A Trip to Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom

Storybook Circus sits at the back of Magic Kingdom behind Fantasyland. This charming area of the park is home to one of Disney’s most iconic attractions, Dumbo, The Flying Elephant. In this article, we visit Storybook Circus, a fun-themed land at Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World. We’ll preview the rides, shop, meet the characters, and dine in the land.

While Storybook Circus is perfect for everyone, it’s geared toward younger children. Like its name, this is a circus-themed land. From the bright reds, yellows, and blues to the fun posters scattered throughout, it’s an adorable area.

Previously, this land was home to Mickey’s Toontown Fair. However, that area closed some time ago to make way for Storybook Circus and an entire Fantasyland expansion that included the addition of New Fantasyland.

Fun Fact: When you enter Storybook Circus, check out the concrete. A few circus animal footprints, peanuts, and peanut shells are stamped on the pavement.

Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom

Here is a list of everything we’ll cover in this review of Storybook Circus.

Story Book Circus Attractions:

Dumbo, The Flying Elephant
The Barnstormer
Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station
Fantasyland Station-The Walt Disney World Railroad

Characters

Pete’s Silly Slide Show

Shopping and Food at Storybook Circus:

Big Top Souvenirs
Popcorn and Pretzel Carts

Storybook Circus Rides

If you’re traveling with younger children, you’ll likely spend a fair amount of time in Storybook Circus. But there are several important things you’ll want to know before you get there.

For instance, the land has a splash station, which means you might want to bring a change of clothes for your toddler. Trust me, when it’s 90 degrees out, they will want to take a splash to cool off. (And you’ll be happy for the break!)

Let’s take a closer look at each attraction, and I’ll provide a few other little details that might come in handy during your visit.

Dumbo, the Flying Elephant

Dumbo, the Flying Elephant is an original opening day attraction. However, the ride was updated and relocated to Storybook Circus when the land was being constructed.

This spinner-style of attraction is always popular with children. Who doesn’t want to soar high above on this classic Dumbo ride?

When you get to Dumbo, two queues are available. One is for standby, while the other side is for Lightning Lane.

In most instances, you won’t need a Lightning Lane for this attraction. However, it can have a decent line during the middle of the day.

Usually, the best time to ride Dumbo with low waits is in the mornings before 11:00 a.m., and in the evenings after 7:00 p.m. Waits are almost non-existent in Storybook Circus the last hour before the park closes.

Timothy Q. Mouse is perched over the entrance to Dumbo. He spins round and round.

Tip: Dumbo has a play-while-you-wait area inside the circus tent. This interactive queue provides a place for your children to play while you sit on the bleachers and wait.

You can take advantage of this area at any point in the day if you need a break. Children can play their hearts out while you decompress. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Dumbo doesn’t have a height requirement and is open to all ages. However, if your child is under seven years old, a cast member will ask that parents ride on the outside edge of each Dumbo.

Additionally, all children seven years old and younger must be accompanied by an adult aged 14 years or older. This rule applies to all attractions at Disney World.

Inside, you’ll secure the seatbelt over you and your party. When the ride starts, you can use the joystick control in front of you to go up or down. Before the ride ends, all of the Dumbo’s will soar together overhead before descending back to the ground.

Dumbo is a fun attraction to experience both during the daytime and at night. Additionally, the views of Magic Kingdom are pretty once you take flight.

Related: Dumbo, The Flying Elephant

If you would like to take a photo of your child in one of the Dumbos, a separate one sits between the two spinners. Anyone can walk up to it and let their child test it or take photos.

The Barnstormer

Goofy’s Barnstormer sits directly behind Dumbo, toward the back of Storybook Circus. This kiddie coaster is the perfect introduction to roller coasters for smaller children.

Outside the Barnstormer’s entrance, several posters feature the Great Goofini performing some of his balancing acts.

The Barnstormer is designed to look like an airplane. You’ll board it in the barn and take off on a short track that swoops over the barnyard.

Since this is a junior coaster, the vehicle seats are a pretty tight squeeze. If you’re a party of two adults, you might want to secure your own vehicle.

Goofy’s Barnstormer has a 35″ height requirement and lasts less than a minute. So if your child is hesitant about riding it, know it will be over quickly. You can also stand outside and watch the coaster as it comes through the sign and loops around the track.

Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station

Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Stations gets busy when it’s hot outside. This attraction features Casey Jr., the famous locomotive from the animated film Dumbo.

Each car has interactive splash elements. For instance, the train cars with elephants shoot water from the elephant’s trunks. A few rules and info are posted at the entrance.

This is a fun area for children to play and cool off. So you might consider packing a swimsuit for the kids and a plastic bag to store it in when you’re finished.

Fantasyland Station

Fantasyland Station is located at the back of Storybook Circus. This is the third stop on the Walt Disney World Railroad. Guests can board the train here and take it around the park.

The train typically runs from 9:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. However, it will close at 6:00 p.m. in the cooler months when the sun sets earlier.

When you board the train, you can sit anywhere you like. After boarding, the train stops at Main Street U.S.A. and Frontierland Station before returning to Fantasyland Station. You can stay aboard as long as you want.

Related: Fantasyland Station

Characters at Storybook Circus

Storybook Circus offers two locations to meet up to six characters. Chip and Dale meet next to the Calliope circus tent, and several other classic characters meet while performing a circus act!

Pete’s Silly Sideshow

Pete’s Silly Sideshow sits directly behind Big Top Souvenirs. Pete sits out front as part of a moving sign that entices guests to meet the world’s most amazing curiosities!

As you enter the sideshow, you’ll have two options. Guests can meet Goofy and Donald Duck on one side of the tent. Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse meet on the opposite side.

We usually pick the shortest line first. After we exit, we return to the entrance and meet the characters on the other side. Thankfully, this character’s location is a bit of a two-for-one. By that, you get to stand in one line and meet two characters.

Wait times for each side are posted at the entrance. All of the characters have a circus theme and outfit at this location. This location is usually open daily between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. However, you’ll want to confirm those times in the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit.

Donald Duck meets as the astounding Donaldo, a snake charmer!

Goofy meets as the Great Goofini!

Daisy Duck is Madame Daisy Fortuna, a fortune-teller.

Lastly, Minnie Mouse meets as Minnie Magnifique, a fabulous dog trainer.

Chip and Dale

Update: Chip and Dale’s meet-and-greet moved to Tomorrowland. They are no longer meeting in Storybook Circus.

Chip and Dale are easy to tell apart. Chip has a dark nose, like a chocolate chip! And Dale has a red nose with a little bit of a gap between his teeth.

For more characters, you might enjoy our Magic Kingdom Characters Guide or our list of Disney World Characters Meet-and-Greets.

Shops and Dining in Storybook Circus

Storybook Circus doesn’t have a formal quick service, but there are a few places to pick up treats and shop.

Big Top Souvenirs

Big Top Souvenirs is the first circus tent you’ll see when you enter Storybook Circus. This tent is on the immediate left, past the entrance.

Big Top Souvenirs is home to Big Top Treats, a location that sells circus snacks galore! It’s similar to the Main Street Confectionery.

Cases contain caramel apples, fudge, giant cookies, and more.

Here are a few more items. This case has rows of cupcakes and crispy rice treats on the bottom.

You’ll find a case with bottled water and soda toward the back of the tent. In addition, Goofy’s Glaciers (frozen drinks) are available at the counter.

This is not the worst place to be when it rains. They pretty much have something for everyone.

These lollipops always look fun.

Cotton Candy is available. I believe they make the bagged ones here in the store. We used to buy the ones in the tub because of food allergies and cross-contamination.

In addition to snacks, you can do a little shopping inside Big Top Souvenirs. Here are a few photos of the items they had.

Popcorn and Pretzel Cart

Lastly, two carts sit outside the entrance of Storybook Circus. They both sell the same things. But one has popcorn, and the other has pretzels.

They have cotton candy, cinnamon-glazed nuts, bottled water, and soda.

Ice cream novelties were also available.

Other Storybook Circus Things

In addition to everything else we’ve discussed, I wanted to share a few tips to make the most of your time in Storybook Circus. For instance, a pathway directly behind Goofy’s Barnstormer leads to Tron Lightcycle Run and the rest of Tomorrowland. This path might save you time and energy when coming and going between the lands.

In front of Pete’s Silly Sideshow, you’ll find a large area with tables and chairs. Some of them have umbrellas. So, if you pick up a counter-service meal somewhere and want to enjoy it away from the crowds, this area isn’t usually busy.

Speaking of escaping the crowds, the Calliope tent provides a large covered area with plenty of chairs, footstools, and picnic tables.

Lastly, restrooms sit at the back of Storybook Circus between Casey Jr.’s and Fantasyland Station.

Final Thoughts on Storybook Circus

Storybook Circus is a land for the young and young at heart. Between the splash pad, character meets, and kiddie attractions–it’s also a wonderful place to let children be children. For more details, we have an entire list of Magic Kingdom Rides. Or you might enjoy these other lands:

As we wrap up this Magic Kingdom by land series, here’s a look back. We visited Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom to check out Tron and other timeless attractions like the Peoplemover. Then we hopped all aboard the train at Storybook Circus, but first, we paid a visit to Dumbo and the Barnstormer. Then, we visited New Fantasyland (The Enchanted Forest) for dinner at Be Our Guest and Enchanted Tales with Belle. While we were in Fantasyland, we checked out a few classics (Peter Pan’s Flight and the Carousel)! Our visit to Liberty Square was more than historical as we stopped to see the Hall of Presidents. If you enjoy the Wild West, don’t miss our coverage of Frontierland. We did what any good pirate would do and spent a good portion of our day seeing everything Adventureland had to offer! Lastly, we’ll stop in Main Street, U.S.A., for the confectionary, characters, and more!

Resorts Gal specializes in Disney World Resorts, Characters, and Dining. We have an entire list of Walt Disney World Resorts that links to all of our coverage.

In the Comments

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