Hello everyone,
I'm starting a new series here on the blog in which I aim to share my thoughts and experiences of the different lands of the Magic Kingdom style parks around the world. Think of it as the ultimate "grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom", to coin a classic phrase!
Of course, there will be many, many photos, so be warned, this post might take a while to load!
We will start this tour at the beginning, on Main Street USA.
Entering the park always gives you a rush of magical energy and excitement, and each park has a slightly different entrance area.
At Disneyland in California, the turnstiles are on the main Esplanade and bring you to the front of Main Street Station (which can be clearly seen from the Esplanade). The Mickey flower bed welcomes you.
At the Magic Kingdom in Florida, arriving at the turnstiles is an adventure in itself! You will have taken a monorail, ferry or a bus to the main entrance, with spectacular views over the beautiful Seven Seas Lagoon. Once through the turnstiles you arrive at Main Street Station. As with Disneyland, the Mickey flower bed welcomes you.
At Disneyland Paris you have to pass through Fantasia Gardens and under the majestic Disneyland Hotel to the turnstiles underneath. The Victorian plaza is a marvel in itself and leads you out into an area in front of their own Main Street Station. There is no Mickey flower bed though - that’s back out in front of the Disneyland Hotel which you just passed!
At Hong Kong Disneyland there is a wonderfully whimsical, musical fountain in an esplanade area that precedes the main entrance. The setup here is almost the same as California. Small turnstiles with a clear view of Main Street Station beyond. Once through, you are greeted by the Mickey flower bed.
Tokyo is quite a different experience to the other four parks. Either via monorail, bus or foot from other resort areas, you arrive on the vast concourse before the turnstiles. In front of the turnstiles is a monorail station, and the gigantic Disneyland Hotel. The turnstiles are wide and many in number. Beyond the turnstiles you see a large structure. What is it? It’s World Bazaar of course!
Passing through the turnstiles you find yourself at a Mickey flower bed and the large concrete and brick building that is World Bazaar, housing various stores and amenities.
Passing under the train station - in all but Tokyo’s Magic Kingdom - you find yourself in Town Square. City Hall on the left stands tall above the square, keeping watch on citizens below.
California's City Hall (below)
Florida
Paris
Hong Kong
Around the square you’ll find benches, water fountains, popcorn carts and the like.
Cannons and carts in California (below)
Ducks enjoy the flowers in Paris
City Hall and the Firehouse in California
Hong Kong
Paris' Town Square
Roy O. Disney and Minnie Mouse in Florida
At the Magic Kingdom, Disneyland in California and Disneyland Paris you’ll find the horse-drawn streetcars taking guests on trips up and down Main Street. At those three parks plus Hong Kong Disneyland, you’ll also find a collection of vintage vehicles transporting people up and down the street, too.
The Limousine and Horse-Drawn Trolley in Florida
The Omnibus and Horse-Drawn Trolley pass each other in California
The Limousine, the Horse-Drawn Streetcar and the Omnibus in Paris
The Omnibus in Hong Kong
At Tokyo Disneyland, there is no Town Square, and the plaza area in front of the large building ahead of you contains Main Street House - their equivalent of City Hall - as well as a number of other guest services. There are no vehicles and no horses - not to mention no train station.
Town Square at Disneyland in California is also home to the Disneyland Story and Great Moments with Mr Lincoln attractions.
At Hong Kong Disneyland, the same Opera House building houses the Art of Animation and Animation Academy. Tokyo Disneyland has an art class, too, but theirs is further up the street inside World Bazaar (which we’ll come to shortly).
Town Square in Disneyland also has a quaint firehouse. If you look above the entrance to the window, you will see a lamp glowing. This is the window of Walt Disney’s own apartment that he kept above Main Street, and is still maintained by Disney today. The lamp is a gesture to Walt, reminding everyone that he is always “home” and watching over his beloved Disneyland.
There are firehouses in Florida and Hong Kong too, but neither have the significance of the Californian one.
Florida's Engine Co. 71 Firehouse (below)
Hong Kong's Fire House
In Florida’s Magic Kingdom you can meet Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell in their permanent homes at Town Square Theater.
Heading out of Town Square and up Main Street you find yourself on a bustling street filled with stores and eateries. The vehicles and horses go up and down, so watch where you’re walking!
Tokyo Disneyland doesn't have a Main Street, but instead you enter the structure under the arches and find yourself on what looks to be Main Street - except it’s under a large glass canopy! The buildings here aren’t quite as detailed as the other parks, but serve the same purpose. There are no vehicles or horses going up and down the street either.
California's quaint street (below)
Florida's more tropical, Southern style
Paris' colourful architecture
Hong Kong's Main Street
World Bazaar's canopy covered street
All the parks have an Emporium filled with all everything you need to take home with you. I really like the design of California's Emporium. It seems to really capture the essence of a small town emporium, with its different rooms and rich decor. Florida's I find too sprawling. It takes up the entire west side of the street and loses something with it. Hong Kong on the other hand is tiny, and probably could do with being a bit bigger! Paris has an amazing glass window featuring great American pioneers. Tokyo Grand Emporium is spacious but somewhat plain.
California's Disneyland Emporium (below)
Florida's large Emporium
Paris' Emporium
Tokyo's spacious Grand Emporium
Hong Kong's small Disneyland Emporium
You’ll also find a candy store on each street which sell all sorts of amazing treats. My favourite candy store is the Boardwalk Candy Palace at Disneyland Paris, with its large mural on the back wall and pick 'n' mix selection. I also like the decor in California's store. In Paris, California and Florida's stores you can watch Cast Members creating some excellent sweet treats right there. Again, Hong Kong's is small, while Tokyo is again spacious and has an entire room dedicated to cash registers because it gets so busy there!
California's Candy Palace (below)
Florida's Main Street Confectionery
Paris's Boardwalk Candy Palace
World Bazaar Confectionery with its wide, empty rooms and dedicated cash register hall
Hong Kong's Main Street Sweets
All the parks feature their own variety of restaurants, too, including some table service locations, coffee houses and bakeries. The locations, names of all of these can vary by park. There are so many that offer so many different things, I'll just post a selection of my favourite pictures.
California (below)
Florida
Paris
Tokyo
Hong Kong
At all the parks, except Hong Kong Disneyland, you will find an ice cream parlour and hot dog place at the end of the street, facing out towards Central Plaza. My favourite ice cream parlour is either Paris' or Florida's. They seem to capture the atmosphere better than the others. Tokyo's is very bland inside. As for the hot dog places, Casey's Corner at Disneyland Paris, I think, has the best detail and ambiance, while Tokyo's again is the plainest looking.
California's Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor and Refreshment Corner (below)
Florida's Plaza Ice Cream Parlor and Casey's Corner
Paris' Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlour and Casey's Corner
Tokyo's Refreshment Corner and Ice Cream Cones
At the Magic Kingdom in Florida and Disneyland Paris you can also have your haircut at an authentic barber shop! Florida’s is in Town Square, and Paris’ is half way up Main Street on the left, on Flower Street.
Magic Kingdom's Barber Shop (below)
Paris' Dapper Dan's Hair Cuts
All the Main Street’s of the world feature cross streets half way up, which add depth to the busy turn of the century town. At Disneyland in California, the Magic Kingdom and Hong Kong Disneyland they ultimately run into dead ends though.
At Tokyo Disneyland the cross streets actually are longer and exit out into the adjacent lands of the park. Adventureland on the left, and Tomorrowland on the right.
At Disneyland Paris, the cross streets have entrances into something quite unique to the Parisian Kingdom. On the left side of Main Street you will find Liberty Arcade, and on the right side Discovery arcade. Accessible from Town Square, Central Plaza and most stores and restaurants' rears all along Main Street, these arcades serve as immensely detailed covered walkways that connect one end of the street to the other.
Liberty Arcade is themed for the Statue of Liberty, and tells the story of France’s gift of Lady Liberty to New York. Discovery Arcade has displays showcasing actual inventions and patents from the turn of the century, as well as some really neat posters of American cities in the future!
It’s worth mentioning that Tokyo Disneyland also has a Penny Arcade with a large selection of machines where you can make souvenir pressed pennies. The designs vary practically monthly, and always have cool designs. Disneyland's Penny Arcade was sadly severely cut back and mostly replaced with a new store a couple of years ago, however they do have another unique attraction still on their Main Street that Florida lost - Main Street Cinema.
Tokyo's Penny Arcade (below)
Disneyland's Cinema
Once you’ve gotten through the myriad of stores and restaurants that line Main Street/World Bazaar, and walked to the end, you find yourself in the grand Central Plaza, looking towards the magical Castle.
California's Sleeping Beauty Castle (below)
Florida's Cinderella Castle
Paris' Sleeping Beauty Castle
Tokyo's Cinderella Castle
Hong Kong's Sleeping Beauty Castle
Central Plaza is home to more popcorn stands, the vehicles stopping for their return service back down the street and the gateways to all the other magical realms of the park. Additionally, at all the parks you can find the central first aid on the right side of the plaza, and a park information board with various wait times and show times for the day.
Snack cart in California's Central Plaza (below)
Park Information Board in Paris
Tokyo's Baby Care Center
Tokyo Disneyland used to have an Omnibus that circled Central Plaza, but we haven’t seen this used in a long time now.
On Central Plaza at Disneyland in California, the Magic Kingdom in Florida and Tokyo Disneyland you will find the Partners statue featuring Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
California (below)
Florida
Tokyo
Let's take a look now at the various Main Street's by night. Each has its own unique ambiance at night, with popcorn lights, flashing signs and gas lamps.
California (below)
Florida
Paris
Hong Kong
Tokyo
Before we finish up, I wanted to just mention a couple more things regarding the overall designs of the Main Street’s, and some final thoughts.
Hong Kong Disneyland on the outside draws most of its inspiration from Disneyland in California, while Disneyland Paris derives more from Florida. World Bazaar in Tokyo has some elements from Florida, but also a lot of its own design, too.
Disneyland in California has the quaint old town charm, and really embodies the spirit of what Main Street should be about. Disneyland Paris has the most detailed Main Street, with no expense spared. Florida has its own charm, but feels too big somehow, without embracing the detail or quaintness of Paris or California. Hong Kong needs a little more to make it feel whole. The stores that it does have are nicely designed, but they are incredibly small inside. World Bazaar lacks a lot of the details that the other parks have in their stores, while having some really unique elements such as the Great American Waffle Co. What Tokyo really lacks is the kinetic energy of the other parks by not featuring the Main Street Vehicles or train station. Those things really add atmosphere to Main Street and make it feel like a real, working town. World Bazaar feels empty somehow without them - despite the immeasurable crowds.
This post is too long now for me to include some other important things I wanted to cover, so in a future part of this series I'll compare holidays, entertainment, characters across all the parks.
So where do we go now? With so many adventures to be had, it’s hard to chose! Look out for part 2 of this series where we’ll head out of Central Plaza and into one of the lands of the park.
I’ll leave you with some more of my favourite photos from the Main Street’s of the world!
Dan.
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