His First Visit to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom!
Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Orlando, FL
His First Visit to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom!
Mar. 30-Apr. 5, 2022
You can also find the Vlog on YouTube (see below!).
To hear about a magical adventure consisting of: my husband’s very first trip to a Disney Park, Mickey-shaped snacks, non-stop laughing on Magic Kingdom rides and attractions, an amazing firework show at Cinderella Castle, and Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration — keep on reading!
While we booked this trip rather spontaneously, our hearts were filled with excitement just the same! Since Lucas’ birthday was coming up in April, we tossed up the idea of a long-weekend getaway… which then turned into an exciting week-long trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida!
We absolutely could not visit Disney World without documenting the experience! So, this entry is Part 1: Our First Day at Magic Kingdom — a recap of how we spent the day (and more importantly, what we ate!) ;)
Follow along our week-long Disney World adventure! :)
Day 1: Magic Kingdom
Day 2: Hollywood Studios
Day 3: Rest Day/Non-Park Day at Disney Springs
Day 4: Magic Kingdom (again)
Day 5: Epcot
Planning + Travel Day Flying to Orlando, Florida
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
4 weeks. That’s how much time I had to plan this Disney World vacation… When it comes to being a military family, you have to be equipped with knowing how to travel at the very last minute (sometimes getting on a flight within 24 hours!). While I have experience successfully booking last minute trips, if you know me, you’d know that I definitely prefer booking trips 6-months to even a year in advance!
Regardless, 4 weeks felt tight, but my love for Disney helped me push to book the best possible trip I could for Lucas’s first visit. And believe me when I say that I spent HOURS researching lol.
Understandably, most Disney World Resorts can book up to a year in advance for the best-valued hotels. So to make this trip happen, we had to look at hotels that were off Disney property. Luckily, I was able to find an amazing deal with one of Disney World’s Good Neighbor Hotels, Holiday Inn Resort Orlando - Lake Buena Vista. While this hotel isn’t owned by Disney and it isn’t located on Disney property, we were still within a 15-minute drive from all 4 Disney parks.
With our hotel room, flights, and rental car booked, all we had left was to secure our Disney World admission tickets and our Disney World Park Reservations. Since we wanted to redeem a military discount for tickets (massive savings!), this was where things got a little tricky… but I’ll save that story for a future blog post about our experience visiting Disney World as a military family!
After many blurry hours booking everything for the trip, we then spent even more hours researching about all the fun we could have at each park! (And hear me out when I say that all the planning we did ahead of time made our trip THAT much more enjoyable!)
Before I could fully process that we were going to Disney World, we were already packing our bags and getting ready for the evening flight! After working a full day, we landed very late on Wednesday evening to pick up our rental car (which took a couple hours…). Although we were exhausted from the long day, we still planned to wake up the next day as early as we could!
We were at Disney World, after all!
Morning at Magic Kingdom
Getting to Magic Kingdom
Guest Services Booth
Main Street Bakery
Cinderella Castle (Morning Show)
Pirates of the Caribbean
Haunted Mansion
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Snack Time at Frontierland, Liberty Square, and Adventureland
Westward Ho
Liberty Square Market
Aloha Isle Refreshments
Getting to Magic Kingdom
To say our first day was “magical” is entirely cliche… but truthfully, there’s just no other word to describe the magic and happiness that can come from a GREAT day at Disney World! We had a total blast!
We started the morning as early as we could, walking out the door by 7:30AM. We even got a good laugh at the fact that I woke up before Lucas! (Ya’ll should know that rarely ever happens lol.) With our park bag all packed, and our eyes ready to just take it all in, we hurriedly made our way over to our first Disney Park of the trip, Magic Kingdom.
While I will always recommend Magic Kingdom as the first park of a vacation (it really sets the tone for a great Disney trip!), it made even more sense for us to start with MK because we started our Disney vacation on a Thursday. While you can never really escape the Disney crowds, Thursdays do tend to be a little bit milder than the crowds of Friday-Sunday.
For this trip, Lucas and I both decided to rent a car vs. use the hotel’s shuttle buses to get to Disney World. Mostly because we read reviews of it being very inconsistent and we also wanted to experience Disney Springs during our “Rest Day/Non-Park Day” (which was Saturday). We ultimately wanted the freedom to be able to drive around the surrounding area as well. Upon reaching the Magic Kingdom toll booth, we opted for Preferred Parking… I know, I know… you must be thinking that we’re crazy for wanting to pay extra for parking fees that were already expensive! We accept your valid opinion but since we intentionally budgeted for this luxury prior to taking the trip, we also don’t regret our decision one bit! ;) Our sore feet sure did appreciate how close we were able to park near the entrance!
If you aren’t familiar with the layout of Disney World, to get to Magic Kingdom, you need to take either the Monorail or the Ferry Boat to get from the parking lot to the park’s actual entrance. Either option is completely free! We parked at Disney’s Transportation and Ticket Center around 7:45AM, and because Magic Kingdom opens at 9AM, we were just early enough to beat most of the crowds on a Thursday morning. We walked right up to the monorail’s fence line, and waited about 5 minutes for the next Monorail to arrive. We hopped on, and it whisked us away to the Happiest Place On Earth!
Guest Services Booth
Before we entered Magic Kingdom, our first stop was over at the Guest Services booth. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait very long! We were able to redeem our military vouchers for Disney tickets, got Lucas’s “First Visit” button (which he proudly wore the entire trip!), and before we knew it, they let us through the entrance and we were walking down Main Street by 8:15AM!
Main Street Bakery
Although they let us through the main entrance early, the entrances to all the “lands” within the park were still roped off until 9AM (unless you had Early Park Entry Privileges by staying at a Disney Resort). Since we entered the park earlier than we originally planned, we made our way towards Main Street Bakery, aka the Starbucks at Magic Kingdom. With iced coffees in-hand, and armed with a delicious Mickey cinnamon roll too, we walked over towards Cinderella Castle.
Cinderella Castle (Morning Show)
We happily enjoyed our treats while staring at the tall castle in awe! We snapped a few photos, then watched the Morning Show at 9AM. Watching Mickey and Minnie welcome you into the park was so much fun, but I will admit that I even got teary-eyed/emotional when I saw all the other characters run out to greet us as well! Why? No idea! Let’s agree that I was just SO happy to be at Disney World!
Pirates of the Caribbean
After the Morning Show, and since we were caffeinated and ready to take on the day, we hurriedly walked over to Adventureland to snag a quick ride on the fan-favorite, Pirates of the Caribbean ride. With a 5-minute wait (this ride was averaging at ~60+ minutes for the remainder of the day!), we wanted to check it off our list, especially because it was our most anticipated ride. Lucas and I rewatched the entire Pirates of the Caribbean series in preparation for the ride, and I just knew Lucas would love it! It held as Lucas’s favorite ride for the entire day at Magic Kingdom!
To see Lucas’s reaction after riding it for the very first time, be sure to watch my Travel Vlog!
Haunted Mansion
Next up was a ~30-minute wait over at Haunted Mansion (also a ride that averaged at ~60+ minutes for the remainder of the day). When I was younger, I remembered Haunted Mansion being one of my favorite rides! While it was still so much fun riding the “doom buggies,” I actually enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean more than Haunted Mansion this trip… interesting, right?
Nevertheless, we continued on with our morning trying to check off as many rides as we could before the big crowds arrived. At this point, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had a whopping 80-minute wait time! Knowing that it was a popular ride, I actually snagged a Lightning Lane reservation (booked it at 7AM sharp!) through Genie+ to ride it around 12PM - that way we could bypass the long wait time!
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Since we were ahead of schedule on our “must-do” rides, we thought it would be fun to try the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride. Known by many as a mellow, yet iconic, Disney World ride, I figured that we should experience it, since it only had a ~20-minute wait anyways. This was a first for both of us, and I ended up laughing the entire ride!
At this point, it was ~11AM, so I booked our next Lightning Lane for Splash Mountain after the parade at 3PM.
Snack Time at Frontierland, Liberty Square, and Adventureland
After a productive morning riding rides, it was time for a bite to eat! Since we were waiting for our Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Lightning Lane reservation, we decided to find snacks nearby (Liberty Square and Adventureland). We ended up trying a Turkey Leg from Liberty Square Market (it was alright…), Wendell’s Bear Claw from Westward Ho (YUM!), and a Tropical Serenade Dole Whip Float from Aloha Isle Refreshments (THE BEST).
Afternoon at Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Lightning Lane)
Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade
Shopping at the Emporium
Cinderella Castle (again)
MORE Dole Whip at Adventureland
Festival of Fantasy Parade
Splash Mountain (Lightning Lane)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Afternoon at Magic Kingdom brought more crowds and hotter weather. Thankfully, we invested in Genie+ so we really took advantage of the Lightning Lanes whenever we could. Our Lightning Lane reservation for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was at noon, so we got to bypass the huge stand-by line. We were seated at the very front, and laughed the entire ride!
Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade + Shopping at the Emporium
We had a good bit of time before our next Lightning Lane reservation, so we decided to do a bit of shopping down at Main Street. As we made our way back towards the entrance of the park, we caught a glimpse of Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade (basically a mini parade of Mickey Mouse + Friends). Let me tell you - that song was stuck in our heads ALL day, and we didn’t mind one bit!
Over at the Emporium, we enjoyed the air conditioning while I searched for the limited-edition 50th Anniversary Minnie Ears. With brand-new ears acquired, we went back to Cinderella’s Castle to take more photos, then made our way through Adventureland to get another order of Dole Whip for Lucas, and a Mickey Ice Cream for me, to cool us down.
Festival of Fantasy Parade
With sweet treats in-hand, we found a shady spot to sit and wait for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. I have to admit that I’m a sucker for a good parade. There’s just something special about seeing all the characters - Belle, Cinderella, Tiana, Elsa, Rapunzel, Ariel, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Tinker Bell, the fire-breathing Maleficent Dragon, and many more!
Splash Mountain (Lightning Lane)
Once the parade ended, it was time for our Lightning Lane reservation over at Splash Mountain (a true Disney icon, if you didn’t know lol). After bypassing another long stand-by line, we walked right up to our boat. We bobbed along the water (this was before the Princess and the Frog revamp), and posed for a hilarious photo during the drop - we loved it!
Evening at Magic Kingdom
Monsters Inc., Laugh Floor
The Lunching Pad
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (Lightning Lane)
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
Space Mountain (Lightning Lane)
Enchantment Firework Show
Monsters Inc., Laugh Floor
The late afternoon/early evening brought us to the last land to explore - Tomorrowland! With a Lightning Lane reservation for Space Mountain later in the evening, we had some time to kill before walking back to the castle to watch the firework show. I almost overlooked the Monsters Inc., Laugh Floor attraction, but since my cousin recommended it to us, I figured why not? (Plus, it’s a fully air-conditioned attraction!) The show was a hidden gem, and the jokes had us genuinely laughing!
The Lunching Pad + Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (Lightning Lane)
We laughed up an appetite, so we grabbed a quick Mickey Pretzel from the Lunching Pad before we walked up to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. This was Lucas’s first time on a competitive attraction so I had a feeling like it’d be a hit for him (but wait until he tries Toy Story Mania….). For the record, I definitely lost lol.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
With about 30 more minutes to spare until our Space Mountain Lightning Lane, we decided to hop onto the PeopleMover (which had a 5-minute wait time!). Such an underrated ride in my opinion! It’s the perfect breezy ride to cruise you around Tomorrowland, with a fun “behind-the-scenes” twist.
Space Mountain (Lightning Lane)
At this point in the day, our energy levels were definitely depleted. With very sore feet, we wobbled our way to the last ride of the day - Space Mountain. We were tired when we were buckling up for the indoor coaster, but once we took off - we completely forgot how exhausted we were! What a ride!! Lucas and I both awarded Space Mountain as our second favorite ride at Magic Kingdom (behind Pirates of the Caribbean of course ;)).
Enchantment Firework Show
We had just under 2 hours left until the very anticipated Enchantment Fireworks Show at 9PM. We thought that would be plenty of time to scope out a good spot in front of the castle… we were wrong. Crowds were already stationed in their spots for the show, and we were late for the party when it comes to a spot directly in front of the castle. We snatched a spot slightly to the right, but it still made for an epic view! Tinker Bell didn’t fly that night (it was sprinkling for about 5 minutes before the show, we assume that’s why?), but if she did, she would’ve flown right to us!
Since it was the 50th Anniversary Celebration for Walt Disney World, Disney Park icons (like the castle, Spaceship Earth, Hollywood Tower of Terror, and the Tree of Life) were scheduled to light up right at sunset. And wow - what a sight to see! I hope they keep the light effects even past the 50th Anniversary Celebration. With the impressive lighting and even more impressive fireworks, the Enchantment Fireworks Show ended up being THE highlight of our first day at Magic Kingdom. You are the Magic.
Annnd that's a wrap!
What an amazing way to start our Walt Disney World vacation! With full confidence, I can share that Lucas had a great first impression of Disney World after his first day… but wait until he sees Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios the next day!
Cheers to Disney magic!
Gen
