Magic Kingdom Review | How Good is the World’s Most Famous Theme Park? Disney World's Crowned Jewel 

My advice is right before the fireworks start get in line for big thunder mountain. I walked right on and got a ride where I could watch the fireworks while on the coaster. Total vibe that I recommend

I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU WERE SAYING AT THE END SO MUCH! going to an amusement park can be stressful but magic kingdom is actually on a whole different level

Best thing you can do imo is go to one of the after hours events. Roughly the same as a day ticket, you get roughly 6-7 hours of park time, and you have guaranteed short wait times and free snacks because the event is a limited ticket event. You can get into the park at 7 usually so you can still see the fireworks and then from 10pm-1am basically have the entirety of the park to yourself. I went with my friend last year and we were able to do virtually every ride in the park in that time frame, with empty pathways and great nighttime vibes

I went to Paris recently. I found that after about 5pm, the kids(and parents) get tired so the park gets alot emptier. So you go from 2hour queues to walk ons!

Just an outstanding job Taylor. The whole park in under 25 minutes? Amazing!

I don't understand why so many people bring babies and strollers. The baby is too young to enjoy it and the parents can't go on any rides. Pushing a stroller around a crowded park all day is not fun.

It feels like so many people in MK (or DW as a whole) are ONLY there to take social media pictures. Like they don't really care about being there as much as being able to SAY they were there.

I may have a slight bias since I'm a SoCal local, but even if I wasn't. Disneyland Resort is more worth the ticket cost and other expenses. Not only do you get to visit the original Disney Park with all of Walt's charm, but you get the mix of the old and new in Disneyland Park alone, featuring a major land and an attraction that are slightly better with Galaxy's Edge or superior like with Runaway Railway. Disneyland has the better version of Pirates, comparing it to MK's. Indiana Jones is better as an IP attraction than Dinosaur, and if you include DCA you essentially get two Epcot attractions on the west coast with Soarin' and Radiator Springs Racers with Test Track, and technically Animal kingdom with Grizzly River run and Kali. You essentially kind of get a similar experience to WDW in two parks at a much cheaper price and with Disneyland Park alone having the most rides for a castle park. Heck, if it wasn't for Tron, I would have considered putting WDW as my last Disney Park to visit. Given the costs and logistics of traveling to WDW, at least Disneyland is much more simplified.

That 3 hour wait and going "that was it?" was me on the hippogriff ride at Universal 😂😂

3:30 the monorail silver cameo😍😍

2011 and in 7th grade. This is where I feel old.

They really need that Beauty and the Beast ride here. Having ridden it, it's easily my favorite trackless dark ride in the Disney parks, beating out even rise. Rise is cool but it doesn't make you ballroom dance like Beauty and the Beast does

As a Floridian, the I4 statement is so true. Congrats on 250k subs!

I want to visit this park to ride rides like Tron but the crowds this park gets is pretty much my personal definition of hell & is why I haven’t returned since I was a kid

This channel has the best theme park content

Animal Kingdom is the best Disney park in Florida and I don't think it's even close

Thanks for this video Taylor. The idea of Disney stresses me out so much and it’s so expensive! I’d rather go to Universal, BGT, or SeaWorld.

Taylor I experienced the Orlando theme parks for the very first time in the last week of January and you managed to perfectly describe my experience there.

When I was in high school back in April 2017, the North Caroline High School "Band of Blue" took a trip to Disney World and we were one of the high school marching bands in the Magic Kingdom. We performed "Kiss the Girl" from the Little Mermaid. In typical Florida fashion, it was extremely hot and humid to the point where one of the members of the drum line section actually passed out from heat stroke.

Taylor you did a pretty thorough review in such a short video. I totally agree that Beauty and the Beast dark ride and one for Tangled need to go in Magic Kingdom. A Bathroom for Tangled is a crime. It’s sad that you don’t have a connection to the characters. I grew up with Disney movies and Magic Kingdom is still my favorite of all 4 Orlando parks. I love Roller Coasters but the parades and nighttime fireworks are not something you see elsewhere. I am glad to see it get updated for the new generations while still keeping some of the OG attractions. Is Sarah a fan of MK?

Went there for the first time in forever back in February...had a blast, it was a lot with my kids in tow, but still got to have some fun and the park really is immaculate...and got on Tron which is definitely a highlight

Your video of Magic Kingdom was spot on! It's a very realistic telling of what it's like to visit there. I have been going there since I was a kid. At the end of the day it is a magical place that can be a lot of fun, however as I have gotten older I have learned that Disney is not a vacation in the traditional sense. It's crowded and stressful. If your looking for a nice peaceful vacation where your just laying around just doing nothing, Disney is not the place for that.

Your reviews are just unmatched, Taylor! Thank you for putting out such high quality materials for us!

I haven’t been to Magic Kingdom since 2001 but after going to Disneyland these past couple years I would say planning is a very good idea to maximize your time spent. Like most people I would recommend getting to the park when it opens and hit major attractions for shorter lines and I know this sounds crazy but I would also suggest that skipping the fireworks is another pro tip because the lines will be shorter as well.

Haven't been to a Disney park since 2019. One day of Disneyland now is at least $200. I was able to get two 2024 season pass tickets to Silver Dollar City and White Water for less than that!

I think if anyone wants to do it, you almost have to go in fall or winter (outside of holidays) during the week to get the lowest crowd,mor get lightning pass as crowd could be too much. The crowd is a reason why I don’t go this park very often.

Thanks for this awesome review, personally the crowds and waiting times seem very offputting and not worth the hassle

It's actually insane how much neglect the world's busiest theme park gets. Truly sad.

Are you guys gonna make a video on skyrush new restraints and the intimidator name changing?

Go during the after hours event where you go in after 7pm and stay until 1pm. Most wait times are minimal like 20 minutes for Tron and most others (except 7DMC) are near walk ons. You do miss the "magic" of characters interactions and parades but if you just want to go on a bunch of rides with less crowds it is the only way.

The best experience is being on splash mountain during the fireworks and getting stuck right before the big drop at the hill. I’m not sure if this is on purpose as ive experienced this twice but god its beautiful and then the show ends and suddenly youre thrown down the hill

The last two hours from when the fireworks start to park close are awesome and make the whole day worth imo.

Solid overview, a couple things: 1) Cinderella Castle is 189 feet tall. The 199 factoid is for Tower of Terror. And Expedition Everest is 199.5. 2) I think you said Winnie the Pooh was Mr Toad reskinned, but there's more to it than that. Mr Toad had 2 separate tracks that were fully replaced. The building was totally gutted. So it was more than just a reskin - it was an all out replacement using the same building.

Shanghais castle is Unreal. The boat ride actually goes under it

Please talk about the OG Disneyland. It's more intimate than MK and the ride density is better.

We went last year during mickeys not so scary, absolutely worth the money. Free candy, no lines, at night so not hot. It was our first time back in 10 years, we loved it.

yooooo congrats on 250k subs!!!

This is easily my favorite park at Walt Disney World. What I like the most about it is the perfect blend of modern and classic rides together, the nostalgia of it being the original park at the resort, and the factbthat it has the most rides at the resort makes it a place you can easily stay at from opening to closing. If I only have one day at the resort, I always spend it there.

We have gone in august the last couple of years and it has been alot quieter than other times of the year we have gone (fall, christmas, spring break). So i would say hurricane season is the only remaining slow season at wdw

They really just need to build more of them. I know they want a small number of parks to make them feel more like "special unique destinations" but I really don't see any better options. They definitely have the money. Texas seems like the obvious place to build one.

(P. S. Dole Whips are not unique to Disney parks, though outside of Disney it will probably be called "Dole Soft Serve". It's the same thing! They serve them in the waterpark area at Canobie Lake Park!)

This was a very fair review. I love this park but I realize it has a few problems. I've learned to navigate the crowdedness of Magic Kingdom but first timers probably have struggles. The only way for Disney to deal with the ever growing crowds is to add more attractions but they are not doing a lot of that right now. It is still a magical place to me and my family, made even better with the addition of Tron [I have no made it back since they finished it]. .

I feel the exact same way about the Magic Kingdom. This is a perfect review.

Amazing video, you pretty much hit the nail with everything. My last visit on 2017 was overcrowded beyond belief, no wonder in 2023, my family decided to better visit Disneyland on May and to be honest, Disneyland felt a lot better and not that much overcrowded (even if it was a Grad Nite night), since the park does have the capacity to disperse the crowds. I do believe the situation will improve once Tiana opens and County Bear finishes its refurbishment, but I do agree that capacity is still needed to improve the overcrowded feel that Magic Kingdom has. Yes, a Tangled and a clone of Tokyo's Beauty and the Beast ride will be helpful.

What worked for me last September was to go on a day when MK closes early (6pm) for an after-hours Halloween event. People don't want to go to MK on a day with short hours, so they go to one of the other parks that day. That coupled with the lower demand September timeframe, with school and hurricane fears, had most lines very short. Big Thunder Mtn & Space Mtn were usually under 15 minutes all day. Seven Dwarfs & Peter Pan still reached an hour, but sometimes dropped to around 30. People who purchased the after-hours event do get into the park around 4pm, but I didn't notice any lines spiking, even when I left after 5pm. One attraction note with your video: you didn't mention my favorite attraction at Magic Kingdom, Mickey's Philharmagic.

I grew up in CA and so spent a lot of time in Disneyland. I went to MK for the first time in 2022 and went twice during my trip. IMO MK doesn’t even feel like a theme park but more like an airport with unbelievable crowds of people being shuttled from one location to another. The rides seem shorter and faster so they can process higher volumes of people. The whole experience feels like a tourist trap. The few things I enjoyed about MK were: (1) the firework show was amazing; (2) the Peoplemover was awesome; (3) Gaston’s Tavern was cool; (4) photos around the castle look amazing.

I get the stereotype line because thats what magic kingdom was like when i went to the park when i was 10 years old in 2010. But i had a great time. it was better then it is now.

If you want to spare your sanity and well-being, do NOT go to any Disney park (outside of Tokyo)! They're not called the #1 biggest rip-off for no reason. When I went in 2016, it was really stressful, and it's getting worse. I'd rather go to the most badly managed Six Flags park over any Disney park (again, outside of Tokyo).

Oh boy opening up that land and making a new section to connect the back loop of the park would be GENIUS and so convenient, but yeah it’ll be 2045 by the time that happens 🤣

Really great video with excellent points made! Our last trip to Disney in 2022 was great but so stressful with the Genie+ and constantly on our phones to find ride reservations. But it is a great park in terms of pathways (especially after coming back from Islands Of Adventure and their one circle), and I love so many of those rides since my first trip as a kid in 1990. Country Bear Jamboree is absolutely terrible and agreed, it needs to be retired. I'm jealous that Disneyland replaced theirs with Winnie the Pooh and kept Mr. Toad. And yes, Big Thunder Mountain during the fireworks is perfection.

I did back to back trips in self 2022 & 2023. It was less crowded in 2023. Lots more dead areas that I remember. Tron was off to the side. The overall WDW experience is so lopsided with extreme wait times for popular attractions and sparseness elsewhere. All I. All, going with toddlers might be a better experience as they can soak in the atmosphere. But for theme park aficionados, the balance of atmosphere, attractions and roi is going to vary.

It’s 100% the most visited in the park for a reason, because it’s number one in the world!!

The last time I went to a major Disney park was in 2011. I thought the whole experience was charming. That said, having seen the state of crowds, pricing, and the shambles of what used to be the Fast Pass system, I can't ever see myself going back unless something changes.

Late January is less crowded for sure but still a lot of people

Awesome video such a cool nice park um i never been to Walt Disney world before but looks like so much fun and your right dude everything looks like back in 1920s lol 🤣 such a cool park 🏞️ stay safe bud .

10:46 Pro tip: the Main Street Confectionary has the fruit punch Powerade slush, Big Top has the berry Powerade slush

I've pretty much given up all hope of taking my kids there because of the crowds; to avoid spending most of a day in line, you'd have to regiment your day around various passes and appointments (not to mention the cost of those passes). That just doesn't seem like a pleasant experience for kids (and parents).

I only went once, so I mustve just gotten lucky 😅😅 it was crowded but.. it wasnt terrible except leave DURING the fireworks cause we were exhausted but were trying to beat the crowds.. ultimately were the first ferry out and no driving traffic.. but that walk out was hectic even with most guests sitting and watching. BUT strollers were never an issue the whole time there 😅

Great review! Hope to see more updated Disney parks reviews from you!

Its probably my least favourite Disney park I have visited and thats purely down to just how stupidly busy it gets rather than the actual rides. All the other parks in WDW get busy too dont get me wrong but they never feel overcrowded where MK often does for me.

Last time I've been there was in 2015 and back then it also felt if you weren't prepared then you were screwed. We planned the trip weeks beferehand - which really shouldn't have been the case

I think you give a fair take. Some things in the park are disjointed (like the circus area) and there need to be a few more rides. The biggest issue is indeed the crowds and if you are the planner, having to spend all your time on the app planning the next step. It becomes hard to just enjoy the park. The other issue with lightning lane is the priority they give it. It’s nice when you have it but if your are stuck in standby it’s infuriating to see 10 standby guest go through for every 90 lightning lane people. This isn’t just a Disney problem, but an industry problem.

Going to the Magic Kingdom used to be something you did once or maybe twice in your childhood through high school until you had your own family. Now people make it an annual pilgrimage, and there just isn’t room at any park in the world with that kind of capacity. I don’t know if there’s anything Disney can do except continue to raise prices.

This makes me wonder if two park hopper tickets would be a better way to go about it so you can do some of another park and then do magic kingdom in the evening

I was under the impression that you lived in Virginia! My guess is that you either now live in Florida, or you have friends/family that you visit often! Anyways, I used to visit the Disney parks all of the time back in the mid 2010s. My family knew a friend who worked there, and would get us in all the time (he's no longer with us). My cousins, family, and I would spend entire days at the park, and this was my first experience with reriding. I can't begin to count the number of times I rode Mission: Space and Rockin' Roller Coaster, sometimes two or three times in a row. The Fast Pass (RIP) made this possible. Pretty sure my Dad got us an annual pass for at least one year too. At this point, I was solidly an amusement park ride fan. In other words, I have fond memories of Disney, but that fondness is more towards Hollywood Studios and Epcot than the other parks. Due to the long lines, even longer bill, and it just seems that Disney and I have different priorities. I'm finally starting a new job as a Concept Artist, and one of the things I want to do when I'm making better money is to visit different parks in the same way that you do. Tron was installed in Magic Kingdom after I stopped going, and Space Mountain is honestly a fun ride, but Velocicoaster and Iron Gwazi are on my higher list of priorities, and Intimidator even more so. I think that immersive landscapes is where Magic Kingdom excels. It's like someone with OCD designed the park, that's how detailed it is, and this extends to much of the other parks. And as someone with OCD, I approve of this, especially from an artistic perspective. But if the rides are your focus, there are just better places to spend your money, and that extends to Disney as a whole. If Disney hadn't gotten so expensive, I would say it's a great place for families to raise little future theme park enthusiasts. Sure, Mission: Space is a fun centrifuge-based ride, and it's more immersive than the Skyscraper or it's Vomatron clone, but the latter is more intense. And Rockin' Roller Coaster has one of the best take offs I've ever experienced on a coaster, but it doesn't maintain that forcefulness like I've heard the Intimidator does.

Hey Taylor great video and perfect timing because I'm going to Florida (Tampa Bay area) next week and I'm planning on visiting either Disney or Universal but am having a hard time deciding which one. I'm leaning towards getting the park hopper for Disney and visit Epcot for Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind and Hollywood Studious for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance since I haven't done those two yet and look awesome but the Lightning Lane and Virtual Queue systems are very confusing and would hate to pay just for those two rides so that's why I'm leaning towards Universal because they have better rides and it's less planning and I haven't been on Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure yet which also looks awesome. I know it's a tough decision but what would you choose? And yes I'm also going to Busch Gardens to ride Iron Gwazi for the first time!

Great vid!

RIDE JUNGLE CRUISE DURING THE NIGHT!!!!!!! the right goes from a 6/10 to a 100/10😂 no joke its incomparable

I would love to see Taylor talk about the future of these super popular parks in terms of riders per hour. It seems like Disney perfected high capacity rides in the 70's and 80's. People mover, Pirates, Small World, Omni-mover system etc. But nowadays thrill rides have improved so much it seems to be what the public demands. I mean, look at the spike at Universal Studios. However those rides have fewer riders per hour. Is Disney stuck? Is it possible to make a thrilling attraction that does 3k riders per hour? I noticed that in order to get high capacity out their coasters, Disney's safety checks are very lax. It's crazy to me that you can just hold onto a backpack on space mountain or have a bag at your feet on cosmic rewind. If someone threw those loose items out, they could really injure someone. But I think they have to be lax in order to get the riders per hour through? And maybe that also limits the airtime and forces they can have since they expect everyone to hold onto loose items? Anyway, in the off chance anyone reads this, I'm hoping it sparks a video idea for Taylor because he has the expertise to say what is and isn't possible.

Yeah, I was really lucky as a kid, my mom was a disney parks nut and wanted to take us there a lot... so we had trips in '06, '08, and '10 ... and then one more when we were older in '15, saying on property & doing everything planned out. It was a BLAST for me as a kid / teen. However; I also went last winter.. Jan, 2023... it felt AWFUL. Don't get me wrong, it was still *disney* but compared to the memories I had as a kid going, it just was so headache inducing with the lightning lanes... eating.. at all the parks even. Granted, we did one-day tickets off property in 2023, but did the full *stay on property* experience my younger years .. but wow. I had also gone to Universal, Busch Gardens, and Sea World during the week and all three of those parks were infinitely more pleasurable experiences than Disney unfortunately. It's just so much work and planning, even for just a single day of visiting.

There was a time I visited as a non passholder but now I am. The stress of trying to get your money's worth can be too much. The only real advice I can give is... Don't try and do Disney World on the cheap. Dont fly in from New York at 7am and hit the park by 9am and then leave three days later. Save up for 5 days minimum, use your early park admission on a few days and sleep in at least one day. And yes, be prepared to splurge on genie + a day or two, it comes with a photo package so at least tou can get some on ride photos and even vieeos.

Went to Animal Kingdom in January. Really nice. Not as crowded and far less commercial.

Every classic Disney ride should become a protected landmark because they are frankly artistic expressions and the current Disney company does not view them or their parks as such every other park (except Hershey) wants to be more like Disney and Disney wants to be more like every other park and it’s quite sad to see

I am dreading the Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom days for our family vacation next year...but it is my hope it is not as hectic as everyone makes it seem. In general I feel Disney is more of a headache than anything else but if I knock it out, then hopefully my daughter won't need to go again until she's like 16 and will enjoy Universal more and we can skip MK and AK all together.

You should do a video ranking the top ten parks with the best coaster collections

It’s a good park for all ages, some people prefer Islands of adventure or Epcot

Disney is 🥱 Epic Universe is🥇

If you get a chance you gotta check out Liberty Tree Tavern. It’s pricy at $40 per person but it’s all you can eat Thanksgiving!! Also the desert slaps!!

Epcot’s the best Disney park in the states, change my mind

They broke ground in Texas. I haven't heard boo about Heartland, plus its going to start out as a RV / Camper deal, I think. Liberty is a no go. No updates I am aware of. Don't know about the others.

I was shocked during our last visit in 2023 at how much paint is needed to freshen up the appearance.

Haunted mansion is still one of my all time favorite dark rides

Yeah I just haven't been to Disney at all in like 24 years. Every time I think about it I always think why would I want to when Busch Gardens, Seaworld, and even Universal to an extent are just way better, way cheaper, and way less crowded.

Growing up a SoCal resident, of course I was a Disneyland pass holder in the golden age (paper fast passes) , so in 2019 when I got to go to Disney Workd for the first time, I was expecting a lot, bar was set high. Now this is in 2019 before all of the crazy updates but this was on the wave of having to digitally book fast passes and all of that. My family had 5 days at the DW parks and let me tell you, Magic Kingdom was a HUGE let down. Even back then, it was overwhelming, the app system was disjointed and hard to use, I can’t imagine having to go there now and do everything of Disney WiFi and through multiple apps. Anyways, Disney Land is superior, Florida has more space but it does not feel like it if you spend the whole day there. After the fireworks, the best you thing you can do is get a spot to sit and crowd watch for an hour. Hope you’ve got a hot drink and have fun watching the chaos. Things at magic kingdom feel rushed, slapped together where as every aspect of the California park feels like it was thoroughly thought out. The certainly need to finish that loop and cater more to the adult audience who don’t have children. Also just got to animal kingdom and Epcot 🎉 haha. I will return though because I need to experience Tron.

I've been going to this park almost every year for the past 15 years, and I gotta say... it's probably my least favorite of all 4 WDW parks, because it is so crowded I never find it to be an enjoyable time, almost feel like I nees to get ready to go to MK. When I went to a very cool, not-so-expensive nor crowded Disneyland Paris in early December I saw the potential of a good castle park (even because it broke my top 5 park list), but I've never felt this good about a visit at MK...

I went to disney as a kid. My kids wont be going. Its just too expensive. I can go to all the major cedar fair parks on a 2 week vacation for the price of 5 days at disney

Disney as a whole is best if you enjoy a healthy mix of dark rides, parades, roller coasters, and night shows. If you just judge it on coasters it’s meh. But as an over all package it’s one of the best parks on earth. Not my favorite Disney park. But definitely one of the best US Disney parks.

We just got back from Disney World. Hit all the parks. It was okay. Universal does everything better. Price vs experience it is not near the top of favorite parks.

It's crazy how packed they must get. Florida Disney's have a lot more space.

Great review. Great content.

I visited in 2013 and 2017, and I thought it was one of the most impressive (maybe THE most impressive) theme parks I'd ever seen--not from a perspective of thrill rides, but as an immersive experience. But even then, the total experience of visiting Walt Disney World was exhausting--you had to plan it like a military assault, to a degree you didn't have to with other parks, even Universal's. My impression is that that's only gotten worse.

Great summary.

Visited last year. As a person who lives near Disneyland, I was kinda let down my Magic Kingdom. Disneyland has this charming, comfort feeling that I didn't really get at Magic Kingdom, but got at places like Silver Dollar City. I think it had to do with how big everything was (buildings, pathways, etc) and the lack of trees around the park. Furthermore, I found a lot of the rides to be inferior to Disneyland's, which hurts the desire to return. In the end, it's my fault for comparing the two so harshly. I will say I do very much prefer Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland over Disneyland's. I will go back one day, but Magic Kingdom would be deprioritized over parks like Epcot as the one Disney World Park I need to go back to.

You were in 7th grade in 2011? Man, I feel old now. I graduated high school in 2011 lol.

The I4 statement is so true

That’s why there’s a place called Kings Island. The true most magical place on earth.

I would take disneylands adventureland, fantasyland, frontierland, new orleans square, toontown, galaxys edge over magic kingdom any day.

One of my friends described Disney World like this: “If you are an adult and you’re going with other adults, it can be really fun and manageable with proper planning. If you are bringing a group of young children, go ahead and put some warpaint on your face because it will be a battle!”

As someone who doesn't live near FL, I found Magic Kingdom to be overrated. The planning is too overwhelming to enjoy as a vacationer, and the rides are underwhelming (even when my kids were five). I get the appeal if you can just pop in periodically as a passholder, but I will never visit on vacation again. I didn't grow up on Disney parks, so the nostalgia factor is not there with me. When you strip that away, it loses much of its luster. I would revisit Disneyland, but not MK.

I haven't been to Disney World in a decade and it makes me sad that its become so complicated to plan out and experience the parks.