Disney World’s Flagship Park is massive, and it can certainly be overwhelming, so I’m here to bring you Magic Kingdom one day Itinerary. It can be pretty hard to determine what all there is to do in Disney’s Magic Kingdom and what’s worth prioritizing, especially if it’s your first time here or your first time here in a while. So I’m going to break down those must-dos in this park so that you know where your priorities should be on your next trip.
Meet the Main Mouse
Alright, our first Magic Kingdom must-do is going to be none other than meet the main Mouse. Each Disney World Park does have a Mickey Mouse meet and greet, but it’s hard to find a more magical place to meet him than in the flagship Park itself. You can meet Mickey right here at Town Square theater where he is dressed in his magician best.
Typically, there’s a pretty long line in the earlier part of the day, and it tends to die off a bit. The best time to meet Mickey is during fireworks because the line goes completely away. You can walk right into meet Mickey, so meeting the mouse is definitely a must-do, even if character meet and greets make you a little nervous. This is one that I think is worth doing just from the memory perspective, from getting that picture perspective with Mickey Mouse.
Walt Disney World Railroad
Here is where you want to head for our next must-do. We’re going to talk about our first attraction, so right when you enter the park, you can head up these stairs and you will find the Walt Disney World Railroad. This is a train that circles the park; it has three different stations. There’s one in Fantasyland at Storybook Circus, there’s one in Frontierland around Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and there’s one here on Main Street USA. Riding the train is absolutely a must-do, whether you’re using it for transportation or just to do a loop and use it as an attraction. The train comes every seven minutes, so it’s usually pretty easy to catch a ride, and I think it’s a great way to get around. But I also recommend just riding it even if you’re not trying to get around.
Casey’s Corner
Making our way down Main Street now for two more must-dos that are right across the street from each other. We have Casey’s Corner; you definitely want to stop by Casey’s Corner during your trip. Now remember, just because these are all must-dos doesn’t mean they’re all must-dos in the same day or almost use in the time that you come or even all must-dos for you. If you hate hot dogs, you probably don’t need to do Casey’s Corner, but Casey’s Corner is going to be a baseball-themed turn-of-the-century style Corner Shop that serves up footlong and regular hot dogs as well as the corn dog nuggets. Corn dog nuggets are one of the author’s team’s favorite things to eat in Magic Kingdom.
We get them all the time; we split them; we pay a dollar to get some cheese sauce; we do it all the time. So definitely a must-do for us; let’s get those corn dog nuggets. They’re just little mini bite-sized corn dogs. Also, Casey’s Corner has a piano, and often there’s a live pianist who plays out here. So even if the way you experience Casey’s Corner is just listening to that piano music, it’s worth doing. It’s a must-do just across the way.
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
Our next must-do is going to be Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. Now, this is where you’re gonna find hard pack ice cream here in Magic Kingdom. You can find Dole Whip and soft-serve elsewhere, but this is going to be your go-to for hard pack ice cream and like really elaborate ice cream sundaes and things like that. Our favorite time of day to get Plaza Ice Cream is after the park closes. Most nights, Plaza Ice Cream Parlor will stay open 30 minutes past the close of the park, so even when the rides are all closed, you can still come get ice cream.
My favorite thing that you can get here is the Reese’s peanut butter sauce which you can get on, I usually just do vanilla, but it’s also on the All-American sundae. So hi everybody, recommend stopping by Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. Now don’t get me wrong; it’s just Edy’s ice cream, like you probably have an ice cream parlor that serves it in your hometown, but there’s just something about eating ice cream while looking at Cinderella castle that makes it taste a whole lot better.
I’m also truly not exaggerating when I say that anytime we are filming a video that ends at Park close here in Magic Kingdom, we get Plaza ice cream. A lot of times when I’m starting to drag during those really difficult theme park challenges, I just start thinking about the Plaza ice cream I’m gonna have. It is such a must-do; it’s delicious; it’s so refreshing, especially when it’s hot here in Florida, which you know it is. So definitely a must-do, maybe one of my favorite must-dos on our list.
Cinderella Castle
Before we head out of Main Street and the Hub, the center of the park, we’ve got to talk about Cinderella castle. Of course, taking a photo with the castle is going to be a must-do. All through this area of the land, you’ll see these folks with green shirts; those are PhotoPass photographers. You can talk to any of these photographers to get pictures taken of you, and those pictures will be available in the My Disney Experience app. So if you purchase Memory Maker where you get to keep all your photos or just want to purchase the photos individually, you can do that there. Otherwise, I still feel you do not have to pay to have a great Cinderella Castle photo and with that, you’re going to want to walk under the castle; this is a must-do and it’s one that you can only do at certain times of day.
When there’s a show going on at the castle, so you cannot walk under it. But later in the afternoon, they open up that tunnel under the castle between Main Street and Fantasyland, and you can actually see the most beautiful Cinderella mosaics. One of my favorite details in Magic Kingdom and absolutely worth seeing.
Happily Ever After
This next must-do I’m going to talk about is actually kind of an interesting one. a must-do here in Magic Kingdom is to see Happily Ever After. That’s the fireworks show at night. It is about a 20-minute show that has amazing fireworks projections on the castle and all down Main Street. It’s so amazing. I’m not even that big of like a fireworks fan, and I love it. Now, when you come to watch it, you’ll probably notice that the Hub and all of Main Street get super, super full of people. Just make sure when you come that you’re listening to Cast Members’ directions. They’ll get you to the best spot to watch it that’s available when you arrive, but definitely worth seeing the fireworks.
Some of my favorite places to watch them are right at the train station and actually from behind the castle in Fantasyland where it feels like the fireworks are completely surrounding you. It’s so magical. But yeah, fireworks are almost too. Fireworks might be like one of the most must-dos. That said, for me, once I’ve seen the fireworks show like every once in a while, I pull it off my must-do list because during the fireworks is going to be a great time, the best time to get some of the lowest wait times of the whole day. So I’m a big fan of riding rides during the fireworks too, and that’s okay if that’s what you want to do too.
Now, if you do decide to ride rides during those fireworks, might I suggest riding some of the coolest rides to ride during the fireworks? My favorites are Dumbo the Flying Elephant, People Mover, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. But any of those outdoor rides that give you a view of the sky are probably going to be pretty fun to ride during the fireworks because the rain is like completely gone; it just cleared all the way out. Now it’s a beautiful day again, ah, Florida.
Tomorrowland
Our next set of must-dos is going to be over in Tomorrowland, so put your future pants on. We’re going to space, kind of space. Flash the future, I don’t know, well, we will go to space; you’ll see. Our first must-try here in Tomorrowland is going to be head to Star Command Headquarters and become a Space Ranger at Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. This is the shooter attraction here in Magic Kingdom where you get your own little Space Ranger Blaster, and you get to blast off Zurg. It’s a very fun, very competitive ride where you gain points, you can compete with your family, and if you get that max score of 999,999 points, you get awarded the title of Galactic Hero.
This one’s super fun because it’s so interactive. Overall, it’s definitely one of Emma’s absolute favorites. She gets that every time we don’t ride Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, so it’s a must-do for sure. Another must-do here in Tomorrowland, as you can tell by this line, is the People Mover. This is the Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover, and it’s such an attraction that takes you on a tour throughout Tomorrowland, both indoors and outdoors. You actually get to go inside some of the other rides; you see the gift shops through windows and a bunch of dioramas. It is super relaxing, super classic, and a favorite for many. Despite being a favorite, it typically doesn’t have a super long line either. Even this line right now that looks pretty long is probably going to move in about 20 minutes. It’s a very high-capacity ride; a lot of people can ride at a time, so that line moves quickly, and it’s a super relaxing experience. Highly recommend riding People Mover at night as well. I usually like to make time to do it twice, a double must-do, some might say.
Space Mountain
It is loud in Tomorrowland. Speaking of long lines, our next must-do is going to be to conquer the mountains. Magic Kingdom is home to a couple of mountainous attractions. One of those is Space Mountain, the other is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and formerly Splash Mountain, which will soon be Tiana’s Bayou Adventure when the new attraction opens in 2024.
Space Mountain is going to be a roller coaster where you hurl through space. It’s very dark, it’s kind of rickety, but super fun and a favorite for many. Certainly, a must-do, but be warned, it is dark, it can be intense, it can be scary, but it’s not gonna be the fastest roller coaster; you’re not going upside down. So really, your bigger concern is just that it’s pretty dark.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is over in Frontierland and is my favorite of the mountains. It is a speedy ride on the wildest ride in the wilderness through an abandoned mine town and Mining Mountain. It is a very fun roller coaster; it’s on the long side for a roller coaster, just a total blast. And then Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will soon be a dark ride slash log flume combo that takes you through a story following the events of the Princess and the Frog. You can learn a whole lot more about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure over on allears.net. So if you’re curious about that new attraction, go ahead and check it out. And yes, they have installed the first big theming item over there with the Tiana’s water tower, which is super cool as well.
Tron Lightcycle Run
Now, we certainly were not going to go through this list without talking about Tron Lightcycle Run. This is the newest attraction in Disney World. It is a launched roller coaster that takes you into the world of Tron on your very own light cycle. It’s a very cool ride vehicle that you sit on kind of like a motorcycle, and you lean pretty far forward, which makes the ride feel a little more intense. The launch is very fast, almost 60 miles per hour, and it is indoor-outdoor. So you launch out under this really cool canopy that’s even cooler at night with all the lights, and then you head inside for a race against team orange on the grid. It’s a super fun roller coaster. Some might complain that it’s a little on the short side, but I will warn you, those seats are pretty uncomfortable, so you might not mind it’s on the shorter side.
Currently, the only way to ride Tron is with the virtual queue at 7 a.m. if you have a Park reservation or 1 p.m. if you’re in Magic Kingdom using the My Disney Experience app or by paying to ride with the individual Lightning Lane, which will also help you skip the line. It’s usually about an hour away. So with the virtual queue, and I waited about 20 minutes with the individual Lightning the other day.
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Princess Fairytale Hall
Hey, we’re in Fantasyland now for our next set of must-dos. If you’re into main characters, then you’re definitely, definitely going to want to meet some princesses here at Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland.
You can meet Tiana and Rapunzel, Cinderella, and a visiting princess. It’s usually Elena or we’ve seen Snow White. So if you want to meet some princesses, you’re going to want to come here. This is another one that gets a little less crowded as the day goes on. If you see the line outside, I would maybe wait or use the Lightning Lane for it before you hop in line because it might get a little shorter. But you definitely want to meet some princesses.
Be Our Guest Restaurant at Beast’s Castle
Be Our Guest Restaurant at Beast’s Castle in Fantasyland. This is an incredibly immersive experience; you actually get to dine inside the Beast’s Castle. It’s a table-service restaurant, but for breakfast and lunch, it is a quick-service location. So, it’s the only time you can get quick service in the actual castle, and it is a must-do. Even if you’re not dining here, I recommend at least trying to pop inside and check it out because it’s so beautiful in there. Be Our Guest Restaurant is only doing dinner as a table-service, so make sure you check the latest information on the Disney World website or the My Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date info on Be Our Guest.
Peter Pan’s Flight
we’ve got more Fantasyland must-dos, so we’re going to head over to Peter Pan’s Flight. This is a classic Disney dark ride; you get in a pirate ship, and you fly over the scenes of Peter Pan. This one is a must-do, but it’s also one that you really need to try to get a FastPass for if you can. If not, it’s one of those that you’re going to want to try to ride at the beginning of the day, or you’re going to want to wait until later in the day when the line has died down a little bit. But definitely, a must-do, you’re going to want to ride Peter Pan’s Flight, and you’re probably going to want to ride it more than once because it’s so good.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Another Fantasyland must-do, especially if you’re a fan of Winnie the Pooh, is going to be The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. This is another classic Disney dark ride. It’s got a little bit of a thrill at the end where you bounce with Tigger, and it’s just a really fun, cute ride. It’s another one that I recommend riding at night if you can because the line will be a little bit shorter, and it’s just so cute to ride it at night. I love this ride; I think it’s great.
Now, when you come off of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, you’re going to exit right into the gift shop. Now, I don’t really recommend spending a ton of time in this gift shop unless you’re a huge Winnie the Pooh fan because it’s kind of a standard Disney gift shop; it’s got a lot of stuff. However, you can meet Winnie the Pooh here. He’s usually in his cute little red shirt and no pants, and you can meet him right in this spot. It’s a great place to meet him because the line usually doesn’t get too, too long.
Liberty Square
Now, we’re going to move over to Liberty Square for our next must-do, and that is going to be Haunted Mansion. This is a fan favorite; it’s a must-do for sure. It’s a slow-moving omnimover ride. It’s a little spooky, but it’s not too intense. It’s a great one for the whole family. You’re going to want to ride it during the day, and you’re definitely going to want to ride it at night because it’s even spookier at night. There are ghosts in the graveyard at the end, and you’re going to want to check them out at night. There’s even a rumor that if you stand on someone’s grave, you might feel a cold spot. So if you’re into a little bit of a spooky adventure, make sure you ride Haunted Mansion. It’s also a great one to do when it’s really hot because it’s nice and cool inside.
Country Bear Jamboree
Now, if you’re a fan of live entertainment, you’re definitely going to want to make sure you catch a show over here at the Country Bear Jamboree. This is a classic Disney show; it’s been around since the park opened. It’s animatronic bears; they sing country songs. It’s a must-do, especially if you’re a fan of classic Disney entertainment.
Adventureland
Heading into Adventureland, we’ve got a couple more must-dos. One of them is going to be the Enchanted Tiki Room. This is another classic Disney attraction; it’s a show featuring animatronic birds, flowers, tikis. It’s a tropical paradise, and they sing all sorts of fun songs. It’s a great one to do if you want to get out of the heat and just relax for a little bit. It’s a classic, it’s a must-do.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Our final must-do is going to be Pirates of the Caribbean. This is a boat ride through various pirate scenes. It’s another classic Disney attraction; it’s a little bit longer, and it’s a boat ride, so it’s a great one to do in the middle of the day when it’s really hot. It’s a must-do for sure; it’s a classic.
Now, this was our Magic Kingdom one day Itinerary. There’s so much to do in this park, and these are just the must-dos that we recommend. Make sure you let us know what your must-dos are here in Magic Kingdom. We’ll see you next time, bye!