Splash Mountain | Disney World Enthusiast

For today’s Friday Favorites, I am going to share with you my picks for best Magic Kingdom attractions. The Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World is one of my favorite theme parks! It has such an amazing variety of attractions for every member of the family to enjoy. Throughout the years, I have experienced rides with my youngest son when he was just six months old all the way up to my grandparents when they were in their 70s! I love that Disney World has so many options that the entire family can share together. With over 40 different attractions in the Magic Kingdom, it was very hard to narrow my list down. I decided to pick one favorite from each section of the park. And here they are!

Pirates of the Caribbean (located in Adventureland) I absolutely love this ride! It has been one of my favorites since I was a child. This is a 9 minute dark indoor boat ride with audio-animatronic pirates plundering and being generally rowdy. The accompanying song “Yo Ho, Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life Me)” is so catchy! There are lots of things to see along the way like skeletons, ghost ships, wenches being auctioned, looting, fires, treasure and of course, Captain Jack Sparrow. The attention to detail on this ride is amazing all the way down to the hair on the pirate’s leg as his foot dangles over the bridge above your head. Although, my boys have loved this ride since they were toddlers, I would be cautious with kids that are very sensitive or are afraid of the dark. There is also one very small hill, so small that even my 65-year-old dad who doesn’t like any sort of thrill rides, can ride it with no problems. There are no height restrictions on this ride.
Splash Mountain (located in Frontierland) Even though I hate getting wet and always wear a rain poncho on this ride, it is one of my all time favorites! This is another boat ride, but this one is more flume style, and travels both indoors and outdoors. It journeys over a half of mile in about 18 minutes during which you will see more than 100 audio-animatronic animals telling a story based on the Disney movie “Song of the South.” Again, there is great music in this attraction including the songs “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and “How Do You Do?” This attraction includes several smaller “teaser” type hills throughout the ride culminating in a 5-story plunge. The question on this ride is not if you will get, it is how wet will you get. If you want to stay dry, wear a poncho and be sure you tuck it under yourself and sit on it! You must be at least 40″ to ride and children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult.
The Haunted Mansion (located in Liberty Square) This is another wonderful Disney World attraction and one of my must-do’s on every trip. It begins in a room where a little of the back story is given. Then you will move from there to the actual queue to get in your “doom buggy” to experience the rest of the ride. Once in your “doom buggy” you will tour the entire Haunted Mansion and a graveyard. This ride also has a great song to it called “Grim Grinning Ghosts” and it makes the whole thing seem a little more light-hearted. There is nothing particularly gory about this ride and the special effects that are used to simulate the ghosts are really quite amazing! With that being said, as a child, I was terrified of this ride! My young boys are much braver than me and never had a problem with it. If you are going to bring a young child on it, here are a few things to keep in mind. In the room where you begin your ride, it will go completely dark and other guests find it very funny to scream their heads off at that point. This can be very startling to young kids so you might want to prep them for that possibility. Once you actually get inside your own personal doom buggy, they will be comfortable in their own enclosed car with you. There were many times as a child, I just rode through with parents with my eyes shut all the way and I was fine. There are no height restrictions on this ride.
It’s a Small World (located in Fantasyland) This is a true Disney classic so much so that it has been replicated in every Disney resort around the world! Another indoor boat ride, this one travels to all seven continents in a journey of about 10 minutes. Along the way, you will see almost 300 dolls each displaying the traditional dress from their nation while they sing along to the timeless song “it’s a small world.” This ride just warms the heart! As a child, this was my favorite ride of all time. It is almost like being in a time machine when I ride this attraction, remembering my parents bringing me on it and now I’m enjoying it with my own kids! This is a perfect starter ride for very young kids. It is bright, colorful and calm. There are no height restrictions on this ride.
Monster, Inc. Laugh Floor (located in Tomorrowland) Based on the hit movies, Monsters Inc. and Monsters University, this show is sure to get you laughing! The premise is that the monsters have now discovered that laughs produce more power than screams, so they are after your laughter. Through amazing technology, the animated characters on the screen are able to interact with audience members. This show is usually hilarious and can be made even more funny with great audience participation. If you just want to watch and don’t want to be chosen to play along, avoid the seats with what look like desk lights right in front of them. My whole family loves this show!