With by far essentially the most rides of any park at Walt Disney World, you’re certain to skip one thing at Magic Kingdom. That’s only a sensible actuality for those who solely have a day or two within the park, because it’s not possible to see and do all the things. This high 10 record covers the ‘controversial’ borderline ones that followers usually advocate first-timers keep away from with our perspective on what to do and never do.
With regards to the Magic Kingdom trip roster, there are a couple of “issues” (air quotes) that make issues arguably skippable. Let’s begin by addressing these because it’s a little bit of a needed prerequisite to understanding why some followers say you must keep away from sure points of interest. The primary is recognition and wait instances. Particularly, are sure rides “price it” when it comes to the lengthy traces they command or do they fall in need of the hype and depart company saying “that’s it?!” on the finish.
The second is age or datedness. Walt Disney World’s first park was Magic Kingdom, and that’s now over 50 years previous and nonetheless has some opening day points of interest. In our view, a few of these are classics that stand the take a look at of time; within the view of many first-timers, they are often antiquated. The problem is parsing what has persona and has lasted so lengthy for a purpose, and what’s simply managed to evade substitute over the a long time.
The ultimate one is high quality or uniqueness. That is the bottom hanging fruit–the issues which might be on the chopping block for anybody with restricted time that merely don’t deliver sufficient to the desk. Rides you could possibly discover elsewhere, and don’t require the innovation or excellence of Walt Disney Imagineers to tug off.
These variables would make for some straightforward picks–particularly rides which have 2 or 3 of the above qualities–if it weren’t for the truth that so many points of interest which have the aforementioned traits have develop into classics or rite-of-passage points of interest. Admittedly, there’s completely nothing particular about Mad Tea Social gathering or Dumbo.
However are you actually going to go to Walt Disney World and never fly excessive on the again of the eponymous elephant?! Similar goes for “it’s a small world.” Positive, the earworm tune performed on repeat might get caught in your head and the dead-eyed dolls are nightmare gas…however are you actually going to overlook out on one thing that has so permeated popular culture? (Hopefully the reply to each questions is not any. If not, it must be. Nightmares construct character.)
Suffice to say, selecting the rides to skip in Magic Kingdom will be tougher than meets the attention (or different lists like this make it sound). With that in thoughts, listed below are the points of interest we all the time (or often, when not area testing technique) skip in Magic Kingdom…
Magic Carpets of Aladdin – Magic Kingdom is dwelling to a few spinner rides, which is lots of the identical trip system that merely flies round in circles. Of those, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin is essentially the most skippable.
Only a few households will do all three. Should you’re solely going to do one or two, the “hooks” of Dumbo and Astro Orbiter are higher. This does supply the prospect to trip a magic carpet above Adventureland, so there’s that, but it surely’s much less spectacular than which may sound and there’s little (if any) suspension of disbelief. Most babies gained’t even assume they’re really flying on a magic carpet.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – We love these characters and our daughter is quick changing into a part of Pooh’s Posse. So the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh most likely gained’t be on our skip record for for much longer. (Though possibly it’ll, as she’s beginning to appear barely terrified of the wet day scene within the Disneyland model and I’m unsure the remainder is sufficient to overcome that.)
There are a number of issues with the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, beginning within the interactive queue, which has gotta be a breeding floor for brand new and novel ailments. Should you get on this line noon when the wait time is 45 minutes or extra, you’re going to query what led you to that call.
As for the trip itself, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is rudimentary and dated (regardless of not being that previous), failing to showcase the guts and attraction of those beloved characters. An attraction based mostly on Winnie the Pooh must be timeless, full of childlike marvel, and extra in style than Peter Pan’s Flight. This has its moments, however is the weakest of the Fantasyland-style darkish rides.
The factor is, we all know a Pooh-centric attraction will be superb, as a result of there’s an superior older…but it surely’s at Tokyo Disneyland. (On a private be aware, that’s additionally a giant a part of why we skip the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh–as a result of we’ve got easy accessibility to the identical trip with a shorter wait at Disneyland, and have fallen in love with the higher model at Tokyo Disneyland. After all, not everybody goes to go to these Disneylands.)
Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island – This play space for youths harkens again to a bygone period. It doesn’t really feel prefer it’s in the midst of Walt Disney World’s busiest theme park, however extra like a spot time has handed by. It’s rather well completed, and a fantastic place for youths to blow off vitality. Adults might benefit from the tranquility of the island, too. We’ve spent relaxed afternoons–particularly throughout peak season when Aunt Polly’s has been open–decompressing on Tom Sawyer Island.
With that mentioned, and on the threat of offending its diehard followers, we often skip the rafts out to the play space and, by extension, Tom Sawyer Island as an entire. I do know I’m most likely going to get my “Parks Purist” card taken away, however Tom Sawyer Island simply isn’t often what we’re in search of in Magic Kingdom.
Nevertheless, and that is of essential significance, I really like that Tom Sawyer Island exists. As mentioned at size within the commentary to our publish about Vehicles Land Changing Rivers of America, that is an unbelievable asset to Magic Kingdom and not only for the company who actively make the most of these points of interest. The Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island provides serenity and pleasant ambiance even to company who merely stroll alongside the waterfront promenade, stopping for a second to catch their breath and take within the view.
So actually, we aren’t skipping Tom Sawyer Island or the Rivers of America in any respect, ever. And nobody is. The rafts, sure, however not the realm as an entire. Theme parks usually are not simply the sum of their trip rosters, to be raced round and checked off one after the other. They’re as a lot outlined by the areas in between; by the absence of points of interest, too.
Regardless that we skip the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island more often than not, that’s additionally at this stage of our lives. It breaks my coronary heart that our daughter won’t ever bear in mind taking part in on this island, or the Boneyard at Animal Kingdom, for that matter. I hate that immersive playgrounds, for lack of a greater time period, are going extinct at Walt Disney World. Accordingly, it pains me to incorporate this entry…even whether it is true. Which is exactly the issue from Disney’s perspective, as they appear solely at visitor utilization numbers and miss the forest for the timber within the course of.
Tomorrowland Speedway – The silver lining of Vehicles Land changing Rivers of America is that it means Tomorrowland Speedway is on borrowed time, and possibly gained’t be round for one more decade. There’s simply an excessive amount of overlap between the Vehicles trackless E-Ticket and this, and the brand new attraction will make this look much more archaic by comparability. (Then once more, you could possibly’ve mentioned the identical about TRON Lightcycle Run and House Mountain, however the two coexist splendidly, so who is aware of!)
We dread the day that our daughter learns Tomorrowland Speedway exists. Worse but, that like so many youngsters, she falls in love with the want achievement trip that places little ones within the driver’s seat and lets them race into the longer term. Effectively, not a lot ‘the longer term’ as a previous that predicted we’d all be caught on noisy and smelly roads with poor drivers. So principally, the current.
The issue with Tomorrowland Speedway is kind of recognized above, however to place a finer level on it, the trip is loud and the exhaust fumes are terrible. As somebody who doesn’t have any mind cells to spare, doing Tomorrowland Speedway and getting dumber with every trip most likely isn’t the wisest transfer. Including insult to (cognitive) harm, it’s completely nothing particular–it’s a dime-a-dozen go-cart trip that you could find nearly anyplace.
Alternatively, Tomorrowland Speedway is a ceremony of passage attraction. For teenagers, sitting within the driver’s seat and steering via a automotive course is absolutely cool. It’s an attraction that’s actually memorable and repeatable, and (for fogeys like us) that presents a little bit of a dilemma. For everybody with out babies, Tomorrowland Speedway is a straightforward skip. It’s not even a remotely shut name.
Barnstormer – One in every of my Walt Disney World “confessions,” for lack of a greater time period, is that I generally trip Barnstormer to pad my stats when doing analysis runs. I don’t get pleasure from Barnstormer in any respect and it’s awkward to do as a solo grownup man, however for those who time it proper, it might probably take beneath 3 minutes from coming into the queue to exiting so as to add a trip to your rely. It’s the attraction with the bottom time dedication, even higher than Mad Tea Social gathering or Dumbo.
And that’s exactly the issue. Barnstormer is over as quick because it begins, with a brief period, lackluster visuals, and general unsatisfying expertise being its key traits. Until you’re a small baby who is just too brief for different coasters, Barnstormer is skippable. It fulfills its function as a rite-of-passage curler coaster, however does the naked minimal to examine that field. If it weren’t for that, we’d say everybody ought to skip Barnstormer.
Astro Orbiter – “At all times” is just too sturdy of a phrase in terms of how continuously we skip Astro Orbiter. We most likely do it fewer than as soon as each 20 visits to Magic Kingdom which might be for enjoyable, which locations it among the many rides we do least. However that’s nonetheless a good quantity.
Our rides on Astro Orbiter for private enjoyment are all the time strategic. Exterior of Early Entry and twine drop area testing, I can’t recall the final time we rode through the daylight (the above photograph is over a decade previous!). That’s as a result of the road is lengthy, boring, slow-moving, and fully unshaded. Astro Orbiter will not be in the slightest degree price it, particularly through the day when Dumbo is the superior various.
After nightfall, it may be a completely completely different story. Tomorrowland is awash with neon glow and pulsating with kinetic vitality, from the swoosh of the TRON Lightcycles to the mild gliding of the TTA PeopleMover. Pair that with Astro Orbiter having little to no wait and the trip will be an surprising delight at evening.
Honorable Point out: House Mountain – I might by no means skip House Mountain. Sarah all the time would. Consequently, I skip House Mountain once we journey collectively and trip it repeatedly when it’s simply me. For her, the issue with House Mountain is the roughness of the trip, which makes Sarah bodily uncomfortable and headache-inducing. That’s actually it, however I additionally assume she’d be extra prepared to tolerate all of that if she favored House Mountain extra. However she views it as do many followers–an antiquated thrill trip that point has handed by.
I’m the precise reverse. If I have been compelled to decide on between TRON Lightcycle Run and House Mountain, and will solely trip one of many two for the remainder of my life, I’d choose House Mountain. To make certain, that’s the objectively incorrect choose. And one I would find yourself regretting as soon as age catches up with me and House Mountain begins hurting my again and giving me complications.
For me, it largely comes right down to nostalgia. House Mountain in Magic Kingdom was the final word ceremony of passage for me once I was a child (and will not do it), and I’ve beloved it ever sense. When Sarah and I began visiting collectively (again earlier than it received the very best of her), we’d ‘loop’ House Mountain repeatedly on the finish of Further Magic Hours. There are days once we rode it actually a dozen instances.
Past that, there’s one thing about House Mountain I discover very endearing. I really like the old fashioned results within the queue, the star tunnel music, the twin monitor format, and even the post-show scenes. To me, it’s essentially the most full model of House Mountain from begin to end, and that (plus the aforementioned nostalgia) scores it massive factors in my ebook. I’m so blissful the PeopleMover goes via House Mountain, as I do know sometime that’ll be how I get my “repair” on all of that after my physique begins saying no to the herky-jerky wild mouse coaster.
“Borderline” Magic Kingdom Rides We By no means Miss
Peter Pan’s Flight – We’ve been essential of Peter Pan’s Flight. It was essentially the most controversial choose on our Record of 10 Points of interest That Have Aged Poorly at Walt Disney World. That’s not as a result of we dislike the substance of the attraction. On the contrary, we love Peter Pan’s Flight. It’s a really timeless trip and flying excessive over London and Neverland by no means will get previous. The primary scene is arguably probably the most iconic in all of Walt Disney World–I nonetheless bear in mind it from once I was a child.
The issue is that Peter Pan’s Flight instructions lengthy traces and excessive wait instances, whereas additionally being very dated. It feels very very like a trip from the Nineteen Seventies, and the substance of it hasn’t been up to date a lot. So it’s jarring to go from newer rides with easy tracks and awe-inspiring Audio Animatronics to the jerky ships and static figures of Peter Pan’s Flight.
There are few points of interest at Walt Disney World with larger potential for “that’s it?!” reactions from first-timers exiting after ready over an hour. We love Peter Pan’s Flight, however we’d by no means wait that lengthy for it (all the time do it throughout Early Entry, through Lightning Lane or on the finish of the evening) and acknowledge that it’s a “warts and all” traditional.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover – That is the attraction we do greater than some other at Walt Disney World. On the one hand, I really like the PeopleMover for the laid again expertise it provides. Alternatively, there are such a lot of alternatives for plussing the present scenes, narration, and ambiance. At its core, the TTA PeopleMover is a leisurely transportation attraction, however little fixes may elevate it into a lot extra.
Whereas its unrealized potential bothers me, we love that the Peoplemover “forces” us to decelerate, decompress, and converse. It’s the final word change of tempo attraction, and for us, it presents the proper alternative to embrace why we go to Walt Disney World within the first place: to have enjoyable collectively. So many different points of interest interact you, individually, with the present scenes and trip expertise, itself.
“Thanks” to the dearth of present scenes, the PeopleMover does this to a far lesser diploma than most different points of interest. Consequently, the TTA PeopleMover is no matter you need it to be. If you would like a spot to benefit from the nighttime ambiance of Tomorrowland, it’s that. If you would like an attraction for socializing, it may be that. If you wish to get off your ft and really feel a pleasant breeze, it’s that. If you would like a leisurely place to compensate for work emails, it may be that. Nevertheless, if you need a trip that actively engages and wows you with thrills, Audio Animatronics, or scenes to see…it’s undoubtedly not that.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice – That is the second longest line at Magic Kingdom, with a median wait time vary of 65 to 120 minutes. A lot of that line is outside within the solar, making it really feel even much less nice. After TRON Lightcycle Run, it’s the latest trip within the park–despite the fact that it’s a decade previous. (It nonetheless feels new and trendy.) When it comes to family-friendly rides, it’s nonetheless the latest. That alone goes a good distance in explaining its recognition.
Regardless of its recognition among the many park-going public, we’d really argue that Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice is underrated amongst Walt Disney World followers–and is a contemporary traditional! This household curler coaster’s strengths are its Audio-Animatronics, themed design, music, and novelty stage. Its greatest weak point is its period adopted, for some, by its lack of depth (resulting in “that’s it?!” reactions).
We all the time do Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice both throughout Early Entry (though that may be a big gamble) or on the finish of the evening (all the time a surefire success). Ready lower than 20 minutes and not within the direct daylight makes the entire bundle of the trip far more pleasant. If we needed to wait 2 hours through the center of the day…we wouldn’t!
Carousel of Progress – No attraction higher exemplifies the stress between followers and first-timers. Should you’re new to Walt Disney World, you may hear the emphatic reward for Carousel of Progress from folks like me, and be shocked to see it your self. You may even assume you’ve been Punk’d. Why does anybody love these dated robots speaking concerning the previous, and a model of the longer term that can be, just about, the previous?!
Carousel of Progress has a wealthy historical past, and though that’s a part of its place as an simple traditional, that solely performs a small half in why I adore it a lot. To begin with, there’s private nostalgia. I bear in mind frequent visits right here as a baby. Due to that, the Carousel of Progress household looks like precise household.
That feeling additionally exists, and even endures, as a result of the Carousel of Progress characters have a lot character. That is one thing I’ll get into extra with the subsequent attraction, however I’m actually drawn to points of interest that develop their characters, and provides them persona. Most likely greater than some other attraction at Walt Disney World, the ‘Progress’ household has this, and it’s all the time pleasant to develop previous with them, so to talk. That is the massive factor, and why we advocate Carousel of Progress even to first-timers–as a result of it nonetheless “clicks” with variety of them, as long as they know what to anticipate.
As an entire, that’s actually what this record of points of interest to keep away from and never skip at Magic Kingdom comes right down to: setting expectations. From the above descriptions, hopefully you’ve got a greater concept of whether or not Carousel of Progress or House Mountain or Tom Sawyer Island is best for you. There’s nobody size-fits-all reply to any of this, however hopefully the above offers you a greater concept of what may “click on” for you and what undoubtedly gained’t, and you can also make personalised judgment calls on that foundation!
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Your Ideas
Which points of interest do you skip at Magic Kingdom? Are there are rides that you just advocate first-timers to Magic Kingdom don’t do or actively keep away from? Do you agree or disagree with our recommendation? Any questions we might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even while you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
