Welcome to our new mini-series uncovering the best things not to miss at each of the parks at the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts. Over the next few days we will be letting you know our favorites from each park to help you plan your vacation better. Enjoy!
By Undercover Diva
Planning a trip to Walt Disney World can be difficult, especially when you are trying to balance the time you have, and making sure you do everything everyone wants to do. No matter how much time you have there is never enough time to do it all, trust me, I lived there four and a half months and didn’t get everything done. Whether this is your first time or your tenth time, hopefully this list will give you some ideas of the must-dos while in the Magic Kingdom so that you don’t miss out.
1. Grab yourself a Dole Whip. I have decided that my blood is actually made out of Dole Whip, I love the stuff to no end. I see no reason why you shouldn’t grab yourself one of these delicious treats and take some time to relax. Plus, you can get a small cup as a snack from your dinning plan! If Dole Whips aren’t your style, then grab a Mickey Bar or any of the other yummy ice cream treats the park has to offer. This is a great way for you to try to cool down in the Florida heat, plus it can give your family a chance to regroup and figure out what you want to do next. Or, if you already have everything laid out, get in line! You can take food or drinks in line with you for most rides, they just want you to finish it or throw it away before you get to the front, so what better way to distract from your wait than to enjoy a treat! Just make sure you throw your trash away in a can and don’t just leave it lying around.
Courtesy of Dopey Diva
2. Make sure you hit Space Mountain. Space Mountain is a classic, and it’s a nice thrill without being too scary. Having been on both, I like the Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom better than the one at Disneyland, but the one at Magic Kingdom couldn’t exist without their first being on at Disneyland. There is a great interactive queue that helps beat the wait and it’s also all in doors! What better wait to get away from the heat or the rain that being completely away from it!
3. Grab your inner child and hit New Fantasyland. I’m going to group it all together because you shouldn’t miss any of it. Especially if you haven’t been since it opened, then you must take the time to see all the great new things. There are 4 new rides, 4 new meet and greets, 2 places to get yummy snacks and of course a fabulous restaurant. It’s hard to call Dumbo new, but there are now 2 Dumbo rides to get on, significantly cutting down the wait. And if you do have to wait, grab a number and wait indoors while your child plays in the playground! They will let you know when it’s your turn. Barnstormer is a fun little roller coaster for kids of all ages. Sure, an adrenaline junkie probably won’t get his fix here, but it’s worth feeling the wind in your hair.
Under the Sea Journey of the Little Mermaid is a slow-moving ride that takes you through the sights and sounds of Ariel’s story. This is another queue that is largely indoors, though not completely. Also, if the wait time says 20 minutes, it is probably less than that.
I’ve been told this by several cast members who work the ride. The one ride I can’t comment on much is the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I can not wait to ride it when I go back in October, especially since my boyfriend just got trained there, but it was not open yet last time I was there. I can tell you to keep your eyes open, because there are several pieces from Snow White’s Scary Adventure that were added to the Mine to give it that special touch.
Princess Fairytale Hall opens up in September of 2014 as a place for Cinderella and her Princess friends to meet all of their visiting friends. There have been several different pairs to meet in the Hall, but most recently it has become the home of Anna and Elsa. Cinderella will always meet in the Hall and each day she will announce who is visiting with her. Two girls you won’t see visiting very often are Ariel and Belle, though it is not impossible. Belle meets over in Enchanted Tales with Belle where Lumiere retells the 
story of the night that Belle and Beast fell in love. This is a wonderful attraction that really brings you into the story, really! And Ariel meets right next to her ride. The last meet and greet in New Fantasyland is Pete’s Silly Side Show where you can meet Minnie, Daisy, Donald and Goofy in their circus attire!
Just next to Pete’s Silly Side Show is Big Top Souvenirs where you can get a candy apple or cotton candy or many other baked goods, along with a new friend to hug. On the other side of New Fantasyland is Gaston’s tavern, where you can get yourself a snack or a Pork Shank if you are a little hungrier. And it is at Gaston’s Tavern where you will find another one of my favorite Disney Treats- Lefou’s Brew. It’s of frozen apple juice with a hint toasted marshmallow with Passion Fruit-Mango foam on top. It may look like beer, but it is non-alcoholic (and in my opinion wwwaaayy better tasting). And of course the restaurant that everyone has been dreaming about is Be Our Guest. If you want, you can read my Lunch vs. Dinner review here. This restaurant is one of the prettiest in all of Magic Kingdom, even better than Cinderella’s Royal Table, in my opinion. You really feel like you are in the actual Beasts castle, and the Imagineers didn’t spare any detail. If you can get into this amazing restaurant, I definitely recommend it!
4. Take some time to remember your Wishes. I never used to be a fireworks person. Actually, I take that back, I loved the fireworks because it meant shorter lines for all the rides I wanted to go on. But once I got to Walt Disney World and took the time to watch Wishes, I realized what I was missing out on. It is truly an amazing and beautiful work of art. Trust me, I worked in Fantasyland and my job was affected nightly by the fireworks, and I still appreciate how amazing they are. I have friends who cry every time they watch wishes, even if it is from their position at the front of an attraction. There is nothing more magical about the Magic Kingdom than watching Wishes, and trust me, no one does fireworks better than Disney!
5. Have a conversation with the Magical Mouse himself! Even if meeting characters isn’t your thing, you have to have a conversation with Mickey at least once! Nothing is cooler than having a personalize meet and great with the big cheese himself. And if you are lucky, he may try a magic trick on you! I may be biased, because I love meeting characters, but it was awesome the first time I met Mickey and he held a conversation with me. The wait can be a little long, but try and hit this line earlier or later in the day, that should help with the wait.
Courtesy of Dopey Diva
6. Open the park with a bang. I may be a little hypocritical here, but I think everyone should see the Magic Kingdom Welcome Show at least once, though I have never seen in. What better way to hit that Magic Kingdom than to be welcomed by Mickey and his friends. It happens every day and last only 10 minutes. It starts just about 20 minutes before the park opens, really giving meaning to “the early bird gets the worm”. If I could have gotten to the Magic Kingdom on time to see that, I definitely would have!
7. Move it! Shake It! Celebrate it! with the parade of the same name. Parades aren’t for everyone. You have to stake your claim at least 30 minutes before and deal with a bunch of people in close proximity to you in the hot mid-day sun. But the Move it! Shake it! Celebrate it! Parade is short and sweet while still giving you the feel of the whole thing. It gives you the fun and excitement of all the character interaction a parade has but only has a handful of floats. If you want the full experience, watch it down by Cinderella’s Castle where they park the floats and hold and dance party. If not, watch it down by the front of Main Street where they make their entrances and exits.
Courtesy of Dopey Diva
8. Yo Ho, Yo Ho a Pirates life for you. The people fought for it, so you should enjoy it! Pirates of the Caribbean was a huge success at Disneyland, but when Walt Disney World originally opened, it wasn’t included, and their were no plans to put it in. Fans were upset, and they made sure their complaints were heard and two years after the parked opened, the new attraction was put in as well. While many things throughout the park are attractions that have come from movies, this is one of the few times where a popular attraction inspired a movie. Plus, this queue is mostly indoors and completely covered, so why not hop in line to avoid the heat or the rain. There is one drop that can be kinda scary to young kids, but besides that this ride is fun for the whole family, especially if you like the movies!
9. All aboard the People Mover. I know you probably think I’m crazy here, but this line is always short and you can sit down and take a load off while you get a look at the park in a different way. I like to put my feet up on this ride, take a load off while I enjoy the sights. This ride goes inside other rides, so it can be cool to ride while others are down for construction. I did this once when Space Mountain was down, it was cool to be able to see the tracks with the lights on. And if you are into people watching, this is a great way to do it, because it gives you a birds-eye point of view.
10. Catch some magic with Mickey’s Philharmagic. If you pay any attention to the lives of us Divas and Devos, you are probably thinking I am being biased. But really, this attraction barely ever has a wait, you get to sit down, be indoors and its family friendly. I have never once heard someone come out hating the show or regretting the time they spent. More often, people come out hoping to find a DVD somewhere. After working this attraction for 5 months, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen it, but it will definitely be something I hit when I go back! I have this show memorized like the back of my hand, and I’ve performed it as a joke with friends to prove it, but it is still a classic favorite.
I hope this helps you plan your next trip to the place where dreams come true. I for one know I can’t wait to get back there! And remember to keep your eye out for Undercover Diva around Fantasyland!
