Planning a day at Magic Kingdom in 2005 with old park maps
Take a look at an old theme park map of Magic Kingdom from 2005 and imagine what planning a Disney vacation might’ve been like almost 20 years ago.
Physical theme park maps are time capsules of their era. They reflect and preserve the marketing trends, language norms, and long-closed attractions of their era.
For a moment, pretend you can time travel. You’re going all the way back to November 2005, and you and your family are arriving at Walt Disney World. The free Magical Express bus transports you from the airport to your resort hotel. Tomorrow you’re visiting Magic Kingdom, so you stop by the lobby to pick up a Guide Map.
What will you do? Where will you go? What do you need to know before arriving? Let’s plan a day in the park!
New at Magic Kingdom in 2005
Suddenly, you remember: you haven’t made your park reservations! You haven’t studied all the strategies behind the My Disney Experience app, Disney Genie+, Lightning Lane access, individual Lightning Lane access, virtual queues, and mobile ordering! Wait a minute, you don’t need any of those. What’s an app, anyway? This is the mid-2000s.
Here in November 2005, Magic Kingdom is celebrating two occasions. A new attraction, Stitch’s Great Escape!, opened last year in Tomorrowland. A few months ago, Walt Disney World kicked off The Happiest Celebration On Earth, honoring 50 years of Disney theme parks worldwide. As such, Cinderella Castle is covered in gold trimming and character statuettes.
Pal Mickey, a plush toy who speaks aloud real-time travel tips thanks to cutting-edge technology, is available in a Special Edition for The Happiest Celebration on Earth.
As part of the 50th festivities, “Cinderellabration” performs in front of the castle. It originally debuted at Tokyo Disneyland Park and celebrates Cinderella’s coronation as princess. If all of this is happening here in Florida just for Disneyland’s 50th anniversary, imagine what will be in store for Walt Disney World’s actual 50th birthday in 2021!
Does anyone in your family love the Virtual Magic Kingdom online game? On your way into the park, make sure to stop by VMK Central on Main Street, U.S.A. to get access to exclusive digital items you can only collect here in person.
Magic Kingdom Entertainment in 2005
Want to enjoy some more entertainment? Stop by Fairytale Garden for “Storytime with Belle,” or meet Merlin at Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel to see if you can pull the sword from the stone. For showtimes, consult the Times Guide, a one-sheet paper entertainment schedule separate from the Guide Map.
The big showstoppers of the day, though, are “Share A Dream Come True Parade” (aka the snow globe parade), the “Wishes” nighttime spectacular, and the “SpectroMagic” evening parade.
Love characters? You’ll find a lot of them here in November 2005 at Magic Kingdom. Back in the Toontown Hall of Fame tent, you can meet various characters by choosing one of three themed rooms belonging to Mickey’s pals, princesses, or friends from the Hundred Acre Woods. With Frontierland’s Diamond Horseshoe currently not operating, Woody and friends greet guests inside the empty restaurant.
A Snapshot of 2005
If you have young guests in your party, plan on spending a lot of time in the back of the park. They can ride the one and only Dumbo the Flying Elephant, romp on a splash pad themed to “The Little Mermaid,” explore the new Pooh’s Playful Spot playground, or visit Mickey and Minnie’s houses in Mickey’s Toontown Fair. Keep in mind, though, that Toontown opens an hour after the rest of the park. Meanwhile, older kids can enjoy the spooks of Snow White’s Scary Adventures.
If it’s been a few years since your last visit, it might be news to you that Enchanted Tiki Room is “under new management.” Iago from “Aladdin” and Zazu from “The Lion King” have taken over this classic attraction. These birds have business booming; the place is practically on fire!
Nearby in Adventureland, take a ride on Pirates of the Caribbean. There’s a rumor going around that Disney might add Jack Sparrow to the ride when “Dead Man’s Chest” hits theaters this summer.
Where to eat while at Magic Kingdom here in November 2005? Consider enjoying Goofy’s Liberate Your Appetite Character Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern. It’s “a revolutionary way to dine with your favorite Disney patriots.”
Guest Services and Travel Tips
Ah, yes! Disney’s FastPass. Visit any FastPass kiosk and insert your park ticket to receive a paper FastPass ticket with your return time printed on it.
What’s this new thing? Disney’s PhotoPass? This ad says you can view all of your PhotoPass pictures online “and share at no charge.” Sounds neat!
The future is here! Stop by Tom Square Exposition Hall to purchase the Kodak Picture Maker digital camera. You can use it to save pictures to a CD!
Staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel? You can take advantage of a new perk: Extra Magic Hours Evenings. On these select nights, Magic Kingdom is open three hours later than the regular closing time exclusively for resort guests. Enjoy attractions, meet characters in front of the castle, or dine at select restaurants (including Cinderella’s Royal Table). Just remember to pick up your wristband.
Seems like you’re ready for a magical day! The only question is … where will you go next?
Travel Back in Time with our YouTube Archives
The Attractions Magazine YouTube channel is filled with archival videos from theme park history. Check out the videos below highlighting some of the experiences guests may have enjoyed on a Magic Kingdom day in 2005: Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Pooh’s Playful Spot, and Mickey’s Toontown Fair.
Ahh! Thank you for the chance to go back in time and see what it was like to really enjoy a day in the Magic Kingdom. Then it was not just an item to get off your bucket list. It was a time to be a kid again and be immersed in the magic that Walt envisioned.
We were there in December 2005. A great perk was being able to buy 2005 merchandise at a discount as obviously it was due to be changed to 2006 the next month.