I already mentioned in my toddler meltdown last post that we spent a fun filled week at Disney in January. I’ve finally had a chance to pull a few hundred of the photos together. So brace yourself for an onslaught of Disney pictures.
We spent 2.5 days in the car…that looked a little something like this…only with more toys and fast food. (We don’t live 2.5 days away but we did make a lot of detours.)
We were pretty excited when we finally arrived at the Magic Kingdom.
As soon as we were in the park the girls each chose an autograph book and we got down to the business of filling it up with signatures.
Then we hit Tom Sawyer Island. We missed this on our first trip and the girls enjoyed being able to run free and roam for a few minutes.
Then it was time to use our Fastpass+ on the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. This was Avery’s favorite ride in the park. Well, probably tied with Enchanted Tales with Belle but more on that in a moment. This ride is new and wait times can be long but it is amazing! I think we rode it 4 times before the trip was over.
Then we used our next Fastpass+ for Enchanted Tales with Belle. This can also have a really long wait as it is new. After you walk through the magic mirror from Maurice’s cabin and into the Beast’s Castle. Members of the audience are assigned parts to act out when you pass through into Belle’s library to meet Belle.
Our own personal knight in shining armour was picked to be one for Belle as well! He is such a good sport.
And little Avery was Chip! She hopped right up to meet Belle.
At the end the all the children get bookmarks from Belle and have their picture made with her.
Then we headed to meet the Man Mouse himself!
He actually spoke to us! (None of the other characters speak.) He told the girls to fly like Peter Pan and the three of them pranced around the room like they were flying before taking the picture below.
We headed back to the room to check in and made it back for a few more rides before dinner.
And we made a few more friends!
One of the cast members asked McKenna and Avery for their autographs since they were princesses too! This was so cute and totally made McKenna’s day.
We headed to the castle for our dinner reservations only to find that we couldn’t get near the castle due to the fireworks.
We had an awesome first day at the Magic Kingdom!
Here are a few tips if you are visiting the Magic Kingdom in the future. If you any you’d like to share feel free to post them in the comments.
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Go early. If you have access to extra magic hours use them to ride something that normally has a long line.
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Know your camera. A lot of the rides and attractions don’t allow you to use a flash. I noticed this in the Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction too. The lighting is weird in there and the color is not correct in the photos. I’m sure you can correct this with the right camera setting and editing.
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Lines seem to be shorter during the parades and fireworks. If you’ve already seen the parade, skip it and take advantage of the shorter wait times.
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The front of the castle after the fireworks is like a New York City traffic jam only with strollers and less lighting. Chill out and wait for the crowd to disperse and then be on your way.
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Eat at the Beast’s Castle for lunch. The food is fantastic. It’s quick service. And your food magically appears at your table.
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Fastpass+. It is the bomb. Take full advantage of it by using the My Disney Experience app. (I have to admit that the app is pretty terrible and freezes up constantly but it does allow you to change your Fastpasses while you are there. Hopefully Disney will fix that problem shortly.)
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Not sure what to use your Fastpasses for? Check the wait times of the top 4 or 5 rides you know you want to ride the week before arrive. Book your Fastpasses for whichever rides seem to have the longest wait times. Also, if you get to a ride that you have a Fastpass for and there is no regular wait…don’t use the Fastpass and trade it out for another ride right on the app on your smart phone.
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Want to take home a souvenir that you’ll treasure forever? Have your child’s silhouette done. We had the girls done last time and I love them! And it was only $8! (That was 2 years ago so they may be a little more now.)
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The cinnamon roll at Gaston’s Tavern was amazing. It was enormous and the girls and I split it.
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Getting a photopass? Check out my tips for making the most of your photopass here.
Our top 3 attractions:
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The Voyage of the Little Mermaid
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Enchanted Tales with Belle
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Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
Our top 3 favorite eats:
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Beast’s Castle (lunch) although I’m sure dinner is good too
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Cinderella’s Royal Table (kind of pricey though)
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The Confectionary (the holy grail of sugar)
Feel free to post your favorites in the comments too!