Magic Kingdom,
Walt disney world
HEY STRANGERS!
Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park opened in 1971. The 189ft tall Cinderella Castle is the icon of the park and arguably the most iconic structure of Walt Disney World. Keep reading to find out our favourite things to do in this magical park, from basic “must-dos” to more niche suggestions for those who are looking for a more unique park experience!
Dine at Cinderella’s Royal Table
Cinderella’s Royal Table gives guests the opportunity to dine inside Cinderella Castle, the icon of Magic Kingdom park, surrounded by Disney princesses! This is the perfect family dining option if you want to make sure you have a magical day in the park. When entering the castle, all of the little princesses get magic wishing wands and all the little princes get brave swords, which is a great keepsake for kids! Before dining starts, everyone is instructed to close their eyes and make a wish, then with a bibbidi-bobbidy-boo, they all will come true!
Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table really is a fantastic experience, my parents took me when I was young and I still remember it well to this day. It’s one of those core memories you never forget, I was so excited to be inside the castle and couldn’t believe the princesses were all there! I was also crowned ‘Princess of the Day’ which really made it that much more special. I even still have the wishing wand in my bedroom.
Conquer the Mountains
Magic Kingdom is home to three of Walt Disney World’s mountains! Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain and coming soon Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, where Splash Mountain once stood. Some even argue that Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train should be included in the WDW Mountains, but the jury is still out on that one…
Without a doubt, the mountains are our favourite rides in Magic Kingdom park. My personal favourite was Splash Mountain, it was my first “big drop ride” as a kid and the photo of my terrified face lives on in one of those retro Disney photo frames! However, you also can’t visit Magic Kingdom without a ride on Big Thunder and Space Mountain.
Top tip: Riding Big Thunder Mountain during the fireworks is an amazing experience! If you’re good at time management, or just timing in general, I would definitely give this a try!
Watch the Festival of Fantasy Parade
The Festival of Fantasy Parade runs daily, starting in Adventureland before travelling to the Castle Hub and then down Main Street USA. Watch the magical storytelling of your favourite fantasy characters sing and dance through the park! Be sure to check the park entertainment schedule for exact times during your visit.
The parade is fantastic but from recent reports it seems that since coming back after the pandemic, the parade is a shell of its former self with a lot of the characters and dancers being cut. This is likely down to staffing and budget issues, but we’re hoping that Festival of Fantasy is able to return to its former glory soon!
Meet Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse can regularly be found in the Town Square Theater, just by the entrance of the Magic Kingdom park. Here you can meet Mickey in his magician outfit, “backstage” as he prepares to perform for his fans.
Meeting Mickey is a staple of the Disney parks and even if you’re not a huge fan of meeting characters, it’s still something you should do at least once. The interactions are always super fun, the characters tend to know they can be a little more cheeky with adults and are always super sweet and patient with children. There’s nothing quite like a hug from a giant mouse to make your day feel more magical!
Top tip: Be sure to keep an eye on the holiday calendar to meet Mickey in all his festive fits!
Watch the Fireworks
Happily Ever After has finally returned to the Magic Kingdom park, featuring all new projections down Main Street USA and Cinderella Castle! Fireworks run nightly, except for during inclement weather, so be sure to check the entertainment schedule for the exact times during your visit.
Happily Ever After has a special place in my heart, the first time I saw it was during my 2019 summer program and I just remember silently trying not to cry in front of people I had just met… Luckily one of those people was Jake and now I just openly cry at HEA and he just has to accept it! (We were also watching Happily Ever After when he asked me to be his girlfriend, so extra special place in my heart).
The show features a beautiful song, amazing fireworks and projections on the castle and now down Main Street USA. We absolutely cannot wait to see this show again!… moving on because I’m choking up.
Hidden Gems of Magic Kingdom
Get Pixie Dusted
Just behind Cinderella’s Castle sits Sir Mickey’s Shop where you can ask one of the lovely Cast Members to “Pixie Dust” you with their magic wand! They’ll ask you to close your eyes and make a wish and, if the stars align, your wish may just come true!
It’s such a fun thing to do, the cast members seem to enjoy it and I’ve honestly only ever seen adults getting this done so don’t feel embarrassed asking to be pixie dusted! I did this on my 20th birthday and I loved every second!
Top tip: Maybe do this on a hair wash day or you’ll have glittery everything for a week!
Monorail Bar Hop
Not exactly located IN the Magic Kingdom, but within the surrounding area are three deluxe Disney resorts, all connected via monorail. The Grand Floridian, the Polynesian Village Resort and The Contemporary Resort which all have their own iconic bar lounges, all made easily accessible via the monorail system. Disembark the monorail at each stop to grab a specialty drink!
We suggest trying:
- Grand Floridian: Enchanted Rose Lounge – Floral Bitter Beauty Cocktail … $17.50
Hendrick’s Gin, St~Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Campari, Aperol, Lemon, and Soda - The Polynesian: Trader Sam’s Tiki Bar – Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Rum ……………… $16.50
Pyrat XO Reserve Rum, Cream of Coconut, and Pineapple and Orange Juices dusted with Cinnamon and Nutmeg - The Contemporary: Outer Rim – Rum Swizzle ……………………………………………… $14.50
Mount Gay Eclipse Rum with Tropical Juices and flavors of Guava and Mango
Stay for the Kiss Goodnight
At the end of each night in the Magic Kingdom, around 30 minutes before the park closes, “When You Wish Upon a Star” plays and Cinderella’s Castle begins to twinkle with the magic of pixie dust to let guests know it is almost time to leave for the night. It’s a super sweet moment to end your day in Magic Kingdom and can be seen all the way down Main Street USA.
Top tip: This is generally a great time to get some night time castle and Main Street photos as the park is much quieter!
Just Relax
Magic Kingdom can be a super overwhelming park, you feel like you have a million things to do and you have to do all of them or you’ve wasted the day, that’s not true. Avoid the burn out, and inevitable disappointment (you’re not going to do everything in one day), and just take a moment to sit back and relax, enjoy your surroundings and be grateful for where you are.
One of my favourite things in the world (both Disney and in general) is sitting on the Hub grass, in front of the castle with a Starbucks and just watching the world go by. Another great place to do some people watching is onboard the Tomorrowland Peoplemover, as you make your lap around Tomorrowland you get great views of the castle, Tomorrowland and even get to travel through parts of the Space Mountain ride! Let us not forget the Walt Disney World Railroad, too! This is such a great way to see the whole park and to get off your feet for a little while. The train does a full loop of the Magic Kingdom park, stopping at Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Main Street Station.
Watch the Fireworks from Fantasyland
Watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks from Main Street USA is no doubt the best way to see the fireworks and projections… but watching the fireworks from Fantasyland offers a whole new experience! You become surrounded with bursting fireworks, coming to life above your head, not just in front of you, it’s all encompassing. It doesn’t get more magical than this.
Watching the fireworks from Fantasyland is one of my favourite experiences in Magic Kingdom and is one of my favourite memories from my 2019 program.
Magic Kingdom Bingo!
Complete your bingo card, post it on your story and don’f forget to tag us! 🙂
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