Fantasyland is the center of the action in most Disney theme parks, both literally (in terms of crowds) and figuratively (in terms of theming and storytelling). Walt Disney World's is modeled after an Alpine village tucked behind the steepled towers of Cinderella Castle.
Touring Tips
Dumbo, Peter Pan's Flight, Mickey's PhilharMagic, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh tend to become crowded early during busier times of the year, developing long lines between 10 and 11:30 a.m.
When the Magic Kingdom holds Extra Magic Hour Mornings, long lines may develop at these attractions even before the park opens to regular guests. If you're not staying at a Disney resort, our advice is to skip the Magic Kingdom on its Extra Magic Hour Mornings.
If you're touring the Magic Kingdom on a day with an Extra Magic Hour Morning, and you're not in the park to use it, our recommendation is to bite the bullet and ride Dumbo as soon as you enter the park, since the line will only get longer. Use FASTPASS on any other Fantasyland attraction that interests you.
Attractions
Also in Fantasyland...
Fantasyland is at the heart of the Magic Kingdom and it represents a chance to visit with some of our favorite Disney characters. To get there you must pass through the gates of Cinderella Castle, which is influenced by French Gothic castles and its ornamental style based on French chateaus. The castle is the only fully realized, four-sided building that is not a spinning ride in Fantasyland. Behind the castle walls you enter a medieval courtyard surrounded by a Gothic village. This village has been decorated for a celebration.
In creating Fantasyland, the Imagineers faced a design dilemma. They wanted to recreate elements from architecture found in the Disney cartoons but they feared chaos as the variety of styles might collide. The solution was to wrap the facades of English Tudor, French Gothic, and other styles with decorative elements from a medieval tournament. These elements include tents, flags, and banners, and supports which look like lances.
From guest's point of view, the Fantasyland courtyard appears to be a collection of small stores and larger attraction queues. In reality, as you can see from an aerial photo, the land is made up of three very large buildings that are wrapped in thematic materials. This concept of wrapping buildings was relatively new at the time the Magic Kingdom was built and has become very common today. The design details along the roofline of the buildings surrounding the courtyard support the design elements of Cinderella Castle and confirm that you are within the walls of the castle.
A lot has changed over the years but the facades have remained relatively the same. Winnie the Pooh took over the lease from Mr. Toad and the audio-animatronic Mickey Mouse Revue kept with the same great idea and morphed into the 3D film Mickey's Philharmagic. The loss of the lagoon for the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea submarines has greatly weakened the boundaries of the courtyard. The proposed Fantasyland expansion may go a long way in repairing that damage.
