Fantasyland Introduction at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Theme Park
Fantasyland, themed like Cinderella’s Castle’s Courtyard, is the northernmost land at the Magic Kingdom that separates Tomorrowland from Liberty Square. Fantasyland is a favorite of many visitors to Disney, especially young kids. Most of the attractions in Fantasyland are geared towards the younger set and you won’t find any thrill rides or roller coasters. Instead, many of the attractions fall into the “dark ride” category. According to Wikipedia, “A dark ride is an indoor amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music, and special effects.” Peter Pan’s Flight, It’s A Small World, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Snow White’s Scary Adventures are all Fantasyland dark rides. In addition, you’ll find Cinderella’s Golden Carousel and Dumbo the Flying Elephant, both carousel-type rides and Mad Tea Party, a spinning tea cup attraction. Mickey’s PhilharMagic is the excellent 3D theater show in Fantasyland and a great way to get off your feet for a while in the middle of the day.
If you plan to skip Magic Kingdom’s thrill rides, including Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, then you’ll want to head to Fantasyland first thing in the morning. Many of Fantasyland’s rides boast some of the longest waits at the Magic Kingdom, despite not being billed as “headlining attractions.” Don’t be surprised if the wait for Peter Pan’s Flight or Dumbo the Flying Elephant eclipses the wait for Space Mountain. This is due to the fact that many Fantasyland rides have small capacities and inefficient loading and unloading. If you do plan to ride the headlining thrill rides, prepare to head to Fantasyland immediately after. You may need to use the FASTPASS system where available and ride the less popular, higher capacity attractions like It’s A Small World and Mickey’s PhilharMagic while you wait for your FASTPASS time. If you’re extremely short on time or the Magic Kingdom is particularly crowded, make sure to pay special attention to the ratings and which rides can be more easily skipped than others. Evening Extra Magic Hours is also an excellent time to visit Fantasyland because many families will have left the park due to the late hour. It’s not uncommon for the line for Peter Pan’s Flight to be in the 60 minute range all day, but drop to 10 minutes during Extra Magic Hours.
Cinderella’s Royal Table is Fantasyland’s table service restaurant. It’s expensive and costs two table service credits on the Disney Dining Plan, but it may be worth it if your budget allows. Pinocchio Village Haus is Fantasyland’s main counter service location. Where else can you order a pepperoni pizza and chocolate milkshake? It’s not the best quick service at the Magic Kingdom, but it’s the only location that serves pizza and the seating that overlooks the It’s A Small World boat ride is fun as well. There are about six different shops in Fantasyland, including the ever-popular Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Click the highlighted links throughout this post to read full reviews of the restaurants mentioned. Scroll down for the full reviews of the rides and attractions or click here if you’ve landed on this page from another source. To the right you will also find categories leading to reviews of all the other attractions, restaurants, and resorts at Walt Disney World.
Must visit: Mickey’s PhilharMagic (in the afternoon or whenever you need a break from walking), Peter Pan’s Flight (with FASTPASS or during evening Extra Magic Hours if necessary)
Visit With Kids But Skippable Without: Cinderella’s Golden Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Skippable With or Without Kids: It’s A Small World, Mad Tea Party, Snow White’s Scary Adventure
FASTPASS Available: Mickey’s PhilharMagic, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan’s Flight
Morning Extra Magic Hours: Cinderealla’s Golden Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, It’s A Small World, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Peter Pan’s Flight
Evening Extra Magic Hours: Same as Morning above
Although several of these attractions are listed as “skippable,” I would still make every effort to visit them. If you only have time for one of the “skippable attractions” you should probably visit It’s A Small World. It’s a classic attraction that ususally has a shorter wait. When short on time, you’ll have to make some tough decisions. Every group is different and you’ll want to read over the specific reviews to figure out which rides sounds more appealing than others.
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