The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World attracts and average over 55,000 people per day. Making an amazing first impression is a huge deal, as for most, this is the first, if not only, park that they may visit on their vacation.
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In the Park Detail series, we will be taking a much more in-depth look at each of the 4 theme parks of Walt Disney World. This series is meant to inform our readers on what is available and where you can find it at each park. We will break it up into sections, so that you can easily find information quickly.
Getting to the Park and Through Security
Getting 55,000 people into any one place is a huge accomplishment. Just think about going to an NFL game. People are normally greeted with long lines due to bottlenecked areas. Disney has done a tremendous job at implementing procedures that make you feel like you are constantly moving in the right direction. Security is broken up into multiple areas depending on your mode of transportation to the entrance.
Driving, Taxi Drop Off, Non-Disney Bus Drop off - If you are not taking Disney transportation directly to the Magic Kingdom, you will park at the Ticket and Transportation Center. This transportation hub sits on the south side of the Seven Seas Lagoon and acts as the parking lot for the Magic Kingdom (and EPCOT for some). Once you park, you will take a tram up to the TTC and head through security which consists of a bag check for all bags and a walk through metal detectors. From there you can purchase your tickets, if you haven't already, and pick between the ferry boat and monorail to head over to the Magic Kingdom. There are 3 monorail lines that come through this station, The Magic Kingdom Express, the Resort Loop, and the EPCOT line. Make sure you are getting on the correct one. At peak times, park open and close, the Resort Loop may be closed to guests arriving at the TTC to make sure that those guests staying at the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian have access to transportation.
Resort Loop Guests - Guests staying at the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian have multiple ways to get to the Magic Kingdom Entrance. The Resort Loop monorail stops at each of these hotels along with the Magic Kingdom and TTC. Security for these guests is completed at the station entrance at each hotel. There are small ferry boats that service these hotels in addition to the Wilderness Lodge and Ft. Wilderness Campground. Again, Security for these areas is handled before you get to the loading docks. As an added bonus, you can walk to the Magic Kingdom entrance from the Contemporary Resort and their DVC property, Bay Lake Tower (coming soon to the Grand Floridian). Security is on the walkway to the park once you have left the resort property.
Disney Buses and Minnie Vans - Guests from all other Disney resorts arriving via the Walt Disney World Bus System and those using Minnie Vans will arrive directly at the Magic Kingdom Entrance. The security checkpoint is just outside the bus depot and follows the same setup as the other mentioned. This is the most congested security area and will take the most time to get through.
Park Entrance
You are Finally here. For most, this will be the culmination of months, if not years, of planning. There is only one more thing to do, scan your MagicBand or park ticket, that you already have or purchased at the TTC, and be welcomed by the Main Street Train Station for the Walt Disney Railroad. This is a great place to get your first picture at the park using the Photopass system (more information here). There is a small retail store to the left of the entrance that will have some travel essentials such as sunscreen, diapers, and of course Ears. Your rentals are also in this area with locker and wheelchair rentals to the right of the train station and stroller rentals located under the station. If you need any other information prior to entering the park, there is a counter next to the wheelchair rentals with a restroom.
Main Street U.S.A
Instead of walking directly into rider queue lines and noise, Magic Kingdom welcomes you with a walk down a street your grandparents grew up with, or if you still live in small town America, we call it downtown. It is a departure from the busy and provides a somewhat calming arrival to the park. We are going to break this area 3 sections since there is actually a lot offered in this area.
Town Square - As you head under the train station, Town Square greets you with it's small town familiarity. The middle of Town Square is used for many things. It is home to the Pumpkin scene during the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and the Icon tree during the Christmas Season (Early November - Early January). It will also be home to revolving character meet and greets and is a great place to take in a parade, but half of this area will be blocked off for a viewing party, more on this in a bit.
To the left, the Chamber of Commerce offers package pickup if you choose to use while shopping. This service along with resort drop off are great alternatives to carrying your loot throughout the park each day. It is also where you can pick up you celebration pins, one of our favorite Disney Freebies. The "City Hall" to the right houses another information area and has the lost and found. There is another restroom area beside it and these are where we recommend heading if you need to go when you get to the park. The last building on this row is the Red Fire House home to Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, a fun interactive game that is played throughout the park and is free to start. There are some purchase that can be made to enhance this game, but not required to enjoy (for more information click here). Up in the corner is the Harmony Barber Shop. It is a real barber shop that takes appointments and is also an overlooked place for character meets and often will have rare characters standing in this area.
On the other side of the square is a large building that houses Tony's Town Square Restaurant (LD) with its Italian menu and Lady and the Tramp art decorations. The restaurant is host to upcharge events during both of the Magic Kingdom holiday parties and has a parade viewing enhancement throughout the year that has a special booking procedure. Also in this building are the Town Square character areas for Mickey Mouse and Tinkerbell. These are relatively popular characters, the Mickey meet and greet actually makes our Fastpass+ priority list for the park. There is a shop that is part of the exit for these experiences that includes the custom Ears location where you can have certain Ear hats embroidered. This is great for first visits or other special occasions. Finally, the Photopass Shop is in this building. It is where you can purchase pictures saved to your Magicband or card throughout your visit or purchase Memory Maker day of.
Retail Corridor - There isn't really a name for the area between Town Square and the Castle hub, but this suits its purpose. This long straight is populated with PhotoPass photographers ready to take the ever famous Castle picture. Don't be afraid to take multiple down the street. You never know what is going on behind you in some of the pictures. This is also one of the most popular viewing areas for the parade and fireworks. Get to this area early for both of these events if this is where you want to be.
Down the left side is the collection of the Emporium Shops. These shops flow together with pass through areas that can let you move from Casey's Corner all the way down to the Town Square area without going outside. The areas are put together in a way so that you can shop the same types of merchandise within the each. It starts with a home goods section and moves to toys, the middle shop is where you will find special event and special edition merchandise, and the north shops are for clothing and accessories. This is one of the best shopping areas on all of Disney property. If you are looking for that perfect souvenir, you have a good chance of finding it here.
On the right side of the street is a collection of boutique and specialty shops. Starting with the Main St. Confectionery shops. This are includes an open kitchen where you can watch Disney chefs make some of your favorite treats. Next is the Cinema, which displays a collection of Disney art for sale. Uptown Jewelers is a collection of jewelry stores that flow into what looks like a side street. Crystal Arts is a fine glass shop that has a resident glass blower that you can watch craft pieces throughout the day. The Main St Bakery is the park Starbucks and is a great place to spend some of those snack points you may forget about during your trip. They can be used for ANY SIZE drink and a selection of snacks offered.
Castle Hub - This area is the "Hub" in the hub and spoke design of the park. This is the location of the Partners statue featuring Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. It is another popular picture location.
From here you can directly access all of the different lands except Frontierland. It is the main viewing area for the nightly fireworks show and fills up rather early. If you want a good view here, you have to be here at least 30 minutes prior to the show, but on busier days and on special nights this are can fill up a couple hours prior to the show. During the fireworks, the front of the castle is illuminated with high definition projectors that give life to the show. This is also a great place to view the parades or be part of the Move it, Shake it Dance Party. Also there is a daily show on the Castle Stage that will attract a good crowd. Needless to say, this can be the most congested area of the park multiple times a day and should be avoided if you are not taking in any of the day shows or parades.
There are multiple dining options on the south side of the hub. Crystal Palace (BLD) is a character buffet inhabited by the friends of Winnie the Pooh. It is a pretty standard buffet when it comes to Disney restaurants, but is a great place to get a meal before the park opens and miss a lot of the rope drop crowding. Casey's Corner (LD) is a quick service hot dog stand with indoor and outdoor seating. The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor is a treat stand that offers ice cream specialties including the Kitchen Sink Sundae. Finally, the Plaza Restaurant (BLD) is a table service with classic fare including burgers and steaks. For information concerning dining plans and options click here.
As you can see, there is a lot to see and do at the Magic Kingdom. From the hub, you can find pathways to Adventureland, FantasyLand, Tomorrowland, and Liberty Square. Along with Frontierland, you can find more than enough to do to fill a couple of days. You can click on any of the areas go directly to that blog. Once you get an idea of what you want to do, check out our 1 day touring recommendations to get an idea of how we navigate the park to get the most out of a single day.
Are you ready to take the next step? Fill out our information form on the Booking Your Trip page and let's talk about your Disney adventure. If you are looking for more information, the Disney Planning Insights Podcasts and Princesses and the Mouse Blogs provide more information to help you plan your next Disney vacation.
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