Happy 44th Anniversary MK!

#MeetThePassholders wishes Magic Kingdom a wonderful 44th Anniversary!

On this day, 44 years ago, the Magic Kingdom opened after 4 years of construction with 23 attractions split into 6 lands. Only about 10,000 visitors came to the opening day, a planned small crowd as the chaos that came with opening Disneyland in August caused all kinds of problems. The Florida Highway Patrol issued a statement a few days before notifying residents that they believed over 300,000 people would be on the highways trying to get in. The official dedication speech’s and ceremonies did not occur until a few weeks later, October 25, so Disney could work out any problems that arose during the opening weeks.

Since opening, only 1 land had been added to the park, Mickey’s Toontown Fair. All the other lands were there on opening day. Those lands are Main Street, USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, & Tomorrowland.

In 2014 the Magic Kingdom hosted over 19.3 million guests, making it the most visited theme park in the world.