mkrailroad

On our last trip, I had the opportunity to take my wife on the Magic Kingdom Railroad for the first time. I have some very fond memories of catching the train at Mickey’s Toon Town when I was a kid and I am so glad that I got to finally share these memories with my wife. Next time you go to Magic Kingdom, be sure to spend some time on the railroad, it is a nice, relaxing break from walking and moving, and it is a fun experience. Here are a few fun facts about the Magic Kingdom Railroad:

Fact number 1-

Why is there a railroad around the Magic Kingdom anyway? Walt Disney loved trains, in fact, it was an obsession of his. When he envisioned Disneyland, he wanted the entire park to be surrounded by a train. That concept later on went to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. Walt loved trains so much that he actually had a working miniature train in his backyard with tunnels and bridges, that he would often ride and allow neighborhood children to ride as well.

Fact number 2-

The three trains at the Magic Kingdom are named the Lilly Belle, the Roy O Disney and the Roger E Broggie, all three were named after very important people in Walt’s life, Lillian Disney being his wife, Roy being Walt’s brother and Roger Broggie being one of the first Imagineers. There is, of course, another train named the Walter E Disney, we all know who that was named after! All 4 trains are antique, being from the 1920s!

Fact number 3-

In the past, when the railroad went through a tunnel at Splash Mountain, you would be able to look down into the attractions and take a peak at all the people that were riding. I do not know if this happens anymore, when we went a few weeks ago we went through the tunnel but could not look through the window into Splash Mountain because it was blocked off. If anyone knows if this is a temporary thing, let me know!

Fact number 4-

Not only do you get to look into Splash Mountain, but you also get to see things that you otherwise would not get to anywhere else in the park. There are special views of Big Thunder Mountain, Tom Sawyer’s Island, and the Tomorrowland Speedway. Not to mention the special features behind New Fantasyland. Also, for you back stage loving people, at one point after passing Tom Sawyer’s Island and making your way toward Storybook Circus, look to the right and try to peek through the trees and bushes, you can get a good look at some backstage areas.

Fact number 5-

At the railroad station in Main Street USA, you may here a clicking noise. That clicking noise is actually Morse Code. The message that it gives is the opening ceremony speech that Roy Disney gave on the opening day of the Magic Kingdom.

Those are my 5 fun facts! Hey, did you know that you can take a backstage tour of the Disney railroads? It’s a three hour tour called The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains and costs $54. If you are looking for a bonus experience when going to the parks, this might be the thing for you!
Do you love the Magic Kingdom railroad? Show some railroad love in the comments below!