In this post we give an overview of Mad Tea Party, a spinning ride at Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park in Walt Disney World. We cover the basics of the ride, how to ride it, and our thoughts on the experience. Read on to learn more!
Related Posts
This post is a quick guide to Mad Tea Party, but we have related content that dives deeper into topics. Our Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane post covers Lightning Lane strategy in depth. The Magic Kingdom Rides and Entertainment Guide gives brief introductions to all the park’s offerings. For putting together your day at the park, we have a One Day Plan for Magic Kingdom.
Mad Tea Party Dash Basics
Mad Tea Party is a spinning ride at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The ride
does not offer rider switch
is a Tier 2 ride on Lightning Lane Multi Pass
does not have a single rider line
is a part of Early Entry at Magic Kingdom
is about 90 seconds long
If you’re visiting Magic Kingdom with small children, the ride is a great option with no height requirement. If you’re prioritizing rides for your little one then there’s a good chance you’ll be able to visit this early as part of a tour through Fantasyland (Winnie the Pooh, Under the Sea, Dumbo all also in the immediate vicinity).
Where is Mad Tea Party located?
Mad Tea Party is located in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom, pretty far toward the back of the park.
Entering the park, the most direct route is through the castle, taking a right at Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, past the entrance to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train on your left, past the entrance to Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on your right.
How to Ride Mad Tea Party
Note: The initial paragraphs of this section are repeated across the four relevant rides.
There are four rides—all tier 2 Lightning Lanes—in this part of the park that I almost always ride in quick succession: Dumbo, Barnstormer, Under the Sea, and Mad Tea Party. Whether it’s with or without Lightning Lanes (or some with, some without), you should be able to conquer this part of the park without too much fanfare.
With exceptional planning / luck, you’ll be able to make Tomorrowland Speedway and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin a part of this block, too. And don’t forget PeopleMover is nearby if you have some time to fill between Lightning Lanes.
Altogether, this chunk of rides is usually how I finish my morning when I don’t have Multi Pass. With Multi Pass, it’s really a matter of monitoring return time vibes and refreshing your searches to put these together whenever you can. On a day with low crowds, I might head here with just one open Lightning Lane “slot” and just book one after the other. On a day with higher crowds, I probably want to be working with two or three open “slots” so I can get three things booked around the same time before committing myself.
Mad Tea Party is right next to Tomorrowland Speedway, so it can make sense to instead pair it with a visit to that ride or other things in Tomorrowland. Keep in mind that while Winnie the Pooh is also nearby, that ride is a little more popular than the rest in this area.
Spin Spin Spinning Into Wonderland
Mad Tea Party is the classic spinning teacup ride. For about 90 seconds, the whole platform spins as smaller platforms holding a few cups spins as the cups themselves spin. There’s a lot of spinning.
You’ve got a wheel in the middle of the cup that allows you to control the spinning of your individual teacup. While you can limit the spin of your cup somewhat, some spinning is unavoidable because of how the platforms themselves spin. And if you want to really spin, well, go for it and don’t invite me.
While nothing about the ride is obviously scary, Mad Tea Party is home to our most bizarre toddler fright moment at Disney World. For several visits, Zoe was inexplicably spooked by the mouse that comes out of the teapot in the middle of the ride. It just goes to show you just won’t always know or understand what spooks your kids.
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
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Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Lightning Lane Guide and Strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.