Visiting Magic Kingdom with Kids

Magic Kingdom is the park that guests think of when they dream of a Walt Disney World vacation.  It is the “must do”, the quintessential park to visit for every Disney vacation. There is so much to do for everyone, great dining options, and all your favorite characters in this iconic Walt Disney World park. So let’s dive into some tips for visiting Magic Kingdom with kids!

Magic Kingdom is just that…..magical! After all, it is the home to Cinderella’s Castle and classic attractions such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant and ‘it’s a small world’. This is the park that our family can easily spend more than one day touring during our Walt Disney World vacations. Visiting Magic Kingdom with kids is the best part of a Walt Disney World vacation!

When you enter the Magic Kingdom, you are immediately transformed into a different era. Main Street USA welcomes guests in a nostalgic way, and often there are characters or street performers ready to welcome you as soon as you walk into the park. At the end of the day, guests are treated to a magical showing of Happily Ever After, the fireworks and projection show that is shown nightly at Magic Kingdom. This park is magical from open to close!

Where Can I Find Great Dining Options for My Family at Magic Kingdom?

Pinocchio’s Village Haus  This remains as our favorite Quick Service locations at Magic Kingdom. They have a basic, tasty, and very kid friendly menu.  When looking for a quick service location, we seemed to end up at Pinocchio’s quite a bit.  Personally, I love their flatbreads. Pinocchio’s is also in a great location.  You can easily access this restaurant from Frontierland/Liberty Square, as well as Fantasyland. If you choose a window seat, you can watch the boats from ‘it’s a small world’ arrive and depart as well!

The Crystal Palace  While this is not the only character dining location in the Magic Kingdom, it is perfect for the whole family. The light, airy atmosphere of Crystal Palace is welcoming to everyone in your family, regardless of age. Also, the food offerings are plentiful, and the character interaction is fantastic.  This is where you will find Winnie the Pooh, Piglet. Eeyore, Tigger, and other friends from the Hundred Acre Wood.  I also highly recommend it because it has unique characters.  There are several dining options for Mickey and friends as well as princesses in the theme parks, but this is the only location you will see Pooh and his friends.

The Plaza The Plaza is sort of a hidden gem on Main Street USA. At this location, you will find very family friendly foods, in a table service atmosphere sans characters.  I like it because it gives you a table service dining experience at a lower price point. The food is delicious, particularly the BBQ topped Macaroni and Cheese.  So good! The Plaza is also known for its bottomless milkshakes.  

As a side note for dining at Magic Kingdom, this park is surrounded by four amazing resorts that offer fantastic dining.  We like to take the monorail to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for a quick service lunch at Captain Cook’s, or start our day at the Contemporary with a breakfast at Chef Mickey’s or Steakhouse 71 before going to the park.  These resorts are easy to access, and make great options as well.

What Characters Can We Meet at Magic Kingdom?

The question is more what characters can’t you meet?! This park is full of your favorites!

Peter Pan, Tiana, Cinderella, Ariel in her mermaid form, and Rapunzel are several that come to mind as unique characters at Magic Kingdom.  The meet and greet area for Peter Pan is particularly well themed as well, just outside the Flight of Peter Pan. It has a super cute back drop, and Peter Pan is a very entertaining meet and greet.

Magic Kingdom also has several areas where you can meet more than one character.  This is a huge time saver, and allows you to be in the air conditioning, taking a small break while you wait. Pete’s Silly Sideshow is home to Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, and Goofy in their circus costumes.  There are two on each side of the circus tent, and you move from one to the next to meet them. 

Another area to meet a few characters is Princess Fariytale Hall. Here you can meet Cinderella, Rapunzel, Tiana, and a “visiting” princess.  We have seen Elena of Avalor here most recently. Tiana can also be found in Liberty Square near the gazebo.  

We really enjoy these areas where you can meet several characters, but they are also not a character dining experience. They are a great time saver, and you can easily check off several characters at once on your list.

What are the Best Attractions for Kids at Magic Kingdom Park?

At the top of my list for attractions at Magic Kingdom is Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  This does have a height requirement, so not everyone in your family may be able to ride it. However, it’s definitely an attraction you should ride at least once!  This is a Fastpass that is booked quickly, and also this attraction can have long waits. So if a Disney Genie+ return time is possible, I highly recommend booking one.  If not, then getting in the queue at park opening, or close, is best for a low wait time.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant is also a “must do” for your family.  Since Disney reimagined the New Fantasyland a few years ago, they added a second Dumbo so more guests can ride at once.  This makes the wait shorter, and is a great addition to Storybook Circus. Also, the queue for this attraction is SO fun for kids.  I love that they give you a buzzer, similar to what you may get in a restaurant, while you wait.  During this time, there is a huge play area for younger kids to enjoy and run off some steam while you enjoy the AC.  When your buzzer goes off, it is your turn to ride!

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is located in Tomorrowland. This attraction lets you enjoy your favorite Toy Story space ranger, and compete with your family to be the Galactic Hero! While you ride through space, you are shooting targets and gaining points.  Even as teenagers, my twins LOVE this attraction.  It’s great for everyone in your family!

The Jungle Cruise is located in Adventureland. This attraction is outdoors, and if a Fastpass is available, I highly recommend it.  The wait times are not always super long, but the queue is outdoors and can be very warm. As you cruise through the jungle, the best  part of this attraction is the Skipper driving your boat, and his/her sense of humor.  

Under the Sea; Journey of the Little Mermaid is another great attraction for your whole family to enjoy together.  This attraction is perfect if you have a princess fan in your family, and you need a little bit of Ariel during your trip.  While it is not super exciting for older kids, it is tolerable, and an nice break from the sun. It is also not far from Space Mountain, so if your family wanted to part ways and some enjoy this attraction while the older ones go to Space Mountain.

Unique Experiences at Magic Kingdom

The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique allows guests to enjoy a makeover experience.  The boutique is geared toward younger children {maximum age is 12}, and offers a wide variety of make over experiences for both princesses and young knights. 

Also, Magic Kingdom offers After Hours experiences, seasonal parties, the Happily Ever After Dessert Party, and Disney’s Festival of Fantasy Parade.  We have enjoyed Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party, Villains After Hours, and the Happily Ever After Dessert party on several trips!

Overall, Magic Kingdom is the park you want to visit when you have a wide range of ages. There are thrill rides, rides for tweens, and even for littles. When traveling with a broad age range, this park is worth two days of visiting!  

Magic Kingdom has shows, characters, attractions for all ages, and is in great proximity to Disney resorts to enjoy dining and other activities.  This Walt Disney World park is our favorite way to start and end our Disney vacation! 

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