Here’s an oxymoron that will make me
look ‘moronic’: The Magic Kingdom is my least favorite park in WDW, but the one
I found myself in for a good chunk of time! Now before you click out of here,
let me explain. It takes me 5 ½ hours to fly from Hawaii to Los Angeles, while
it’s a day’s worth of travel (including 2 stopovers) to Orlando. Now, MK is
roughly 25% bigger than its Anaheim counterpart, but it certainly doesn’t offer
25% more in terms of sheer entertainment and fun. In fact, MK often feels like
Disneyland’s poor stepsister with its truncated versions of Pirates and Small
World. The railroad doesn’t have the classic Primeval/Grand Canyon dioramas,
and there is no Matterhorn or Indiana Jones ride in sight. Other than the
additions to Fantasyland, I can experience pretty much the same thing in LA,
which being closer, is therefore more accessible. So when we plan our rare
trips to WDW, the other parks have a higher priority rating.
Gaston's fountain takes on an even more evil appearance
with the glow of light against the night.
So how did we end up in MK so much?
There is of course the aforementioned new Fantasyland. Be Our Guest Restaurant,
Gaston’s Tavern, and the Seven Dwarves Mine Train are definitely worth a look.
Beautiful but perhaps uninspired eats.
I found the food at Be Our Guest
disappointing. My wife had the Braised Pork while I opted for the Carved Turkey
Sandwich, both tasting rather bland and uninspired. I’m not sure if we would
have fared better at dinner, but reservations were nigh impossible to obtain.
But in terms of sheer creative artistry, Be Our Guest ranks near the top of
Disney accomplishments. If you’re headed to MK, you owe it to yourself to at
least check out this place, but keep expectations minimal when it comes to the
chow.
Roughly the size of a barge.
The pork shank is out at
Gaston’s, but the other star attraction, LeFou’s Brew, is still served by
truckloads to thirsty customers in want of a cool drink. Stay away from the
souvenir mug which doubles the price (unless you’re into cup collecting). As
mentioned in my Universal write-up, I give the edge to Disney’s drink over the
similar Harry Potter Butter Beer due to less sweetness. Both have an ice cold,
frosty texture that reminds me of a Slurpee (Icee for you older folks) at its
brain freezing best.
The latest attraction to headline
Fantasyland is the Seven Dwarves Mine Train ride. It’s curious hybrid of dark
ride/moderate roller coaster tries appealing to the widest demographics
possible. This “jack of all trades” approach ends up handicapping mine train.
The dark scenes are relatively short and the thrill aspect…well, let’s just say
it won’t keep Universal suits up late at night. Mine Train maybe indicative of
where the future of Disney rides are headed. The traditional, slow moving
attractions (ala The Little Mermaid) seem to be falling out of favor with
today’s generation more accustomed to fast paced and intense thrills.
The cutest of reindeers.
Another big thing that kept pulling
us back to MK was Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (we bought tickets to two
separate nights). The jury is still out on whether it’s worth the admission
price ($70.00 each for us), but it really depends on what you value as
entertainment. If a Christmas parade with snow, “free treats”, and holiday
performances ranks high on the list, then this hard ticket event is right up
your alley. The parade is well produced, and viewing it on Main Street with the
falling snow is a photographer’s dream. I would have preferred stronger musical
numbers, but that’s just me nitpicking (you can catch the parade for free
during the last couple of weeks before Christmas, but I’m sure the crowds are
horrendous). The cookies and hot chocolate were surprisingly tasty and pick up
stations were ample throughout the park. I caught VoicePlay – an A capellal
group singing holiday melodies in Tomorrowland. While clearly geared toward a
younger crowd, I enjoyed their harmonizing and vocal talent. One night was
clearly not enough for us to cover everything, but I did spend two and a half
hours securing a spot to shoot the parade, so this really applies to camera
crazy people…LOL!
But perhaps the most compelling
reason for me to spend so much time here is that Magic Kingdom is arguably the
most photogenic of all four parks. Animal Kingdom gives MK a serious run for
its money, but Main Street lit up at night, especially during Christmas, takes
no prisoners. Let’s not even talk about Fantasyland with its embarrassing
riches of two castles, King Arthur’s Carousel, and the European village styling
of the entire area.
Monster of a good time!
Taking out the photography angle and
easier access to Disneyland, MK would easily move up on my parks list. I just
wish management would be a bit bolder in creative choices that gave MK its own
unique identity. I understand Walt and Roy’s need to put in a Disneyland
facsimile during WDW’s early years, but with the establishment of the other
parks, it would be great to see MK delve into uncharted territory. Keep main
staples like Cinderella’s Castle, Main Street, and key ride attractions, but
how about Marc Davis’ Western River Expedition or maybe a totally new, original
creation not dependent on licenses (I’m looking at you Avatar and Star Wars).
So there you have it, my take on the
Magic Kingdom that’s both divisive and loving. But hey, don’t all things we’re
passionate about exhibit this dual nature?
I’ll be back with Part IV featuring
Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
(Photographs copyright Len Yokoyama.)
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Thanks, Len, for a great series. I know there's more to come.
On Monday, it's time for a detailed look at the powerhouse that is Beauty and the Beast. We'll look at the film and what it has meant for the theme parks (now and in the future!), stage, and even more of what's planned for this tale as old as time.
