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What we Learned on our First Trip to The Magic Kingdom!

A Disney World Vacation takes a lot of planning and can have a steep learning curve for first-time visitors.  During our first visit to the Magic Kingdom, we learned a lot and have improved our planning each time we visit. Now as Disney Passsholders we share our Disney World Vacation Planning Tips here, but check out everything we learned in one visit below!
Snow white at magic kingdom
 

Visiting The Magic Kingdom

I went to Disney World for the first time as an infant, back when The Magic Kingdom was all that Disney World consisted of.  However, I hadn’t been back since I was a toddler, so I was left with only a few pictures from the ’80s and no memories.  Now as a mom, I couldn’t wait to take my kids to see all the magic I had heard about for decades, and when the twins were 3 we finally got the chance to visit the mouse for the first time.

Entering the Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom is the heart of Walt Disney World and my kid’s favorite park.  During the busy seasons, I learned that you can spend an entire day at The Magic Kingdom from open to close and still not see everything there is to do.  I definitely recommend taking a couple of days during your trip to really enjoy all the magic of The Magic Kingdom.  The other Disney Parks we usually will go from lunchtime till closing or from opening till lunchtime and then head back to our hotel for the relaxation part of our vacation.  However, with the Magic Kingdom, we like to stay the entire day for two full days.  This way we are able to break up the park by lands, doing Main Street USA, Tomorrow Land and Fantasy Land on one day and the do Frontier Land, Adventure Land, and Liberty Square on the next day. 
 
Magic Kingdom Cinderella's Castle
 
 

Our Favorite Rides at the Magic Kingdom

Buzz Lightyear ‘s Space Ranger Spin
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Dumbo
Grand Prix Raceway
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

Peter Pan’s Flight
 
Grand Prix Raceway at Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Dumbo Flying Elephant
Rides at Disney Magic Kingdom
 
 

Visiting Characters at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Aidan doesn’t do good in lines at all, we can usually do a 5-10 wait with minor problems but anything longer than that usually includes a major meltdown because of his sensory issues in a confined area surrounded by strangers.

His body just wants to run and there’s no fast pass for characters.  His disability access service card doesn’t apply to character meetings.  So we like to plan out the characters we really need to see and spread them out between the parks.  
 
This is why character dining works the best for us, Aidan is able to sit, eat, and use his Ipad in between characters, it can be expensive but for us, it is totally worth it.  
 
After scheduling out our dining reservations we end up only having to wait in those long lines for a few autographs instead of dozens.
Pirate Goofy at Magic Kingdom
Character Autographs at Magic Kingdom
Tinkerbell at magic kingdom
 

Eating at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

We haven’t done any character meals inside the Magic Kingdom yet.  Cinderella’s Royal Table is on our list for next year because we wanted to wait until Lilly was really able to enjoy the experience.  
 
What we have done on our Magic Kingdom days, which has worked out perfectly, is had lunch at Chef Mickey inside the Contemporary Resort or Dinner at 1900 Park Fare inside the Grand Floridian Resort.  Both of these restaurants are on the monorail which makes them very easy and quick to get to from the Magic Kingdom.  Plus it gives us a mid-day break from the hustle and bustle of the park and the kids enjoy riding the monorail, especially my train obsessed Aidan.
 
We try to only do one sit down meal a day at the parks because of all the other fun eats there are throughout the park.  With Ice Cream, Pretzels, and more shaped like Mickey, a candy store you could get lost in, the legendary Dole Whip, and the cutest Starbucks in the world, there no time to get hungry.
Mickey Pretzels at Disney World

Shopping on Main Street USA

As if there isn’t enough to fill your day with characters, shows, rides, and food.  The shopping is amazing and makes any Disney lover’s heart skip a beat!  Everything and anything you could want, they have with a Disney twist!  I could have spent an entire day just walking around Main Street USA.

Shows and Parades at the Magic Kingdom

Dream Along with Mickey
Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party
Wishes nighttime spectacular (obviously a must)
 
Magic-kingdom-street-party Disney Parade main street usa
 
And then the Magic has to come to an End!  Till next time Mickey…
 
Tips for visiting magic Kingdom

 

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