Magic kingdom
Park Touring Recommendation and Tips
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what to know before you arrive:
1) Your priorities for the day! Click here for my park worksheets to help you organize your thoughts.
2) Know which attractions are included with Lightning Lane Multi-Pass and which ride is this park’s Individual Attraction Selection (aka “Fancy Ride” not included in Multi Pass purchase). I’ve listed them for you below.
3) I highly recommend taking advantage of Early Entry at Magic Kingdom, especially with small children. There are two areas that operate during Early Entry: Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. It’s a great time to ride lots of the smaller rides in Fantasyland before the crowds kick in!
4) Tip: Your phone is going to be used A LOT today. To save battery, close out any unneeded apps and turn your phone onto Low Battery Mode.
Lightning Lane Tips:
There are two Single Pass attractions for this park: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (38”), which will cost between $12-$18 per person, and Tron Lightcycle Run (48”), which will cost between $20-$25 per person.
Make a choice before you arrive as to what your highest priorities are. Then, choose which ones you will get in line for during (1)Early Entry standby, (2)Purchase the individual Single Pass selection starting at 7am, 7 days prior to check-in; and (3) Select via Multi Pass starting at 7am, 7 days prior to check-in. If you do this, you should have a plan to ride three high-demand rides before you even step foot in the park!
For these popular attractions, getting a Multi Pass return time can be beneficial. I’ve listed them in order of high-demand to low demand (no height requirement means any one can ride, even a baby):
Space Mountain – (44”, Group 1)
Peter Pan’s Flight (Group 1)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – 40” (Closed for refurbishment)
Jungle Cruise (Group 1)
Haunted Mansion
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (formally Splash Mountain) - (40’, Group 1)
Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
The Barnstormer – 35” (a great little intro to coasters!)
Pirates of the Caribbean
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Meet Tiana and a Visiting Princess (usually Rapunzel) at Fairytale Hall
Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Fairytale Hall
its a small world
Meet Ariel in Her Grotto
Tomorrowland Speedway
Mad Tea Party (Tea Cups)
Where Do I Start?: If you are going fast, you are not stopping for morning shows or Main Street USA experiences. I highly recommend taking advantage of Early Entry! Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are the only areas that operate during Early Entry. Start in Fantasyland first. Most of the crowd will be going directly to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which is also what I recommend.
After Mine Train, take advantage of shorter waits for the following rides: Peter Pan's Flight, Tron, Space Mountain, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Then move over to Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise. You will not get through ALL of those with a short wait, but in general you will get more done within the first 2 hours compared to the rest of the day IF you take advantage of Early Entry. Choose which rides are a priority, skip the ones that are not. You will likely be redeeming Lightning Lanes before you get through them all. Remember: In general, you can grab your next Lightning Lane immediately after you have redeemed one so don’t forget to check your phone after you scan your Magic Band!
The Festival of Fantasy Parade will begin at 3:00pm. **Always check the app to confirm today's showtimes! The parade begins in Frontierland and ends on Main Street. I like getting a spot in Frontierland near the Country Bear Jamboree at least 30 minutes before it begins. It isn’t as crowded as Main Street and you will be in the shade!
During lunch, take a look at the wait times in the park. This is a good time to return to your priorities: Have you been able to complete everything you wanted so far? If not - make a plan to go! You will be surprised how fast the day goes, so don’t miss your chance! After lunch, depending on wait times, I would recommend trying for the Haunted Mansion then head into Fantasyland to enjoy its a small world, Mickey's Philharmagic, Journey of the Little Mermaid, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mad Tea Party, and Winnie the Pooh.
Remember: Disney is more than just rides! I encourage you to make a plan to meet some characters and enjoy entertainment around the park today.
Your day at Magic Kingdom
Nighttime at the Magic Kingdom
The nighttime parade, Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, will run at 8pm (always double check showtimes in the app). Unlike the afternoon parade, Starlight begins on Main Street USA and ends at Frontierland by Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. If you want to watch with the fewest crowds possible, I recommend watching somewhere between Liberty Square and Frontierland.
The nighttime fireworks & projection show, Happily Ever After, will run at 9:30pm nightly. Always check the app to confirm today's showtime! Since the fireworks include a projection show on the Castle, you’ll want a spot where you can clearly see. I like spots pretty close to the Castle. Being away from the park exit walking paths makes for a more pleasant experience for me - and a lot less overwhelming when the show is over. I recommend getting a spot about an hour-45 minutes before it is scheduled to begin. Try not to separate the group after you have your fireworks spot. It can be tough to find everyone again in the dark, crowded space! Tip: Grab a towel or two from your hotel and stick it at the bottom of your stroller. Sitting on a towel while you wait for the show also tells people around you the space you have claimed.
After the fireworks end the area around the castle/Main Street can feel very full and overwhelming. The best thing is to stay put and let the crowd subside. This happens fairly quickly. Depending on park closing time, you can get in line for another ride, shop, or just hang out and enjoy the scenes. But, I don’t recommend leaving right after the fireworks. Leaving with the sea of people can be overwhelming. Just hang back and wait for the crowds to thin out a little. Tip: If you choose to shop, utilize the “Merchandise Checkout” via the app to avoid long checkout lines!
As long as you are in line for a ride before the park closes you will be permitted to ride.
Food Recommendations
My Favorite Snacks:
Salty:
I love a good popcorn bucket! Buckets are about $12, and you can refill at any park as many time as you want for just $2 during your vacation! Where to buy: Popcorn carts around the park.
The Mickey-shaped pretzels with cheese dipping sauce cost $7.49 and are a great snack to enjoy while walking. Where to buy: Snack carts around the park.
Sweet:
You can get the famous Dole Whip at Aloha Isle. The Pineapple Float is $7.29. I LOVE the coconut cup for $6.
The Warm Cinnamon Roll at Gaston’s Tavern (behind Seven Dwarfs Mine Train) is so gooey and sweet! It costs $7.99 and you can easily split this between 2-3 people.
Storybook Treats in Fantasyland is where you will find ice cream sundaes and seasonal ice cream treats.
Sleepy Hollow at the entrance of Liberty Square from Main Street has the famous Nutella Waffle with strawberries, bananas, and blueberries for $9.79
My Favorite Quick Service:
Columbia Harbour House across from the Haunted Mansion. The grilled salmon with rice and green beans is $15.79, or get the kids portion for only $8.99.
Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn. The kids chicken rice bowl is delicious at $8.49! There is an adult version as well for $12.99.
Casey’s Corner on Main Street. I love their corn dog nuggets which come with fries or a Cutie orange for $10.79
***Unlike the other 3 theme parks, alcohol is not served inside of Magic Kingdom unless you are eating at a full-service restaurant.
Want to try a full service restaurant but don’t have a reservation? Try joining the Walk-Up list! You can do this through the app by searching the restaurant, then tap “Join Walk-Up List.”