Difference Between Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom

Key Difference – Magic Kingdom vs Animal Kingdom
 

Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are two popular theme parks of Disney World. Magic Kingdom was the first theme park to be opened (in 1971) at Disney World Resort in Florida. Animal Kingdom, built in 1998, was the fourth theme park at Disney World Resort. As their names suggest, the key difference between Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom is their themes; Animal Kingdom is themed around nature, animals and environmental conservation whereas Magic Kingdom is themed around concepts of magic and fairytales.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Magic Kingdom 
3. What is Animal Kingdom
4. Side by Side Comparison –Magic Kingdom vs Animal Kingdom in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Magic Kingdom?

Magic Kingdom, opened on 1971, was the first theme park at Walt Disney World. To date, this remains the most popular destination of Walt Disney World. The whole park is divided into six areas: Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, and Adventureland. All these sections meet at the top of Main Street USA, in front of the Cinderella Castle.

Attractions and Rides

Magic Kingdoms have so much to see and do. It may take several days to experience all its attractions. Given below are some of the most interesting highlights.

• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• “it’s a small world”
• Splash Mountain
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Mad Tea Party
• Enchanted Tales with Belle
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• Enchanted Tiki Room
• Jungle Cruise
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Swiss Family Treehouse
• Haunted Mansion

You can also meet a variety of characters such as Peter Pan, Mickey Mouse, Alice, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, Mary Poppins and Aladdin in this theme park. Magic Kingdom also has a selection of restaurants and cafes, providing a unique dining experience. Crystal Palace, Cinderella’s Royal Palace, Be Our Guest, Casey’s Corner, Cosmic Ray’s, and Gaston’s Tavern are some of these.

Magic Kingdom also hosts special events such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary-Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and Happily Ever After Fireworks throughout the year.

Magic Kingdom has more attractions than other Disney parks, and it also tends to be more crowded than other parks. So, plan your trip properly beforehand.

What is Animal Kingdom?

Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998, was the fourth themed parked to be built in Disney World Resort. This is considered to be the largest themed park in the world, consisting of 580 acres. This park is themed around nature, animals and environmental conservation. The park’s icon is an artificial boab tree, which is known as the Tree of Life.

Animal Kingdom is divided into seven themed sections: Oasis, Discovery Island, Africa, Asia, DionLand USA, and Pandor – the World of Avatar.  Oasis serves as the park’s main street and connects the world of animals to the outside. Discovery Island, at the center of the park, connects with all other sections of the park. The tree of life is located at the Discovery Island.

Attractions

Attractions in Animal Kingdom include safaris, treks, and many more adventures. Given below are the attractions in different themed sections.

Asia

• Expedition Everest
• Rivers of Light
• Flights of Wonder
• Finding Nemo – The Musical
• Maharajah Jungle Trek
• Kali River Rapids

Africa

• Festival of the Lion King
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
• Rafiki’s Planet Watch

Boneyard

• TriceraTop Spin
• Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama
• Primeval Whirl
• Dinosaur
• Finding Nemo – The Musical

Pandora – The World of Avatar

• Na’vi River Journey
• Avatar Flight of Passage

Animal Kingdom is home to about 1700 animals belonging to various species. Some of these animals include hippopotamus, African elephants, crocodiles, lions, deer, giraffes, and rhinoceros.

Animal Kingdom has four table service restaurants: Rainforest Cafe, Yak & Yeti, Tusker House, and Tiffins. There are also seven quick-service restaurants: Flame Tree Barbecue, Pizzafari, Satu’li Canteen, Restaurantosaurus, Tamu Tamu Refreshments, Harambe Market, and Yak & Yeti Local Foods Café.

Unlike other Disney Parks, Animal Kingdom does not allow guests to bring balloons, plastic straws or lids to the park. This is to make sure that this type of material does not enter animals’ habitats.

What is the Difference Between Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom?

Summary – Magic Kingdom vs Animal Kingdom

Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are two of Disney World’s popular theme park. Magic Kingdom which is built around the theme of fantasy and fairy tales, is especially popular with children. Animal Kingdom which carries a nature-theme, is more popular with adults. The main difference between Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom is their themes.

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Image Courtesy:

1. “Early Morning at Cinderella Castle Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World 2008” by Michael Gray (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr
2. “Seven Dwarfs Mine Train” By Josh Hallett from Winter Haven, FL, USA – Flickr: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
3. “Map – Walt Disney World – Magic Kingdom” By (WT-shared) LtPowers – (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
4. “Walt Disney World Tree of Life” By Kadreese – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
5. “Map – Walt Disney World – Animal Kingdom” By (WT-shared) LtPowers: (some buildings, water, roads, safari tracks, and railroad) (c) OpenStreetMap and contributors (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
6. “Valley of Mo’ara in Pandora – The World of Avatar” By Jedi94 at English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia