Fantasyland Magic Kingdom

Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom is centered on Cinderella’s castle and is home to many of the young children’s favorite rides including Dumbo and It’s a Small World. Disney has undertaken a major expansion of Fantasyland to create a New Fantasyland, nearly double the size. Some rides have been closed and others have been relocated.

Because of the large number of children friendly (and in the most part slow loading) rides Fantasyland tends to get very busy

Cinderella Castle at Fantasyland Magic Kingdom

A fairy tale castle that has become one of Disney’s trademarks, it is often decorated for various anniversary events such as the 25th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort. In the castle, Cinderella’s Royal Table is where you can dine and see Cinderella herself.

Mad Tea Party

Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Tea Party is a waltzer-type ride where you sit inside a giant tea cup and control the speed at which it tilts and spins around by turning a wheel in the center of the cup. I hate to admit it but this innocuous-looking ride makes me feel sick; give me a roller coaster any day!

Like the other non-continuous loading rides in Fantasyland, queues can be long as it takes time to load and unload.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

This is a real favorite of small children and because it has a relatively small capacity, queues can be long. Sixteen dumbo-shaped gondolas circle around a central hot air balloon while gently going up and down. The ride only lasts two minutes but loading/unloading times are slow. This ride has been relocated to Storybook Circus and now consists of two rides.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Lightening Lane available)

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh replaced Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in 1999 and is four four-minute ride in a golden honey pot car through storyboards from the Hundred Acre Wood. Along the way you meet Winnie and all his friends including Eeyore, Tigger and Piglet but make sure you keep an eye for Heffalumps.

This ride has Lightening Lane and you would do well to use it as the queues are always long.

Peter Pan’s Flight (Lightening Lane available)

Peter Pan’s Flight is a four-minute ride that takes you in a pirate ship across a night-time London all the way from Wendy, John, and Michael’s nursery to Never-Never Land to the sounds of “You Can Fly”.

As you glide silently over the skylights of London, you will re-experience the excitement and nostalgia of flying along with Peter Pan and Wendy on their flight to Neverland.

The popularity of this ride is high due to the lack of a height requirement and it being a main attraction at Disney World. The experience combines a mix of classic storytelling and amazing set designs to make Peter Pan’s Flight a family favorite Disney World experience. Because of its broad appeal, getting a Lightening Lane for this ride is generally a good strategy for avoiding long queues.

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

A genuine vintage merry-go-round that was originally built in 1917 and operated in Maplewood, New Jersey. It make a beautiful picture at night when it is all lit up.

There are 72 white horses (all different) that travel around to the sound of an organ playing your favorite Disney tunes. This two-minute ride is another ride with a limited capacity so expect long lines.

It’s a Small World

If you want to avoid singing the theme tune inside your head all day long, make sure you do It’s a Small World late in the day. This is an 11-minute boat ride that people either love or hate. The ride was created for the UNICEF pavilion at the 1964 New York World Fair as a tribute to the children of the world and features brightly decorated dolls representing the different cultures of the world all singing the same song.

It’s a Small World has recently undergone a long renovation but the ride (and the song!) remains essentially unchanged.

Mickey’s PhilharMagic

Mickey’s PhilharMagic opened in Fantasyland in October 2003 replacing the “Legend of the Lion King”. The 3-D production is projected onto a 150-foot-high wraparound screen and features a number of Disney characters including Ariel, Aladdin and Simba as they try to help Donald Duck retrieve Mickey’s sorcerer’s hat.

Fantasyland Magic Kingdom Expansion

In the largest development at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Disney undertook a major expansion of Fantasyland which will saw the introduction of new rides, attractions, restaurants and gift shops. Because of the scale of the expansion, it was undertaken in a series of phases and when completed it nearly doubled the size of Fantasyland.

The first phase of New Fantasyland, called Storybook Circus based on the Dumbo film, includes Barnstormer – Starring the Great Goofini, the Casey Jr. Splash & Soak Station and Dumbo the Flying Elephant, all of which opened to guests in July 2012.

The second phase, called Enchanted Forest brought together the classic Disney films, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and opened in December 2012. Attractions include Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Ariel’s Grotto, Gaston’s Tavern and Bonjour! Village Gifts.

These attractions plus Big Top Souvenirs and Pete’s Silly Sideshow in the Storybook Circus opened at the official Grand Opening of New Fantasyland on December 6, 2012 with the preview starting on November 19, 2012.

The third phase in 2013 saw the introduction of the Princess Fairytale Hall on the site of the former Snow White Scary Adventure, where guests now get the opportunity to meet and greet all of their favorite Disney princesses.

The final phase included a new “mountain” roller coaster ride coming to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in the shape of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in 2014, themed on the classic Disney film of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

To make way for the New Fantasyland, several of the original attractions in Fantasyland including Snow White Scary Adventure were either closed down or relocated. The whole of Mickey’s Toontown Fair closed down in 2011 to make way for Storybook Circus.

Access to other Lands

Fantasyland leads into Liberty Square on one side and into Mickey’s Toontown Fair and Tomorrowland on the other side.

If you make your way back to the central hub near Cinderella’s Castle you can also reach Adventureland and Main Street USA.

Eating in Fantasyland

The dining highlight in Fantasyland is Cinderella’s Royal Table in the medieval royal dining hall inside Cinderella’s Castle. Reservations are required.

Cinderella’s Royal Table offers a character breakfast, the “Once Upon a Time Breakfast”. The “all-you-care-to-eat” style breakfast includes eggs, potatoes, meats and French toast.

For the rest of the day, you can eat lunch or dinner with specialities like prime rib, steaks and fresh seafood.

The Pinocchio Village Haus is a counter service restaurant offering cheeseburgers, hot dogs, french fries with toppings and crisp salads.

The Enchanted Grove serves drinks including slushes, juices and swirls.

At Mrs. Potts’ Cupboard you can get soft serve ice cream, floats, sundaes and shakes.

You can also get drinks at Hook’s Tavern.