Holly Jaye’s Guide to Disney’s Magic Kingdom

When people think of Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, Magic Kingdom park is probably the first thing that comes to their mind. It has the castle, the most well-known rides and mirrors California’s Disneyland Park in almost every way.

In this post, I will give you all the important details about Magic Kingdom including the attractions, dining options, nighttime shows, and more! Plus I will give you my own personal recommendations so that you can make the most of your day in Magic Kingdom.

*Disclaimer: Disney often changes character meet-and-greets, nighttime shows, dining offers, and, occasionally, rides. Although I will do my best to make this quick guide up-to-date, it is best to always check your Walt Disney World app for the most recent information in regards to the Florida Parks.

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Park Layout and Lands

• Main Street, USA
• Adventureland
• Frontierland
• Liberty Square
• Fantasyland
• Tomorrowland

Holly Jaye’s Favs

Adventureland has always held a special place in my heart! The vibe there is so fun, even if it can get extremely crowded. A close second fav of mine is always going to be Main Street because of the nostalgic feel!

All Rides at Magic Kingdom

• Walt Disney Railroad
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Jungle Cruise
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Big Thunder Mountain
• Splash Mountain (RIP this is now closed permanently to be reopened as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in 2024)
• Haunted Mansion
• Prince Charming Regal Carousel
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• It’s a Small World
• Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
• The Barnstormer
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Mad Tea Party (often just called “the Tea Cups”)
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• TRON Lightcycle Run
• Space Mountain
• Astro Orbiter
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Holly Jaye’s favorites

My personal must-do rides are probably Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and all the mountains (Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain). I haven’t been on TRON yet, but I imagine that I’ll like that one as well.

My ultimate favorite ride has always been Splash Mountain, but again, RIP because that is no longer an option. This was the most devastating news for me… so we’ll see if I like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure when it opens. I have a feeling I’m going to still miss my buddies Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear from Splash Mountain though!

Holly Jaye’s Ride Advice

The rides are arguably people’s number one reason for coming to Walt Disney World. Each park offers so many amazing and unique rides that it’s important to have a plan going into your day as to how you’re going to complete all the things you want to in just one day.

The most popular rides that generally have medium-to-long wait times are as follows:

Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan’s Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, TRON, Space Mountain, and sometimes Buzz Lightyear.

The rides I don’t feel are worth the hype for how long of a wait they usually have would have to be Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan. Let me explain why.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a fun ride, don’t get me wrong. I’ve enjoyed it every time I rode it — however, for how long of a wait it usually is to get on, the ride itself seems VERY short. Like I said, it’s a cute ride, but I would if you purchase Genie+ on your trip, I highly encourage just getting a Lightening Lane for this one because if you have to wait longer than like 40min, I would say it’s not worth it.

Peter Pan is an amazing ride, but sort of like the Mine Train, I don’t feel like there is much payout for how long you have to wait. I admit I usually do suffer through this wait because I’m an absolute Peter Pan freak and love everything to do with Peter Pan, but for the average Disney-goer who isn’t a Peter Pan fanatic, it’s an easy one to skip. It’s a cute storybook-style ride, and I enjoy riding it, but I won’t wait in a line longer than about 40min for this one. I will say, if you have kids, this ride is so fun and cute, so I do encourage riding it if you’re with children.

All Shows & Misc. Attractions at Magic Kingdom

• Swiss Family Treehouse
• Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
• Tom Sawyer Island
• Country Bear Jamboree
• The Hall of Presidents
• Liberty Square Riverboat
• Mickey’s Philharmagic
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
• Monsters Inc Laugh Floor

Holly Jaye’s Favorites and Recommendations

Shows and other miscellaneous attractions are a great way to take a break during your busy Disney day, but still feel like you’re getting stuff done. Especially when you’re been running around the park all day in the heat and all you’re wanting is some shade and to take a seat for a second, that’s your time to take advantage of these extras that Disney offers.

Monsters Inc Laugh Floor is probably one of my favorite shows Magic Kingdom has to offer! It features Mike Wazowski as your MC and it’s basically just a comedy show. What’s cool about this one is Mike is on the screen, but he interacts with the crowd, so you may be unknowingly picked as part of the show! Don’t worry, you won’t be asked to go on stage or anything too intimidating.

The other two shows I would maybe recommend seeing would be the Carousel of Progress and the Tiki Room. The reason I like these shows is because they are nostalgic Walt Disney-era shows that if you’re a Disney lover, you’re going to have some sort of feelings for. They’re entertaining, but they’re nothing too crazy. Like I said, I love them because I’m a Disney superfan, but if you’re not, you may not enjoy them as much.

Personally, I’m not much of a show person. I don’t even really watch movies at home, so sitting through a show is almost the last thing I want to do on a Disney vacation. The only times I ever really watched these shows was when I was in the Disney College Program because I basically lived at the parks. Otherwise, I might never have taken the time of day to see them! But I know some people really enjoy them, so it’s all just personal preference.

List of Dining Locations at Magic Kingdom

**Disclaimer: Disney often changes their menu and dining options, so be aware that I will try to keep this blog post up to date, but for the most recent Disney menu items and dining locations, always refer to the Disney app**

Holly Jaye’s dining recommendations

Pecos Bill is almost always where I eat when I spend a day at Magic Kingdom. Their food is delicious and they have a decent amount of options. Plus, it has a lot of seating options which is nice to not have to eat over a trash bin like in most quick service locations.

Casey’s Corner is another location I often eat. It’s a quick service place right off Main Street and sometimes has piano players playing outside of it. The food here is pretty okay, nothing super crazy, but it’s all pretty standard American-style foods such as hot dogs and fries. It’s a simple and easy place to eat when you’re running around the parks all day.

One of the nicer sit-down restaurants in Magic Kingdom, and probably the most well-known, is Be Our Guest. Be Our Guest is a Beauty and the Beast character dining restaurant that you can make a reservation for. They even serve “the Grey Stuff” there and apparently, it’s delicious! (Get it… “try the grey stuff, it’s delicious, don’t believe me, ask the dishes”… lol).

Honestly though, there are so many food options in Magic Kingdom that it’s hard to just shoutout a few. When you’re waiting in line at one of the rides, take a look at the Disney app to really see what each place has to offer.

Holly Jaye’s Food Recommendations

If you do end up eating at Be Our Guest, then you can’t miss out on getting the Grey Stuff. I’ve heard it actually is delicious, although I’ll admit I’ve never tried it. I never have even eaten at Be Our Guest yet, but it’s on my Disney bucket list along with trying the iconic dessert!

The Nutella Fruit Waffle found at Sleepy Hollow is so amazingly good. I’m a sucker for anything with Nutella and fruits, so this treat is right up my alley. I highly recommend grabbing one on your next Magic Kingdom trip, especially if you’re looking for a treat that’s a bit different than normal theme park food but also has some yummy healthy-ish stuff (I mean at least it has fruits, right?).

Because we all know I love Peter Pan, I of course have to get the Peter Pan Float from Storybook Treats almost every time I go to Magic Kingdom. It’s basically a key lime flavored soft-serve on top of sprite and served with a chocolate feather on top. It’s so good and refreshing for those hot park days.

Another refreshing treat that’s a little different than your average theme park food, or in this case your average dole whip, is the Citrus Swirl from Sunshine Tree Terrace. Lately I feel like I have not been seeing this on the menu, so I’m not sure if it is still being served or if this was more of a seasonal offering, but it was an orange juice soft serve swirled with vanilla soft serve and it was SO GOOD. I actually like a lot of the soft serves and food from Sunshine Tree Terrace, so if they no longer offer the Citrus Swirl, you can’t go wrong with anything you get from there.

Sort of like the Citrus Swirl, I’m not sure if this specific food item is being offered anymore because I don’t think I’ve seen it on the menu recently, but the Bacon Mac and Cheese Hot Dog at Casey’s Corner was the perfect combination of a hearty meal and comfort food all in one. This was my favorite splurge item at Magic Kingdom. If they don’t offer this specific style of hot dog, they do always have some hot dog offering with some kind of topping that’s usually super yummy. I think the last time I checked the menu, they had a BBQ pulled pork hot dog? YUM.

I can hardly ever go to Disney without having a Mickey Pretzel w/ Queso from one of the food carts around the park. It’s a staple item from the parks and you just can’t go wrong with a good pretzel with cheese.

List of Character Interactions at Magic Kingdom

*Disclaimer: There are MANY character you can meet that may not have a designated meeting location. Please check the Walt Disney World app while you are at the park for the best idea of character locations and the times they meet.*

• Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater
• Belle at Enchanted Tales with Belle
• Ariel at Ariel’s Grotto
• Donald Duck, Goofy, Daisy Duck, and Minnie Mouse at Pete’s Silly Slideshow
• Merida at Fairytale Garden
• Variety of Princesses at Princess Fairytale Hall

Holly Jaye’s Favorite Character Encounters

I don’t usually do character meet-and-greets, but one that I thoroughly had a good time meeting was Merida. You can find her in a set location in the Fairytale Garden, which is sort of in between the castle and Tomorrowland. She was so fun and spunky and I never once felt awkward or shy or didn’t know what to say in this character interaction! She also commented on my red hair and we bonded, so that was fun.

You can never go wrong with meeting Mickey Mouse. I mean, come on, it’s Mickey! No matter how basic it may be, I think he’s always going to be my favorite character to meet at any of the parks. In Magic Kingdom, you can meet him in his designated meeting spot in Town Square Theater.

Peter Pan often meets with people over by his ride, usually next to the Neverland wall, and he’s a super fun character to meet! Yes, of course I’m obsessed with Peter Pan so I obviously love meeting with him, but regardless I think he’s a high-energy and easy character to interact with and have a fun time with.

Another Princess who I thoroughly enjoy meeting is Ariel. She meets with guests in her Grotto, over by the Little Mermaid ride, and I think the reason I like this encounter so much is you get to meet her with her tail. It’s a very immersive encounter with the scenery, which is cool.

List of Nighttime Shows and Parades at Magic Kingdom

• Festival of Fantasy Parade: usually around 3pm. Subject to change. Always check your My Disney Experience app for the most up to date times.
• Happily Ever After Fireworks Show: usually around 9pm. Subject to change. Always check your My Disney Experience app for the most up to date times.

Holly Jaye’s thoughts and recommendations

Festival of Fantasy is super cute. However, I don’t recommend taking time out of your day to wait around and get a good spot to watch this parade. What I would do is proceed with your day and, chances are, you’ll be passing by the parade at some point and you can take a minute to watch. I love the soundtrack and the floats, but I don’t think it’s a must-see item on your trip. If you’re a big parade person, then of course you’ll want to see this! But if you only have one day to do everything you want to do in Magic Kingdom, and you don’t care too much about seeing or missing the parade, I would say you’ll see it enough just by proceeding as normal with your day and bumping into the parade whenever it chooses to pass through. If you have children, however, I would HIGHLY recommend trying to make this apart of your Disney day. The kids usually love the parades and have a great time saying hi to all their favorite characters.

Happily Ever After is a MUST SEE. I cannot stress enough, do NOT miss this fireworks show. I have watched this show more times than I can count and it still brings me to tears. Anybody will love this fireworks show. It might not bring everyone to tears like it does for me, but you will enjoy it. The soundtrack is amazing, the fireworks and the projections on the castle are so cool… I just can’t say enough about it. I’m so glad Disney brought it back.

Well, there you have it!

I hope I gave you enough information and advice to be able to tackle your day at Magic Kingdom and get the most out of your Disney trip! If you have any questions for me, or would like more advice, feel free to leave a comment below and I will try to respond as quickly as I can.

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Thanks for reading!

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