Happy Birthday, Magic Kingdom! - Theme Park Vacations

Theme Park Vacations would like to wish Magic Kingdom a Happy Birthday.

History

Magic Kingdom opened on October 1, 1971. It had just 23 rides and 20 of those rides were inspired directly from Disneyland. This theme park is broken up into 6 lands: Main St USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. It is the classic Walt Disney World theme park. Cinderella’s Castle, in the center hub of the park, is what most people envision when thinking about Walt Disney World.

When Walt Disney World opened admission was $3.50 and you had to have tickets for each ride. These tickets were referred to as E-Tickets (nope not electronic tickets yet). The rides were assigned a priority rating of A-B-C-D-E based on how popular a ride was to theme park visitors. A-level tickets were the lowest rating and were valued at about $0.10 while an E-level ticket was the highest priority and valued at around $0.90. In 1982, Walt Disney World transitioned to its current day use admission ticket, paying for entry and rides while at the park. Annual passports were launched 2 years later for $125 for adult yearly passes. Currently, a one-day ticket starts at $109 and annual passes range from $399 for Florida residents with many restrictions up to $1,399 for any parkgoer with only limited restrictions.

Fun Facts

Magic Kingdom is the smallest of the parks at Walt Disney World, being 2/3 the size of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and only 20% the size of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Being the smallest theme park at Walt Disney World does not hinder attendance. Magic Kingdom is consistently the most visited theme park in the world hosting up to 17 million visitors per year.

When visiting for a special occasion, do not forget to tell a cast member and they can make a little magic for you in the way of receiving a commemorative button for things such as “Your First Visit,” “Honeymoon,” or “Happy Birthday.” Another tip, when walking around Magic Kingdom take note of the smells around the park. Walking down Main St you may notice the smell of fresh baked goods. Walt Disney Imagineers want your experience to be completely immersive, so they distribute aromas throughout the park to help you become completely enveloped in your magical vacation.

Thank You Magic Kingdom

Once again, “Happy Birthday Magic Kingdom!!!” We will see what the next decade brings to Magic Kingdom. Could we see a Villian’s Lair beyond Big Thunder Mountain? A new Tomorrowland reimagination? Encanto or Coco area in the theme park? We are looking forward to seeing what the future brings to Magic Kingdom and we are always here to help you plan your best theme park vacation.