc. The show consists of a number of comedic acts from monsters, having discovered in the events of the original film that laughs create more energy than screams. The jokes are actually pretty funny, making the Laugh Floor an underrated gem in Tomorrowland. Just be aware that there’s a chance you may be chosen at random from the crowd to be the butt of the slapstick humour.

This is a photo of the entrance to the Monster's Inc Laugh Floor.

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

There’s no attraction that better showcases the outdated vision of Tomorrowland than the Carousel of Progress. This audio-animatronic show provides a nostalgic look at the increasing impact of technology on a family living throughout the 20th century. The Carousel of Progress is a Walt original, its roots able to be traced back to the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The scenes from the turn of the 1900s, the 1920s and the 1940s are an impressive snapshot of the times, but the supposed contemporary scene has definitely been passed by. Still, that’s part of the charm here. Besides, its in air conditioning and has a catchy song. Experience this one when you need a break from the big queues.

This is a photo of the exterior of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.

Dining in Tomorrowland

There’s not a huge amount of great food options in Tomorrowland. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever dined in this area of the park. There’s no proper restaurants out here, although if you need get a bite Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe is one of the larger quick service options in the Magic Kingdom. It serves basic theme park cuisine such as hamburgers and hotdogs, making it a suitable choice for fussy eaters.

This photo is taken from Tomorrowland looking back towards Cinderella Castle at the middle of the Magic Kingdom.

With so much to do in the Magic Kingdom, it comes as no surprise that most guest will spend more than one day of their Disney vacation visiting this park. This is where Walt Disney World all began, and there’s definitely some attractions here you can’t say you’re a Disney parks fan until you’ve ridden them. A day at the Magic Kingdom can be exhausting, but you’ll always leave the park with a smile on your face – at least that’s my experience. It truly is the most magical place on earth. Whats your favourite part of a visit to the Magic Kingdom?