Magic Kingdom

Windows of the World – Part I by Chuck Mirarchi

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Whether you approach The Magic Kingdom by monorail, boat, bus, or on foot, the sight of the train station and what waits just beyond it always brings a smile to even the most seasoned of park travelers. Part of the magic (and genius) to the design of the Magic Kingdom, as well each of the parks, is the amount of detail that is given to each and every object. Nothing was put there by accident, but is part of a very well thought out plan to create the most immersive and realistic experience for every guest; even those who have been there many times.

If you have taken “Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom” or “Backstage Magic” Tours you learned about how and why the Magic Kingdom is laid out the way that it is (If you have never taken either one of these tours – you should make a point of doing so on your next trip). According to the tour guides, the Magic Kingdom is laid out very similar to the way a movie is constructed, with the train station acting as the entrance of a movie theatre or the curtain on the screen.  As you walk through the breezeway tunnels to Main Street, there are posters on the walls acting as the “coming attractions.” Then as you exit the tunnel, Main Street unfolds before you as the opening sequence of the movie with Cinderella’s Castle becoming the “start” of the movie.

One of the things that is in the opening credits of every film is the title of the movie, the name of the producer, and the key people who were involved in bringing the movie to life.  This is the same layout for The Magic Kingdom.

The “title” for the park is found on the front of the Main Street train station, The Magic Kingdom – Walt Disney World.  And if you look up above the sign you will find the name of the “producer” on the window, “Walter E. Disney – Chief Engineer – Keeping Dreams on Track”.

Walking down Main Street USA, when guests look at the second and third floors, they will see names of various people accompanied by their “titles” and “business” on the windows.  These are the other production credits to The Magic Kingdom “show”.

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Matt Paul’s 3/27/10 Fantasyland Update

Matt Paul made a visit to the Magic Kingdom a few days ago and has some photos of Fantasyland to share with us. While the larger construction projects for the Fantasyland Forest expansion have not begun, there is plenty going on in the area:

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Tree clearing behind Fantasyland is visible from the Walt Disney World Railroad

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Adam Roth’s 3/19/10 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited the Walt Disney World Resort on Friday, March 19th, and has a number of photos to share with us:

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Adam participated in the Annual Passholder free ride-along promotion at the Richard Petty Driving Experience

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A History of the Main Street Electrical Parade by Chuck Mirarchi

From hotels to restaurants, parks and attractions, parades and special events; everyone has their favorite.  Every time they eat at a particular restaurant, stay in the same hotel, ride the same ride or see the same parade – it’s like it’s for the first time.  One of those is the Main Street Electrical Parade.

At a press conference on February 10th, Walt Disney World Resort President Meg Crofton announced a number of changes and updates for the Florida resort including the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade.  The parade is part of Walt Disney World’s summer promotion, Summer Nightastic!  and will be replacing SpectroMagic.  As of press time, there has been no word on what is happening to SpectroMagic.  Some say it’s being refurbished and enhanced for Walt Disney World’s 40th Anniversary in 2011 and others say it’s being transferred to Disneyland, but until there is official word from the Walt Disney Company everything is just speculation at this point.

The Main Street Electrical Parade is a nighttime parade that features floats and live performers covered in thousands of electronically controlled lights and a synchronized soundtrack triggered by radio controls along key areas of the parade route.

The parade is known by two different names: at Disneyland it is known as The Main Street Electrical Parade (MSEP), and at Walt Disney World it is simply known as Main Street Electrical Parade.  However, the officially registered name is The Main Street Electrical Parade.  The last time the parade was seen at Walt Disney World was on April 1, 2001 before heading cross-country to Disneyland.  The parade has undergone a number of incarnations since its debut and the Disneyland version is expected to arrive at Walt Disney World pretty much intact.

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Banks Lee’s 2/26-2/28/10 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee spent a few days at the Walt Disney World theme parks recently and has a number of newsworthy photos to share with us:

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Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Fantasmic! window display at Villains in Vogue has been replaced after ten years with “Disney’s Alice in Wonderland”

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