Park Overview
This area of the resort is modeled after Disneyland (in Anaheim, California), and while it's only one of several theme parks that now make up the entire WDW Resort, this theme park can easily provide at least one or two full days (and evenings) of fun-filled entertainment, especially if you're traveling with kids. Out of all the theme parks and activities available at the WDW Resort, the Magic Kingdom is most likely what kids will enjoy the most, since most of the rides and attractions, especially in Fantasyland and Mickey's Toontown Fair, are designed with kids in mind.
Like Disneyland, Walt Disney considered the Magic Kingdom to be a giant stage in which guests participate in every aspect of their entertainment. Many of the rides, shows, and attractions in the Magic Kingdom are based on classic Disney stories and movies, and like Disneyland (which was built first), the Magic Kingdom is divided up into distinctly themed lands — Adventureland, Liberty Square, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Mickey's Toontown Fair, Tomorrowland, and Main Street U.S.A. These lands are composed of rides, shows, attractions, restaurants, snack shops, gift shops, outdoor entertainers, and specially designed architecture that make you feel totally immersed in the theme park experience.
FAST FACT
As you walk down the center of Main Street look closely at the ground and you'll see a series of “pucks” embedded in the street. These are sensors that are used for the parade floats. They send information back to a centralized computer so that the music stays synchronized with the parade.
Guests enter through the main entrance, pass under the Walt Disney World Railroad, and find themselves on Main Street U.S.A. This street, which is the Magic Kingdom's parade route, is lined with shops, restaurants, and plenty of delightful surprises, like the Main Street vehicles, street performers, and musicians.
As guests wander down Main Street U.S.A., the sight ahead is Cinderella's Castle — the most famous landmark in the WDW Resort and reportedly the most photographed building in the world. This 180-foot-tall castle is the entrance to Fantasyland and is located just past the Hub, where an almost life-size statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse is displayed. This circular park (complete with benches and beautiful landscaping) is known as the Hub because it's located in the center of the Magic Kingdom. From this location, guests can easily locate the entrances to each of the Magic Kingdom's themed lands (with the exception of Mickey's Toontown Fair).
