The Magic Kingdom is packed with great attractions, so it can sometimes be overwhelming to decide where to start on your next trip. The park offers attractions for visitors of all ages, making it one of the best options for those traveling with young children in their party. Whether you enjoy dark rides, roller coasters, water rides, or prefer to relax while watching a show, you’ll find something for everyone here. Today we’ve selected our top five rides in the Magic Kingdom, which no day in the park would be complete without riding.
1. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
As one of the newer attractions in the park, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is one of the most popular attractions in the Magic Kingdom. Located in Fantasyland, this family-friendly roller coaster takes you through an immersive experience based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. You’ll start your journey through the diamond mine, where the seven dwarfs are hard at work, before heading outside on a high-speed adventure.
What makes this ride stand out from your typical coaster is the unique mine train vehicle you ride on. Instead of your carriage just staying static on the ride, it rocks from side to side as you race along the track. This extra motion makes for even more fun, which is why it’s become a popular coaster with visitors of all ages. Before you leave the attraction, keep your eyes peeled for Snow White dancing away in the cottage. We recommend heading to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train first thing in the morning, as queues quickly build up here. However, one great thing about this attraction is that it has interactive queue elements. You can enjoy sorting jewels in the interactive barrels, which will keep younger guests entertained while waiting to ride.
2. Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion is a dark ride that is considered to be one of the classic Disney attractions. It’s located in some form in nearly all of the Disney parks in the world, and there are multiple elements to your experience here. You’ll begin your journey in the stretching room before entering the loading area for the ride. Your Ghost Host will show you around the creepy estate, where you’ll meet ghosts and other supernatural creatures on your journey. While it may be a little spooky for the youngest family members, the theme is showcased in a fun way.
Keep your eye out for Madame Leota on your way around and the hitchhiking ghost towards the end of the attraction. The ghostly graveyard is filled with fun characters, including the famous singing ghosts towards the end of the ride. The Haunted Mansion was an opening day attraction at the Magic Kingdom and can be found in Liberty Square. Even if you don’t usually enjoy spooky rides, we recommend you head to the Haunted Mansion during your trip. The lines here are steady throughout the day, and it’s a particularly popular attraction during the Halloween season. You’ll also experience another interactive line here, with fun games to keep kids and adults entertained while they wait.
Don’t forget to check out the secrets behind Haunted Mansion here.
3. Space Mountain
Thrill-seekers will want to head straight to Space Mountain when they visit Magic Kingdom for the day. This is an indoor dark roller coaster that’s built on a steel frame with a dual-track. It’s one of the prominent buildings in Tomorrowland and first opened back in 1975. Walt Disney originally came up with the concept for the attraction, which has some similarities to the Matterhorn Bobsleds in Disneyland. However, the project was postponed during his life due to limitations with technology. However, once the Magic Kingdom opened, the company was looking for a way to add a thrill ride to the park, and they began to re-visit the idea of Space Mountain once again. The queue here is not the most exciting in the park, but it does have a few interactive elements to keep you entertained.
You’ll want to head here first thing in the morning if roller coasters are your top priority, or ride straight after the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. After boarding your vehicle, you’ll head straight into the ride, which features twists, turns, and sudden drops. The ride is primarily in the dark, and while it’s not the fastest coaster in the resort, it certainly feels a lot quicker due to the low level of the ride vehicles and the fact that you are traveling in darkness. Once in a while, the ride experiences some technical difficulties, and you may find yourself lucky enough to experience it with the lights on. This is a unique experience, but of course, it’s just down to luck when this happens. For another view of the attraction, head onto the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, where you travel around the outside of the attraction on your journey.
4. Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean is another classic Disney attraction, and one no visitor to the park can miss on their next trip. Located in Adventureland, you’ll appreciate the effort that has been put into the theming of this attraction as soon as you approach the building. Pirates of the Caribbean is a dark water ride that is generally suitable for the whole family. While it does have some loud noises and dark scenes, young children will still enjoy the attraction and the motion of the boat.
Fans of the movie franchise of the same name will want to keep an eye out for Captain Jack Sparrow along the way, as he was added to the attraction following the release of the movie. Pirates of the Caribbean has a lovely indoor queue area, which is perfect for cooling off during a hot day in the parks. The lines here are generally quite steady throughout the day, so keep an eye on the My Disney Experience app to find a quiet time to ride.
5. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Tucked away at the back of the park in Frontierland, you’ll find another family-friendly coaster. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad takes you on a journey through a gold mine while you’re seated in a mine train-style coaster vehicle. The ride opened in 1980 in the Magic Kingdom, having opened just one year earlier in Disneyland as well. While the concept of the attraction had been around since just after the opening of the Magic Kingdom, Pirates of the Caribbean was treated as the priority project at that time for the park.
Upon boarding your vehicle, you’ll head off on a wacky ride through the wilderness, which takes you on a journey through caves and alongside the river. The structure is inspired by Monument Valley, and it is surrounded by the Rivers of America. This is a great coaster for young members of your party who are looking to enjoy a more thrilling ride, and you’ll want to try and get here quite early in the morning to avoid waiting too long. We also love riding this attraction at night, where you’ll find the experience to be completely different.
While these are our top five rides in the Magic Kingdom that no one should miss on their next trip, there’s so much to keep you busy on a day here. The park has the most attractions out of the four theme parks in the resort, so many guests find they need more than one day here to experience everything. Be sure to arrive at opening time and head straight to one of these attractions, so you don’t miss out on the fun during your next visit.
