With the pending new addition to Fantasyland, not to mention that it already has more attractions than any of the other parks, Magic Kingdom is probably the park that needs the least amount of work. That being said, there are still some sections of the park that definitely need more attention than others. My main goal for Magic Kingdom is to improve the overall guest experience while still holding true to the nostalgia and classic feel of the park, maintaining the elements of the park that have become fan favorites while also adding new experiences to continue to keep the park relevant and fresh.
Main Street USA
Main Street USA sets the stage for the rest of the Magic Kingdom. It is the first area that guests encounter when they enter the park and thus, even though it contains no attractions, it plays a very important role.
My first change to Main Street USA would be at the Town Square Theater, which currently houses meet and greets for both Mickey and Minne as well as the Disney princesses. With Magic Kingdom being the only park at Disney World that Walt himself personally had a hand in designing and overseeing the construction of, there should be some tribute paid to his life and legacy here. For this reason, I would relocate Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream from Hollywood Studios to the Main Street Theater. This attraction would help set the stage for the rest of the park, its various artificats and memorabilia fitting in perfectly with the nostalgia of Main Street. The Mickey and Minnie meet and greet could remain, but would need to be rethemed from its current magic act look.
One thing that Magic Kingdom really lacks is a variety of sit-down dining options. This causes the current restaurants in the park to become very crowded and makes it difficult to get dining reservations even in the slower times of the year. At Disneyland Paris there is a restaurant on Main Street called Walt’s (named after Walt Disney, of course). The restaurant is located on the second floor, above the Main Street shops, and features a Victorian décor in keeping with the feel of Main Street while also including numerous photographs celebrating Walt Disney’s life and works. The restaurant is actually divided into six rooms, one for each land in the park. This restaurant would be a much needed addition to the Magic Kingdom and give an upscale alternative for adults looking for a more quiet dining experience. In addition, its location would offer great views of the parades passing down Main Street.
Further down Main Street, I would bring back an element that was removed several years ago. Today, on the right side of Main Street while walking towards the castle, there is a small side street known as Center Street. There use to be a continuation of Center Street on the left hand side as well, known as West Center Street, but this was removed in order to expand the Emporium. I would restore Center Street on this side because it offers a great, out-of-the-way place to relax and enjoy a quiet moment away from the hustle and bustle of Main Street. Center Street also helps give the allusion that Main Street USA is bigger than it actually is, adding some depth to the area. Here is a look at the original West Center Street which was home to Magic Kingdom's Greenhouse Flower Shop:
Going hand-in-hand with the restoration of a full Center Street is a revamped Emporium. The Emporium on Main Street has become one giant Disney store, selling merchandise that you can find anywhere else on Disney property. When you are inside, you almost don’t even feel as though you are on Main Street USA. I would divide the Emporium into a series of smaller stores, each selling their own specialty merchandise. Having several smaller stores as opposed to one large store would fit better thematically with Main Street and also allow for a greater variety of merchandise.
When Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, Main Street included a Penny Arcade, Greenhouse Flower Shop, New Century Clock Shop, Cup'n Saucer China Shop, Wonderland of Wax Candle Shop, a Market sponsored by Smuckers, a Card Shop sponsored by Hallmark, and a House of Magic. While I might have these exact same stores, this is more in line with how I feel Main Street should be set up.
Adventureland
As you enter Adventureland immediately to the right hand side sits the Adventureland Verandah. Originally a restaurant, the building has stood empty for years before recently being converted into a new home for Tinkerbell meet and greets. I would find a new home for Tinkerbell and replace it with a “Pirates of the Caribbean” character dining experience. Disney offers several character dining options geared more towards girls, such as dining with the princesses in Cinderella Castle, but there is really nothing like this for boys. At this restaurant, children would be able to meet some of their favorite "Pirates of the Caribbean" characters, such as Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa. There would also be a pirate band performing sea shanties and other sea songs during the course of the meal.
The Swiss Family Robinson Tree House presents an interesting dilemma. It is an attraction original to the park and yet Swiss Family Robinson is not really relevant to today’s children. Added to this is the fact that the tree house is nothing more than just a walk through attraction. The challenge with replacing the tree house is limited space. An answer may be found at Tokyo Disney Sea with the Raging Spirits attraction. This is a rollercoaster that takes guests on a thrilling, high-speed ride (including a 360 degree loop) through the ruins of an ancient ceremonial site based on the Incan buildings in the mountainous region of Peru.
This would fit perfectly with the theming of Adventureland and the coaster itself was designed to fit in a small space. The footprint of the attraction in Tokyo would probably just barely fit in the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House plot. While Magic Kingdom already has rollercoasters in Big Thunder and Space Mountains, this attraction would not be on the same scale as these and would serve mostly to relieve the pressure put on these attractions.
Moving a little further into Adventureland, I would remove the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. With Dumbo moving and expanding with the new Fantasyland, there is no need to have another spinner attraction at the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Carpets attraction serves mostly to add unnecessary clutter to Adverntureland and the Arabian theming does not mesh at all with the rest of the land. In its place I would merely plant tropical trees and bushes to help add to the exotic feel of the land. In addition, I would also convert all of the Agrabah marketplace buildings near the Magic Carpets into more of a South Seas feel that matches the exterior architecture of the Enchanted Tiki Room. Here is a look at what the area looked like when the park opened in 1971:
Up next in Part 2 we will look at Frontierland and Liberty Square, including big changes I would make to the current Tom Sawyer Island.
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