Hey y’all! My name is Adrienne and I was born and raised in Baton Rouge! I moved to Orlando two and a half years ago to work for Disney. I connected with Sweet Baton Rouge’s owner, Meredith once I started ordering the Lagniappe Box in August of 2017. I have been your “Resident Louisiana Princess” in Walt Disney World since then. In May, I was able to meet up with Meredith and her son to do a shoot around Magic Kingdom. Today, I am going to share some of my top tips when traveling to Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney World in general!
1. Rope Drop
Some of the shortest wait times for attractions are going to be as soon as the park opens. I suggest getting to the park about 30 minutes before the scheduled opening time. There is normally a fun opening show at Magic Kingdom. Sometimes they will even open the park a little early and you will be able to get a head start on your plans for the day!
2. FastPass+
If you are staying on Walt Disney World property, you can book your FastPass+ selections 60 days in advance of your stay. If you are staying off property, you can book them 30 days in advance of your visit (when tickets are purchased in advance). As a Guest, you are able to select 3 FastPasses per day in the same park. Once you use those FastPasses, you are able to continue making selections one at a time for the rest of the day.
3. Character Meet and Greets
You can meet your favorite characters all across Magic Kingdom and the other parks. You can even get Fastpasses to meet most of them. When you enter each park, there is a stand that has Park Maps and Times Guides. The Times Guides will list times for the parades, fireworks, and the times and locations that characters will be meeting throughout the day.
4. Parade
The Festival of Fantasy parade runs in Magic Kingdom on every day at 3 PM. Always check your Time Guides just to make sure nothing changes. Festival of Fantasy is a great parade no matter where you watch it from. But, some of the best spots are in front of the castle near the Partners Statue and at the end of Main Street near the flag pole. Just like in Louisiana, you will want to make sure you have your spot secured before the parade starts. I suggest getting there about 30 minutes before the parade is going to start and after the parade, stop and get an iconic photo with the amazing Magical Balloon stacks off of Main Street.
5. Mobile Ordering
If you spend the whole day in the park, you are going to need to eat. Most of the Quick Service Restaurants in Magic Kingdom have Mobile Ordering. You are able to order your meal from the My Disney Experience app! It is a major time saver, especially if you are trying to make the most of your day. There are plenty of different restaurant options from Quick Service to Table Service and just snack stands located throughout the park.
6. Fun Walls
Are you are looking for a fun spot to take a picture?! There are not so hidden walls located all throughout Magic Kingdom (and the other parks as well). They are perfect for your Instagram! The Purple Wall is one of my favorites. Meredith enjoyed it too! The Purple Wall is located going into Tomorrowland from the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant located off of Main Street. There are walls located all over the place, including bathrooms!
7. Fireworks
In Magic Kingdom, there are fireworks every night! The firework show is called Happily Ever After and it is one of my favorite things to do when spending a late night around Magic Kingdom. There are projections on Cinderella Castle in conjunction with the fireworks. Anywhere on Main Street USA is a good spot to watch them but my favorite spot is from the Train Station! Like everything else, you will want to get a good spot about 30 minutes before the fireworks start. This time of year, they are at 9:15PM each night. Again, don’t forget to check your Times Guides!
8. Attractions
Are you more of an attractions person than a firework and parade person? If you have made it this far, you know that you can knock out a lot of attractions if you get to the park for park opening and if you book your FastPasses in advance. Another tip is if you are not planning on watching any of the parades, Castle shows, or fireworks, those are perfect times to ride attractions with a shorter than average wait time!
I hope ya’ll have enjoyed reading some of my tips and tricks for how to get the most out of your next trip to Magic Kingdom. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me on Instagram, @yeaux_adrienne!
