This is especially true when it comes to one's favorite park. There are probably a million reasons that one chooses his or her favorite park and I am no different! So why do I pick the Magic Kingdom as my favorite? Probably because I am one of the world's biggest nostalgic and sentimental fools around. I sometimes hate to see things change even though I know it's for the better. I always liked the way "Things were". Even when Mickey Mouse debuted in the color milestone the "Band Concert", I knew that color was the way to go, but I still like Mickey better in Black and White!

For me, the Magic Kingdom is the "True Heart" of the Disney experience. It is the park that Walt dreamed of, designed and built with the same love a parent has for their child. To walk into the Magic Kingdom is like walking through Walt's mind, for here you can see all the dreams and ideas he had come to life. Every detail was planned and scrutinized by Walt, and the details are what make the Magic Kingdom so special and endearing, more so than the other parks. Now do not get me wrong, ALL of Walt Disney World is magical and all the parks are special in their own way, but the Magic Kingdom is the original, the blueprint you could say, for the rest of the parks.

Most Disney fans know that the idea of "Disneyland" came about when Walt would take his two daughters out on weekend to a fair or carnival, only to be dismayed by the fact that the kids are usually having fun while the parents sat around. That plus Walt thought that most of the places were dirty and unappealing. He then began thinking of a place where both parents and kids could have a good time together. This vision of an amusement park stayed with Walt and in true Disney fashion, he visited countless state fairs, carnivals, parks and circuses looking for just the right formula for the perfect venue. Many places were old and battered and the employees out and out hostile. It is when Walt visited "Tivoli Gardens" in Copenhagen that he happened on the right recipe. The place was spotless and clean, good food and drink, music playing and most important, the employees were friendly and courteous. "This is what an amusement park should be!" he exclaimed.

When Walt began construction on "Disneyland" on July 18th, 1954 he already knew how this park was to be special and different than any others before it. This is what makes the Magic Kingdom the "Heart of Disney" because it came right from Walt's heart. Every aspect and detail was gone over dozens of times, just to make sure that guests would have a memorable experience. Walt was so thorough in his planning that even the spacing of the garbage cans was done by Walt by walking with a hotdog and pacing 25 steps to see how long it would take to through the paper away.

Many people believe, and rightly so that Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland and Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney world are the parks signature focal points. But for me, the focal point; here's the nostalgia kicking in, is the Walt Disney Railroad which circles both parks. This iconic steam train is another example of how Walt's "Heart" encompasses the park. It began when Walt's family moved to Marceline Missouri. Here on the farm, Walt loved to go and watch the Steam Trains go by on the Santa Fe rail line, where his Uncle Mike Martin worked the route between towns and would often stay with the family. Walt's love of Steam Trains stayed with him his whole life; he even built a scale model steam railway on his property with the help of Animators Ward Kimball and Ollie Johnston and Imagineer Roger Broggie which he named the "Carolwood-Pacific railroad. He always said that his park would have a Railroad circling it.

The Magic Kingdom is home to all the classic attractions, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, and the Enchanted Tiki Room. The Tiki room is the first attraction to feature Audio-Animatronics. On day Walt discovered a mechanical bird and was so impressed how it worked, he had his Imagineers find out how it worked, and developed the audio-animatronic birds and flowers for the attraction. It is these birds that gave rise to the complex and entertaining audio-animatronics we see every day at the parks. Another attraction, The Country Bear Jamboree which features audio-animatronic comic bears singing country music was another attraction that Walt started. In the early 60's Walt had planned a ski resort called the Mineral Spring Ski resort and wanted to have entertainment for the guests, with some sort of a bear band. Imagineer Marc Davis was assigned to the task. One day Walt walked in and Marc was working on some drawing of bears, and Walt started laughing when he saw the characters. On his way out, he said "Good-by" to Marc, something Walt never said. A few days later, Walt passed away. This attraction is known as "Walt's Last Laugh"

The only other park that Walt was planning was EPCOT. His Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow was Walt's utopian vision of Tomorrows City. (He sometimes used the word "City") In this futuristic city, there would be no retirees, everyone would be employed, no landowners, no slums. Auto traffic would be underground and people would move around by people-movers and monorails. But with Walt's untimely death in 1966, the EPCOT we see now is vastly changed from Walt's original idea for the park. Disney's Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom are magical and fun, but the park that started it all, at least for me it the most Magical of all. The special feeling you get when you walk down Main St. USA, a representation of Marceline Missouri, the Walt Disney Railroad, the classic attractions and the history behind it all cannot be had anywhere else in Walt Disney World. Walt Disney was one of the world's biggest dreamers and visionaries, and with his uncanny knack for knowing what would work, despite naysayers and critics, he made those dreams and visions reality. His legacy to the world is enormous; it started with Mickey Mouse and the pinnacle is the Magic Kingdom, where on opening day on July 18th, 1955 Walt dedicated the park with this: "To all who come to this Happy Place, welcome!" And for my Wife and I, it is indeed a "Happy Place"!