
Magic Kingdom
This park has the most rides. I like to start in Tomorrowland and work my way around to Adventureland. Only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland will be open during the early hours for resort guests. If you do not arrive for the early half hour, I recommend starting in Adventureland or in Liberty Square with Haunted Mansion.
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Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain tend to have the longest waits. Either plan to hit these early, or wait till the end of the night. Other popular rides are Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan, and Jungle Cruise. Jungle Cruise lightning lane has been filling up the fastest, followed by Peter Pan.
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CHARACTERS:
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The easiest way to locate characters throughout the day is right on the app. If you go to the map screen, you can filter for just characters. If you switch it to list mode, it is easier to read. Mickey is in the Town Hall on your right as you enter the park. There are princesses in Fairytale Hall and Mirabel has her own spot to the right of the castle. Buzz and Stitch are frequently on stage in Tomorrowland and Jack Sparrow is across from his ride.
Character cavalcades go down the parade route. They will start where Frontierland and Adventureland meet right in front of Tiana’s Bayou. Then, they will go through Liberty Square and down to the castle. From there, they will go straight down Main Street and end at the park entrance. Don’t worry if it’s raining, a rainy day cavalcade with our favorite mouse will make its way through the park. Listen for the music to change as a sign that it is on its way.
Festival of Fantasies parade has returned to Magic Kingdom and normally has two showtimes daily. Check the app for exact times. There is also a lightning lane available for better viewing.
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Happily Ever After, the fireworks show, is nightly at Magic Kingdom. The only exception is on nights when there are Halloween or Christmas parties. If you are traveling between mid-August and New Years, make sure you check the dates of the parties if you want to see the fireworks and plan accordingly.
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Virtual Queue for Tron:
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Tron is now available via virtual queue. The virtual queue opens at 7am, 1pm and 6pm for extra evening hours. For the 1pm queue, you have to have swiped into Magic Kingdom at some point during the day. If you want to join the queue, go on the app right before the queue opens up. It will let you edit your party so you are ready to go right at the time. The queue fills in seconds. I refresh by pulling down right when the clock on my phone switches. Hit join queue as soon as the button is available and the next screen will show where you are in the queue. Screenshot this screen in case something happens. The app will notify you when your return time is.
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Tiana's Bayou Opening June 28, 2024!!!
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For the initial opening period, Tiana's Bayou will be available through Virtual Queue and Genie+ service.
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Since Tron is also virtual queue, if you'd like both, I would have two people on to do the virtual queues or do the virtual queue for one and either purchase the individual lightning lane for Tron or make Tiana's Bayou your first genie+ selection.
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Virtual queue does not mean you will not have a wait once in line. If you want to minimize your wait, I would use genie+ for this ride.
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You can ride Tiana's Bayou twice in one day by joining the virtual queue at 7am and making it a genie+ selection.
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Food:
Seated Dining:
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Skipper's Canteen - This is my favorite in this park, but is not for picky eaters
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Plaza Inn - This is right on Main Street and has American Cuisine
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Character meals:
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Be Our Guest - The Beast​
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Cinderella's Royal Table - Variety of Princesses
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Crystal Palace - Winnie the Pooh and Friends.
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Quick Service:
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Pecos Bills - This will have tex mex fare and is in a great location to catch the cavalcades or parade if you are seated outside.
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Cosmic Ray’s - This has a great selection of traditional park food.
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Columbia Harbor House - Love the options here for lighter fare.
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Casey’s Corner - Has great hotdogs, including a vegan sausage option, and has a pianist, plus great castle views
Favorite Snacks:
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Sleepy Hollow. They have breakfast and lunch waffle sandwiches. It’s in Liberty Square and you can mobile order. The sandwiches are large and definitely shareable.
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The Spring Roll cart on your way to Adventureland. It is only there on busy days and weekends. The cheeseburger ones are my favorite.
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Dole Whip - It comes in various flavors throughout the park. Most flavors are allergen free. Aloha Aisle and Sunshine Terrace have my favorite flavors. Storybook Treats will have a specialty cone or float. Do not mobile order this, the wait time is much longer.
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Popcorn - Buy a bucket on your first day. You can refill it for $2.50 throughout your entire stay at all the parks. It’s allergy friendly too.