DisneyFanatic.com The Latest News, Advice, and Perspective from Disney Fans for Disney Fans!
Planning a trip to Walt Disney World can be overwhelming. That said, we do recommend doing some planning before you arrive in order to ensure your trip is as magical as you want it to be. The problem? Many people don’t even know where to begin when it comes to planning their Disney vacation. This is especially true for Magic Kingdom, which is the park with the most to see and do, as well as being the most iconic park of all. Lucky for you, we know Disney. Below we’ve compiled a list of our top tips for ensuring you have an awesome time during your next visit to the Magic Kingdom. Use these tips to plan your trip and you’re sure to have the best day ever!
1. Don’t Forget a Park Reservation
Before you do anything else, get a park reservation. Park reservations are required in addition to a ticket right now in order to limit capacity. Unfortunately, these reservations often go quickly, especially during the busier times of year, meaning you will want to make it a high priority to get a reservation for the day you want to visit.
2. Plan for Two Magic Kingdom Days if Possible
As mentioned above, Magic Kingdom offers more to see and do than any of the other Disney World parks. For this reason, many guests find they have a much better time when they split their Magic Kingdom time between two days. If you’ll be visiting for more than 4 days total, we highly recommend hitting Magic Kingdom a second time.
3. Make a Plan for Your Day
We also mentioned the importance of planning your Disney vacation above. Obviously, this means making hotel reservations, dining reservations, and park reservations, but we actually recommend doing a bit more than that. Because Magic Kingdom is such a full park, we find it’s a good idea to take a minute to look at what rides and attractions are available—as well as what isn’t available at the moment, in order to avoid disappointment—and make a “must-do” list. Once you have an idea of what you absolutely must see, make a plan for how to tackle those things in order to avoid aimless wandering and instead make the best use of your time.
4. Snag a “Be Our Guest” Reservation
If you want to eat at a sit-down restaurant during your day (or days) at Magic Kingdom, reservations are a must. Not only do you need to make reservations, but because seating is limited right now, you’ll want to make those reservations well in advance. Not sure which table-service eatery to choose? We highly recommend Be Our Guest. This restaurant has the best theming of all the Disney World restaurants, making you feel as though you’ve actually stepped into the Beauty and the Beast movie.
5. Use Mobile Ordering
Plan to take advantage of quick-service dining during your time in the park? It’s important to know that some locations are requiring guests to use mobile ordering. Honestly though, even if this wasn’t the case, we would still recommend using this system to get your quick-service meals. It removes the need to wait in long lines, helping to maximize your park time.
6. Get to the Park Early
Speaking of maximizing park time, you will want to make sure you arrive at the park before it officially opens for the day. Guests are allowed to enter a few minutes before the posted opening time most days, and arriving as early as possible ensures you get the most out of your time there. Not only will this give you more time in the parks, but the early morning tends to be the least busy time of day, meaning lines will be shorter.
7. Grab a Button
Are you visiting Disney for the first time? Or are you celebrating a birthday or anniversary? If so, stop by Town Hall at the front of the park to grab a button. Buttons tell Cast Members and other guests that you’re celebrating something, giving them the opportunity to help make your day extra special by offering a “happy birthday” or “congratulations” as you walk by. Sometimes people are even offered special treats to help them celebrate, so be sure to wear your pin all day!
8. Plan to Stay Until Close
In addition to arriving before opening, we also highly recommend staying right up until the park closes. This is because the park tends to empty out a little bit around dinner time, meaning shorter waits for rides and fewer crowds to navigate. We suggest you stick around and let the after fireworks crowds exit if you stay through the nighttime spectacular. Besides, the evening weather is nice, and seeing the park lit up after dark is definitely magical.
9. Hang Out on Main Street
Aside from some shopping and dining (which is limited at the moment) there isn’t a whole lot in terms of attractions on Main Street, U.S.A. That said, we highly recommend hanging out there for a little bit. Why? Because the character cavalcades that go by at random throughout the day are absolutely wonderful. These mini-parades feature a variety of characters and give you the opportunity to say hi to favorite Disney friends, despite the lack of meet-and-greets.
10. Don’t Miss Out on the Electrical Water Pageant
Normally, we recommend ending the night with the fireworks show. Since that isn’t an option right now, we recommend the next best thing: the Electrical Water Pageant. This fun light parade on the water is lovely to look at as you leave the park, and is the perfect way to finish a perfect day.
