Guide to Walt Disney World Part 1: Magic Kingdom
Welcome back! This week, I’m SO excited to tell you about one of my most favorite places to visit: Walt Disney World. This is the first post in a 5 part series, so make sure to read part 2 next month! This time, we’re talking all about What To Do (as an Adult) at Magic Kingdom.
I like to write these posts as if we’re just sitting on my couch having a conversation, so I feel like there’s some background info you should know. My family LOVES Disney World, but we didn’t grow up visiting all the time. It was somewhere we went once or twice as kids and it was the most special. Getting to go on rides and meet characters was so exciting since we grew up watching ALL the Disney movies we could. We used to have a cup in our kitchen where we would throw all of our loose change that we called our “Disney Fund.”
I think it really taught us that 1. Family vacations are special and shouldn’t be taken for granted and 2. Disney is a special place that we looked forward to spending time away together. Now... when we got a bit older and started to travel more, Disney always ended up on the short list of where we wanted to go. I personally think it’s because of all of the significance it had while we were growing up.
ALL of that to say- I would 10/10 encourage you to give it a try as an adult. There are rides, drinks, fun food, amazing resorts and pools, and it is 100% what you make it. It’s a fun opportunity, unlike most other places, to run around and geek out like you’re a kid- which we all need a little more of.
Below is a breakdown of my favorite places to eat, my favorite rides to ride, and all of my tips- how to stagger your fast passes, what to do when you’re in line, how to get into Magic Kingdom early, and more!
Food & Drinks:
The Plaza Restaurant (Main St. USA): Right off main street with a view of the castle. The food is good and they have bottomless milkshakes. Yes. It’s one of the few places that we’ve actually sat down in at Magic Kingdom, rather than grabbing food to go, so it’s a nice change of pace. I would definitely recommend getting a reservation in advance.
Be Our Guest Restaurant (Fantasyland): Dining inside Belle & the Beast’s castle is probably my favorite dining experience at any of the parks. It’s cool inside and the food is definitely the best I’ve had in Magic Kingdom. Also, when sitting, you get to choose which room of the castle you want to sit in- the dark room where Beast’s rose is hidden, the ballroom where he and Belle danced, and a dining room. Get the grey stuff, it’s delicious! (Sorry, had to, but also it is good) Note: You are required to book a reservation here, so make sure you look at it in advance.
Aloha Aisle (Adventureland): It’s all about the Dole Whip, baby. Dole Whip is a pineapple soft serve, which I recommend getting swirled with vanilla, and is the best treat ever when it gets really hot. You can also get it as a float with pineapple juice. The lines can get a little long depending on time of day but there is a spot just down the lane from Aloha Aisle that serves the exact same thing, but orange instead of pineapple and the lines are never as long. If you’re desperate, take the monorail over to The Polynesian Resort and you can get a Dole Whip there!
Main Street Bakery (Main St. USA): The smells, guys, the smells. Right at the front of Main Street, the bakery has Rice Krispy treats, giant cookies, candy, and seasonal treats. Even if you don’t get anything to eat (the Rice Krispies are the way to go), you have to just walk through this place. It will put you in the best mood.
Columbia Harbour House (Liberty Square): This restaurant has pretty good seafood and is usually reliable to get in and get a table without a heinous wait time. They have big tables that are great for groups or families and it’s in a pretty convenient location near the castle. It’s also fast casual so you can order your food and then sit down to wait for it.
Starbucks (Main St. USA): I know, I know. But it’s right on Main Street so I wanted you to know you can still get your favorite coffee in a very convenient spot right when you get to the park in the morning. If the line is long, head over to Joffrey’s in Tomorrowland for a coffee instead (the frozen coffee is the best)!
Rides:
Space Mountain (Tomorrowland): Arguably my favorite ride in Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain is a rollercoaster in the dark. You “blast off” to an indoor area where there are sounds and lights to make you feel like you’re flying around outer space.
Splash Mountain (Frontierland): One of the few thrill rides in Magic Kingdom, so if that’s your thing you have to try it. I had a *difficult* first experience (my first roller coaster) but have since come around. However, if you go- I would go right before you’re ready to leave because you WILL get wet, and the humidity in Florida doesn’t exactly allow for a quick dry time.
Under the Sea, The Journey of the Little Mermaid (Fantasyland): Ariel is my favorite princess so I feel obligated to include this (but I do also love it). This is a ride that’s great for cooling off as you sit inside a ~shell~ and travel through the story of the Little Mermaid.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (Tomorrowland): A perfect ride to do with a friend or group, because you sit next to each other and shoot targets to try to defeat Zurg. The person with the highest number of points in your car at the end of the ride wins. This probably ties for a close second after Space Mountain in my book.
The Barnstormer (Fantasyland): A Goofy themed rollercoaster that’s great if you don’t love giant roller coasters but still want to do something fun and fast.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Fantasyland): A Must Do. I don’t care how old and mature you are. This mini coaster is SO fun and also relatively new to the park. The carts you sit in are free swinging (not proper roller coaster terminology I’m sure) so you are rocking back and forth as the roller coaster moves, so it feels extremely smooth.
Pirates of the Caribbean (Adventureland): This is one of those indoor boat rides (read: cool off here). It’s actually a really fun ride and takes you through the pirate story while you ride in a boat.
Laugh Floor: A monster-led live-audience comedy show featuring your favorite Pixar monster, Mike Wazowski as the main act. This show is actually SO funny, they interact with the audience in live time, it gets you out of the heat, AND you can text in jokes before the show and they might read them while you’re watching.
Other Things to Do:
Go Shopping on Main Street: This is by far the best place to get souvenirs. They have plenty of merch at the Emporium, as well as household Disney things (picture frames, coasters, etc.). There are also jewelry and art stores. There are also several shops with merchandise that you can only get from the parks. It’s the perfect spot to take a break and get out of the heat.
Visit the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe: Just off Main Street in Liberty Square is the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. If you need a dose of Christmas spirit no matter what time of year it is, this is your place. It will put you in the happiest mood to see all of the trees, ornaments, and decorations. Also- if you’re like me and collect ornaments from places you travel, they will customize any ornament with the year and/or your name. Actually, they will also customize your Mickey ears hat with your name or words.
Watch Cast Members Draw Characters in Tomorrowland: A few times a day, cast members will come out and draw characters in water on the ground in the middle of Tomorrowland. They dry quickly and don’t last long, but if you catch them, it’s a really cool thing to watch.
Take the Train: If you’re tired and need to get to the other end of the park, there’s a train you can take that loops around the outskirts and will drop you off at various points along the way.
Watch the Fireworks: Magic Kingdom has the best fireworks show of all of the parks, in my opinion, and cannot be skipped. They show moments of their movies projected onto the castle during the show and it’s the exact dose of magic that will make you feel like a kid when you’re watching.
Watch the Barbershop Quartet: Several times a day a quartet comes out on Main Street to sing to the crowd. It’s a very cheerful and fun thing to stop and watch.
Trade Pins: If you don’t have pins already, you can buy them with a lanyard from most stores around Walt Disney world. They’re super cute and come from many different collections and movies. Plus, cast members will trade pins with you so that you can start to collect all different types.
Tips:
Book your Fast Passes for the morning. You can’t book any more Fast Passes until you’ve used up your first three so by booking yours in the morning, you’ll be able to find new ones at lunch for the afternoon.
Download the My Disney Experience app. You’ll be able to use it as a map of the park, see wait times AND order food to pick up when you get off a ride.
Get to the park early, it’s always less busy in the morning (and cooler outside). When we go, we love to leave after lunch to head back to our resort for a nap and swim before heading back to the parks around dinner time. Also, when you get to Magic Kingdom before opening, you get to watch Minnie & Mickey open the park. Other parks also have some form of entertainment for the grand opening each day.
If you stay at a Walt Disney Resort you can take the buses to and from the park. Also, if you buy anything in the park, you can ask them to deliver it straight back to your hotel so that you don’t have to walk around with it all day. The perks are honestly endless and I’ll be doing a whole post about Disney’s different resorts!
If you drive to Magic Kingdom, you can take either the monorail or the ferry from the parking lot. This is the only park that you can’t park directly outside. They each take a similar amount of time, so I would go for whichever line is shorter.
If you book a Character Breakfast (a meal at one of Disney’s restaurants where you get to meet a group of characters that make rounds to all of the tables) you can get in to the park early. At Magic Kingdom, the character breakfast at The Crystal Palace is great!
If you want a change of scenery while you’re at Magic Kingdom, you can take the monorail to any of the Magic Kingdom Area Resorts- The Polynesian Resort, The Grand Floridian, or The Contemporary Resort. They make for a great lunch break!
Make sure to pop into a store when you get to the park and tell a cast member if it’s your birthday, anniversary, graduation, etc. because they’ll give you a button to show you’re celebrating! Then, all day (or week) you’ll have cast members wishing you Congratulations! or Happy Birthday! and it’s such a magical feeling.
Get matching shirts with the people you go with. 100% optional obviously, but it honestly makes it much easier to find everyone you’re with. Disney gets super crowded and it can be easy to lose someone if you stop to tie your shoe or get some water. My family tends to order cute, seasonal, and inexpensive Disney shirts (see the green Incredibles Holiday shirt in some of the pics above) from Kohl’s/Target/etc.
Download Heads Up to play in line. I’m not kidding. The lines are so long and it’s fun to play a game and actually hang out with each other instead of standing there on your phone for an hour and a half. Plus, sometimes other people in line will join in and help you guess the right answer. And there’s nothing quite as fun or hilarious as making theme-park line friends that you end up bumping into all day.
