Main Street U.S.A. at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
In this article, we visit Main Street U.S.A., at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. While there, we’ll visit the attractions and shops. Additionally, we’ll check out a few dining and entertainment offerings.
As you’re about to enter the Magic Kingdom, you’ll walk through a tunnel under the train station. A small sign hangs over that tunnel with a famous quote from Walt Disney, “Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.”
Within a few moments, you’ll feel the reality of that promise as you set foot on Main Street U.S.A. Whether it’s your first visit or 100th, the feeling never gets old. We’ll have Mr. Disney help us out with another of his quotes describing the themed land.
Walt Disney on Main Street U.S.A.
“Main Street, U.S.A., is America at the turn of the century–the crossroads of an era. The gas lamps and the electric lamp–the horse-drawn car and auto car. Main Street is everyone’s hometown- the heart line of America.”
As you pass through Town Square, Cinderella Castle comes into view. Without a doubt, you’ll know you’ve arrived at the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Main Street U.S.A.
Below is an overview of what Main Street U.S.A. offers regarding attractions, characters, shopping, and dining.
Attractions
- Main St U.S.A. Vehicles
- Walt Disney World Railroad
Characters
- Mickey Mouse
- Snow White
Dining
- Casey’s Corner
- The Crystal Palace
- Main Street Bakery
- Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
- The Plaza Restaurant
- Tony’s Town Square
Entertainment
- Casey’s Corner Pianist
- The Dapper Dan’s
- Flag Retreat
- Let the Magic Begin
- Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire
- Adventure Friends Cavalcade
- Main Street Philharmonic
- Festival of Fantasy Parade
- Happily Ever After
Retail
- Harmony Barber Shop
- Box Office Gifts
- Crystal Arts
- Curtain Call Collectibles
- Disney Clothiers
- Emporium
- Main Street Chamber of Commerce
- Main Street Confectionery
- Uptown Jewelers
Unfortunately, a few items are no longer available or have yet to return as of this update. Those items include:
- Main Street Trolley Show
- Meet Tinker Bell
- Flagpole Characters
- Citizens of Main Street
- Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (Permanently Closed)
- Once Upon a Time (Castle Projection Show)
- The Chapeau
Main Street U.S.A. Attractions
When it comes to attractions, Main Street U.S.A. doesn’t have traditional rides like you might find in other lands. However, there is plenty to do while touring the area.
Main Street Vehicles
For starters, you might encounter a few old-fashioned vehicles on Main Street. These vehicles consist of antique motor cars, including a jitney, horse-drawn carriages, and an Omnibus.
Usually, these vehicles are out early in the morning. However, from time to time, we see them in the parks late in the afternoon.
If you see one, feel free to hop on and enjoy a ride down Main Street U.S.A. The driver stops underneath the train station at the front of the park and then again in the hub of Cinderella Castle.
Related: Main Street Vehicles
Walt Disney World Railroad
The Walt Disney World Railroad is another attraction located on Main Street U.S.A. You will see the train stop from outside the entrance of Magic Kingdom. It’s one of the most popular backgrounds for family photos.
The Walt Disney World Railroad runs daily from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. However, it usually runs through 6:00 p.m. in the cooler months since it gets dark earlier.
When you enter Magic Kingdom, you’ll walk through the tunnel under the train station into Town Square. Two sets of staircases lead up to the train station. Additionally, a ramp is available for guests in wheelchairs or an ECV.
After leaving the station, the next stop will be Frontierland Station, followed by Fantasyland Station. You are welcome to depart the train at either stop or continue looping the park for as long as you like.
Related: Walt Disney World Railroad
Main Street U.S.A. Character Meet-and-Greets
A few characters have meet-and-greets on Main Street U.S.A. Of course, one of these characters is a classic, and you’ll likely want to take the time to meet him during your vacation. He’s the reason this entire place is possible–Mickey Mouse!
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse meets at Town Square Theater near Magic Kingdom’s entrance. This meet-and-greet is indoors and typically has a 30 to 45-minute wait.
Mickey meets guests daily from the park open until later in the evening. On most days, he will be available until at least 9:00 p.m. However, you will want to check the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit for his exact times.
Related: Meet Mickey Mouse at Magic Kingdom
Snow White
Snow White meets guests daily at Magic Kingdom on the side porch of Town Square Theater. Her meet-and-greet times are listed in the My Disney Experience app.
Related: Meet Snow White at Magic Kingdom
Occasionally, we will see a surprise character meeting in this location later in the day. However, surprise characters are only meant to surprise and delight guests–they are not guaranteed.
My best advice for meeting characters is to check the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit. It will list the exact characters with their times for the day.
We walk through the character meet-and-greets regularly. So you might enjoy browsing our complete guide that links to every character meet in each of the parks.
Dining on Main Street U.S.A.
Main Street U.S.A. has several dining options, sweet stops, and an ice cream parlor. It’s a great place to pick up dessert or snacks while waiting for a parade or the fireworks.
Casey’s Corner
Casey Corner is connected to the end of shops on the Emporium side of Main Street. This quick-service restaurant sells various hot dogs and similar items.
For instance, you could order a chili cheese hot dog, a Chicago-style hot dog, corn dog nuggets, or a plant-based slaw dog.
Here is a look at their entire menu with prices.
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace sits off Main Street U.S.A., only a few steps from Casey’s Corner. This restaurant is a character dining experience that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Characters at this meal are Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet. This meal comes in the form of a buffet. We have a recent breakfast review at this location if you want to learn more.
Related: Crystal Palace Character Breakfast Review
Main Street Bakery
Main Street Bakery is the local Starbucks stop for Magic Kingdom. It’s an excellent location for picking up a favorite coffee beverage. However, as you can imagine, the store nearly always has a lengthy line.
In addition to coffee, you can pick up typical pastries, cookies, and more that you would find at a regular Starbucks location. They even have a giant cinnamon roll shaped like Mickey.
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor sits across the street from Casey’s. This popular location sells hand-scooped ice cream and sundaes featuring Edy’s.
Here is a look at their menu, which includes an All-American sundae, The “Plaza” ice cream sundae, a brownie sundae, an ice cream float, and individual ice cream flavors.
If you can find a spot, you can enjoy your treat outside at one of the tables underneath the bright yellow umbrellas.
The Plaza Restaurant
The Plaza Restaurants sits adjacent to the ice cream parlor. This location is a table service restaurant that has items like sandwiches, salads, and milkshakes.
At this time, they only offer lunch and dinner. From our experience, the food and service have always been good at this location. But if I had to describe the restaurant with one word overall, it would be “average.”
Related: The Plaza’s Menu
Tony’s Town Square
Tony’s Town Square Restaurant sits in Town Square next door to Town Square Theater. This table service restaurant offers Italian cuisine and is themed after Disney’s animated film, Lady and the Tramp.
Tony’s serves lunch and dinner and requires an advanced reservation. However, they do take walk-ups based on availability.
Related: Tony’s Town Square Menu
Entertainment on Main Street U.S.A.
Several entertainment options are available on Main Street U.S.A. We’ll look at details below.
Casey’s Corner Pianist
A pianist is available intermittently throughout the day outside of Casey’s Corner. This performance usually lasts approximately 20 minutes. It’s always fun to stop and watch if you run into a performer.
The Dapper Dans
The Dapper Dans are a Main Street staple. This barbershop quartet performs daily on Main Street U.S.A. They wear cheerful pin-stripe suits and carry straw hats while performing classic Disney and American a cappella tunes.
Here is a video of a recent performance. If you see them out, we highly recommend stopping for a few minutes. They are a real treat.
Flag Retreat Ceremony on Main Street U.S.A.
The Flag Retreat Ceremony happens daily in Town Square on Main Street U.S.A. It begins at 5:00 p.m. and lasts approximately 15 minutes.
The Flag Retreat Ceremony is patriotic. It’s always worth the time to take a few moments and reflect on the many things that our flag symbolizes. The flag is presented to a veteran of our country’s armed forces each day.
Let the Magic Begin
Let the Magic Begin is a five-minute welcome show performed on the Cinderella Castle stage each morning. Guests are typically allowed on Main Street U.S.A., up to an hour before the park’s official opening. Several shops, including the Main Street Bakery, are open during this time.
Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire
Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is held daily on the castle stage. Times for this performance are listed in the My Disney Experience app underneath the entertainment section.
Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire lasts approximately 20 minutes. It’s an excellent way to see several characters in one setting.
Those characters include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis, Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Anna, Elsa, and Olaf.
*This experience was formerly called Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire.
Related: Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire
Main Street Philharmonic
At any given moment, you might run into the Main Street Philharmonic. This marching band plays several Disney classics and ragtime favorites. Speaking of favorites, you might hear the tune M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E.
Each performance lasts approximately 20 minutes. All of the band members are authentic entertainers. It’s almost impossible not to stop when you see them out. We recently saw a performance in front of Cinderella Castle.
Adventure Friends Cavalcade
Most of the cavalcades over the last few years have ended. However, as of this update, the daily Adventure Friends Cavalcade is performed every afternoon.
This cavalcade features several characters, including Mirabel from Encanto and Raya from Raya and The Last Dragon.
Related: The Adventure Friends Cavalcade at Magic Kingdom
Festival of Fantasy Parade
The Festival of Fantasy Parade is often offered twice daily. This parade is a must-do for anyone who hasn’t had the opportunity to see it.
Each day, the parade steps off in Frontierland. When it reaches Liberty Square, it turns and heads toward Cinderella Castle. Then, after circling the front of the castle, it straightens and heads down Main Street U.S.A. It’s a celebration you won’t soon forget.
Related: Festival of Fantasy Parade
Happily Ever After
Each evening, a nightly fireworks performance of Happily Ever After is held. Main Street U.S.A. comes alive during the performance as part of the projection show.
Like the parade, the fireworks are an event not to be missed. Most will want to find a spot to watch them up to two hours before the performance. So don’t forget to refill your popcorn bucket for the wait!
Shops on Main Street U.S.A.
Lastly, Main Street U.S.A. has shops galore. Here is an overview of all the locations you might be interested in browsing.
Harmony Barber Shop
Guests of all ages can get a trim or haircut at Harmony Barber Shop. This location is tucked in behind the Emporium on the left side of Town Square.
Related: Harmony Barber Shop
Box Office Gifts
Box Office Gifts is located inside Town Square Theater. This location sells art and collectibles.
It also serves as the PhotoPass location for Magic Kingdom. When I took photos for this article, a cast member mentioned that they often helped guests locate missing pictures from their PhotoPass accounts.
So if you have a photo made and can’t locate it (even if it was taken several months ago), they can often help find the image. You would just need to have an idea of when and where it was taken.
Crystal Arts
Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers is a gallery of glassware and art on Main Street U.S.A. If you collect crystal or glass, you will want to take a moment to browse the shop during your visit. Often, someone provides glass-blowing demonstrations throughout the day.
Curtain Call Collectibles
Curtain Call Collectibles is a gift shop that’s a little off the beaten path. You’ll have to walk around the side patio of Town Square to find this fun souvenir shop. Or you’ll run directly into it after you exit the Mickey Mouse meet-and-greet.
Disney Clothiers
Lovers of the latest Disney fashion and apparel will want to step inside Disney Clothiers. However, remember that all the shops on this side of the street are one large store. While each has different entrances, you won’t know the difference on the inside.
Main Street Emporium
Magic Kingdom’s Main Street Emporium is perhaps the largest and most popular shop on Main Street U.S.A. You’ll find everything from plush to housewares inside.
Uptown Jewelers
Uptown Jewelers is another popular store featuring designer purses, backpacks, brands, and accessories.
This is one of the best places to locate Disney Dooney and Bourke bags in the parks. Toward the back of the shop, you’ll find several jewelry counters presented by Pandora Jewelry.
Main Street Confectionery
Anyone looking for a sweet treat wants to stop at the Main Street Confectionery. When you first enter Magic Kingdom, this large shop is on the right corner.
You can find cotton candy, custom popcorn creations, and other treats.
Related: Main Street Confectionery
Main Street Chamber of Commerce
Main Street Chamber of Commerce sits next to City Hall. Formerly, this location was used for package pickups. However, that service has been unavailable for some time.
City Hall
When you enter the park, Magic Kingdom’s City Hall sits on the far left of Town Square. A pair of restrooms sits to the immediate right of the venue.
City Hall serves as the primary Guests Relations inside Magic Kingdom. Expect a long wait if you have a ticket issue or need to purchase additional tickets.
Main Street U.S.A. Fire Station
On the opposite side of City Hall, you’ll find Main Street U.S.A. Fire Station. A fire engine sits inside the fire station.
Usually, guests can walk inside to take a closer look. But, unfortunately, it’s been closed on a few recent visits. You may remember the fire station used to be the headquarters for the former Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom interactive game.
Final Thoughts
Overall, you could easily spend hours wandering up and down Main Street U.S.A. taking in the various shops and forms of entertainment. If you’ve visited the park before and have some extra time, I recommend spending it here.
Some of my best times at Magic Kingdom have been days when I’ve spent substantial time on Main Street. Those days were spent sitting in a rocking chair on the Town Square porch, browsing the Emporium, seeing the parade, and sometimes enjoying a coffee with a slice of banana bread from Main Street Bakery.
Morning, noon, or night–Main Street U.S.A. is one of the most alluring lands of Magic Kingdom.
As we wrap up this Magic Kingdom by land series, here’s a look back at where we’ve been:
- Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom
- Storybook Circus
- New Fantasyland (The Enchanted Forest)
- Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom
- Liberty Square (Magic Kingdom)
- Frontierland (Magic Kingdom)
- Adventureland at Magic Kingdom
For other popular Magic Kingdom articles, you might enjoy the following:
In the Comments
Do you enjoy spending time on Main Street U.S.A.? What do you enjoy the most?