Complete Guide to Mad Tea Party at Magic Kingdom

It’s always tea time at Mad Tea Party in the Magic Kingdom!

Climb into your very own oversized colorful teacup and take a whirl through a wonderland of song around a huge teapot. Don’t forget to look for the doormouse who will pop his head out every once and a while!

This classic Disney attraction, inspired by the animated 1951 film, Alice in Wonderland, will drive you mad with delight — that is if you can stand all of the spinning!

Twirl on for our complete guide to Mad Tea Party.

Before we get too far into it, make sure you check out our guide on the Best Rides at Magic Kingdom for information on every attraction and show at Magic Kingdom.

Mad Tea Party Quick Facts

Location

Mad Tea Party is located in Fantasyland, directly across from Cheshire Cafe and Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe.

Download the PDF

How to Ride Mad Tea Party

Mad Tea Party has a Standby Line and a Lightning Lane. There is no Single Rider Line.

Eligible guests can also ride the attraction during Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Theme Park Hours.

Do I need to use Genie+ at Mad Tea Party?

Genie+ is available at Mad Tea Party, but it is not an early priority since Genie+ availability rarely runs out.

Be sure to check out our touring plans for Magic Kingdom for more Genie+ advice.

Rider Switch/Child Swap

As there is no height requirement for Mad Tea Party, this attraction does not offer Rider Switch.

Rider Switch is Disney’s system that allows guests with small children to take turns riding bigger rides, while another person/people wait with the little one.

What to Expect When You Ride

Queue

Guests wanting to ride Mad Tea Party wait in a mostly covered queue, switching back and forth as they make their way to the front of the line to board their teacups and spin away!

Ride Vehicles

Ride Vehicles for Mad Tea Party are large colorful teacups that fit up to five guests, but you may want to split up your party for a more comfortable ride — otherwise it might be too uncomfortable and a tight squeeze.

There is a silver wheel inside each cup so guests can control how fast or slow they spin.  

Accessibility Information

For those in ECVs and wheelchairs, you must transfer to the ride vehicle in order to experience the attraction.

Motion Sickness

If you have problems with spinning, avoid this ride. Not only do the teacups spin, but you can turn the wheel to make your teacup spin as well — sometimes really fast.

It’s also a good idea to avoid this attraction immediately after eating (so make sure you check out Cheshire Café after you ride!).

If you want to chance it but are concerned about getting dizzy, don’t use the silver turntable to spin your teacup. You can hold it still!

For more on rides that cause motion sickness throughout the parks, check out our handy guide.

On the Ride

If you prefer to experience Mad Tea Party without any spoilers, you may want to skip this part.

The Mad Tea Party is a classic Disney attraction that has become a rite of passage for guests of all ages with a strong stomach.

Board your tea cup and hold on as music from Disney’s animated film Alice in Wonderland begins to play. Your teacup will start to swirl around on a large turntable beneath a canopy of colorful paper lanterns.

If you want to stay at this constant speed then just sit back and enjoy the ride. You can hold the silver wheel steady, as well, to ensure you don’t spin at all. However, if you want to see just how fast you can go, grab onto the wheel in the middle of your cup and spin away!

As the cups twirl around, the Dormouse from Alice in Wonderland will pop out of the large teapot in the center of the attraction from time to time.

Is Mad Tea Party Kid-Friendly?

This ride is appropriate for any guest that doesn’t get motion sickness from spinning.

Strollers

Strollers are not allowed in most queues at Disney World, including for Mad Tea Party. They can be left at the designated stroller parking area near both sides of the entrance to the attraction queue.

History

Early designs for the original Mad Tea Party in Disneyland had guests entering into an actual Tea Party that the Mad Hatter and March Hare were throwing.

Guests would have to pass by the Cheshire Cat and the Caterpillar to get to their tea cups and then they would spin around a giant Unbirthday table, while the Mad Hatter and March Hare sang the “Very Merry Unbirthday” song.

However, when Disneyland opened in 1955, guests found a much more pared-down version of the original plans. The actual character appearances had been eliminated from the ride and instead, guests twirled around each other inside colorful tea cups.

But even with this reduced footprint, the ride was wildly popular and so an exact copy of the Mad Tea Party was recreated for the opening of Walt Disney World and it debuted on October 1, 1971.

To protect the ride from the extreme Florida weather conditions, a canopy was added in 1974. At the same time, Disney added a large teapot to house the Dormouse as the centerpiece of the attraction.

In 1992, lanterns were added to the ride and the Mad Tea Party also received a new color scheme and new music. The attraction went through its last update in 2010 when it was once again repainted.

Other Fun Details

• Mad Tea Party is a Magic Kingdom opening day attraction as it debuted on October 1, 1971.
• The canopy over the Mad Tea Party lights up at night.

• There is a version of Mad Tea Party at five of the six Disneyland-style theme parks around the world. The attraction is called the Mad Tea Party at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom. It is known at Tokyo Disneyland as Alice’s Tea Party, Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups at Disneyland Paris, and Mad Hatter Tea Cups at Hong Kong Disneyland. The only park that does not have a version is Shanghai Disneyland.

• All five versions of the attraction are located in Fantasyland, and all except the Tokyo version were opening-day attractions at their respective parks.
• The Dormouse only appears in the Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland versions of the Mad Tea Party.

• During Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Mad Tea Party receives an overlay with special lighting and music.