In commemoration of Mickey Mouse’s 90th anniversary and the release of Kingdom Hearts III, PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts will be returning September 20th, 2019, for another event at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
The PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts movement was founded in 2012 by a fan known as Cutsceneaddict to be an annual, fan-hosted event for Kingdom Hearts fans at the Magic Kingdom with the dual purpose of being a fellowship day, as well as a movement to raise Disney’s awareness of the need to have Kingdom Hearts represented in the theme parks.
In 2013, the event had over 120 Kingdom Hearts cosplayers and fans in attendance—some of which flew to Orlando from as far away as Mexico and Colorado. This year the number of attendees is projected to exceed 300.
Helmed by the original PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts founder, Cutsceneaddict, this year’s event will include special guests from the Kingdom Hearts fandom community, a record-breaking Kingdom Hearts photoshoot in front of the Disney Castle, a park-wide scavenger hunt, photography contests, and more. Participating attendees will be able to win prizes ranging from Kingdom Hearts figurines to GameStop giftcards.
“This year, our theme is ‘Making Memories in Another’s Heart,’” commented Cutsceneaddict. “We even have a special event centered on this theme that will allow Kingdom Hearts cosplayers to bond with one another through once-in-a-lifetime experiences and make new friendships.”
The event runs in tandem with one of Disney’s annual Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween Party nights, the only time that Disney allows guests to cosplay in the parks. Attendees of the PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts event will also have the opportunity to enjoy the park’s fireworks show, parade, special character photo ops, and massive trick-or-treating fest.
Since its debut in 2013, PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts has gone on to inspire a similar event in Disneyland, California, called Disneyland of Departure (now the Keybearer’s Alliance); and numerous Disney cast members and Square Enix staff have supported or attended these events, including Quinton Flynn (Axel), Paul St. Peter (Xemnas), Ray Chase (Master of Masters), Justin Cowden (Hayner), and Mat Kishimoto (the North American Project Manager of the Kingdom Hearts series).
“This is a climatic year for the Kingdom Hearts series,” Cutsceneaddict stated, “because the release of Kingdom Hearts III marks the peak of the franchise’s popularity. Fans have waited over half their lives for this finale, and Disney is beginning to showcase more of the Kingdom Hearts series, such as the limited-edition Kingdom Hearts Pop-Up Experience at Disney Springs. The mission of this project has always been connection—to connect fans across the globe, and to connect these two Kingdoms [Kingdom Hearts and the Magic Kingdom] together. The revival of PROJECT: Magic Kingdom Hearts in 2019 is a culmination of all these aspects, which is why we’re calling this year’s event the ‘Final Mix.’ It will truly be an experience no fan will want to miss.”
Any Kingdom Hearts fans planning to attend are advised to register on the official website so that they can be counted in (and also included in doorprize giveaways and other activities).
For more information: https://www.magickingdomhearts.com/
Casey L. Covel
An INTJ and self-proclaimed connoisseur of chocolate, tea, and sushi, Casey spends her free time cosplaying middle-aged men, writing for clients around the world, gaming in the realms of Tellius and Hyrule, philosophizing about psychology and religion, editing every jot and tittle, collecting over 500 figurines, squinting at strange words, and watching Corgi videos on Youtube.
