For my first passion blog of the semester, I will be taking you on a trip by planning your day in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park.
But first, some background on why I chose to start with the theme park I did.
When I say, “Disney World,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? Probably Mickey (of course) but pretty soon after, you will probably think of this:
Cinderella’s castle. One of the landmarks Walt Disney World is famous for. It rests at the end of Main Street USA, and is famous for its firework spectaculars it puts on several times a day.
Magic Kingdom (MK) is the very best place to start your Disney World vacation, especially if you are a newcomer, because it is a true awakening to the magic that is Disney.
The theme park itself is home to 6 lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventure Land, Frontier Land, Liberty Square, Fantasy Land, and Tomorrow Land.
Whatever type of theme, ride, or experience you are looking for is there. If you are more of a thrill seeker, look no further than the MK mountains: Splash Mountain (my personal favorite), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Space Mountain; there is also the Seven Dwarves Mine Train as an additional coaster, however, this is the least intense of the MK rollercoasters. If you are more into a non-intense, but no less magical ride experience, I would recommend the Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Astro Orbiter, Ariel’s Grotto, or Enchanted Tales with Belle.
If it is an experience you seek, then you can join the Sorcerers Scavenger Hunt which leads you through an interactive experience all throughout the Magic Kingdom. You must collect cards and solve puzzles to complete each of the challenges. This is an all-day affair, though. For a shorter, but somewhat similar scavenger hunt, you can go on a Pirates of the Caribbean Scavenger Hunt which takes you around the Adventure Land portion of the MK to find tokens and treasures with Captain Jack (but be careful of the traps set for you!).
The restaurants are very good as well. If you want character dining, Cinderella’s Royal Table and the Crystal Palace are two very good options. For comfort food, look no further than Liberty Tree Tavern, the Diamond Horseshoe, Casey’s Corner, or The Plaza Restaurant. There is an Italian restaurant (Tony’s Town Square), as well as a Restaurant for experimental tasters (Skippers Canteen), and of course, Be Our Guest.
There are also lots of Quick Service (Grab-and-Go) options as well; such as, Pinocchios Haus and Cosmic Rays Cafe.
Now that I have given you a brief overview of the park, here is a makeshift schedule to ensure that you have hit all of the Magic Kingdom Must-Dos.
9:00am: Breakfast Reservation at the Crystal Palace
10:15 am: Ride Pirates of the Caribbean (at this time, there should not be too much wait)
10:45 am: Splash Mountain Fastpass
12:30 pm: Depending on how hungry you will be, I recommend either Liberty Tree Tavern (very hungry), or a quick service restaurant like Cosmic Rays (hungry)
1:30: Big Thunder Mountain Fastpass
3:00 pm: Either watch the Festival of Fantasy Parade or try to go on a popular ride (because the lines will be shorter since people want to watch the parade).
4:00 pm: Ride It’s A Small World (it’s a classic!)
5:30 pm: Be Our Guest Restaurant at the Beast’s Castle.
7:00 pm: Haunted Mansion Fastpass
8:00 pm: Watch Happily Ever After Fireworks Spectacular
After 8:00 pm: If the park is open later (or there are Extra Magic Hours), ride as many rides as you can while the wait times are not as long!
Enjoy!