For many people, and myself included, getting to spend a day at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World is a bucket list sort of theme park day. And since a day in the Magic Kingdom comes at a premium price, I think it’s important to make the most of the time you have and enjoy it as much as possible. We sat down together and figured out what we think are the 10 best experiences to have if you have only one day in the Magic Kingdom, and I think it’s a great plan for being able to keep the stress low and fun high.
If you’ve been to Walt Disney World a million times, consider yourself lucky and you may not agree with our picks, but if this is going to be your first trip to the Magic Kingdom, I think you’ll find our top 10 things to do helpful. Please read on and if you have any questions about visiting Walt Disney World or need some additional recommendations, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan an unforgettable Disney trip!
Why we Love the Magic Kingdom for a Day
Nostalgia is the driving factor behind each visit to the Magic Kingdom. If we only have one day in Disney World and can pick any park, it’ll always be Magic Kingdom. From the moment you walk through the gates past the train station into Town Square, it just feels like happy memories, even if you haven’t been to Disney World before. It feels very much like Disneyland, which is what I grew up with, and also like lots of little glimpses from childhood. And now being parents, spending the day at Magic Kingdom with our kids feels like a special generational bond that we share. I know I’m sappy, but this is the joy I get from visiting.
Beyond all the feels, what we really love about spending a day at Magic Kingdom is getting to enjoy classic attractions that are just fun. I know that we’re not jumping on death-defying rollercoasters in this park like we do at Universal Orlando or Busch Gardens, but the rides are fun in a pure and happy way. Below you’ll see our top ten picks for things to do in the Magic Kingdom, but I think that’s the theme between all of them: simple joy. As the kids have gotten older they are leaning more towards other theme parks like Universal Orlando (they love EPIC Universe), but we all still enjoy our time here together. I like that Magic Kingdom has a good combination of younger kid focused rides (which ours still love) and a few bigger thrills. I’m a sucker for a rollercoaster that doesn’t leave me feeling awful, and that’s what Magic Kingdom has. The coasters are manageable and yet still fun. And if you’re visiting Magic Kingdom with teens, the thrill / fun / coolness of the bigger rides is enough that you should experience minimal eye rolls.
Consistently, the other part of having a day in Magic Kingdom is getting to enjoy the many shows. The fireworks are always amazing and have some of the coolest technology integrated through projections, varying with the holiday season vs rest of the year. There are great parades multiple times each day, from live marching bands to elaborate floats and characters. The shows at Magic Kingdom are definitely a highlight.
Weather at Walt Disney World in Orlando
The weather at Walt Disney World is pretty wonderful. If you’re not from Florida and you come visit in the summer you may think that it’s the armpit of hell because it’s so hot and swampy, but if you can deal with the heat and humidity, you’ll be okay. When it’s a day like that, the air conditioned rides, shows, queues and restaurants can really be a savior. For summertime visits we don’t even bring sweatshirts or light jackets into Magic Kingdom because it’s so toasty and humid. In the fall and winter though, we do for sure. When the sun goes down if the temps have been in the low 80s or below during the day, the evenings can get kind of cold.
And yes, there are even cold snaps in the winter where the temperatures don’t even get above 60, so you’ll want at least a light jacket for then. We LOVE getting to experience Christmas in Disney World, and the Magic Kingdom is the best place for it with the decorations and events. It’s worth visiting in winter for all the holiday stuff. In general, we don’t bring umbrellas when we have a day at Magic Kingdom. If there’s going to be rain, we might wear ponchos, but usually we’ll just dress to be able to be wet. Yes, in the summer we get a lot of rain, so being prepared with lightweight, quick dry clothes is always a good idea.
Where to Stay for a Magic Kingdom Visit
Something cool about visiting Magic Kingdom, if that’s your focus during your Disney World trip, is that there are several of the resort hotels very close or connected to it. You can walk to Magic Kingdom from the Grand Floridian Resort (super fancy and most expensive), or from Disney’s Contemporary Resort (my favorite) which is also a premium cost. The Polynesian Resort is also in this area, but it’s a bit far for a walk. All three of these hotels are on the monorail line though, so that makes for fun transportation.
Two other nearby properties are Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness Camp, which both have boat service to the entry point for Magic Kingdom. Staying at Fort Wilderness is so much fun and it’s our family’s collective favorite (they overrule me). If you’re staying at any other of the Walt Disney World Resort properties, they all have bus transportation to Magic Kingdom and they all make it so you, as a guest, can enjoy early entry to the park. If you’re staying at a “Good Neighbor” hotel you do not get early entry. My top pick for a hotel near Magic Kingdom really is Disney’s Contemporary Resort, especially in a fireworks view room. I love it!
Best Things to Do in the Magic Kingdom
I’m not going to sit here are give a review of every single show and attraction in the Magic Kingdom, because if you only have one day to enjoy the park you’ll need to be selective with the experiences you choose to do. We’ve picked our favorite attractions and places to hang out to help YOU decide how best to spend your time. Also, I’ve noted how much time we’re willing to wait for the different rides, because a lot of your day may be spent in line, so make that time count!
Main Street, USA
When you first enter Magic Kingdom, you have to walk through Main Street, USA and it’s iconic and magical. Even if you showed up with a teenager in a bad mood entering this other world seems to reset things and it’s just better. I love this feeling and we use Main Street, USA as our place to recharge. For some families, and I see this with every trip to Disney World, they have everything so hyper-planned and intense that clearly nobody is having fun. I get it that Disney is a lot to conquer and it’s expensive so you want to do it as best as possible, but the stress level of some guests and the visible tension and flying words is just dumb.
If your trip is turning this way, use Main Street to reset. Just get your crew to come back to this area and maybe split up for a few minutes to browse the shops or watch a film and then come back together. Main Street has the mood you need and can be a place of rest during a busy park visit. And you get to see Cinderella’s Castle from every point. Main Street in Magic Kingdom is good for snacks, souvenirs and chilling out.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
One of the best things to do in Magic Kingdom, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (formerly Splash Mountain) is the most feel good ride in the park. I remember riding Splash Mountain in Disneyland when it first premiered and I’ve always loved it, but it was a little creepy. The new version based on Princess and the Frog is the happiest attraction I’ve ever seen. From start to finish it’s all about recognizing the good and the joy.
True, they took away the nostalgia of Splash Mountain and its songs and characters, but what they replaced it with is much more in line with the positive vibes you want from visiting Magic Kingdom. The queue is fun with great music, the ride itself is really pretty now, and you still get the big drop (and likely a bit wet). While a lot of people moan when Disney changes something in its parks, updating Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure really was an upgrade.
Worth waiting: I would wait up to an hour for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The line moves at the pace it’s projected to take.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Yes, this is an older attraction but it’s still one of the best in the Magic Kingdom. What’s been fun as the kids have gotten older is getting to watch or rewatch Disney movies and Pirates of the Caribbean was a recent series we made it through before coming back to the park. We don’t get to visit Walt Disney World enough for the kids to remember the little things in the rides, so going on Pirates of the Caribbean with them was so fun to see them identify things from the movies… or for them to learn that the movies feature all kinds of characters and vignettes from the ride. They saw this attraction with new eyes because they were making connections between the ride and the movies, and it made it all the more fun. I know, Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland is unarguably better than in Magic Kingdom, but it’s still worth your time when you’re plotting out how to spend a here.
Worth waiting: I would wait up to 45 minutes for Pirates of the Caribbean if I hadn’t visited in a long time or if it’s a rainy day. If it’s a beautiful day and it’s early, I’d wait a half hour or less.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
While I just proclaimed that Disneyland is superior for Pirates I’ll also be the first one to tell you that Thunder Mountain Railroad here is better than at Disneyland. If you only have a short time in Magic Kingdom, make sure Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is one of the rides you do. It’s fun, it’s not too intense, and if you grew up watching Disney shows or visiting the parks you’ll find that same sort of nostalgia that I love about Magic Kingdom.
Thinking back to our early visits to Disney parks when the kids were really small, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was the first rollercoaster they experienced and enjoyed. When you’re visiting Magic Kingdom (or Disneyland) with small kids, you see these bigger rides and maybe aren’t sure how they’ll do with them, but Thunder has always been a hit and was our “gateway” coaster to get them to be brave enough for even bigger, faster rides.
TIP: sit in the back if you can because it’s much more fun to be whipped around the turns and hills than to be at the front and pushed along. Trust me, it’s worth requesting to sit in the back.
Worth waiting: I would happily wait up to an hour for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but not longer. Also the queue time projection usually is a bit faster than what the sign says.
The Haunted Mansion
I wasn’t allowed to go on the Haunted Mansion when I was a little kid, and now as an adult I love it. It’s full of the silliest ghosts and goofy macabre things and it’s totally not scary. One of the best things to do in Magic Kingdom, the Haunted Mansion is a mellow escape from the heat and it’s full of fun. It’s another one of those rides that’s now had several movies made from it and the kids really enjoy spotting the connections between them.
Something else I like about riding the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom is the length of the ride. The queue is really fun with interactive pieces outside (which are hilarious) and then once you make it inside, the story builds up and it feels like the ride starts before you’re even to the loading area for the ride vehicles. It’s just such a great queue and I enjoy it as much as the ride itself. Also, this is a longer ride, so you feel like you get a good bang for your time in line.
Worth waiting: we wait up to 45 minutes for the Haunted Mansion, but not usually more. The queue time projection is usually pretty accurate.
Seven Dwarves Mine Train
If only every coaster and kid ride was as smooth as the Seven Dwarves Mine Train. This is one of the most fun rides and is great with every age, including teenagers. One of the best things to do in the Magic Kingdom, I think what makes this ride worth waiting for is the quality of the whole experience. The queue is fun with all kinds of interactive elements, but you have to look for them or just be playful and you’ll figure them out. The ride itself moves with such ease and if you are like me and don’t love getting jerked around by a roller coaster, this is a great one.
And then within the coaster, the dwarves and effects are all really cool. And I have to say, I think the sound on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is some of the best of any of the rides in Walt Disney World. Thinking back, I’m pretty sure that our youngest was just 5 years old the first time he went on this ride and it was perfect for him then… just as it’s perfect for our 14-year-old today.
Worth waiting: I would wait up to an hour to ride this ride. I feel like the wait time is usually overestimated by a little bit, but even still, we will get in line for it when the wait is between 45 and 60 minutes.
TRON Lightcycle
I think this is a really cool roller coaster. The TRON Lightcycle goes pretty fast in certain moments and is really unique when it comes to the actual ride vehicle. I think it’s one of the best things to do with older kids in the Magic Kingdom because it is visually such a different experience as well as it does pack some speed. while the storyline doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, it’s still is a really unique roller coaster and I fully appreciate what they were doing as they built it.
The only thing I don’t like about it is how you sit on the light cycle because it is uncomfortable on your your chest. You get on to it, and it is like a motorcycle, and then you lean forward to grab the handles while a back support presses against you. It’s very unique and I haven’t ridden another roller coaster like it with this sort of seat. It’s not bad, it’s just different. overall though, the TRON Lightcycle is awesome and I would for sure recommend it for anybody who can comfortably sit in the seat.
NOTE: there is a set of TRON Lightcycles when you are in queue so you can sit on it and see if it works for you. while we were in line we did watch several larger guests try to get comfortable and they were not successful.
Worth waiting: It’s another ride that I think is worth waiting up to an hour for. It’s just so unique and visually stunning that the wait time is worth it.
Fireworks – Happily Ever After (or current Fireworks Show)
While there are lots of shows across the Disney Parks, the fireworks display in the Magic Kingdom has consistently been the best of the entertainment offerings. The show changes for the holidays but the rest of the year is a fun review of different Disney movie moments and characters projected onto the castle with fireworks to match. If you can get a good spot to stand or sit for the Magic Kingdom’s fireworks show that is also directly on the parade route, then you’re really lucky because you can enjoy the show in the sky and then chill for a few minutes before the parade begins, which is usually pretty wonderful too.
The best spot to watch the fireworks from is in front of the Castle, but not directly in front. I think the best spot is on far side of the Hub at the end of Main Street, so when you look at the Cinderella’s place, the “Partners” statue is between you and the castle. This is the best spot because you get the most broad view of the fireworks show AND you’re closer to exit points than if you’re smack in the front.
Tomorrowland
You know we love the TRON Lightcycle and think it’s one of the best things to do in the Magic Kingdom, but there are more fun rides and attractions here that are also pretty great. Of course Space Mountain is fun and worth waiting up to 45 minutes for, but it’s just not as good as the ride of the same name in Disneyland. If you’re a Disneyland person and then you come ride Space Mountain at Disney World you’re going to be like “Um, WTH was that?” Fun, but so different. Tomorrowland actually has lots of really good little kid rides that we don’t mind waiting for and totally prefer over what you find in Fantasyland. The People Mover (Tomorrowland Transit Authority), Buzz Lightyear’s Spin, the Astro Orbiter and the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor are all fun and even with older kids, are still very much worth our time.
And for me a highlight of Tomorrowland is getting to have my favorite Disney snack which can only be found here and a few other select locations in the other parks: the Sweet Cream Cheese Pretzel. This has been my favorite since I worked for Disney 20 years ago. You can go to the Lunching Pad and get the pretzel, but be clear that you want the Sweet Cream Cheese Pretzel, otherwise you’ll end up with a boring one.
Fantasyland
I’m going back to nostalgia with choosing to spend extra trim in Fantasyland. Magic Kingdom is fun and has so many other things to do that I don’t think it’s worth waiting in all of the lines in Fantasyland for the small attractions… unless you have very small kids and you have patience. I know that Peter Pan’s Flight and It’s a Small World are favorites because they’ve been around for so long and they’re just so cute, but they are really not that great and unless you have small kids with you that cannot do other, larger, more interesting rides, then you don’t need to spend a big chunk of your time here.
If we’ve got one day in the Magic Kingdom, we’re not even walking through Fantasyland if we can avoid this densely crowded area. Having said that, when our kids were a lot younger, this was our happy place, both here in Walt Disney World and in Disneyland. Now as they’re older and we’re less patient, we breeze by and find more enjoyment in other areas. Here is what you will find in the main Fantasyland area though:
- Cinderella’s Castle
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Barnstormer
- It’s a Small World
- Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Mad Tea Party
- Mickeys PhilharMagic
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Winnie the Pooh
Disney PhotoPass in the Magic Kingdom
We take a ton of pictures and actually go through them after we are done traveling or spending time in the parks, and we actually use them (hi, you’re on our site looking at our pictures). Something great about the Disney PhotoPass spots in the park is that you can both have your picture taken with the special Disney camera and then it shows up in your Disney app or you can ask them to take your photo with your own device. It’s a great service that you should use, whether you want to pay for the downloads or just leverage the cast members to get good family pics.
If you want to buy the Memory Maker option, you’ll have access to download all the pictures that the PhotoPass cast takes and you’ll get the photos from the different rides. You’ll even get fun videos added to your photo gallery as the different sensors around the park are able to locate you when you’ve got the app on your person or when you’re scanning into a ride with a Magic Band or phone. I love both the downloads and the pics the cast take of us. If it’s not in the budget to get the Memory Maker (downloads) you should still ask for your picture to be taken.
We love when we get to have a day in the Magic Kingdom, and hopefully our suggestions with the best things to do will help you have a wonderful experience too. If you have any questions about planning a Disney trip or how best to spend your time, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’ve been many times to Walt Disney World, Disneyland in Anaheim and Disneyland Paris so have lots of experience and tips. Happy traveling and I hope your Disney vacation is as magical as possible.
