Fantasyland

Image: DisneyThe themed land at Magic Kingdom isn’t quite as stacked as its Disneyland counterpart. I’m complimenting the latter rather than insulting the former with that statement. I loved Fantasyland years ago, and Disney’s 21st century updates have made it among the finest themed lands across all Disney parks.

At Magic Kingdom’s version of (New) Fantasyland, you’ll find timeless classics and child-friendly attractions like Mad Tea Party, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, It’s a Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. Amazingly, those are the ones I didn’t shortlist as being in the conversation for the best attraction in this themed land. Similarly, Enchanted Tales with Belle is adorable, and I’m addicted to Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. Neither of them made the final cut, either.

Image: DisneyThe qualifiers as I see them are Mickey’s PhilHarmagic, Princess Fairytale Hall, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. No, these three attractions don’t have anything in common, which speaks to the appeal of Fantasyland. Theme park tourists can do so much here. At Princess Fairytale Hall, they can interact with their favorite Disney Princesses.

At PhilHarmagic, they can relive some of their favorite moments from classic Disney animated movies. At Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, they can rock and roll their way through one of the most novel outdoor coasters in the world. Personally, I’m a sucker for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and so I see it as the best part of Fantasyland. I will say that PhilHarmagic was closer to winning than you may expect, though.

Frontierland

Image: DisneyThis themed land has stronger competition than Adventureland in that it has two phenomenal attractions that rest side by side. It has a timeless show, too, and Tom Sawyer Island is the best unofficial babysitter at Walt Disney World.

Which attraction is the finest at Frontierland? I’d narrow the list down to the big three. I’m a more ardent supporter of Country Beer Jamboree than most (I even saw The Country Bears in a movie theater!), but I realize that it falls short of the big two in this section. The debate comes down to Splash Mountain vs. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which means that the debate comes down to a fun roller coaster or the ultimate splashdown.

Image: DisneyI’m a huge proponent of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, one of the best themed rides across Disney parks. I love that every version of the ride has its own back story, and the Magic Kingdom one is particularly great.

The setting is an abandoned mining town that once had a surplus of gold seekers. One day, a flash flood suddenly wiped out everything in the area, making the railroad a lonely place. The story works well, and I bust up every time I see the dude taking a bath in his tub as it floats down the river. It’s just…not Splash Mountain. Magic Kingdom has THE best version of Splash Mountain in my opinion. I’m not voting against that. It’s the class of Frontierland.