Magic Kingdom Tips
Disney's Magical Kingdom is "Disney World." That's to say, when you think of Disney World, nearly every image that comes to mind can be found there. It's Mickey's playground, Cinderella's kingdom, and the place where magic happens every minute. Here are a few things we've figured out over the years:
MK Tip #1: Take. Your. Time. It is physically impossible to do absolutely everything in this park in one or even two days. Review a map, do a little research, figure out what your Must Do things are. Work around those Must Do things and have fun filling in the gaps. Just remember, you can't do it all, so make sure to enjoy what you do manage to do.
MK Tip #2: The Ticket and Transportation Center is your friend. It's where you'll park if you drive to the Magic Kingdom and it'll be where your bus goes if that's you mode of transportation. From the TTC, you'll either ride a boat or a monorail over to the Magic Kingdom. Truly, seriously, honestly neither way is faster than the other. Sometimes you'll time a boat ride just ride and happen to beat the monorail, and sometimes vice versa, but it really doesn't matter, so don't stress over it. Personally I prefer the boat because of the view as you cross the lake, but the monorail has fun views of a couple of resorts. (P.S. The least horrendous coffee I could find was at the little shop near the entrance to the boat. The Iced Vanilla Coffee was actually almost good.)
MK Tip #3: If you get to the park in the morning, go all the way down Main Street and turn left. The crowds tend to linger on Main Street and then turn right, so by going the opposite way, you'll enjoy some semi-peaceful time. We have managed to walk right on Aladdin's Magic Carpets several times by going that way.
MK Tip #4: Figure out what Fast Passes you want. For us, it's Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. It's pretty easy to structure your day around Fast Passes, and it will save you a ton of time standing in line if you do.
MK Tip #5: If your kid is scared of the dark and/or loud noises, skip Stitch's Great Escape. I'm thinking Alexis will be grown-up enough to do it when she's about 30 years old because ZOMG would it ever freak her out. It's pretty intense and in my opinion, it's better to err on the skip it side than it is to traumatize your kid for a few hours.
MK Tip #6: Funnel Cake. Liberty Square near the Hall of Presidents. Strawberries and whip cream. DO IT.
MK Tip #7: Soon there will be Fast Passes available near the entrance of the Magic Kingdom for meeting Mickey and Minnie. When there is, it'll be pretty fantastic. For now, you can find characters in places that are logical. For example, the Winnie the Pooh characters show up outside the The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride.
MK Tip #8: There is currently a spontaneous dance party breaking out in Tomorrowland all through the day. It's a great chance for your kid to get to meet a few characters without having to wait in line. Just follow the music and you'll find it. (P.S. Look around once you find the dance party and you'll see a Meet and Greet area for Buzz Lightyear.)
MK Tip #9: The lines for Peter Pan and Snow White's Scary Adventures are often obnoxious and not worth it. If anyone can explain that whole thing to me, please do!
MK Tip #10: On the flip side, the line for the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh looks obnoxious, but there is a play area all along the line (new within the last year, btw) that makes the wait time seem less painful than it is.
MK Tip #11: Find the schedule for parades and shows. The Celebration parade is absolutely worth seeing if you have short people who like Disney characters. The show that happens in front of Cinderella's castle is perfect for princess lovers. Both have good sight lines, so while it is good to park yourself early for a great seat, it's not really necessary.
MK Tip #12: The lines for rides go down when parades are happening. During the Main Street Electrical parade, most of the park is empty. We rode Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin literally six times in a row, no waiting at all, during the parade this year. That said, the Main Street Electrical Parade is pretty fantastic, so you should try to see it at least once in your life. I like to grab a funnel cake and watch it from Liberty Square, but Frontier Land is also good (and slightly less crowded than Main Street).
MK Tip #13: Skip shopping while you are at the Magic Kingdom. Unless it's something that is very specific to that park (like a Splash Mountain t-shirt), it's easier to pick up souvenirs at Downtown Disney. I'll post about that magical place soon.
MK Tip #14: If you're hot, Pirates of the Caribbean is a decent place to go stand in line. A lot of the line is indoors and the ride itself is an air conditioned paradise. Another good place for a "rest" is the Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland.
MK Tip #15: Alexis' absolute favorite things in the park are Splash Mountain and Monster's Inc Laugh Floor. She would spend the entire day going back and forth between the two, over and over and over, a problem which was compounded this year when she got to be a part of the Monsters Inc show. She insisted everyone call her "Boo" for the rest of the day. If you can catch the last run of the Monsters Inc show, it's always an extra good one.
And, as always, please chime in with anything I might have missed!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Reader Comments (18)
Great Disney Tips! Here's a few from our experiences at Disney a few years ago: If your child wants to ride the Dumbo ride, do it early, right after the park opens. That ride has insanely long lines and is not worth the wait in my opinion. The Aladdin ride is so similar and the line moves much more quickly. Ditto on the fast pass planning - get ones for the rides you want the most. If you want to ride Peter Pan (not that worth it in my opinion, but my girls loved it) a fast pass is a must. I agree that skipping the Snow White ride is a good idea, especially if you have children that are easily scared. My girls did not like it!
Marked for one day when I finally make that trip.
FastPass is quite possibly one of Disney's best inventions EVER.
With that said... *ahem*... Mickey's Philharmagic? So good (and indoors, and kid-friendly)!!!
Also, two words: Haunted. Mansion. ;-)
Oh yeah, a couple other things...
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor was REALLY cute! I was pleasantly surprised (especially after seeing the monstrosity that they call Stitch's Great Escape -- Alien Encounter, while scarier, was so much better in terms of plot) - and I really quite enjoyed myself (and I'm 19!).
The three mountains (Splash, Space, and Big Thunder) are some of the best things in MK - FastPass is usually necessary, but worth it!
I actually really like Peter Pan... But, I only do it if I have extra room in my schedule to grab another FP, or if I happen to (gasp!) catch it at a down period. Why? Flying the way you do is cool, and something you can't do many other places at Disney...And the London scene is just fantabulous. (But, obviously not worth a 2 hour wait or whatever the madness of Disney lines at peak time are!)
I also am a fan of the TTA (Tomorrowland Transit Authority) - it's a nice break if you get tired, you can just sit and get some really good views of the park (especially at sunset, oh my goodness, can you say beautiful?) while relaxing for a 15 minute or so period.
I also really like the food court they have in Tomorrowland (the name is escaping me at the moment) - there's quite a few options (kid-friendly!) for generally decent prices (considering that it's Disney, after all). Also, the ... Columbia Fish House? Or something like that (again, it's 2:22 AM, names are escaping me)... It's in Liberty Square, and it's AWESOME. It looks like it'd be expensive, from the outside, but it's another food court like setting, relatively cheap, and has really really REALLY yummy food! My friends and I found it by accident when we were running from Haunted Mansion to Frontierland for our parade call time and we had 20 minutes to grab food; it was the first thing we saw - and I ended up going back the next day!
I'm sure there are things I'm missing... Magic Kingdom is just pure awesome in just about every way...
Oh, yes, and the Fantasyland expansion is going to be AWESOME when it's completed. (Though Toontown Fair will be missed, of course.) It's going to be a really nice thing to look forward to for a future trip.
Can you tell that I'm pretty much in love with all things Disney? :-)
I never thought I would waste Fastpass om a kid ride...but when your 2-yr old wants to ride Winnie the Pooh over and over...it's a a life saver.
Buses from the resorts drop-off on the park side of the lake, no need for ferry or monorail.
The week we go to Disney, the flying carpets are always closed for refurbishing. In my 6 trips, I have only seen the the top of the ride over the plywood enclosure. Juliana was devestated the year she was in love with all things Jasmine...still not worth changing the week we go. Note to others to check the list of rides being refurbished - it is on the website. Avoid a trip around major ride if this is a once in a lifetime trip.
The fastpass for Mickey and the Princesses - so awesome. I saw a report that it started this weekend. I remember waiting forever to see the princesses one year. Juliana said she would wait as long as necessary - it was her number 1 priority and she was so good - the line about did me in.
The picture of Alexis on the roller coaster is one as a parent you could lose a day just staring at. To see that look on your child's face. The look of excitement tinged with slightest hint of fear, clutching the arm of the one person in the world who will see her safely through to the end of the ride.
Two Words: Dole Whip. The are at Aloha Isle (which is just inside Adventureland when entering from Main Street).
While I agree generally agree that you should skip the shopping in the parks and get your souvenirs in DTD, I do think that if you have time, it's nice to stroll through the shops on Main Street. I think the shops are quite cute. Also, if you do wind up buying souvenirs and are staying on Disney property, you can have your stuff sent to your room. Just check with the staff. It takes a day or so for things to arrive so if you are leaving the next day, you can't take advantage of this perk.
One of our favorite restaurants is at the Magic Kingdom. Tony's Town Square. It's Lady and the Tramp themed and the spaghetti is yummy! This is a must visit for us each time we are in Disney.
Also, the train is a nice slow paced relaxing ride. Or if you have tired little ones, you can take it from Frontierland (by Splash Mountain) or from Toon Town back to the entrance of the park.
According to the Monster's Inc show, I can burp the alphabet. I wanted Ed to be "that guy"
I so want to go back! The only thing I have to say that contradicts you is that we loooooovvvveee the Peter pan ride and would ride it back to back at slow line times. We are a Neverland Family though! I wish I could see the fireworks on Main Street right now!
Because we just got back I can say the one ride that was fun & a nice escape from the heat was the people mover express or whatever the one is that goes around Tomorrowland like a monorail? Still fun for the kids and no line! Otherwise agree on all!! And if you are going to do a character meal - do the Cinderella lunch not dinner b/c all the princesses go to the lunch but not the dinner. This time we really (and I mean really) enjoyed the dinner at Grand Floridian Park Fare with Cinderella and the Stepsisters - talk about a hoot. We were there 2 hours and the girls loved it (so did the moms!).
Like someone else mentioned, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority is GREAT when you have a dozy toddler and cranky kids. And usually, NO WAIT!
You are a rock star for taking that photo of Alexis. Can I have your autograph?
I have heard it said that there will be TWO Dumbo rides/lines coming soon. That ride is our nemesis. Every time. And I can't wait to see that play area for the Many Adventure of Winnie-the-Pooh!
i've never been to disney so i am baffled by the fast pass. how many folks can get them? if they are readily available, how do they actually save time since everyone would possess them?
@hello haha narf--If a ride has Fast Passes, there are two lines going on. One is for regular standby, the other for Fast Passes. When you take a Fast Pass (you have to swipe your park ticket--the system won't allow you to cheat and abuse things), it prints a time on your Fast Pass for when you can return to ride. So, for example, you could grab a Fast Pass for Splash Mountain when the park first opens and it might say that you can ride between 11:50 and 12:05. That time opening is pretty strictly enforced--you can't ever expect to be allowed on early. They only give out a certain number of Fast Passes per time block and per day, so it's a controlled line that never gets very long.
A lot of times we'll take a Fast Pass for something and then stand in the standby line. That way we get to ride twice in a relatively short amount of time.
Mmm.....funnel cake. And something about Magic Kingdom, but you had me at funnel cake.
Excellent tips! I have used many of them myself. :)
So I take it you are not a fan of the Dole Whip? We always get at least one of those a trip. :) Maybe I should try these funnel cakes?
Let's talk FastPass and how people use it wrong.
FastPass isn't used efficiently by 95% of the people who go to Disney Parks. The only time I've sen it used 99.9% correctly was when I went to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, but I just thru that in to make Michelle slightly jealous.
As Michelle mentioned above the start time on the FastPass is strictly enforced. You cannot enter the FastPass line until your window opens. After that window opens you do not have to use it in that hour window like so many people think you do, you can use it anytime during that day after your window opens.
Say I grabbed a Space Mountain FastPass and the time said 11:05-12:05 PM. I can't join the FastPass line until 11:05 so I hit other rides and Oh look it's 11:05 time to go to Space Mountain, but I'm at Pirates across the park. Well it doesn't matter because since you have that FastPass you can join the FastPass line at anytime now, like when you get back to the other side of the park at like 1:30.
Here's some more FastPass fun:
First things first: Check the wait times at the boards in the HUB (Center of the Park) or download one of the many wait time apps to your phone and check the waits ahead of time before you get the the rides. It will make your life easier.
General Rule of thumb, if the line say 20 minutes or less join the Standby Line. There is not reason to get a FastPass because most likely the line isn't 20 minutes. I have seen people grab fast passes for rides that have no wait and that's dumb, here's why it's dumb. When you grab a FastPass you can't get another one for 2 hours. Sometimes the wait is less depending on the time you get, but don't grab a Big Thunder FP when the line says 15 and Splash is 45. Grab the Splash Mountain FP and enjoy the other lands in the park.
FastPass ruins capacity on a few rides. On many rides FastPass is a wonderful thing, on others it's a capacity nightmare. Take Buzz Lightyear for example. It uses the same ride system as Haunted Mansion, which is a continuous moving vehicle which should keep the line constantly moving, but with FastPass and poor people management by the CM (cast member) working the line that 20 minute standby just became 45 minutes or worse because of the constant stream of FastPass holders coming thru the line.
Which brings me to one of the most annoying complaints from people with FPs. FPs do not let you skip the entire line at most attractions. Since there is a limited number of people hold FPs the line does tend to be shorter, but normally you get merged into the StandBy line at a certain point and you follow that line until the boarding area. This is usually met with people yelling, "I had a FP why am I waiting in a line!"
That is when I want to punch someone. A FP doesn't entitle you to skip lines, just make your wait shorter. Some FP line though don't take you thru some of the best designed queues and you miss some theming that helps tell a story.
So FastPass is a wonderful thing if used correctly. Just take your time and enjoy!
I'm a big fan of the Liberty Tree Tavern near Haunted Mansion, because it's one of the few restaurants that isn't perpetually packed or super loud all day. It's the same kind of counter service you'll find within the rest of the park (the other 3 Disney parks have considerably better dining options) but I kinda dig it.
Scott you're thinking of Columbia Harbor House. Liberty Tree is the sit down dinning across from the Mark Twain. MK is awful for eating. But Columbia Harbor House, Pecos and Cosmic Rays are your best bets for QSR.