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118-783: Magic Kingdom Park is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida , it opened on October 1, 1971, and is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division, the official park name has changed slightly over the years, from Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), the park was initialized by Walt Disney and designed by WED Enterprises . The park layout and attractions were based on Disneyland in Anaheim, California , and are dedicated to fairy tales and Disney characters. The park icon

236-800: A colonial American town set during the American Revolutionary War . The land contains recreations and replicas found in Philadelphia and Boston such as Independence Hall , the Liberty Tree , and the Liberty Bell . The Hall of Presidents is a film presentation and stage show themed to the American presidency and featuring all 46 individual American presidents in Audio-Animatronic form. Tucked away in

354-460: A token ). The cost of the attraction is often based on its complexity or popularity. For example, a guest might pay one ticket to ride a carousel but four tickets to ride a roller coaster . The park may allow guests to purchase a pass providing unlimited admissions to all attractions within the park for a specified duration of time. A wristband or pass is then shown at the attraction entrance to gain admission. Disneyland opened in 1955 using

472-729: A Building , Three Little Pigs , Puppy Love , The Pied Piper , The Grass Hopper and the Ants , Camping Out , Playful Pluto , Funny Little Bunnies , The Tortoise and the Hare , Who Killed Cock Robin? , Thru the Mirror , The Country Cousin , Pluto's Playmate , Donald and Goofy 's respective Cartoon Themes from the mid 40's to mid 50's, Casey at the Bat and Little Toot (segments from Make Mine Music and Melody Time respectively; re-released as standalone shorts in 1954) and

590-623: A Small World , Mickey's PhilharMagic in Fantasyland Theatre, Mad Tea Party , The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh , and Prince Charming Regal Carrousel . Outside of the castle courtyard is Fantasyland Forest, featuring attractions based on other Disney princesses and heroines: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train , is a mine cart roller coaster based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ; The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure

708-530: A blaze of lights from the "White City." To make sure that the fair was a financial success, the planners included a dedicated amusement concessions area called the Midway Plaisance . Rides from this fair captured the imagination of the visitors and of amusement parks around the world, such as the first steel Ferris wheel , which was found in many other amusement areas, such as the Prater by 1896. Also,

826-455: A carnival atmosphere. In 1952, he created WED Enterprises to design the park, which was now to be built in Anaheim, and in 1953, was able to convince the bankers on funding the park with the help of a studio artist, Herb Ryman, by making an aerial drawing of Disneyland. By July 1954, construction had started with a deadline of one year. Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, and two months after

944-458: A desolate corner of Liberty Square is The Haunted Mansion , a dark ride omnimover attraction themed to a haunted New England manor . The Liberty Belle riverboat's dock is located on the shores of Liberty Square. Fantasyland is themed to Disney's animated fairy tale feature films . Depicted in a medieval-faire style, Fantasyland features multiple attractions featuring various Disney characters and stories, including Peter Pan's Flight , It's

1062-625: A different version at Tokyo Disneyland in 1996. Disneyland Paris features a similar Land, ' Toon Studio ', located at their Walt Disney Studios Park . One of the most beloved and remembered aspects of the Land was its Music. Both Disneyland (1993-2022) and Tokyo Disneyland's (since 1996) versions of Toontown featured new musical arrangements based on Classic Disney Shorts (and two exceptions). These Shorts were: Steamboat Willie , The Skeleton Dance , Springtime , Minnie's Yoo Hoo , Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! , 'Box Lunch' Minnie's song from Building

1180-657: A fountain. In February 2022, it was announced that that Gadget's Go Coaster, Goofy's Playhouse and Donald's Boat would be "reimagined". Mickey's Toontown was temporarily closed on March 9, 2022. Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway opened on January 27, 2023. The rest of Mickey's Toontown was originally scheduled to open on March 8, 2023, but was later delayed to March 19, 2023. The newly renovated Mickey's Toontown has been designed specifically to accommodate special needs children. Toontown ( Japanese language : トゥーンタウン) opened in Tokyo Disneyland on April 15, 1996. It

1298-692: A major expansion at the Disney's Hollywood Studios and Tokyo Disneyland, but after the financial troubles of the Euro Disney Resort , plans were cut back. The planned attractions for Hollywood Studios were ultimately canceled, but Hollywoodland and Mickey's Birthdayland concepts (as well as some concepts found in Who Framed Roger Rabbit) were eventually combined to form Mickey's Toontown, which opened in Disneyland in 1993 and

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1416-467: A mile away from its parking lot, on the opposite side of the man-made Seven Seas Lagoon. Upon arrival, guests are taken by the parking lot trams to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), which sells admission into the parks and provides transportation connections throughout the resort complex. Guests using city buses, non-Disney hotel shuttles or ridesharing services are also dropped off at

1534-446: A pleasure ride of flying carriages that revolved around a central pylon. Other rides included the 'Grotto' (a fantasy ride), 'River Caves' (a scenic railway ), water chutes and a tobogganing tower. Fire was a constant threat in those days, as much of the construction within the amusement parks of the era was wooden. In 1911, Dreamland was the first Coney Island amusement park to completely burn down; in 1944, Luna Park also burned to

1652-469: A proper theme park. That same year, SeaWorld San Diego opened and displayed many varieties of aquatic and marine life. Initially meant to house Walt Disney's dream idea, EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow), Disney executives decided to settle on building the park first in Walt Disney World and the city later. After six years of construction, Walt Disney World opened to

1770-552: A second park or risk losing the land to the French government. The park opened March 16, 2002, with only three rides and California Adventure style theming. However, Hong Kong Disneyland was higher quality than the other black sheep, but still lacked the number of attractions that was needed, just like California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park. It opened on September 12, 2005, with only four lands, and had exorbitant wait times on opening day for everything from rides to food. In

1888-574: A set of attractions based on the movie was developed for Disney theme parks. Roger Rabbit was set to be the star of his own land, behind Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland, called Hollywoodland. Meanwhile, at the Magic Kingdom, a new land behind Fantasyland was being developed in honor of Mickey Mouse 's sixtieth birthday, named Mickey's Birthdayland. There were also set to be attractions based on Roger Rabbit, Judge Doom, and Baby Herman opening in

2006-674: A smaller roller coaster, the Joy Wheel, Miniature Railway, The Whip and the River Caves. A ballroom was constructed on the site of the Skating Rink in 1920 and in 1923 a Variety Cinema was built on the site. Between 1920 and 1935 over £500,000 was invested in the site, constantly adding new rides and facilities and culminating in the construction of the Dreamland Cinema complex in 1934 which stands to this day. Until 2011

2124-552: A snake-charmer, Minnie Mouse as a magician, and Pluto as a special performer. Storybook Circus opened with a "streetmosphere" circus act called The Giggle Gang, which had a two-year run from 2012 until 2014. Tomorrowland is themed to the concept of the future inspired by the optimism and scientific advancements of the Space Age and Atomic Age . Several attractions include Astro Orbiter , Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin , Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor , Tomorrowland Speedway ,

2242-795: A source of fantasy and escape from real life. By the early 1900s, hundreds of amusement parks were operating in the United States and Canada. Trolley parks stood outside many cities. Parks like Atlanta's Ponce de Leon and Idora Park, near Youngstown, OH, took passengers to traditionally popular picnic grounds, which by the late 1890s also often included rides like the Giant Swing, Carousel , and Shoot-the-Chutes . These amusement parks were often based on nationally known parks or world's fairs : they had names like Coney Island , White City , Luna Park , or Dreamland . The American Gilded Age was, in fact, amusement parks' Golden Age that reigned until

2360-467: A standalone attraction next to Disney World (especially now as Disney built one in Disney-MGM). So it divided up the segments of its California tour into individual attractions, such as Jaws , Disaster! , and Kongfrontation . Disney-MGM Studios opened it on May 1, 1989, with two major attractions: The Backlot Tour and The Great Movie Ride. The concept for the park started out as an EPCOT pavilion, but

2478-574: A train station, town square, movie theater, city hall, firehouse, restaurants, emporium, shops, arcades, and several varieties of horse-drawn and motor-powered vehicles. Guests enter the park underneath the main station of the Walt Disney World Railroad and into the town square. At the far end of Main Street, U.S.A. is the park's hub, anchored by Cinderella Castle and the Partners statue . Symbolically, Main Street represents

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2596-490: Is Cinderella Castle , inspired by the fairy tale castle featured in the 1950 animated film . In 2023, the park hosted 17.72 million visitors, making it the most visited theme park in the world for the seventeenth consecutive year and the most visited theme park in North America for at least the past twenty-three years. The park has become a cultural touchstone and symbol of modern American pop culture . Walt Disney

2714-499: Is a Polynesian musical Audio-Animatronic show drawing from American tiki culture in the Sunshine pavilion. Swiss Family Treehouse is an interactive walk-through treehouse attraction based on the 1960 film, Swiss Family Robinson . The Magic Carpets of Aladdin is an aerial carousel -style ride based on the 1992 film, Aladdin . Frontierland is a romanticized portrayal of the American frontier , particularly elements from

2832-547: Is a dark ride omnimover attraction based on The Little Mermaid ; Be Our Guest Restaurant is a themed restaurant with character dining themed to Beast 's castle in Beauty and the Beast ; Enchanted Tales with Belle, and Ariel's Grotto . Storybook Circus is a subsection of Fantasyland, themed to a traveling circus stopped along a railroad route just outside of Fantasyland Forest. The land's marquee attractions include Dumbo

2950-477: Is a small-scale recreation of the Mickey Mouse universe where visitors can meet the characters and visit their homes which are constructed in a cartoonish style. It was inspired by "Toontown" from the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit in which the cartoon characters live alongside humans. Roger Rabbit was recognized as a lucrative character by Disney after the release of Who Framed Roger Rabbit , and

3068-548: Is a themed land at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland , two theme parks operated by Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and The Oriental Land Company respectively. At Tokyo Disneyland, this land is named Toontown . A similar land existed at the Magic Kingdom until 2011 and was named Mickey's Toontown Fair . Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris has a related land called Toon Studio . The attraction

3186-464: Is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney... and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney's dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place ... a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn together. Roy O. Disney , October 25, 1971 Magic Kingdom Park opened as

3304-428: Is designed like a wheel with a hub and spoke design. Pathways spoke out from the hub across the 107 acres (43 ha) of the park and lead to these six lands. The Walt Disney World Railroad circles around the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) perimeter of the park. Main Street, U.S.A. is modeled after an idealized early-20th century American town, inspired by Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Missouri . Main Street features

3422-718: Is housed in a building within Toontown called the El CapiTOON Theater, a pun of the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood which in turn is owned by Disney. The attraction, which replaced the Toontown Five and Dime/Gag Factory store, is the first new attraction added in Toontown since Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin opened in 1994. Disneyland Resort was temporarily closed from 2020 to 2021 due to

3540-431: Is inspired by Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and resembles a set from a Max Fleischer cartoon. The buildings are stylized and colorful. There are several attractions involving classic cartoon characters, such as the houses of Mickey and Minnie Mouse , and a small children's coaster. There are a few interactive gags. The houses themselves appeal primarily as play areas for small children. From 1993 through 2022, one of

3658-673: Is the Rivers of America , an artificial waterway based on the untamed rivers found across the United States, that flows through Frontierland and Liberty Square. Traversing through the Rivers of America is the Liberty Belle Riverboat , a steam-powered riverboat attraction themed to a 19th-century sternwheeler . Other attractions include the Country Bear Musical Jamboree . Liberty Square is inspired by

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3776-458: Is themed after stories based on the ocean and nautical adventure. It was constructed at a cost of ¥335 billion and opened on September 4, 2001. The park's two signature attractions are a modernized version of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Journey To The Center of The Earth . In the early 90s, Michael Eisner wanted to make Disneyland in the image of Walt Disney World 's resort style. Plans were made for multiple hotels (such as one based on

3894-742: Is used by the Express Line with direct service between the TTC and Magic Kingdom, while the inner track is the Resort Line with additional stops at the Contemporary, Grand Floridian and Polynesian Village resorts. Epcot is also accessible from the TTC on a spur monorail line that was added upon that park's opening in 1982. The hotels in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area are connected to the park by walking paths, ferry boats, or

4012-795: The American Old West , including cowboys , Native Americans and Western saloons . Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a mine train roller coaster featuring a runaway mine train through mine shafts and canyons of the American Southwest . Tiana's Bayou Adventure is a log flume ride inspired by the 2009 film, The Princess and the Frog . Tom Sawyer Island is inspired by the literary characters and stories of Mark Twain 's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , featuring interactive trails and scenic outlooks. Surrounding Tom Sawyer Island

4130-603: The Blackpool Pleasure Beach ranked among the top free of charge attractions in Britain. Blackpool Pleasure beach was developed continuously, requiring frequent large-scale investments. The construction of many new rides could be counted on. Rides included the Virginia Reel, Whip, Noah's Ark, Big Dipper and Dodgems. In the 1920s the "Casino Building" was built, which remains to this day. In 1923, land

4248-471: The COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, there are four "phases" of park closure when Magic Kingdom exceeds capacity, ranging from restricted access for most guests (Phase 1) to full closure for everyone, even cast-members (Phase 4). "Magic Kingdom" was often used as an unofficial nickname for Disneyland before Walt Disney World was built. The official tagline for Disneyland is "The Happiest Place On Earth", while

4366-441: The COVID-19 pandemic , during which time construction commenced on Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway. In November 2021, Disney announced that Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland would receive a makeover and would be closed for a year. The new features include play experiences for children and families. With the addition of Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, a new children's play area was added called CenTOONial Park and features

4484-960: The Disneyland Resort and Universal Orlando Resort to thrilling coaster parks such as the Six Flags parks and Cedar Fair parks. Countless smaller ventures exist across the United States and around the world. Simpler theme parks directly aimed at smaller children have also emerged, such as Legoland . Examples of amusement parks in shopping malls exist in West Edmonton Mall , Pier 39 and Mall of America . Family fun parks starting as miniature golf courses have begun to grow to include batting cages, go-karts, bumper cars, bumper boats and water slides. Some of these parks have grown to include even roller coasters, and traditional amusement parks now also have these competition areas in addition to their thrill rides. In 2015, theme parks in

4602-649: The Grand Floridian Hotel ) and a new west coast version of EPCOT , called WESTCOT. WESTCOT never came to be due to local opposition from residents, rising costs, and the financial fallout of Disneyland Paris. After a corporate retreat in Colorado, Disney executives decided to make a park themed to California so that guests could experience all of California within the confines of the Disneyland Resort and would be built across from Disneyland on its 100-acre parking lot. Disney's California Adventure would be

4720-533: The PeopleMover , and Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress , except for Stitch's Alien Encounter Character Greeting! as a meet and greet location. A pair of thrill ride roller coasters are located on the western edge of Tomorrowland: Space Mountain , themed to space exploration through the cosmos; and TRON Lightcycle / Run , based on the digital software world of the Grid from Tron . Magic Kingdom lies more than

4838-683: The SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks also offer educational experiences, with each of the parks housing several thousand animals, fish and other sea life in dozens of attractions and exhibits focusing on animal education. Created in 1977, the Puy du Fou is a much-celebrated theme park in Vendée , France. It is centered around European, French and local history. It received several international prizes. Some theme parks did evolve from more traditional amusement park enterprises, such as Knott's Berry Farm . In

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4956-560: The Walt Disney World Monorail System . Disney-owned hotels in other resort areas have Disney Transport buses to the Magic Kingdom, but these do not serve the TTC. Instead, they operate from three bus loops directly adjacent to the park's main gate. In 2012, Jon Favreau announced he was planning a film called Magic Kingdom . The film was described as “ Night at the Museum at Disneyland ,” meaning that

5074-563: The 1860s and 1870s created mechanical rides, such as the steam-powered carousel (built by Thomas Bradshaw, at the Aylsham Fair ), and its derivatives, notably from Frederick Savage of King's Lynn , Norfolk whose fairground machinery was exported all over the world; his "galloping horses" innovation is seen in carousels today. This inaugurated the era of the modern funfair ride, as the working classes were increasingly able to spend their surplus wages on entertainment. The second influence

5192-684: The 1870s along the Connecticut River . The trick was getting the public to the seaside or resort location. For Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, on the Atlantic Ocean, a horse-drawn streetcar line brought pleasure seekers to the beach beginning in 1829. In 1875, a million passengers rode the Coney Island Railroad , and in 1876 two million visited Coney Island. Hotels and amusements were built to accommodate both

5310-478: The 1920s, Walter Knott and his family sold berries from a roadside stand, which grew to include a restaurant serving fried chicken dinners. Within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter Knott built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from real old west towns such as the Calico, California , ghost town and Prescott, Arizona . In 1968,

5428-453: The Casino building to name a few. The Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II during the 1940s saw the decline of the amusement park industry. War caused the affluent urban population to move to the suburbs, television became a source of entertainment, and families went to amusement parks less often. By the 1950s, factors such as urban decay , crime , and even desegregation in

5546-528: The Dark Arts class with one shop and one restaurant in the former submarine lagoon at Magic Kingdom. She was also displeased with the lack of creative control she had and exited the deal. She went to Universal next and was also displeased with the initial plan to redress the Islands of Adventure's Lost Continent area. To remedy this, J.K Rowling wrestled creative control from Universal and forced them to make

5664-610: The European Middle Ages . An amusement park is a contemporary arrangement, designed to combine components of a fair, carnival, and theme park. An early example of an amusement park is the Bartholomew Fair . By the 18th and 19th centuries, they had evolved into places of entertainment for the masses, where the public could view freak shows , acrobatics , conjuring and juggling , take part in competitions and walk through menageries . A wave of innovation in

5782-491: The Flying Elephant , an aerial carousel-style ride based on the 1941 film Dumbo ; The Barnstormer , a family roller coaster featuring Goofy as a daredevil stuntman; and Casey Jr. Splash 'n' Soak Station . Originally, Storybook Circus was the location of Mickey's Toontown Fair , which closed permanently on February 11, 2011. Some elements of Mickey's Toontown Fair were demolished, and others were re-themed to fit

5900-538: The Golden Age of roller coasters, being the decade of frenetic building for these rides. In England, Dreamland Margate opened in 1880 with Frederick Savage's carousel the first amusement ride installed. In 1920 the Scenic Railway rollercoaster opened to the public with great success, carrying half a million passengers in its first year. The park also installed other rides common to the time including

6018-717: The Great Goofini. The first half of Storybook Circus opened on March 12, 2012, which included the newly themed "The Great Goofini", the Storybook Circus train station which was completely rebuilt and also one half of the new Dumbo ride. The second phase of Storybook Circus, including the second half of Dumbo, the indoor queue area, and the Casey Jr Splash 'n' Soak Station opened in June 2012. Mickey's Toontown opened in Disneyland on January 24, 1993. The area

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6136-512: The Knott family fenced the farm, charged admission for the first time, and Knott's Berry Farm officially became a theme park. Because of its long history, Knott's Berry Farm currently claims to be "America's First Theme Park." Knott's Berry Farm is now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut, may be the true oldest continuously operating amusement park in

6254-410: The Magic Kingdom exclusive of Liberty Square , rather than the Disneyland New Orleans Square . The Walt Disney Company promised to increase this number with a combination of replicas and unique attractions. While there is no individual dedication to Magic Kingdom, the dedication by Roy O. Disney for the entire resort was placed within its gates. The only land added to the original roster of lands in

6372-427: The Magic Kingdom, Mickey's Toontown Fair (now the Storybook Circus ) initially opened as Mickey's Birthdayland on June 18, 1988. It became Mickey's Starland on May 26, 1990, and was briefly renamed Mickey's Toyland in late 1995. The land was closed in early 1996 for an extensive refurbishment, and on October 1, 1996, it reopened as Mickey's Toontown Fair for the park's 25th anniversary. Mickey's Toontown Fair

6490-491: The Maroon Cartoon logo theme from Who Framed Roger Rabbit . Sometime around the 2010's, more arranged music covers were added into the land's music ambiance, all taken straight from Disney's Have a Laugh! . These were: On Ice , Mickey's Polo Team , Thru the Mirror , Clock Cleaners , Moose Hunters , Magician Mickey , Boat Builders , Mickey's Trailer , Polar Trappers , Beach Picnic , Mr. Duck steps Out , Canine Caddy and Double Dribble . At

6608-409: The TTC. To travel between the TTC and the Magic Kingdom, guests have their choice of taking a ferry boat or the Walt Disney World Monorail System . The three ferries are clad in different trim colors and are named for past Disney executives: the General Joe Potter (blue), the Richard F. Irvine (red) and the Admiral Joe Fowler (green). The main monorail loop has two tracks. The outer track

6726-438: The United States had a revenue of US$ 8 billion and theme parks in China had a revenue of US$ 4.6 billion , with China expected to overtake the United States by 2020. Some parks use rides and attractions for educational purposes. There are also Holy Land USA and the Holy Land Experience , which are theme parks built to inspire Christian piety. Dinosaur World entertains families with dinosaurs in natural settings, while

6844-412: The United States, open since 1846. Santa Claus Town, which opened in Santa Claus, Indiana , in 1935 and included Santa's Candy Castle and other Santa Claus-themed attractions is considered the first themed attraction in the United States: a precursor to the modern day theme park. Santa Claus Land (renamed Holiday World in 1984) opened in 1946 in Santa Claus, Indiana , and many people will argue that it

6962-427: The beginnings of the Wurstelprater as an amusement park. The concept of a fixed park for amusement was further developed with the beginning of the world's fairs . The first World fair began in 1851 with the construction of the landmark Crystal Palace in London, England. The purpose of the exposition was to celebrate the industrial achievement of the nations of the world and it was designed to educate and entertain

7080-482: The boardwalk out over the ocean. The first of several was the Ocean Pier in 1891, followed later by the Steel Pier in 1898, both of which boasted rides and attractions typical of that time, such as Midway-style games and electric trolley rides. The boardwalk also had the first Roundabout installed in 1892 by William Somers, a wooden predecessor to the Ferris Wheel . Somers installed two others in Asbury Park , New Jersey and Coney Island , New York. Another early park

7198-431: The circus concept. An expanded Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride was built, with an interactive queue, and a second Dumbo ride was built next to it, in order to increase capacity. The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm was re-themed to "The Great Goofini". A big top area was built for meet-and-greets, called Pete's Silly Sideshow . This attraction features Goofy as a stuntman, Daisy Duck as a fortune-teller, Donald Duck as

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7316-466: The development of the Walt Disney World Resort. It features stylistic influences from around the country. Taking its inspiration from New England to Missouri , this design is most noticeable in the four corners in the middle of Main Street, where each of the four corner buildings represents a different architectural style. The second and third stories of all the buildings along Main Street are designed with forced perspective , and are actually shorter than

7434-410: The early 2000s, the Harry Potter book series written by J.K Rowling had become a pop culture phenomenon. Universal and Disney entered a bidding war over the theme park rights to the books, but Disney seemed to have won after Rowling signed a letter of intent with Disney. However, Rowling was disappointed with Disney's small-scale plans to install an omnimover attraction themed to the Defense Against

7552-413: The early 90s after the opening of Universal Studios Florida, Universal sought to build a second theme park, one aimed more towards children and their families. Universal acquired the theme park rights to many properties including Marvel and Dr. Seuss to build the park around. In 1999, Universal Studios opened Universal Studios Islands of Adventure under the new resort name Universal Studios Escape. The park

7670-409: The emergence of the amusement park industry. Bakken ("The Hill") in Klampenborg , Denmark, Wurstelprater in Vienna, Austria, and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark are the three oldest operating amusement parks in the world. Lake Compounce opened in 1846 and is considered the oldest, continuously operating amusement park in North America. The amusement park evolved from traditions in

7788-471: The end of June, but Jaws had to be rebuilt and reopened three years later. However, Universal learned from opening day and started conducting exit surveys and special ticket deals. In 1992, Disney opened its first European park, Euro Disneyland , outside of Paris, France, designed to be like the Magic Kingdom in Florida, yet it caters to the European tastes through changes, including removing Tomorrowland and replacing it with Discoveryland , themed to

7906-411: The expansion of Fantasyland. The Walt Disney World Railroad station in Mickey's Toontown Fair, which opened with Mickey's Birthdayland in 1988, was closed for the duration of the construction. In 2012, the space where Mickey's Toontown Fair sat reopened as a part of Fantasyland, in a sub-section called the Storybook Circus, where an updated Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction was relocated. The Barnstormer

8024-547: The experience of the enclosed ideal city with wonder, rides, culture and progress (electricity), was based on the creation of an illusory place. The " midway " introduced at the Columbian Exposition would become a standard part of most amusement parks, fairs, carnivals, and circuses. The midway contained not only the rides, but other concessions and entertainments such as shooting galleries , penny arcades , games of chance , and shows. Many modern amusement parks evolved from earlier pleasure resorts that had become popular with

8142-402: The film would tell a story where all the characters at Disney come to life at night. Marc Abraham and Eric Newman of Strike Entertainment were scheduled to produce the film. Writer-producer Ronald D. Moore had previously written an original script for the project, which the studio eventually declined to use, stating that Favreau and a new screenwriter would develop a new script. In 2021, it

8260-444: The first part of the Walt Disney World Resort on October 1, 1971, commencing concurrently with Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Polynesian Village Resort . It opened with twenty-three attractions, three unique to the park and twenty replicas of attractions at Disneyland, split into six themed lands, five copies of those at Disneyland ( Main Street, U.S.A. , Adventureland , Frontierland , Fantasyland , and Tomorrowland ) and

8378-400: The first stories. The musical soundtrack played at the entrance includes musical selections from the 1943 Broadway musical Oklahoma! and the 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man . The Dapper Dans , a men's a cappella singing group, typically perform throughout Main Street. Adventureland represents the mystery of exploring exotic lands and features several attractions themed to resemble

8496-463: The gardens were originally designed for the elites, they soon became places of great social diversity. Public firework displays were put on at Marylebone Gardens , and Cremorne Gardens offered music, dancing, and animal acrobatics displays. Prater in Vienna, Austria, began as a royal hunting ground which was opened in 1766 for public enjoyment. There followed coffee-houses and cafés, which led to

8614-634: The ghettos led to changing patterns in how people chose to spend their free time. Many of the older, traditional amusement parks closed or burned to the ground. Many would be taken out by the wrecking ball to make way for suburb and housing and development . In 1964, Steeplechase Park , once the king of all amusement parks, closed down for good. The traditional amusement parks which survived, for example, Kennywood , in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania , and Cedar Point , in Sandusky, Ohio , did so in spite of

8732-431: The great futuristic thinkers of European culture such as H. G. Wells and Jules Verne . A recession in the French economy and the immense public backlash against the park led to financial hardship, putting the park into debt. However, this did not stop Disney from expanding Disney-MGM Studios with The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror , in 1994, and building their fourth Walt Disney World park, Disney's Animal Kingdom . In

8850-516: The ground. Most of Ingersoll's Luna Parks were similarly destroyed, usually by arson , before his death in 1927. During the Gilded Age , many Americans began working fewer hours and had more disposable income. With new-found money and time to spend on leisure activities, Americans sought new venues for entertainment. Amusement parks, set up outside major cities and in rural areas, emerged to meet this new economic opportunity. These parks served as

8968-553: The land a full scale, realistic re-creation of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts without being a refurbishment of an existing area. The project was announced in 2007 and in 2010 the land was opened to the public and made Universal Orlando a must visit destination. Today, there are over 475 amusement parks in the United States, ranging from mega-parks and those that are operated by Warner Bros., Disney , Six Flags and NBCUniversal . The amusement park industry's offerings range from immersive theme parks such as Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi ,

9086-590: The land will close early for the day due to its proximity to the launch area for the fireworks. Mickey's Toontown Depot stays open from park opening to park closing as it also serves as a stop for Fantasyland with the station being next to the Fantasyland Theatre . On non-fireworks days, the land closes with the park. In April 2019, Disney announced that Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway (which opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2020), would open at Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland in 2023. The ride

9204-472: The larger, more popular rides. Later, the "D-ticket" was added, then finally the " E-ticket ", which was used on the biggest and most elaborate rides, like Space Mountain . Smaller tickets could be traded up for use on larger rides so that for example two or three A-tickets would equal a single B-ticket. Disneyland, as well as the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, abandoned this practice in 1982. Mickey%27s Toontown#Magic Kingdom Mickey's Toontown

9322-408: The largest disaster Disney ever created because unlike Disneyland, it would be set in the modern day and spoof modern-day California with its cheap, insincere, and flat backdrops. The park would be adult focused, sell fine food, and serve alcohol. When the park opened on February 8, 2001, it received a chilly reception for its lack of attractions, poor environment (for example, Hollywood Studios Backlot

9440-462: The late 1920s. The Golden Age of amusement parks also included the advent of the kiddie park. Founded in 1925, the original Kiddie Park is located in San Antonio, Texas , and is still in operation as of 2022 . The kiddie parks became popular all over America after World War II. This era saw the development of new innovations in roller coasters that included extreme drops and speeds to thrill

9558-471: The modern, competitive amusement park industry. In the late 1950s, Wynne visited Disneyland and was inspired to create an affordable, closer, and larger amusement park that would be filled with fantasy. He followed in the steps of Disney and had subdivisions within the park that reflected different lands. The subdivisions included the Old South and other sections that referenced Wynne's background. By 1968,

9676-466: The motivation for entrepreneurs to build accommodation and create new attractions, leading to more visitors and a rapid cycle of growth throughout the 1850s and 1860s. In 1879, large parts of the promenade at Blackpool were wired. The lighting and its accompanying pageants reinforced Blackpool's status as the North of England's most prominent holiday resort, and its specifically working class character. It

9794-541: The odds. Inspired by the layout of Tivoli Gardens theme park in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1951, Walt Disney came up with the idea of having an amusement park next to the studios in Burbank. The park would have been called Mickey Mouse Park , built across the street with a western area featuring a steam driven paddleboat, a turn of the century town, and a midway. It was rejected by the Burbank city council in fear of

9912-569: The park is built on the second story, giving the Magic Kingdom an elevation of 108 feet (33 m). The area around the utilidors was filled in with dirt removed from the Seven Seas Lagoon , which was being constructed at the same time. The utilidors were built in the initial construction and were not extended as the park expanded. The tunnels were intended to be designed into all subsequent Walt Disney World parks but were set aside mostly because of financial constraints. Walt Disney World

10030-420: The park officially became the second Magic Kingdom-style park to serve alcohol at all table service restaurants, after Disneyland Paris in 1993. Early in 2024, a Disney executive confirmed that the park will expand with the addition of a 12-to-14-acre (4.9 to 5.7 ha) land located “beyond Big Thunder .” Magic Kingdom is divided into six themed "lands." The center of the park in front of Cinderella Castle

10148-466: The park opened, it welcomed its one millionth guest. Because of the financial success of Disneyland, the amusement industry was reinvigorated. What became Busch Gardens Tampa opened in 1959 as a garden and bird sanctuary. Six Flags Over Texas opened in 1961, themed to the six different countries that ruled over Texas. In 1964, Universal Studios Hollywood opened to the public with a studio tour of their backlot that had multiple adventure scenes and became

10266-607: The park since its opening, but this policy has gradually changed. In 2012, the Be Our Guest Restaurant opened selling wine and beer for the first time. This was the only place in the park where alcohol was permitted until December 2014 when four additional restaurants began selling beer and wine including Cinderella's Royal Table, Liberty Tree Tavern, Tony's Town Square Restaurant, and the Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen. And finally in 2018,

10384-435: The park was Mickey's Toontown Fair . The land originally opened in 1988 as Mickey's Birthdayland to celebrate Mickey Mouse's 60th birthday. Later the land was renovated as Mickey's Starland and eventually to Mickey's Toontown Fair. The land was home to attractions such as Mickey's Country House , Minnie's Country House, The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm , and Donald's Boat. It closed on February 12, 2011, to make way for

10502-461: The park's " opening credits ", where guests pass under the train station (the opening curtain) at left or right, then view the names of key personnel along the windows of the buildings' upper floors. Many windows bear the name of a fictional business, such as "Seven Summits Expeditions, Frank G. Wells President", with each representing a tribute to significant people connected to the Disney company and

10620-591: The park. In 1897, Sea Lion Park was joined by Steeplechase Park , the first of three major amusement parks that would open in the Coney Island area. George Tilyou designed the park to provide thrills and entertainment. The combination of the nearby population center of New York City and the ease of access to the area made Coney Island the embodiment of the American amusement park. Coney Island also featured Luna Park (1903) and Dreamland (1904). Coney Island

10738-426: The park. Other revenue sources include parking fees, food and beverage sales and souvenirs. Practically all amusement parks operate using one of two admission principles: In amusement parks using the pay-as-you-go scheme, a guest enters the park at little or no charge. The guest must then purchase rides individually, either at the attraction's entrance or by purchasing ride tickets (or a similar exchange method, like

10856-503: The pay-as-you-go format. Initially, guests paid the ride admission fees at the attractions. Within a short time, the problems of handling such large amounts of coins led to the development of a ticket system that, while now out of use, is still part of the amusement-park lexicon. In this new format, guests purchased ticket books that contained a number of tickets, labeled "A", "B" and "C." Rides and attractions using an "A-ticket" were generally simple, with "B-tickets" and "C-tickets" used for

10974-556: The public for day-trips or weekend holidays, for example, seaside areas such as Blackpool , United Kingdom and Coney Island , United States. In the United States, some amusement parks grew from picnic groves established along rivers and lakes that provided bathing and water sports, such as Lake Compounce in Connecticut, first established as a picturesque picnic park in 1846, and Riverside Park in Massachusetts, founded in

11092-456: The public on October 1, 1971. Meant to be a larger east coast version of Disneyland, it had copies of most of the attractions from Disneyland (except for Liberty Square and the Hall of Presidents ), yet it was financially the most ambitious project Walt Disney Productions had ever undertaken, and succeeded once the holiday crowds came in during Thanksgiving. In 1982, Walt Disney Productions opened

11210-704: The remote landscapes of Africa , Asia , the Middle East , South America , the Caribbean , and the South Pacific . Jungle Cruise is a comedic riverboat cruise attraction that travels along wild waterways from around the world. Pirates of the Caribbean is a dark ride depicting the exploits and plundering of a pirate siege on Caribbean island town featuring several characters from the subsequent eponymous film series . Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room

11328-474: The riders. By the end of the First World War, people seemed to want an even more exciting entertainment, a need met by roller coasters. Although the development of the automobile provided people with more options for satisfying their entertainment needs, the amusement parks after the war continued to be successful, while urban amusement parks saw declining attendance. The 1920s is more properly known as

11446-850: The second Six Flags park, Six Flags Over Georgia , opened, and in 1971, Six Flags Over Mid-America (now Six Flags St. Louis ) opened near St. Louis , Missouri. Also in 1971 was the opening of the Walt Disney World resort complex in Florida . In 1991 Warner Bros. in partnership with Village Roadshow, opened their own Warner Bros. Movie World . It is the only Movie-Related theme park in Australia. Warner Bros. continued their theme park ventures and opened Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi in UAE and Parque Warner Madrid in Spain. Amusement parks collect much of their revenue from admission fees paid by guests attending

11564-535: The second Walt Disney World park, EPCOT Center, based on Walt Disney's futurist ideals and World Fairs. Like a World's Fair, the park would display the latest technologies in an area called Future World, and the cultural pavilions in World Showcase. In 1987, Disney announced that it would open its third Disney World park, Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, which would have a working backlot. However, Universal knew that its Californian backlot tour would not work as

11682-577: The sites, expanding them from picnic groves to include regular entertainments, mechanical amusements, dance halls, sports fields, boat rides, restaurants and other resort facilities. Some of these parks were developed in resort locations, such as bathing resorts at the seaside in New Jersey and New York . A premiere example in New Jersey was Atlantic City , a famous vacation resort. Entrepreneurs erected amusement parks on piers that extended from

11800-582: The tagline for Magic Kingdom is "The Most Magical Place On Earth". Up until the early 1990s, Magic Kingdom was officially known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom , and was never printed without the Walt Disney World prefix. This purpose was to differentiate between the park and Disneyland in California. In 1994, to differentiate it from Disneyland, the park was officially renamed Magic Kingdom Park. Alcoholic beverages had been prohibited from

11918-551: The theme park, Silver Dollar City . The park is still owned and operated by the Herschends and the family has several other parks including Dollywood , Kentucky Kingdom and Wild Adventures . The first regional amusement park, as well as the first Six Flags park, Six Flags Over Texas was officially opened in 1961 in Arlington, Texas . The first Six Flags amusement park was the vision of Angus Wynne Jr. and helped create

12036-527: The upper classes and the working class at the beach. The first carousel was installed in the 1870s, the first roller coaster , the " Switchback Railway ", in 1884. In England, Blackpool was a popular beachside location beginning in the 1700s. It rose to prominence as a seaside resort with the completion in 1846 of a branch line to Blackpool from Poulton on the main Preston and Wyre Joint Railway line. A sudden influx of visitors, arriving by rail, provided

12154-481: The visitors. American cities and businesses also saw the world's fair as a way of demonstrating economic and industrial success. The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago , Illinois was an early precursor to the modern amusement park. The fair was an enclosed site, that merged entertainment, engineering and education to entertain the masses. It set out to bedazzle the visitors, and successfully did so with

12272-648: The windows in the land had a reference to Laugh-O-Gram Studios , the studio that Disney created before Disney Studios . An early entry event called Toontown Morning Madness was held here for guests booking travel with the American Automobile Association or book a vacation package with the Walt Disney Travel Company . However, Morning Madness has been discontinued as of 2013 as Extra Magic Hour and Magic Morning are now offered. On nights that fireworks are scheduled,

12390-575: Was a huge success and by the year 1910 attendance on days could reach a million people. Fueled by the efforts of Frederick Ingersoll who borrowed the name, other " Luna Parks " were quickly erected worldwide and opened to rave reviews. The first amusement park in England was opened in 1896 – the Blackpool Pleasure Beach by W. G. Bean. In 1904, Sir Hiram Maxim 's Captive Flying Machine was introduced; he had designed an early aircraft powered by steam engines that had been unsuccessful and instead opened up

12508-560: Was allegedly designed by former Disney Imagineers who left after the financial disaster of Disneyland Paris. In the late 80s, the Oriental Land Company (the owners and operators of Tokyo Disneyland resort which opened in 1983) wanted a second park. None of the current non-Magic Kingdom parks satisfied the Japanese, but one concept thrown away for Disneyland's second gate inspired a new one: DisneySea . Tokyo DisneySea

12626-590: Was announced as a new project, now developed as a television series for Disney+ . Moore was brought back to develop the series which will see that the various lands in the Magic Kingdom are actually gateways to alternate worlds, thus setting up a shared universe. The first in the series will be The Society of Explorers and Adventurers (SEA) . Amusement park Amusement parks evolved from European fairs , pleasure gardens , and large picnic areas , which were created for people's recreation . World's fairs and other types of international expositions also influenced

12744-417: Was built as a larger, improved version of Disneyland in California. Magic Kingdom was built over a series of tunnels called utilidors , a portmanteau of utility and corridor , allowing employees (called "cast members") or VIP guests to move through the park out of sight. Because of Florida's high water table , the tunnels could not be put underground, so they were built at the existing grade, meaning

12862-495: Was closed on February 11, 2011 in order to build the "New Fantasyland" expansion. Some elements of Mickey's Toontown Fair have been demolished and others have been re-themed to a new Storybook Circus area. The Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride was removed from Fantasyland and rebuilt in Storybook Circus, the new version doubling the capacity of the old ride and incorporating an interactive queue. The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm has been re-themed to The Barnstormer featuring Goofy as

12980-427: Was highly involved in planning the Walt Disney World resort complex and park, coming to Florida in person to survey the land, meeting with local officials and announcing the project to the media. But he died in 1966, before he could see the vision through. After Walt's death, his brother Roy Disney took over the project. Walt Disney Productions began construction on Magic Kingdom and the entire resort in 1967. The park

13098-500: Was reclaimed from the sea front. It was at this period that the park moved to its 44-acre (18 ha) current location above what became Watson Road, which was built under the Pleasure Beach in 1932. During this time Joseph Emberton, an architect famous for his work in the amusement trade was brought in to redesign the architectural style of the Pleasure Beach rides, working on the "Grand National" roller coaster, "Noah's Ark" and

13216-423: Was retained and was re-themed to The Great Goofini . Since opening day, Magic Kingdom has been closed temporarily because of eight hurricanes: Floyd , Charley , Frances , Jeanne , Wilma , Matthew , Irma , and Ian . The first non-hurricane related day the park has closed is on September 11, 2001, due to the terrorist attacks that day . Walt Disney World was closed from March 15, 2020, to July 11, 2020, due to

13334-567: Was the Eldorado Amusement Park that opened in 1891 on the banks of the Hudson River , overlooking New York City . It consisted of 25 acres. The first permanent enclosed entertainment area, regulated by a single company, was founded in Coney Island in 1895: Sea Lion Park at Coney Island in Brooklyn. This park was one of the first to charge admission fee to get into the park in addition to sell tickets for rides within

13452-739: Was the pleasure garden . An example of this is the world's oldest amusement park, Bakken ("The Hill"), which opened in mainland Europe in 1583. It is located north of Copenhagen in Klampenborg, Denmark . Another early garden was the Vauxhall Gardens , founded in 1661 in London. By the late 18th century, the site had an admission fee for its many attractions. It regularly drew enormous crowds, with its paths often noted for romantic assignations; tightrope walkers, hot air balloon ascents, concerts and fireworks providing amusement. Although

13570-479: Was the first true Theme Park despite Knott's history. In the 1950s the Herschend family took over operation of the tourist attraction, Marvel Cave near Branson, Missouri . Over the next decade they modernized the cave, which led to large numbers of people waiting to take the tour. The Herschend family opened a recreation of the old mining town that once existed atop Marvel Cave. The small village eventually became

13688-645: Was the forerunner of the present-day Blackpool Illuminations . By the 1890s, the town had a population of 35,000, and could accommodate 250,000 holidaymakers. The number of annual visitors, many staying for a week, was estimated at three million. In the final decade of the 19th century, electric trolley lines were developed in many large American cities. Companies that established the trolley lines also developed trolley parks as destinations of these lines. Trolley parks such as Atlanta 's Ponce de Leon Park , or Reading's Carsonia Park were initially popular natural leisure spots before local streetcar companies purchased

13806-493: Was themed to a modern-day movie backlot of modern-day Hollywood), and overemphasis on retail and dining. When John Hench (an original Imagineer who worked with Walt and was a chief creative executive at Imagineering since Imagineering was founded) was asked for his opinion on the park, he reportedly said, "I preferred the parking lot." Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris was the second Disneyland Paris park. Disney had to build

13924-610: Was turned into a park as a "half day" attraction—a complement to the rest of the resort. The rest of the park was themed to 1930s Hollywood and featured lost parts of Hollywood like the Brown Derby. Universal Studios Florida opened on June 7, 1990 (delayed by one year) to great fanfare, but the primary attractions were experiencing severe technical difficulties. All three of the park's major attractions (Jaws, Disaster!, and Kongfrontation) were not working and suffered major technical difficulties. Disaster! and Kongfrontation were fixed by

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