Let’s follow the pixie dust trail and discover 5 ways you can make your day extra magical at one of our favorite parks, Magic Kingdom!
Most people when they think of Disney World the first thing they think of is Magic Kingdom and the iconic Cinderella’s Castle. Magic Kingdom has the most attractions and offers visitors a chance to experience classical attractions like Peter Pan’s Flight or Haunted Mansion. So you will want to make the most of your Magic Kingdom day.
1. Early Theme Park Entry:
Staying at a Disney Resort hotel will qualify you to get 30 minutes early entry into Magic Kingdom where select rides, merchandise and food and beverage will be available. We like to march on over to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or zoom over to Space Mountain to beat the crowds. 30 minutes may not seem like a lot of time, but it allows you to get a head start on your magical day and beat the rush to some of the more popular rides. Try to plan on arriving 45 minutes before the official start time of the Early Park Entry.
2. Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane:
If you love rides and want to experience as many as possible, we suggest investing some extra funds into the Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane. Magic Kingdom is a fantastic park to use these options. They both allow you to use the Lightning Lane entrances which saves you time waiting in the traditional stand-by line. If you like to sleep in and will miss Early Theme Park Entry, Genie+ might be the best way to still get the full experience of the park. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the Individual Lighting Lane for purchase in Magic Kingdom. This family friendly coaster will easily reach wait times of 90 minutes to 2 hours in the afternoon. The time you save from both Genie+ and the Individual Lighting Lane will allow you to ride your favorites again or just relax and take in all the magic. Genie+ at Magic Kingdom is suggested for nearly all of our clients.
3. Crowds:
If you are going during the Halloween and Christmas seasons, try to go to Magic Kingdom on a day where they are having the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The crowds are significantly lower on days when those events are held. You want to make sure that you show up early those days because the park does close early on party nights, but what you can accomplish throughout the day will more than make up for the few hours that you lose at the end of the night.
4. Dining:
If you’d like to maximize your ride time skip making a sit down dining reservation and do a quick service option instead. We are big fans of Casey’s Corner with their delicious hot dogs, Gaston’s Tavern for their frozen and frothy LeFou’s Brew and gooey cinnamon rolls, and have been known to just opt for snacks like the turkey leg in Frontierland and a Dole Whip in Adventureland. If you would like to sit, relax and have a leisurely dining experience in Magic Kingdom, Skipper Canteen is an often overlooked gem. For an iconic sit down dining option, try to book dining in advance with Pixie Path Travels at Be Our Guest Restaurant or Cinderella’s Royal Table.
5. Extended Evening Hours:
If staying at a Disney Deluxe resort, you will qualify for special extended evening hours at select parks on select days. This gives you a few extra hours to enjoy the park at night with a minimal crowd. Extended Evening Hours are two hours after park closing. Nearly every ride is open during this time and many of the shows are too. We have been able to experience Peter Pan’s Flight, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. If you don’t do any of the previous tips a day with those attractions would be considered a good day at Magic Kingdom.
Pixie Path Pointers:
Take time to enjoy the 3pm parade, purchase the Memory Maker photo pass to capture your magical moments and definitely stay for the nighttime spectacular fireworks, Disney Enchantment.
Want to start planning your perfect day at Magic Kingdom? Reach out to Pixie Path Travels for a free quote.