How to Have the Best Experience at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

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The Magic Kingdom is my girl’s favorite park at Walt Disney World. They love walking through the castle and seeing all of the characters, in addition to the parades and nighttime fireworks. As an adult, I love it also, but it is not my favorite for a few different reasons, but I do love seeing my girls experience the magic of Disney. Since this park is often times really crowded and everything is a must see and must do, I thought I would share how to have the best experience at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Over the years, our family has been to Walt Disney World a handful of times, but this time was different. This time our party consisted of 10 family members of all ages, so during this specific trip, we learned a lot of do’s and don’ts that we will definitely utilize on our next trip. Here are just a few:

1. FastPasses: Be smart when you schedule your FastPasses. Our mistake was that we scheduled our FastPasses without looking at the Magic Kingdom map. For example, when you schedule your FastPasses, you are allowed to schedule 3 at one time. When we scheduled our 3, we scheduled one that was located on one side of the park and then the others were on opposite sides of the park. We were spending too much time walking all over the park to reach our destination before our FastPasses expired.
2. My Disney Experience: Before you arrive at Disney, download the My Disney Experience app on your phone.This app will be your best friend. You can access real-time wait times, park hours, parade showtimes, GPS-enabled map if you get lost inside the park and more.
3. Cinderella’s Castle: When you enter Main Street, there will be a lot of PhotoPass photographers lined up in front of the castle. Do not stop at the first one, because most people tend to stop at the first few, therefore creating a line. I normally stop at a photographer closer to the castle.
4. Skip Certain Rides: Some rides are not worth repeating, so sit down with your family and decide which rides are not worth repeating. Of course, if you can schedule a FastPass then you should go ahead and experience these rides.
5. Make Reservations: Utilize the ability to make your reservations 6 months in advance and if you do not get the restaurant that you want, keep checking everyday. You may consider signing up for Touringplans.com. This website, with payment, will alert you when a restaurant reservation is made available. I did not use this, but I have heard amazing things from the Disney lovers that have.
6. Parades: Half of our party love the parades and the other half can live without the parades. Decide which parade is the most important to watch and then while other parades are happening head towards the rides that are normally busy. Don’t forget to check your My Disney Experience app
7. Supplies: Make sure to pack the right supplies. Since crowds at the Magic Kingdom seem busier than most parks, that means the concession lines are more crowded. Make sure to pack enough snacks to keep hungry and tired kids energized. In addition, you want to be prepared for rain. Ponchos are very expensive at Disney, so it’s smart to have yours ready if there is rain in the forecast. Also, if it starts to rain, most people will run for cover or look for the closest gift shop to buy a poncho, so this is the perfect time to go to a ride that would normally be crowded.
8. Purchases: We brought 4 kids with us on this trip. Since we knew that these kids would want everything, we decided to purchase Disney gift cards for each of them so they could have their own spending money. This worked perfectly because when they wanted something, they had to determine if it was worth spending their money on it. This prevented any extra whining and begging. If you shop at Costco or Sam’s, they have Disney gift cards at a discounted price.
9. Know When to Go: I cannot express myself enough not to go to the Magic Kingdom during the weekend. This always seems to be the most crowded time. It is not fun to try and maneuver around so many strollers and little feet that are going in different directions.
10. Meal Share: The food at Disney is expensive and each plate has quite a bit of food. Consider meal sharing, avoid buying sodas and stick with tap water.
11. Single Rider Lines: Unless you feel like you absolutely must sit next to each other on rides, look for Single Rider lines. We did this a few times and since our party was so big, often times we ended up with at least one person in our party.
12. Parent Swap: Just because you have little ones that may be too short or scared to ride a ride, does not mean that anyone needs to miss out. When you enter the ride line, ask the attendant for a Parent Swap Pass. You will all walk through the line but will wait to the side with your child until another adult in your party gets off of the ride. Oftentimes, if there is more than mom and dad in your party, they will let another member of your party ride with you so you don’t have to do it alone.
13. Delivery Service: If you are staying on Disney property, make sure to utilize their park to hotel delivery service. It is absolutely free and will allow you to be hands-free of items you purchased.
14. Rent a Locker: If you decide that you brought too much to the park or you no longer need your jacket, the lockers at the front of the park are extremely affordable! I was shocked at how affordable that they were. It’s worth the cost to get a locker versus carrying your heavy jacket around.
15. Stroller: I am not sure if this will always be available, but during your trip, if you discover that you need a stroller because your little one hurt their foot or their legs needed a break, some hotels sell mini strollers. We stayed at Boardwalk and one member of our party needed a stroller because her little one woke up with a bruised foot. She went to the front office and they sold her a brand new umbrella stroller for $50. That might sound like a lot but it was a great deal for her and the stroller was comfortable.
16. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique: If you plan on taking your little princess to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, schedule it as early as possible so you don’t have to interrupt your day.
17. Dress: There is a lot of walking and standing in line at the Magic Kingdom, so it’s important to dress comfortable. Make sure to wear the right shoes. Avoid any type of shoe that is not padded properly or you will regret it very soon after arriving at Disney. In addition, you may consider wearing 2 pairs of socks to add cushion to your feet.

These are only a few tips on how to have the best experience at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. There are obvious ones like taking plenty of breaks and not pushing yourself too hard, but these are the ones that we learned during our last trip. Please share any tips that you might have for those that will be visiting the Magic Kingdom.

Here are some Disney posts that you might love:

Why Disney’s Art of Animation is NOT for Me

Why I Will Keep Taking My Girls to Walt Disney World

Bibbidi Bobbidi Tips You Will Want to Know

What Not to Buy at Walt Disney World

 5 WDW Restaurants NOT Worth Skipping