The theme park that started it all in Florida has an amazing story and is the most magical place on Earth. The Magic Kingdom is a theme park like no other. From the rides to the food. It has something to offer to guests of all ages. But there are some things you might not know.
You all know the story of Walt Disney buying up swamp land in Central Florida to create a Disneyland on the east coast. But today we are not going to focus on that fact. We are not even going to talk about the fact Magic Kingdom sits on the “second” story either. We are going to find ten more things you might not know at the Magic Kingdom.
Let us know in the comments below how many you know. Was there any you think we should have included? Read on to find out 10 things you might not know about Magic Kingdom.
Most visited
It should come to no surprise but Magic Kingdom is the most visited theme park. We are not just talking about at Walt Disney World or even Florida. It is the most visited theme park in the World.
In 2019 over 20 million people visited the Magic Kingdom. Coming in at second was DisneyLand in California with 18.6 million guests. I think it will be a very long time before another theme park passes the attendance of Magic Kingdom.
It smells
We are not talking about bad stinky smells….. well I’m sure you will find them around too. However, those are not the ones we are talking about. We are talking about the sweet smells you smell up and down Main Street or on different rides.
Magic Kingdom has Smellitzer machines all around the park pumping different aromas. You’ll smell the ocean or gunpowder in Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Or the wonderful smell of freshly baked goods down Main Street.
Original tree
Forget about the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom. The Tree in Liberty Square is much more special. After all, it was originally grown on Walt Disney’s property only eight miles away. This tree is over 140 years old.
It took a lot of planning and a special transportation method to move it. When it was moved it weighed over 38 tons and they drilled holes into the trunk of the tree. Then rods were inserted and the tree was moved by a crane.
You can stay in the Castle
Did you know that there is a room in Cinderella’s Castle? It’s not just a mostly empty building with a restaurant. There is a room within that you can stay in.
However, you can’t pay for a night to stay there. You can win a night however. I know of one person that got to stay there years ago. Do you?
Smallest Park
The Magic Kingdom was the first park built at Walt Disney World. However, it is the smallest of the four theme parks. It comes in at just over 100 acres.
Even though it’s the smallest it has the most rides. We all know the rides but here are some of the best: Splash Mountain, Space mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan, peoplemover, Haunted Mansion, and so many more. There are so many things to see and do in Magic Kingdom you won’t even know it’s the smallest.
Parking lot is Bigger
So Magic Kingdom is the Smallest park out of the four WDW theme parks. But did you know that the Parking Lot for Magic Kingdom is bigger than the theme park itself? Those of you that had to walk it in recent years might have gotten that feeling.
Well the parking lot comes in at 125 acres. It can hold up to 12,000 cars. I think it is amazing that the parking lot is bigger than the park it serves.
New York World Fair
Two rides at Magic Kingdom didn’t make their debut at the theme park. Instead, they were first seen at the New York World’s Fair in 1964-65. Those two rides are, it’s A Small World and the Carousel of Progress.
Both are classic rides. Both are loved by many. One has a song that gets stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
Lots of Towers
The centerpiece of the Magic Kingdom is Cinderella’s Castle. Did you know it has 18 towers and 13 gargoyles? Oh and you know it’s not made out of bricks right?
Well, the castle is actually made out of fiberglass. This helps it withstand all the weather central Florida gets. It can even withstand hurricane force winds.
Cinderella’s Castle is also the tallest building in the Magic Kingdom. It comes in at 189 feet but appears to be much taller. That’s because the higher you look the windows appear smaller because they really are. It’s all about force perspective. Plus the windows are not the only thing smaller. The bricks are smaller towards the top too!
Affordable
Well it used to be affordable. Back when Magic Kingdom opened on October 1, 1971 it cost an adult $3.50 to enter. Adjusted for inflation that would make that ticket today cost about $25.
One day tickets today start off at $109.00. Magic Kingdom used to be very affordable for the average person. Today, not so much.
It rarely closes
Since Magic Kingdom opened in 1971 it has only closed a couple of times. It really depends on what you consider an unscheduled closure. The very first time it was closed unexpectedly was in 1999 for Hurricane Floyd. It closed again after the September 11th attacks in 2001.
Between 01 and 2020 it closed a couple of times here and there for different hurricanes including Wilma (05) and Irma (17). Of course, it was also closed due to Covid from March 15th to July 11th.
It the past 18,511 days. Magic Kingdom has only been closed for approximately 129 days. There is a very good chance that Magic Kingdom will be open. If you visit in the summer months you have a better chance of getting rained on than the park closing for the day.
There you have it, our 10 things you might not know about Disney’s Magic Kingdom. How many did you know about? Was there anything we forgot to mention? Let us know in the comments below.
Just a WDW fan? Why not check out our Universal tab for all things about Universal Orlando. It’s an underrated destination that many Disney fans skip.
Kozmo Photos 
I had no idea it was the smallest. Definitely doesn’t feel that way when you get 25k steps in a day 🙂
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