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EXTINCT ATTRACTIONS: Main Street USA’s House of Magic

Pick a Card… A look at the Walt Disney World Main Street House of Magic

by Brian Vasil

Opened: October 1, 1971

Closed:  March 19, 1995 (sniff…sniff)

Favorite Memory:  It was the store I begged to go into at the end of every trip.  It was what made me behave in stifling heat waiting for a parade that was 45 minutes away.  I didn’t want a Mickey bar or even a balloon in the shape of my favorite mouse.

I wanted to stop at the House of Magic.

 

So much so that I’d give up getting anything else in the park.

Those two enticing words on the front “Tricks” and “Puzzles” lured me in.  What would they be doing in there?  Would the cast member show me another prank to use against my brother?  I couldn’t wait to get in there and it took a very strong person (or my mom’s glare) to get me to leave.  Cast members would demonstrate amazing illusions, card tricks, and the like… and I tried my hardest to memorize the techniques so I could fool my parents during the 200 mile drive back home.

It was nirvana to the mischievous child…  fake vomit, monster masks, card tricks, snapping gum, and lava candy.  To my young mind it was Willy Wonka meets Harry Houdini, and I couldn’t get enough.  In the most amazing place on earth… this was the epicenter… the wellspring of illusions and the fountainhead of all things magical.

I truly miss it.

Scariest Memory:  Looking up at the masks that loomed above.  Not sure why these were so frightening… but then again… I got scared on the SkyWay…

What memories do you have of the House of Magic at Walt Disney World?  Please take a moment and share them in the comment section below… Until next time my friends!

 

Brian Vasil has been Disney-obsessed since his first visit to WDW in 1971 (he was only 3 months old and has visited 100+ times since then). He’s been known for leaving hidden Mickeys in the place settings at his wedding, always choosing the “Desert” ending at Horizons, and weeping at the end of Wishes (it gets dusty!). He lives in Ft. Lauderdale with his wife Mindy and daughter Brianna.

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About Lou Mongello

Lou Mongello is a former attorney who left the practice to pursue his passion, and is now a recognized Disney expert, author, speaker, and host of WDW Radio. Learn more…

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