This area of the Magic Kingdom offers many attractions specifically for young kids, featuring some of Disney's classic characters from movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and The Little Mermaid. Anyone traveling with young kids should plan on spending at least one full day experiencing everything that Fantasyland has to offer.

Cinderella's Castle

This is the best-known landmark in all of the WDW Resort and many say the most photographed building on earth. Inside the castle is a glass tile mosaic mural that tells the story of Cinderella. This castle is 180 feet tall and is twice the height of Sleeping Beauty's Castle located at Disneyland.

Kids especially will enjoy eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner with Cinderella in the castle at Cinderella's Royal Table. Make your reservations at least three to six months in advance.

ô This is a must-see attraction.

Cinderella's Surprise Celebration

Several times throughout the day (see the Guide Map: Magic Kingdom brochure for details), Cinderella's Surprise Celebration takes place on the castle's front stage. This is a musical show that stars Cinderella and other classic Disney characters. After the show, there's a meet-and-greet opportunity that provides an awesome chance for parents to photograph their kids in front of the castle with the various characters, or for kids to collect their autographs.

Cinderella's Golden Carrousel

This is one of the world's largest carrousels, and one of the Magic Kingdom's original attractions. Cinderella's Golden Carrousel holds seventy-two hand-carved horses that are truly works of art that guests of all ages can ride. Along with the exquisitely decorated horses, the entire carrousel features medieval décor. This ride was built in 1917 and was acquired from an amusement park in New Jersey that's no longer in existence. It has since been totally refurbished and modernized, but it still has its original beauty and charm. The ride itself lasts about two minutes.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

The Magic Kingdom's younger guests can fly high above Fantasyland in cars shaped like Dumbo (the elephant), who uses his oversized ears to fly. Inspired by Disney's animated movie Dumbo, this two-minute ride is for kids only.

“it's a small world”

Whether you're spending one hour or several days exploring the Magic Kingdom, this is one attraction that nobody should miss. It's been called the “happiest cruise that's ever sailed,” and you'll quickly discover that this description is totally accurate.

This is a colorful, ten-minute boat ride that takes guests through several large indoor areas filled with Audio-Animatronic children from around the world, all singing “it's a small world” in different languages. “it's a small world” is absolutely delightful and is well worth waiting in line to experience. (There's almost always a shorter wait if you get into the left line queue.) During the ride, be sure to look upward as well as to the sides, because there are exciting and adorable things happening all around you. Kids love the laughing hyenas, about five minutes into the ride, while adults will find the final scene on the ride extremely heartwarming.

As they leave, many people feel inclined to toss a coin into the water and make a wish. If you're traveling with someone in a wheelchair, special boats are available (upon request) to accommodate wheelchairs.

ô This is a must-see attraction.

Mad Tea Party (a.k.a. “The Teacups”)

Inspired by Disney's Alice in Wonderland, this ride is virtually guaranteed to make you totally dizzy. It's the type of ride that most kids love, but that's suitable for anyone who has the stomach for it. Guests sit in oversized teacups that spin around each other. At the same time, individual guests can make their own teacup spin around its own axis. The ride lasts about two minutes and is best experienced on an empty stomach.

Peter Pan's Flight

Guests ride in pirate galleons over London on a nonstop, three-minute journey to Never Never Land, where Captain Hook and the Lost Boys will be waiting. Think of this ride as an animated, three-dimensional storybook that tells a condensed version of the Peter Pan story. This ride is definitely kid-oriented and will be of little interest to adults traveling without young kids. Don't be surprised if this ride has one of the longest lines in Fantasyland. This attraction may be too scary for very young children.

Snow White's Scary Adventures

Young guests in particular will enjoy this three-minute ride, which depicts several popular scenes from Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs animated classic. The Audio-Animatronic dwarfs are really cute, but kids might get a bit scared by the wicked witch's multiple appearances, so it's a good idea to prepare children by telling them what to expect. Once again, this ride should be experienced by people traveling with kids; otherwise it could be skipped. This attraction may be too scary for very young children.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

This colorful ride takes guests on a whirlwind visit with the classic Winnie the Pooh characters from the Hundred Acre Wood. As guests ride in honey pot — shaped vehicles, they bounce along with Tigger, float through a floody place with Piglet, and then enter the mysterious world of Heffalumps and Woozles. Colorful Animatronic figures and three-dimensional sets are used to convey the story line of this adventure.

Mickey's PhilharMagic

This 3-D movie takes place in a large, custom-designed theater that actually interacts with visitors. For example, when water shoots on screen, guests will feel droplets of water shot at them. (Don't worry, it's only a few drops. You won't get drenched.)

This movie features state-of-the-art computer animation, tons of special effects, and stars some of Disney's most beloved characters, including Donald Duck. Mickey's PhilharMagic is presented on a 150-foot by 28-foot movie screen. Special 3-D glasses are provided when you enter the air-conditioned theater. The show is presented continuously throughout the day and should not be missed!

ô This is a must-see attraction.