When most people think of Disney World, Magic Kingdom is the first thing that comes to mind. An image of walking down Main Street with a view of Cinderella’s castle is the first thing I picture when someone mentions this magical park.
Magic Kingdom has more rides than any other Disney World park, and it can be tough to do everything in one day. Here are 8 things that you don’t want to miss when you visit Magic Kingdom!
The Mountains
Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain are my favorite rides in Magic Kingdom. On Space Mountain in Tomorrowland, you fly through the darkness of space in a rocket ship, and on Big Thunder Mountain in Frontierland, you ride a runaway mine train around turns and over hills. Both are fast and fun.
Splash Mountain is also one of the mountains, and it’s in Frontierland next to Big Thunder. It’s fun too! I only ride it in the summertime because I don’t want to get wet when it’s cold. It’s a good way to cool off on a hot summer day.
Splash Mountain will be undergoing renovations beginning in early 2023, and in 2024 it will reopen as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!
Monsters Inc. Laugh floor
This interactive show hosted by the monsters from Monsters Inc. will have you laughing no matter how old you are. My favorite thing about this show is that it’s never the same show twice. Yes, it has the same lineup every time, but since the monsters interact with the audience, the jokes are always different.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Even if you’re not a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, this ride is still considered a must-do. This boat ride is a classic. It’s not too scary or fast, but it does have one fun drop!
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
As of my last Disney trip in 2022, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is Magic Kingdom’s newest ride. This coaster is very popular, and for good reason! It’s a high-speed swaying rollercoaster that takes you through a diamond mine and over a few decent size drops.
Unless you reach this ride first thing when the park opens (or just get lucky), you’ll need to purchase a lightning lane if you don’t want to wait an hour or more.
Mad Tea Party
The spinning teacups of the Mad Tea Party have been around since opening day. I love getting into one of the teacups and spinning as fast as I can! Plus they are just so adorable.
The good thing about this ride is that you can control the spin speed. If you don’t want to spin fast, you can just enjoy the ride. Make sure you don’t eat right before you ride if you don’t want to get sick!
Fantasyland Attractions
You’ll definitely want to make time for It’s a Small World, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. These aren’t all the attractions in Fantasyland, but I decided to group these 4 together since they are pretty similar.
Even if you don’t have kids with you these rides are pretty classic. It’s a Small World has been around since Magic Kingdom opened.
If you decide not to purchase a Genie+ pass which allows you to skip the line on multiple rides in a day, you may not be able to ride all 4 of these in one day. Typically the lines for these rides get long pretty quick and stay long for most of the day.
Astro Orbiter
Dumbo is the iconic spinning ride that you see in all the Disney commercials, so what makes Astro Orbiter different from Dumbo or Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride? They are all the same style of ride, but Astro Orbiter is my favorite because of the view.
To get to the ride, you have to take an elevator up to the platform above Tomorrowland. Then you fly in a rocket above the park, getting a great view of Space Mountain, Cinderella’s castle, and more.
In fact, on my last trip we timed our ride perfectly so that the fireworks were starting as we were flying on the rockets!
Disney Enchantment Fireworks
This firework show is the perfect end to your day at Magic Kingdom. Disney Enchantment is a show that not only has plenty of gorgeous fireworks, but it also has light projections from your favorite Disney movies right onto Cinderella’s castle and extending down Main Street. To say that this show is magical is an understatement.
To get the best viewing spot, I would choose a spot on Main Street a minimum of 45 minutes before the fireworks start. I’ve waited over an hour for a good spot before, and it’s worth it! If you wait too long, you’ll be stuck behind a tree or someone taller than you blocking your view. Trust me, I’ve been there. You don’t want anything to obstruct your view of the castle or the sky above it.
What are your favorite rides or things to do in Magic Kingdom? Let me know in the comments. There are so many things to choose from!
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