11 Surprising Facts About Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is THE park to visit if you’re planning a Disney World trip!

Magic Kingdom Parking Entrance

Between all the themed lands, rides, restaurants, and shows, there’s a lot that makes this park the culmination of “magic.” But, everything isn’t always as it seems in Magic Kingdom — we’re covering all the surprising things you probably didn’t know about the park!

We bet you didn’t know these 11 surprising facts about Magic Kingdom!

The Park Is On The Second Floor

One of the first things that may surprise you about Magic Kingdom is that it’s actually not built on the ground — it’s the second floor! Walt Disney didn’t want Cast Members from Frontierland to be walking through Tomorrowland in their costumes and ruin the “magic,” so he instead worked with his team to create “underground” tunnels for Cast called the utilidors!

Here’s a Look at the Tunnels

So, all those rides, moats, and really the entire park is actually built on level 2 of the Magic Kingdom.

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The Pavement is Intentionally Red

When you first enter Magic Kingdom, you might notice that many of the sidewalks are a bright red color — not something you see every day. Well, of course, that’s intentional!

Those red sidewalks are intentional!

The color was actually created with the help of Kodak to pop with the color of the Florida blue sky and is meant to be an extra safety precaution (it’s subconsciously letting you know that you’re stopping on or off the curb) and is like a red carpet for you, the VIP guests.

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Everything is Shorter Than it Seems

Even as an adult, it can feel like the buildings on Main Street, U.S.A., Cinderella Castle, and other structures are giant — but that’s actually an illusion. Disney uses forced perspective, so the tops of the buildings are actually built with smaller features. To the eye, it looks like they’re way taller than they are!

Cinderella Castle has forced perspective too!

But, there is actually one full-sized building on Main Street, U.S.A. and it’s the theater. If forced perspective were used on this building guests would be able to see Disney’s Contemporary Resort, which would ruin the story. So, instead, Disney made sure you can’t see it.

Main Street is Actually an Uphill Walk

And, that walk down Main Street, U.S.A. is actually up! Making your walk into the park uphill adds to the forced perspective and slows people down a little bit to keep them safe when it comes to the morning rush at rope drop.

You’re actually walking uphill!

Plus, on your way home after a long day in the park, it’s a bit easier to push that stroller downhill!

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The Flags on Top of Main Street, U.S.A. Aren’t Real

Another detail about Main Street, U.S.A. that you’ll never actually be able to notice is that there’s only one real American Flag on the street even though many line the tops of the buildings.

Disney knew that it would be hard to take all those flags down each night but that would be a violation of the flag code. So, instead, the flags aren’t actually real and are missing stars, stripes, and other small details making it so Disney doesn’t have to take them down. Plus, they’re also lightning rods!

There’s only one real flag on Main Street, U.S.A.

The only real flag is the large one at the front of Main Street, U.S.A., where each evening Disney chooses a veteran visiting the parks to lower the flag during a short ceremony.

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Trash Cans Are Strategically Placed

And, have you ever noticed how many trash cans there are in Magic Kingdom (well, every Disney park for that matter)? Well, that’s because Disney actually did a research study to see how far people are willing to hold onto their trash before dropping it on the ground and littering.

Trash cans are never too far apart!

They found that people are more likely to litter if trash cans are more than 30 feet apart, so that’s as far apart as you’ll ever see them in Disney World!

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There Aren’t Any Bathrooms in Liberty Square

Each land in Magic Kingdom is highly themed and Disney has spared no details, not even a bathroom! Over in Liberty Square, the area is themed in the early 1700s when bathrooms hadn’t been invented. So, Disney stuck to the theming and you won’t find ANY bathrooms in the land, but you can head to close by lands (Adventureland and Fantasyland) to find relief.

Liberty Tree

Now, you might be thinking — “I’ve used a bathroom in Liberty Tree Tavern and Columbia Harbour House.” Those are actually positioned in the restaurant so they are technically in other lands.

Liberty Tree Tavern

Oh, and be sure to look down at the ground when you’re traveling through Liberty Square.

Cobblestone Path

That brown cobble path is actually meant to represent the sewage that you would have found during the times.

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Prince Charming’s Carrousel is Over 100 Years Old

Over in Fantasyland, you can take a spin on Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel. But, you may not know that this is actually over 100 years old! It was built in 1917 and was found by Walt and his team and refurbished into one of the original rides that opened in Disney World.

Prince Charming Carousel

And, you can even spot which horse is Cinderella’s on the ride — just look for the horse with a tail that has a golden ribbon on it!

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What You Smell is Intentional

When you’re making your way through the park, you’ll find yourself taking in a whole lot of sights, but even some smells! And, those smells are entirely intentional!

You can always smell the Main Street Bakery on your way down Main Street!

Disney pumps artificial smells through vents around the park to immerse you in the theming even more. Plus, some floats for parades even have smells that accompany them!

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Adults and Kids See Some Things Entirely Differently

It’s no doubt that Magic Kingdom is built with both adults and kids in mind, but did you know that Disney actually created some things to look totally different depending on how old (or tall) you are? It’s true!

Cinderella looks different depending on how old (or tall) you are!

For example, the Cinderella water fountain that is located behind the castle can be interpreted VERY differently depending on your age! As an adult, you look at it and see Cinderella glancing down somberly, but kids look up to see her smiling down at them.

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Tickets Originally Cost $3.50

Nowadays, tickets for Disney World are very pricey, but when Magic Kingdom first opened as the only park for guests tickets only cost $3.50!

Tomorrowland

The tickets were a bit different than the ones we know today and guests received literal tickets (kind of like carnival tickets) that were lettered A-E. Each of the 23 opening day attractions was categorized, so guests needed to turn in one of their tickets to get on!

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Pretty fun to learn about all the ways that the Magic Kingdom was built with you (the guest) in mind, huh? Well, you can learn even more cool details about the park and feel like an expert the next time you’re visiting in our video below!

And, stay tuned for more Disney World fun facts, details, and planning tips!