When one thinks of Disney World, what park does he or she think of first? Magic Kingdom, of course! The iconic Cinderella’s Castle is always the first thing I want to see. Then I know I’m in Disney and not just dreaming!
Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
We spent more time at Magic Kingdom than any other park, 2 full days, plus an additional evening for dinner. And we STILL didn’t do everything there is to do. But we were on our own speed, and as much as I personally enjoy the Carousel of Progress (There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow…), I know Carlene would much rather ride the teacups.
With the exception of Peter Pan’s Flight, Magic Kingdom was fully operational. Last time we were at Disney, Fantasyland was completely under construction, so Belle’s castle area and Ariel’s grotto were brand new to us this time! As of our trip, Snow White’s area was still under construction (it looks to be some sort of roller coaster set in a cave!), so we look forward to seeing that completed next time. The Storybrook Circus area was also open now.
Enchanted Tales with Belle, one of the new attractions: THIS was probably my most magical Disney moment on this trip. Belle has always been my favorite, and the tradition has continued with Carlene. I didn’t know what to expect from this, but I noticed the wait times were very long each day, so we used one of our Fastpass+ allowances towards it. But after seeing it, I totally understand why you’d wait in line an hour for it. Children and parents are involved in Belle’s tale, and after storytime is over, Belle takes photos with the children one by one! The setting is small and intimate, and there is a Disney PhotoPass photographer present to capture the perfect shot. Whatever you do, DON’T leave Magic Kingdom without seeing this one!
Speaking of Fastpass+… have you heard of it? You can pick 3 attractions for each day and book your Fastpass time before even hitting the parks. Carlene and I chose ours about a month before vacation. This works with the MagicBands currently being tested as well as Keys to the World. I read they are making changes to the Fastpass+ system, so I can’t promise your experience will be like mine, but I loved it. It really helped us make the most of our time.
Other big ride pluses: Carlene got front row of Splash Mountain TWICE! Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was even more fun than I remembered. Blake really loved Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Ariel’s Grotto put a big smile on all of our faces. And you can’t go to Disney and not ride It’s a Small World. It’s an unwritten rule.
Besides the rides, don’t forget to check out the Dream Along with Mickey show in front of Cinderella’s Castle, and the Captain Jack Sparrow Pirate Tutorial across from Pirates of the Caribbean, both performed multiple times throughout the day. And stay late for the Main Street Electrical Parade, Celebrate the Magic show (which is when images are amazingly projected onto the Castle), and the Wishes fireworks show (watch for Tinkerbell!). Oh, and if you get there early enough to see the park opening, you’ll catch a brief but fun show featuring Mickey Mouse himself!
Food is aplenty at Magic Kingdom. Our first night, we dined at Cinderella’s Castle. It’s a nice experience, and if you’ve never done it and you are the parent of a young princess (or if you are a princess at heart!), you should do it at least once. The food was good, the service was good, but really, we only did it for the Princess experience. We’ll probably skip it next time.
We had dinner at the new Be Our Guest restaurant one night. Now THIS. THIS was awesome. I was in awe. Like I said before, Beauty and the Beast has my heart, so maybe that’s why I was stunned. But it was just like going into the movie. The food was delicious, and yes, we tried the grey stuff!! We also got to take our picture with the Beast. The West Wing is very cool, watch the portrait! My one question I should have asked… Anyone know the story about the baby faces on the cherubs on the ceiling of the ballroom? I highly suggest putting this on your reservation list.
We also had dinner at Tony’s Town Square, the Italian Restaurant centered around Lady and the Tramp. I made this reservation because we had never eaten here before, and when we got to Disney, I found myself disappointed that I hadn’t booked Liberty Tree Tavern instead (I looove that place). But how pleasantly surprised I was at Tony’s! It was so yummy! It’s right near the entrance to Magic Kingdom, so do yourself a favor and don’t pass it by!
And I can’t forget our Pooh and Friends breakfast at the Crystal Palace! One of the best breakfast buffets you’ll have anywhere on Disney property, AND you meet Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore!
So what didn’t I like? I was a little disappointed at how short the Barnstormer ride was. I know it’s meant for smaller children to be able to ride a coaster, but Carlene even said, “That’s IT!?” once it stopped. Not worth waiting in line for a long time.
Rapunzel’s tower is anchored by bathrooms. Really?! It’s constructed beautifully. I mean, I know Disney needs plenty of restrooms, but I was hoping it would be Rapunzel’s meeting area.
The area in front of the Castle is ridiculously congested during parade times, to the point where you can’t go forward or backward. I know it’s not necessarily Disney’s fault, but it sucks when you can’t go anywhere, nor can you get a good view of the parade because you are smooshed far back. You are better off trying to get on the parade route near Liberty Square.
Waiting for a quick service meal at Cosmic Ray’s one night took far longer than it should have. We were simply getting a PB&J for Blake because he had slept through dinner, and we waited 20 minutes. For an Uncrustable, a bag of grapes, and a milk. All prepackaged. Blake was pretty pissed. I normally wouldn’t complain, but it really wasn’t busy, and people behind us in line were getting their burgers before we got our order. Just a mini, truthful vent!
Well, that’s Magic Kingdom in a nutshell! Agree? Disagree? Comments? Questions? I’ll see you at Epcot (via words) in the near future!
loving lemonade. 