The Magic Kingdom and the Wonders it Has to Offer

Myself meeting Cinderella at her castle

The most popular theme park at Walt Disney World is the Magic Kingdom, and for obvious reasons. It has Cinderella's castle as its main centerpiece, where you can actually stay inside, and eat breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table (I would save a bit extra, because eating there is not cheap). Having been inside myself, I can say that it looks exactly like how you would picture her castle to look like. You get to meet Cinderella as you enter the castle, and during breakfast, you get to meet all of the other Disney princesses too.

But there is more to the Magic Kingdom than just the castle, although that is a huge part of it. The Magic Kingdom has so many attractions like the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, where you can walk through the dwarfs mine and see all of the jewels they have collected, and then you get to ride in mine carts around the small mountain that they mine inside. I would definitely go on this ride as many times as possible, but since it is a new attraction (having only come out in the past couple years or so) the wait times for the ride can be pretty long. When I was there, it ranged from 25 minutes to a one hour wait.


Places to Eat & Shop Your Disney Heart Out

The West Wing inside the Beast's Castle

The best place to eat lunch or dinner would have to be the Beast's castle, which is located in Fantasyland. Inside the castle, there are three rooms that you can eat in. There is the big ballroom that looks exactly like it does in the movie, there is the garden room, where a statue of Belle and the Beast dancing takes the center of the room. Finally, there is also the West Wing, where you see all of the paintings that the Beast had ripped up and in the back, you can see the enchanted rose sitting in its glass case. A special surprise comes at dinner, where the Beast himself shows up! I have never been to the castle for dinner, only lunch, but I think that it would be very cool to eat with the Beast.

Another great place to eat is Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café. This isn't a very fancy place to eat like Cinderella's Castle or the Beast's Castle, but it is still a great place to stop and indulge yourself in whatever you would like to eat, as they have a huge variety of food choices. They have burgers, chicken, pizza, pulled pork sandwiches, you name it. There is even a DJ that looks like (in my opinion) a weird dragon. His name is Sonny Eclipse and he is not from this planet (looks like he isn't too), but it's a great experience to go there. If you do not have a dining plan, to eat here is $14.99 a person, so I would definitely recommend that you get some sort of dining plan. It allows you to eat for free at certain restaurants across Disney World. 

And of course, there is a Starbuck's on Main Street, leading up to Cinderella's Castle. I can tell you that I went there almost every time we went to the Magic Kingdom, which was a lot. But it's Starbuck's, and it was free with the dining plan so you know, venti sized drinks for me.

In future blog posts, I will explain more about the benefits of the dining plan, but for now, let's talk about shopping.

Mickey Mouse Kitchenware

Who wouldn't want to shop at Disney World? You're at the most "magical place on Earth" so of course you would want to get a souvenir. There are so many shops down Main Street to choose from. There are clothing stores to a whole bunch of souvenir stores where you can buy anything and everything, and I guarantee you, it will have some sort of a Mickey Mouse incorporated into it.

There is more to the Magic Kingdom than just a couple of rides, Starbuck's, castles, and stores. There are four different lands that you can visit. There's Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, and Frontierland. There is also the Main Street where all of the shops are, and there is Liberty Square, where you can shop around in their market, and go on a boat ride across the small lake that is close to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (which I also recommend riding).

There are so many things to do at the Magic Kingdom that it's hard to do it all in one day, so just remember to take breaks when you want to - the rides will still be there waiting for you. Pace yourself and don't try to do too many things at once, or else you'll feel rushed. It's nice to plan things, like fast passes for rides, and you don't want to miss anything, but don't worry if you need a second or third day to do all of the things that you want to do. When I went, my family had made an itinerary that said what we were going to be doing in all of the different parks. It was a very busy itinerary, but at least we never forgot what we were doing next.

Of course I love Disney World, so itinerary or not, the Magic Kingdom truly has it all.

If you would like to know more about the shops, restaurants, or attractions that the Magic Kingdom has to offer, you can click these words, and it will take you to the official Disney website where you can learn more about all of the things that are possible in the Magic Kingdom.

Cinderella's castle in the Magic Kingdom

"I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing... that it was all started by a mouse"
                                    - Walt Disney

Off To Disney World!

We can all agree that Walt Disney World is the place "where dreams come true". It says so on the sign entering the Disney park. But not everyone knows how to make their Disney vacation the best it can possibly be, and that's where I come in. Throughout this blog, you will see information about Disney along with tips and tricks to make your Walt Disney World experience one that everyone can enjoy.

A Map of Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World has four main theme parks. There is the Magic Kingdom, which includes Main Street, Fantasyland, Adventureland,  Frontierland, Tomorrowland, and Liberty Square. Then there is also the Animal Kingdom, which is the largest park in Disney, as it has many animals that you can even see from your window in the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and experience a ride that goes backwards on Expedition Everest in Asia. The third park is Hollywood Studios, where you can ride the Tower of Terror and explore Walt Disney's life through a quiz about the park. The fourth park is famous for its main attraction (that yes, is shaped like a huge golf ball) and it's Epcot, where you can ride Mission Space and relive the story of Nemo on a ride called The Seas with Nemo & Friends.


Walt Disney World: It's History

On October 1st, 1971, the Walt Disney World Resort officially opened. It included the Magic Kingdom, a few hotels including Disney's Contemporary Resort, Disney's Polynesian Resort, and also Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.


Fun Facts about Walt Disney World:

• On October 1st, 1971, only approximately 10,000 people showed up for the opening of Walt Disney World, but now the park averages about 47,000 visitors a day.
• Walt Disney bought the 43 square miles of Central Florida swampland for Disney World for $5 million, or about $185 an acre.
• The Animal Kingdom features more than 3,000 species in its four million trees and plants.
• When Disney World opened, adult admission to the Magic Kingdom cost $3.50. Today it costs $85.

Grand Opening of Walt Disney World on October 1st, 1971

The Man Behind the Mouse

Walt Disney

Walt Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and he developed an early interest in drawing.

He took art classes as a boy and got a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18. He moved to California in the early 1920's and set up the Disney Brothers Studio with his brother Roy.

Disney was a shy, self-deprecating and insecure man in private, but adopted a warm and outgoing public persona.

In 1923, Walt Disney moved to Hollywood. Although New York was the center of the cartoon industry, he was attracted to Los Angeles because his brother Roy was recovering from tuberculosis there.

As a film producer, Disney holds the record for most Academy Awards earned by an individual, having won 22 Oscars out of 59 nominations. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award, among other honors. Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Sadly, Walt Disney died on December 15th, 1966, which was 5 years before the opening of Walt Disney World. In honour of him, the Walt Disney Company made Disney World a tribute to Walt Disney himself, having a statue of him and Mickey Mouse holding hands, right outside Cinderella's castle.

"First, think. Second, dream. Third, believe. And finally, dare."

                           - Walt Disney