On a stretch of highway just outside the most magical place on earth, six-year-old Moonee and her ragtag band of playmates spend an unforgettable summer at The Magic Castle, a budget motel managed by Bobby (in a career-best performance by Willem Dafoe). Bobby's stern exterior hides a deep reservoir of kindness and compassion as he watches over the kids' adventures, protecting them from some of the harsher realities of life.