Complete Guide to Magic Kingdom at Disney World (2024)

When most people think of Disney World, they think of Magic Kingdom. And while Magic Kingdom may just be one of four Disney World parks, but it is certainly the most popular! And with good reason: it has the most rides and attractions out of any park. This guide to Magic Kingdom will walk you through all of it!

Looking for guides to other parks? We have one for every other WDW park!

• Guide to Epcot
• Guide to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Guide to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

How Many Days Should You Spend in Magic Kingdom?

We really think Magic Kingdom works best in two days. It is almost impossible to get everything done in one day at the Magic Kingdom (unless you are part of a special ticketed event in addition to your day in the park). So if you can, plan two days for the Magic Kingdom unless you want to have to make some tough choices about what to skip!

Wondering how Magic Kingdom compares to the other parks because your trying to decide which parks to spend more time at? These may help!

• Magic Kingdom vs. Epcot
• Magic Kingdom vs. Hollywood Studios
• Magic Kingdom vs. Animal Kingdom

Getting to Magic Kingdom

If you are staying at a Walt Disney World resort, on-site transportation will take you to Magic Kingdom. If you are staying at a monorail resort (i.e. the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, or Contemporary) you can take a direct monorail to Magic Kingdom. You can also choose to walk from these resorts (but if I was staying at the Polynesian I don’t think I’d choose to do that).

If you are staying at Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, Grand Floridian, or the Polynesian, you can take a boat to Magic Kingdom.

If you are staying at another resort, you can take the bus to Magic Kingdom.

For guests staying at an off-site hotel, many of them offer complementary shuttle service to Disney Parks.

If you are driving to Magic Kingdom, you will park at the Transportation and Ticket Center where you will take the monorail or a boat to the park. Parking is $30 for the day for standard vehicles, although it is included if you are a Disney Resort guest.

Getting Around Magic Kingdom

As with the other parks, you will walk. So get those comfy supportive shoes ready.

But Magic Kingdom is also unique in that you can get a one-way ride on one of the Main Street Vehicles from the front of the park to Cinderella Castle.

Magic Kingdom also has a train that runs the perimeter of the park with stops at Main Street USA, Frontierland, and Fantasyland. If you are trying to get from one side of the park to the other, this can be a great way to do it while giving your legs a break!

Magic Kingdom Rides & Attractions in 2024

The Magic Kingdom is separated into 5 separate “lands” plus Main Street USA, all splitting off from the main “Hub” (where the Cinderella Castle is).

You will enter onto Main Street U.S.A., where a lot of the park’s shopping is located, and then branch out to separate lands from the Hub.

Main Street, U.S.A. and The Hub

You enter Magic Kingdom via Main Street, U.S.A. All along Main Street, U.S.A. runs The Emporium, the biggest store Magic Kingdom. You’ll also find coffee, ice cream, and several dining places as well as some street entertainment.

Mickey Mouse also has a meet and greet at the front of Main Street, USA.

The central part of Magic Kingdom is Cinderella Castle (of course!) that sits at the end of Main Street U.S.A. The Hub in front of the castle is where you can watch castle entertainment; it’s also a lovely place to sit in the grass and take a break.

Fantasyland

Fantasyland is by far the most popular land in Magic Kingdom and this is where you’ll find lots of family-friendly rides based on Disney’s popular animated movies.

Fantasyland Rides and Attractions:

• Ariel’s Grotto (an Ariel meet and greet)
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Enchanted Tales with Belle (an interactive show)
• It’s a Small World
• Mad Tea Party (aka the tea cups)
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic (an indoor show)
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pete’s Silly Side Show (a character meet and greet with options for either Donald and Goofy or Minnie and Daisy)
• Prince Charming Regal Carousel
• Princess Fairytale Hall (a princess meet and greet with options for either Cinderella and Elena or Tiana and Rapunzel)
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• The Barnstormer
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland is meant to be a futuristic land. But remember, it was futuristic when it opened in 1971, so now it is more of a retro-version of the future.

Tomorrowland Rides and Attractions:

• Astro Orbiter (just like Dumbo but high in the sky)
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor (an indoor comedy show)
• Space Mountain
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• TRON Lightcycle/Run
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress (an indoor classic show)

Adventureland

Adventureland is themed after a remote jungle (although you’ll also find Aladdin?).

Adventureland Rides and Attractions:

• Jungle Cruise
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (again, very similar to Dumbo)
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room (an indoor show)
• Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse (a self-guided treehouse tour)

Frontierland

Frontierland is in the back corner of the park and it’s main attractions are Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. You’ll also find Tom Sawyer Island in Frontierland, a good quiet spot to relax if you feel like you need to get away from the park for a bit without actually leaving the park.

Frontierland Rides and Attractions:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Country Bear Jamboree (an indoor show)
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (replaced Splash Mountain)
• Tom Sawyer Island (there is a raft-like boat you take to get to Tom Sawyer Island)

Liberty Square

Liberty Square is just a small section of the park between Fantasyland and Adventureland, and it’s mostly known for its single ride: the Haunted Mansion (which really is in the back section of it, almost in Fantasyland). The Hall of Presidents is also here as well as several dining options.

Liberty Square Rides and Attractions:

• The Hall of Presidents (an indoor show)
• The Haunted Mansion
• Liberty Square Riverboat

How to Use Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Magic Kingdom

What is Lightning Lane Multi Pass?

Lightning Lane is Disney World’s “skip the line” system, that gives you access to shorter “Lightning Lane” lines for popular rides.

It does come with an extra cost. At Disney World, Lightning Lane Multi Pass cost ranges from $18 to $35 per day per ticket. Pricing is based on how crowded the park is that day as well as which park you are visiting, so during holidays expect to see these prices at the high end of the spectrum. Also Magic Kingdom is consistently the most expensive Lightning Lane Multi Pass option.

There is also Lightning Lane Single Pass, which is for super popular rides that charge a separate fee (usually between $11 and $25) for Lightning Lane access. (You do NOT have to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass to purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass.)

Note that aside from rides using Virtual Queues (right now, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in Epcot and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Magic Kingdom), standby lines are still available. So you are not required to purchase Lightning Lanes for ride access.

For guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, you can purchase Lightning Lanes 7 days in advance of your trip. At the time of purchase, you can select 3 Lightning Lanes for each day you purchase it for, plus of course any Lightning Lane Single Passes.

For all other guests, you can purchase and select Lightning Lanes 3 days in advance.

Once you are in the park, you can book another Lightning Lane each time you use one.

Lightning Lane Rides in Magic Kingdom

Out of all four Disney World parks, I think Magic Kingdom is the one where Lightning Lane Multi Pass is the most valuable. With so many popular rides that can rack up high wait times, you will be able to get through so much more of the park with Lightning Lanes.

Here are the Magic Kingdom rides that have Lightning Lanes Multi Pass. There are two groups of rides, and when choosing in advance you can only pick one ride from the first tier and the other two must be from the second tier.

(I’ve put an asterisks next to the rides I would prioritize when booking in advance!)

Tier One

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Jungle Cruise*
• Peter Pan’s Flight*
• Space Mountain
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure* (Virtual Queue also available)

Tier Two

• Barnstormer
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin*
• Dumbo
• Haunted Mansion*
• It’s a Small World
• Mad Tea Party
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh*
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Pirates of the Caribbean*
• Tomorrowland Speedway*
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid

There is also one ride per park that requires an Lightning Lane Single Pass purchase if you want to access the Lightning Lane (remember, standby is always a free option). But in Magic Kingdom, there are currently two because TRON Lightcycle/Run introduced a paid Lightning Lane when it opened in April 2023.

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• TRON Lightcycle/Run

Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy

Planning how to use Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Magic Kingdom is going to depend a lot on what your individual priorities are.

A good general strategy is to rope drop (i.e. ride as soon as the park opens) a super popular ride. I would probably go with Winnie the Pooh, Space Mountain, or Peter Pan. If you do not plan on buying an Individual Lightning Lane for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you might plan to rope drop that (but you’ll want to be at the front of the rope drop crowd!).

Schedule your first Lightning Lane for soon after the park opens. I would probably do one ride at rope drop and then move on to a Lightning Lane ride. This is because as soon as you check into that first Lightning Lane, you can book another one.

Morning is valuable time for low waits, but you also want to be able to free up a pre-booked Lightning Lane so that you can get something else.

While you can only book one Lightning Lane from the first group of rides in advance of your trip, once you’re in the park those groups go out the window. So using a Lightning Lane early in the morning will enable you to book another ride from that harder-to-get first group.

PS – My favorite way to book Lightning Lanes once I’m in the park is with Standby Skipper!

Do I Need Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Magic Kingdom?

Out of all four parks, Magic Kingdom is the one where I would say Lightning Lane Multi Pass is most important! There is just so much to do at Magic Kingdom and Lightning Lanes will help you get most of it done.

But what about if you want to travel to Magic Kingdom without getting Lightning Lanes? The first thing I would say is to temper your expectations. You will most likely not get to everything you’d like to. 

Early mornings and late evenings will be key, as this is when lines can be the lowest. Try to hit the most popular rides that are most important to you in the first hour of the day (you can hopefully get through 2 or 3), then go for rides with shorter wait times. Then, before the park closes, hop in line for another popular ride.

You should be able to get through a good many things this way, but there will also probably be a couple popular rides that you may not be able to ride unless you are willing to wait in a super long standby line.

You will also not be able to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure without the Virtual Queue if you don’t want to purchase Lightning Lane.

Early Entry at Magic Kingdom

If you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort or at one of a select number of Good Neighbor Hotels, you will be eligible for Early Entry. This is where guests can access the park 30 minutes before it opens to the public, which is a great time to get on some of the more popular rides!

Note, if you do not have Early Entry, I definitely would NOT rope drop the most popular rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Almost everyone at Early Entry would have done the same thing already. Instead, I would go for something like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which isn’t open during Early Entry.

Here are the rides available at Magic Kingdom during Early Entry (you’ll notice that it is limited to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland):

• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo
• It’s a Small World
• Mad Tea Party
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic (please don’t use your Early Entry time here; you can easily go later in the day)
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• The Barnstormer
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress (again, as much as I love this show, don’t use your Early Entry time here)

Extended Evening Hours

If you are staying at one of Disney’s Deluxe Resorts, you will be eligible to enjoy Extended Evening Hours at Magic Kingdom. These are select nights each month where guests can stay two hours after park close. It does not require a separate ticket.

You can find a full list of hotels that make you eligible for Extended Evening Hours here.

Characters at Magic Kingdom in 2024

Character Cavalcades

Character cavalcades are mini-parades that take place throughout the day. Favorite characters appear on floats that run along the usual parade route from the back of Frontierland to the front of the park. There is currently one main cavalcade running at the Magic Kingdom. Note that these are all subject to change, as Disney is known for switching characters up.

Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade includes characters from Zootopia, The Jungle Book, The Three Caballeros, Coco, Brave, Moana, The Incredibles, and Mirabel from Encanto!

Regular Character Meet and Greets

Now let’s break down where you can meet characters at traditional character meet and greets. This means you will wait in a line and have a change to talk to and take pictures with a character.

Meeting Mickey Mouse and Friends

You can meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater near the park entrance.

You can meet the rest of his gang at Pete’s Silly Side Show in the Storybook Circus area of Fantasyland. Here you’ll meet Minnie, Goofy, Daisy, and Donald.

Meeting Princesses

Princesses can be met mainly at Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland or at the character dining experience at Cinderella’s Royal Table in Cinderella Castle.

At Princess Fairytale Hall you can meet Cinderella, Elena, Rapunzel, and Tiana.

At Cinderella’s Royal Table the princesses sometimes rotate, but often you can meet Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, and Jasmine.

Other meet & greet opportunities:

Merida can often be found in the Liberty Square Gazebo.

Mirabel is meeting in a new spot (Merida’s old spot) between Mad Tea Party and Cinderella Castle.

Ariel has a meet and greet at Ariel’s Grotto in Fantasyland.

Jasmine often has a meet and greet in Adventureland near the Magic Carpets.

Belle can sometimes be seen near Maurice’s cottage in Fantasyland.

Other Magic Kingdom Characters

There are several other spots in the park where you can see favorite characters out in the wild. Some of these are places you can wave to characters, and some of them are character meet & greets with lines that form. As always, check the My Disney Experience app during your visit, because character availability can change by the day.

• Pooh and friends near The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Fantasyland.
• Peter Pan in Fantasyland.
• Chip and Dale in Storybook Circus or Frontierland.
• Anastasia and Drizella behind Cinderella Castle.
• The Country Bears near The Country Bear Jamboree.
• Stitch can be found roaming Tomorrowland.
• Buzz Lightyear can be found near the exit of Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.

Magic Kingdom Character Dining

There are two character dining opportunities in Magic Kingdom: Cinderella’s Royal Table and Crystal Palace.

At Cinderella’s Royal Table you dine inside Cinderella Castle while princesses visit your table. Princesses can vary, but usually include Snow White, Aurora, Jasmine, Ariel, Jasmine, and of course, Cinderella.

At Crystal Palace you can dine with Pooh and friends. You can meet Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore. The meal is a buffet. My favorite trick here is to book a late breakfast. You can get lots of ride done in the morning, then go in for breakfast around 10:30. With a time this late, you should be able to partake of BOTH the breakfast and the lunch buffet. (And I definitely recommend the breakfast buffet because the food is fantastic and the have Mickey churro waffles which are the BEST.)

Outdoor Entertainment

Outdoor entertainment at Magic Kingdom is not to be missed! From parades to fireworks it is all spectacular!

Times for the shows and parades can change throughout the year based on the season, so be sure to check your daily Times Guide (you can pick it up at the front of the park) or My Disney Experience app for that day’s times.

Parades

The Festival of Fantasy Parade will have all of of your favorite characters and takes place \ mid-afternoon. It travels from Adventureland and down Main Street. It’s a super fun parade and is definitely worth seeing!

Outdoor Shows

Let The Magic Begin is a 5 minute show that takes place in front of the castle right before the park opens.

Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is a show in front of the castle. It takes place multiple times during the day, so check your times guide or My Disney Experience app to see when it is showing during your visit.

Happily Ever After has returned to Magic Kingdom! This is the nightly firework show that takes place on Main Street U.S.A. in front of Cinderella Castle.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for other street entertainment such as Dapper Dans, the Casey’s Corner Pianist, and Citizens of Main Street.

You also might occasionally stumble upon some unexpected characters. You never know what surprises you may find at Disney’s Magic Kingdom!

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Guide to Magic Kingdom Dining in 2024

We’ll be honest here, dining at Magic Kingdom compared to some of the other parks at Disney World is not always…the best. There are some great finds though! The food at Be Our Guest is usually great! Cinderella’s Royal Table, while expensive, usually has pretty good food.

I’ve also enjoyed my meal at Columbia Harbor House (partially because it can be a nice healthy break compared to other theme park food). The food at Skipper Canteen is excellent too (I recommend the lamb chops!). Plus it sounds like Tony’s Town Square Restaurant has recently gotten a menu refresh.

Here’s a guide to all the dining at Magic Kingdom. We’ve tried to note the kind of food you can find at each location, although if there is no note you can assume it’s pretty standard American fare (sandwiches, burgers, etc.).

Want more details? Here’s our complete guide to Magic Kingdom Quick Service Restaurants!

Magic Kingdom Table Service Restaurants

Main Street USA Table Service

• The Plaza Restaurant
• Crystal Palace (character dining–Pooh and Friends)
• Tony’s Town Square Restaurant (Italian food)

Fantasyland Table Service Restaurants

• Be Our Guest Restaurant (French food)
• Cinderella’s Royal Table (character dining is Princesses)

Adventureland Table Service

• Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen (Asian-ish food)

Liberty Square Table Service Restaurants

• Liberty Tree Tavern (get a Thanksgiving dinner all year round)
• The Diamond Horseshoe (BBQ)

Magic Kingdom Quick Service Restaurants

Quick Service restaurants fall into two different categories: a full restaurant where you order from the counter and find a seat, and restaurants that are more of a glorified snack stop with just a couple menu items. Here are the restaurants with fuller menus.

Fantasyland Quick Service Restaurants

• Pinocchio Village Haus (pizzas and pasta)

Tomorrowland Quick Service Restaurants

• Cosmic Ray’s Starship Cafe (burgers)
• Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant (this one has only been open to host fireworks dessert parties recently)

Adventureland Quick Service

• Tortuga Tavern (BBQ)

Frontierland Quick Service Restaurants

• Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn (Mexican)

Liberty Square Quick Service Restaurants

• Columbia Harbor House (New England seafood)

Main Street USA Quick Service Restaurants

• Casey’s Corner (hot dogs)

Magic Kingdom Quick Service Snack Spots

Here are Quick Service restaurants that are more snack spots. You can make a meal from some of these (some of them sell sandwiches or turkey legs), but they by no means have a complete meal menu. In addition to these Quick Service spots, you will also find popcorn and ice cream carts throughout the park.

Fantasyland Quick Service Snack Spots

• Cheshire Cafe (don’t miss the Cheshire Cat Tail!)
• The Friar’s Nook
• Gaston’s Tavern (famous for a giant cinnamon roll)
• Prince Eric’s Village Market
• Storybook Treats (ice cream)

Tomorrowland Quick Service Snack Spots

• Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies (ice cream)
• Cool Ship (churros)
• The Lunching Pad
• Energy Bytes (doughnuts and dumplings)

Adventureland Quick Service Snack Spots

• Aloha Isle (the spot for the famous Dole Whip)
• Sunshine Tree Terrace (ice cream floats and citrus swirls)

Frontierland Quick Service Snack Spots

• Golden Oak Outpost (fries and chicken strips)
• Westward Ho (this is where you can get the candied bacon skewer)

Liberty Square Quick Service Snack Spots

• Liberty Square Market
• Sleepy Hollow (Nutella waffles!)

Main Street USA Quick Service Snack Spots

• Main Street Bakery
• Plaza Ice Cream Parlor

Special Events at Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom has several special events throughout the year that come with an extra price. These events can be great opportunities to see unique things in the park and go on rides with shorter wait times!

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a special event that takes place at the Magic Kingdom on select nights from mid-August late October from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. In 2024, it will run on select nights between August 9 and October 31.

It requires a special ticket, but you do not need to have an additional park ticket. And even though the party starts at 7 p.m., you can enter Magic Kingdom with a party ticket beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party includes special character meet and greets with rarely seen characters, trick-or-treating throughout the park, the Boo-To-You Parade, the Hocus Pocus Villian Spelltacular stage show, and Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks as well as other special entertainment throughout the park.

Some rides also get special Halloween party theming and there are special food offerings throughout the park.

Guests are encouraged to dress in costume, but be sure you know the costume guidelines.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a special event that takes place at Magic Kingdom on select nights from November to December from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. In 2024, it will run on select nights between November 8 and December 20.

Like the Halloween party, it is a separately ticketed event and you do not need to have a park ticket. Guests can enter the Magic Kingdom beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party includes special character meet and greets with rarely seen characters (including Santa, of course), Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration stage show, and the new Frozen Holiday Surprise show at the castle.

Other special entertainment can also be found throughout the park, and like the Halloween party, some rides get specially themed overlays.

There are also special holiday cookies you can pick up throughout the park and other special food options.

Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom Park

Disney After Hours events are separately ticketed events that allow you stay in the park for three hours after park close. These are scheduled for select nights January 11, 2023 to April 8. 2024.

After Hours events usually let you ride a lot more rides in a shorter amount of time because capacity is limited. It also allows you to enter the park beginning at 7:00 p.m., which is several hours before the event actually begins. And new in 2024: Disney will be showing the Enchantment fireworks show for After Hours guests!

Current Closures and Upcoming Attractions

Current Closures:

• Country Bear Jamboree (new show debuting July 17, 2024)
• Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade (permanently closed)
• Peter Pan’s Flight (closed July 8 – August 20, 2024)

Upcoming Attractions:

• Pirates of the Caribbean Lounge coming to Adventureland — Date TBA
• Country Bear Musical Jamboree (opening July 17, 2024)

Magic Kingdom Tips and Secrets

The Emporium is one big store even though you can enter it through different storefronts. So if you are trying to get out of the Main Street crowds, you can walk from the front of Main Street to the end of Main Street through the store.

Cast Members will begin taping off sections of the sidewalks for parades ahead of time for walking pathways, so be aware of that.

We HIGHLY recommend taking a boat when the park closes. They are usually much less crowded than the monorails.

The Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover and the Carousel of Progress are both great attractions to sit down and cool off. They are classic attractions that I love (and a lot of other people do to), but they usually aren’t too crowded.

Don’t miss the Tangled themed bathrooms in Fantasyland! There is a great little plaza you can sit down, and the theming both inside and outside the restrooms is incredible.

Looking for one of the most famous Disney Instagram spots? It’s the Purple Wall in Tomorrowland is it!

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• Epcot vs. Magic Kingdom
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