The Magic Behind The Scenes – Follow The Architecture And Timeline

The Imagineers never seem to miss a trick. There is a bit of a unique flow in the Magic Kingdom that starts at Peter Pan’s Flight and flows through Liberty Square and into Frontierland. The flow is both architectural and chronological and is quite neatly woven together with one minor exception.

Those of us who have ridden Peter Pan’s Flight (is there anyone who has not?) realize that it is focused on life in early London and as we move from there towards Liberty Square we first encounter the Columbia Harbour House as we go from London to the colonial era of America. Once we pass under the Columbia Harbour House we have now entered the northeastern U.S. in the early 1700’s as represented by the architecture of my beloved Haunted Mansion. Liberty Square itself represents mid century Boston while the Hall of Presidents represents late 1700’s Philadelphia.

As we head toward Frontierland we come to the Diamond Horseshoe (or whatever the current name is, it changes) which has a style that represents St Louis in the early 1800’s which is enhanced by the proximity of the Liberty Belle. Further on, we approach the Country Bear Jamboree‘s Grizzly Hall bringing the Rocky Mountains of the mid 1800’s to mind. Here is where the minor exception mentioned above happens.

We all love Splash Mountain but you don’t get there by heading west from the Rocky Mountains so we take a sharp geographical left to the post Civil South of the 1870’s which is the time line for this attraction. Chronologically correct but a geographic aberration. But – I think we all forgive the Imagineers for this one because Splash Mountain is such a terrific attraction. Proceeding from Splash Mountain we transition into the desert southwest where The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (a huge personal favorite) represents the Monument Valley located in my home state of Arizona. There, we have made the journey!!

I want to credit the Imagineering Field Guide To The Magic Kingdom for helping me organize these facts which have been rattling around my head with all of the other tons of useless information residing there. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

Related articles

• Disneyworld Refurbishment Schedule November 2010 (chipandco.com)
• Top 10 Disneyworld Attractions that Won’t Make you Lose your Lunch! (chipandco.com)

Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.

Get started below for your FREE No Obligation Quote.

Book With our friends at Destinations to Travel

Who is your Travel Agent?(Required)

Let us pick for youEric HilesStacy ReedAbbey JohnsonAlisa SullivanAlli WillisAmanda FolsomAmanda VannAmber BrillhartAmber FisherAmy SieburnAndrea SmithAngela AndersonAngie BaycuraAnna PetrilliAnnabelle DuboseApril StefanskiAshley RamseyBeth ParsonsBetsy SantoroBrandie McQueenBrian BuckleyBridget HatchBryan SchwartzCandice SneedCarrie ButlerCarson DockumCasey BoltCharleen HortonChelsea RoyChelsea WuebkerChris BoyerChristie GrubeChristina FratturaChristina SmithCourtney WhiteCraig YoderDan MercedDanielle NorcrossDarby MouritsenDavid ForrestDeborah AlvaradoEmilee BiegelEmily MorrisFaith HakesGail HatchGreg MatzkerHelen HummerHolly CurryJackie CavistonJaclyn PepitoneJamie SwansonJeanine JordanJeff CallahanJenni MaierJennifer BrownJennifer StephensonJennifer StoessnerJessica HatfieldJessica HuffJessica WunderJoe GuertinJon CarpentierJoseph SliwaJulie McCombJustin BrownKat AttridgeKathryn EberhartKathy AndersonKatie HarrellKatie PrevotKayla CookKelsey SullensKim HelmsKimberly HutchinsonKristi GallagherKyle RamsdenLauren DewlenLeanne MonterLinda DurhamLindsay AckermannLindsey VromanLissette BritoLori HardyMallory MorrisonMandi QuinnMaranda PerkinsMarisa AlvaradoMegan TeismannMeghan BlairMelissa ReedMichele KlineMike BeyerMissy McCormickMisty DickersonNancy CasteelNicole ThorntonPatrick O'ConnorPaul SulPeyton Ward-KubikRaylene CooganRegan OstranderRobbie BulusRobert ThomasSara SolbergSarah McCandlishShanna BrowningShelley BennettShelly MetzStacy CristStacy KrzyminskiStacy SmithStephanie DraganoStephanie FerencStephanie WalshSusannah McCordTara SlusserTerri MillerTiffany DobraskiTiffany DrenkhahnTina FarmerTonya LesiukTracy DaneTroy DuncanVeronica RenteriaVicki FesslerWendy CarllWendy HauserWendy KellehanWendy Shelley

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Phone(Required)

Destination(Required)

Walt Disney WorldDisneyland ResortDisney Cruise LineAulani, A Disney Resort and SpaAulani, A Disney Resort and SpaUniversal FloridaUniversal HollywoodRoyal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian or other Cruise LineI don't know yet

# of Adults(Required)

# of Children(Required)

Check-in-Date(Required)

MM slash DD slash YYYY

Check-out-Date(Required)

MM slash DD slash YYYY

Comments, Questions or Special Requests

Phone

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Δ

For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!