At a Glance
Duration: 12 minutes
Look Out For: some sensory overload and 4D effects including water sprays, bubbles, and piped-in smells
Opening on October 8th, 2003, Mickey’s PhilharMagic is a magical 4D experience through classic Disney movies. But how scary is Mickey’s PhilharMagic? Let’s take a look at the stats:
1. Ride Length
Mickey’s PhilharMagic has a 12 minute duration. However, you may spend a bit longer in the theater due to slight delays during seating.
2. Height Requirement and Warnings
Mickey’s PhilharMagic has no height requirement or official warnings from Disney. However, those with sensory sensitivity may want to take a moment to consider this one – see the Is it Scary section for specifics.
3. Ride Vehicles and Restraints
The Mickey’s PhilharMagic theater seats 486 guests and up to 10 wheelchairs. There are no restraints, but this attraction often sees full showings – meaning you’ll need to fill in all available space between your party and the one next to you.
4. How Does Mickey’s PhilharMagic Work?
Mickey’s PhilharMagic works like a standard 4D stage show/film – using a huge seamless screen and 3D visuals, as well as piped-in smells, sounds, and smoke effects. In many ways, it’s a lot like It’s Tough to be a Bug over in Animal Kingdom – but decidedly less intense, in my opinion.
5. Is Mickey’s PhilharMagic Scary?
Mickey’s PhilharMagic is not intentionally scary, but certainly can feel a bit overwhelming to some. With its whimsical (yet suspenseful) narrative as well as its loud sound design and visuals, this show can be a lot to handle in the sensory department.
Specifically, you’ll encounter noisy instruments flying and crashing to the ground, some brief moments of darkness, popping champagne bottles, a slightly menacing giant broom character, a smooching electric eel, and skeletal (but friendly) characters from Coco. In addition, the entire show involves some mild and cartoonish peril as Donald Duck tries his darndest to reclaim Mickey’s sorcerer hat.
If you or someone in your party is especially prone to sensory sensitivity, it’s at least worth noting that this 4D experience can feel a little chaotic. You will be sprinkled with water, showered with bubbles, and blasted with scents (all pleasant) during many of the scenes. If you aren’t sure, be sure to watch the videos linked below for a full visual.
6. How High is Mickey’s PhilharMagic?
Mickey’s PhilharMagic does not involve heights. While some of the scenes sees characters flying (Aladdin and Jasmine on the Magic Carpet, for example), the show’s cartoonish animation keeps it from feeling too real. As for you, the theater and its seats remain on the ground for the entire duration.
7. How Fast is Mickey’s PhilharMagic?
Mickey’s PhilharMagic does not go fast. As a fairly standard stage show, you and your seat will remain motionless throughout the experience. However, the characters on screen do pick up some speed at times and the large screen can make the scenes fairly immersive.
8. Does Mickey’s PhilharMagic Have Drops?
Mickey’s PhilharMagic does not have drops. While Donald certainly has his fair share of thrilling acrobatics, you and your seat don’t move at all.
9. Does Mickey’s PhilharMagic Cause Motion Sickness?
Mickey’s PhilharMagic can certainly cause motion sickness to some riders. While never spinning or actually moving, this attraction still involves the trifecta of motion sickness – rushing visuals, a massive screen, and 4D effects.
10. Is Mickey’s PhilharMagic Claustrophobic?
Mickey’s PhilharMagic should not feel claustrophobic to most riders. Although its 12 minute run time is longer than the average Disney ride, you can always see a cast member and exit at any time. Even with its accessible exits, however, it may still be difficult to get around the other guests packed in around you. To avoid this, try sitting at the end of a row or back of the theater for an easier exit.
11. Are There Animatronics on Mickey’s PhilharMagic?
There is one large animatronic of Donald Duck on Mickey’s PhilharMagic. However, you just see his backside as he “crashes” into the wall at the back of the theater. This is played for comedic affect and isn’t scary or unnerving, in my opinion. You have to turn around to see him and he’s far enough removed from the audience for some guests to miss him altogether.
Mickey’s PhilharMagic Queue Walkthrough
The queue entrance is located outside in the Fantasyland area of Magic Kingdom. As you enter the building, you’ll simply wind back and forth through roped off sections of the lobby, surrounded by fun show posters on the walls. Like most Disney stage shows, you’ll grab your 3D glasses and queue-up in front of the doors to the theater. This attraction generally has low wait times and you often just have to wait for the next show to begin so you can be let inside.
Mickey’s PhilharMagic Ride Walkthrough
Once seated, the show will begin with Mickey preparing to start the performance and leaving Donald in charge – under strict orders to NOT touch his sorcerer’s hat. Of course, our favorite duck just can’t help himself and we are thrown into a chaotic storm of instruments when his attempt to warm up the orchestra goes terribly awry.
We find ourselves magically in the middle of the “Be Our Guest” number from Beauty and the Beast, and are serenaded by dancing cutlery and nice-smelling foods as they parade across the screen. At the end of the song, you’ll be blasted by popping champagne bottles before the dishes all clatter to the ground.
You’ll then get a brief scene with the brooms from Fantasia, ending with a giant (and a bit menacing) broom sloshing the audience with a huge bucket of water. From there, you’ll suddenly find yourself under the sea with Ariel as she sings to you about her “gadgets and gizmos a plenty.” The audience is showered with bubbles from the ceiling and the song ends with Donald being chased off by a flirtatious electric eel – zapping him a few times in the process.
You’ll be thrown right into Simba’s “I Just Can’t Wait to be King,” brimming with colorful critters and flashy visuals. Afterwards, Coco and his family will serenade you with “Un Poco Loco” as you wind through the streets and finally ascend into a sky full of fireworks. Tinkerbell will fly past, beckoning you to come “fly” with Peter Pan over the city of London. Then, you’ll find yourself suddenly in the Arabian skies as Jasmine and Aladdin sing “A Whole New World” from their magic carpet.
You’ll follow Donald on a chaotic chase through the streets of Agrabah – being blasted with wind effects throughout. Finally, he gets ahold of the sorcerer’s hat – just as Iago swats it off of his head. Diving from the magic carpet, Donald finds himself falling through clouds and into that same storm of instruments we saw at the beginning. He lands safely on the ground as Mickey takes charge and orders the instruments back into place.
The orchestra plays a short tune as Donald (lodged in a tuba) gets launched over the audience and crashes into the back of the theater. If you turn around, you’ll see him (in animatronic form) fall through the hole and the show comes to an end.
That’s it! Remember, everyone’s riding experience is a little bit different and only you can decide whether to hop on that ride vehicle or not. I just hope this guide helps you be prepared and enjoy every second of your Disney experience!
So what do you think? How scary is Mickey’s PhilharMagic? Leave a comment to help keep this guide up to date!
For a full visual of the ride and queue, be sure to check out these videos from Theme Park Steve and UltimateDisneyCruiseLineFan 03:
