What We Loved
Disney World is one of the coolest experiences on the planet for you and your family. It is AWESOME and is totally different than any other theme park you can go.
We visited Disney Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida again and it was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!
As soon as you walk in, you will be transported back to your childhood where everything is just full of magic and wonder.
The park is super clean, Disney people are constantly cleaning up and they take great care to preserve the wow factor by keeping the “behind-the-scenes” hidden from you and the little ones. There are special walls that are up at certain places to block your sight, where the characters pass through which just blows so many children’s minds – Isaac and Anna Jo are no exception.
Where is Disney World? How big is Disney’s Magic Kingdom?
Walt Disney World is in ORLANDO, FLORIDA.
Disney World Orlando, has 4 theme parks and 2 water parks designed to make sure you and your family have a mind blowing experience.
For our family trip to Magic Kingdom, we decided to get up REALLY early to watch the opening act where the characters come up and open the park to the public. Unfortunately, it rained so they had to cancel the show to ensure the safety of the character crew and the public, of course. But minus the drizzle, we highly recommend you make the effort to catch Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Opening Show, it’s an amazing moment your children will definitely remember.
Aside from catching the opening show, you have to consider the traffic build up on your way there. Wake up a little early and then shoot for the preferred parking to stay super close to the entrance of the park.
For those of you who are going to the Magic Kingdom for the first time, it might take you by surprise to know that you don’t park by the actual Magic Kingdom itself, the magic is actually across this huge lake and you can choose between taking the monorail or the boats to take you into the Magic Kingdom.
The Magic Kingdom Ferryboat:
We’ve been to Walt Disney World quite a few times now and we always ride the boat over. It’s a magical experience to just take your kids, get on that boat and cruise to the park, you get to see Space Mountain and then the castle, also the Disney resort hotels that are kind of dotting the lake there and the lagoon.
We just really prefer riding the boat because it’s a little bit easier on us and the kids. The monorail cars are kind of small and feels a little cramped. It’s a really cool experience to ride the train, but we usually ride the monorail out of the park or if we need to go to one of the propped on site hotels or the other parts of the property.
Also, if it’s your first time at the Magic Kingdom and you’re going to be staying late, you can watch the fireworks. Watching the fireworks from the riverboat is just breathtaking. Sometimes we leave right before the fireworks start, and we like to get on the back of the boat, so while it’s taking us to the parking lot we can see the fireworks exploding over the castle. It’s an amazing way to view the fireworks and head back to the parking lot, plus a great way to beat the crowd since they mostly stay in the park for the fireworks.
Once you get inside the Magic Kingdom theme park, be prepared to go through some security, they do check ALL bags as you’re going in. If you got your Magic Bands you can walk right up and go into the park, there’s a ticket booth once you get in.
Disney World Stroller Rentals?
You can rent strollers right when you get into the little downtown area when you get into the Magic Kingdom. YOU WANT TO GET THERE EARLY if you want to get a picture in front of the big building. There will be a TON of people wanting to take that picture. Sometimes, it’s a good idea to just skip that photo and snap one on the way out even if you ended up kinda disheveled from the day’s activities, at least you don’t have to wait nearly as long in the afternoon to get your picture in front of the Magic Kingdom.
If you have small children, ages 7 and below, we strongly suggest you either rent a stroller or bring your own. We usually bring our own stroller to the Magic Kingdom, but we don’t do that anymore because it’s a lot easier to rent those while you’re there and then turn them back in as you go. The one problem you run into is if you’re going to stay in Magic Kingdom ALL DAY LONG, your kids may fall asleep, you’re going to have to carry them to the boat or to the monorail, all the way through the parking lot to get to your car.
If your kids are a little bit older and you’re just trying to make it easier on them, we highly recommend that you rent the stroller there especially if they can walk back to the car later.
Main Street
Once you’re done with all the park entrance related stuff, go straight down the Main Street area and see all the shops. There are so many of them, you’re bound to find something you want to bring home as a souvenir.
Tomorrowland
Start your Disney adventure over at Tomorrowland. This seems to be, in all of our experiences in Disney World and Disney’s Magic Kingdom, the least populated part in the morning. A lot of people head off to the other stuff, like the Star Wars attractions and go over to the carnival, or where the carousel is and people start filtering out into the other places in the park. We always have great luck when we start at Tomorrowland.
MagicBands & Fastpass+
We always schedule our FirstPass+ passes later in the morning, maybe 10 or 11 o’clock, you get 3 fast paces a day when you go to Disney. This lets you skip lines for certain rides on your scheduled time, and we always schedule ours a little later in the day. By not using your fast paces early in the day, you get to use them as more people start flooding into the park and lines become longer. Ride the ones with shorter lines first and then use your fast passes later on.
PLACES TO EAT:
When you get into Tomorrowland, there’s a great place to buy donuts! We like to eat breakfast at this place, the kids love it, it’s a HUGE treat for them. I love them too, they are absolutely delicious donuts, they’ve got great coffee and it’s good place if you haven’t eaten breakfast yet.
Favorite place to eat at Disney’s Magic Kingdom for lunch is Pinocchio’s Village Haus. We love to take the kids here because they have air conditioning, it’s a cozy place to eat lunch and just settle down plus the bathroom lines are usually not long (Parents: YAY!).
Now, if you’re looking for a mid-afternoon break, there’s a place over at Tom Sawyer Island where you can sit and relax in the shade.
It’s important to work out your stops when you go to WDW. On our first visit to the Magic Kingdom park, we didn’t know where to go and it can get really exhausting to walk around a 107 acre theme park, it was fun but planning your park activities is still the best way to go – Disney rides, meals and rest stops included.
MAGIC KINGDOM RIDES / ATTRACTIONS:
Astro Orbiter
This is one of the rides over at Tomorrowland. It’s not an insanely fast ride so little kids can really enjoy it. You can control your designated spacecraft to fly high or low, all up to you or your kid – no license required.
Space Mountain
Now, this is more my style. It’s a roller coaster that goes through a dark tunnel simulating outer space in a way. Not something you would want to force your little one to ride on if they hate the dark.
Mad Tea Party
Oh my gosh! Where do I start? Okay… The kids LOVED it! I guess kids naturally like spinning things or something, but if you get nauseated super fast and just had a heavy meal, you might want to skip this LOL. As always the important question is, will the kids have fun? The obvious answer is YES… I believe so.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
This is super cool because they hand you a pager of sorts that will notify you when it’s your turn to ride, so while you wait you can let your kiddos have fun in an air-conditioned playground. Parents have places to sit, so everyone is happy! As for the ride itself, it works like the Astro Orbiter, Dumbo goes up or down.
The Barnstormer
Super FUN ride with small drops! There’s a height requirement though, you must be 38 inches or taller.
Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station
Great way to cool off, jump up and down + water everywhere! YAAAY!
Prince Charming Regal Carousel
No theme park trip is complete without riding them majestic horses! Giddy up!
Haunted Mansion
Spooky but not gore-y, it’s ghostly residents are actually quite friendly 😀
DISNEY CHARACTER EXPERIENCES:
The Daring Disney Pals as Circus Stars at Pete’s Silly Sideshow
Anna Jo loved this. Her autograph book is now filled with these Disney favorites’ signatures!
Ariel’s Grotto
Are you a mermaid fan? Yes? No? Maybe? Well… Is YOUR kid a mermaid fan? Yes? Then, go meet Ariel!
Tiana’s Riverboat Party
Ice cream, lots of toppings to choose from, other snacks, a princess on board + party? Sign us up.
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade
Gigantic floats. Pretty princesses and handsome princes too. All the characters from your childhood relived!
Move it! Shake it! Dance & Play it! Street Party
Dancing + more characters paraded down the street 😀
PRICING RESEARCH & INFORMATION:
Disney World Ticket Prices
The rates at Disney’s Magic Kingdom varies depending on how many days you’re staying and which parks you intend to visit.
There are typically 3 categories for their daily rate (adults & kids ages 10 up):
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Value – starts at $99.00
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Regular – starts at $107.00
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Peak – starts at $119.00
Food
With over 30+ restaurants and food stalls, the variety seems endless and can range from anything under $14.99 to over $60. Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom can also cater to special dietary requests at their table-service restaurants and select quick-serve locations. Here’s a link to check them out: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/magic-kingdom/
Hotels & Campsite
The prices are pretty expensive, but the place is super convenient for those of you staying more than 1 day and have access to the rest of the Disney World theme parks. The campsite starts at $53 and the resort hotels are $307++ per day.
Here’s a link to check them out: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/#/magic-kingdom-resort-area/
Parking
The parking area is wildly spacious, but you have to be prepared to shell out a few $$ to stay over at the preferred parking space.
Here’s a link to check them out: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/parking/
Strollers
We said it once, we’ll say it again, if you have young kids with you… Either bring your own stroller OR go rent one at the stroller rental shop. They’re super convenient and will help you keep your sanity from all the walking 😉 Strollers are priced at $15 per day.
Here’s a link to check them out: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/stroller-rentals/
TOP 3 TIPS FOR GOING TO DISNEY WORLD:
- Don’t assume that it’s the ONLY time you’ll ever go. You want to enjoy the rides you do get to ride – you cannot possibly be in every ride in Disney World in one day. Don’t try to kill yourself, pace your trip and spread out walking breaks so you can relax and take it all in. Focus on 3 to 5 rides that you really, really, REALLY want to ride and space those out in a way that you’re not running all over the park. This will make it a much more enjoyable experience.
- Download the Magic Kingdom App. The App is a very valuable tool for planning out your trip in between your fast passes. You want to ride rides with very short wait times while you have extra time in between your fast passes. This is another reason why you want to space those fast passes out and focus on the 4-5 major rides in one day. Do all the little stuff in between as you’re walking in between rides. The App has an interactive, GPS-enabled map that provides you the directions and wait times for park attractions, parades and fireworks. You are going to save yourself tons of time and effort by keeping this on your phone.
- Make sure you bring extra battery chargers for your phone. Bring at least two backup batteries because your phone IS going to die after taking tons of pictures and using the app. We always bring 2 battery packs that lasts up to 6 hours charge, we also brought iPod touches to record all of our videos and take the pictures, so we didn’t have to use our phone. We didn’t bring backup batteries on our first trip, and it was a really big mistake coz we weren’t able to take as much pictures as we had hoped. In case you do forget to bring them, there are shops in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom selling portable phone chargers.
BONUS TIPS:
- Use a Disney planner for your trip. Most Disney planners will plan your trip for free, because they get a commission for booking your trip. We highly recommend, Suzanne Bullock-Ray, she’s our Disney planner.
- Check the weather forecast. If it’s raining, don’t bother waking up super early to see the opening show because chances are, they will cancel the show. The stage gets slippery when it rains, so the park has strict rules to enforce the character crew and the public’s safety.
- Pokemon Go players rejoice! With Disney’s Magic Kingdom being SO vast, you can totally hatch your precious eggs in no time, try riding the Liberty Bell Riverboat or just run around with your kids and find some Generation 2 Pokemon here and there. Isaac and Anna Jo love catching a few when we’re out LOL.
- Bring an autograph book. You’re going to see LOTS of the Disney characters stationed all around the park. It’s a wonderful idea to keep an autograph book handy to have as a memento for the kids when they grow up.
- Check out Disney’s FAQ page and do some research.
Final Thoughts:
We absolutely, positively LOVED our trip to Disney World! The Magic Kingdom is a place where everyone can feel young again, enjoy parades, see childhood favorites and just live the most magical experience ever. We definitely will keep bringing the kids here and have even more Can’t Miss Moments.
Thank you for listening!
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If you have comments or questions, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post.
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