Of all the 4 Disney Parks, I love Magic Kingdom most for little kids.
There is something truly magical about turning the corner and walking down Main Street towards Cinderella’s Castle. I will never forget the moment either of my daughters made that turn and saw the castle in real life for the first time. This park also has the best selection of rides for this age group and the selection of souvenirs is excellent. The downside to Magic Kingdom is truly getting there. Unless you are staying at a Monorail Resort (The Contemporary, The Polynesian Village Resort or the Grand Floridian) your arrival will require a bus or car. Driving will also require time to park, walk to security and then either a boat or monorail ride to get to the gates of the Magic Kingdom.
Even if you are not using Genie+, you also will want to be sure to have the My Disney Experience App!
The following is a real example of a day that I spent with my almost 3 year old at Magic Kingdom:
9AM – Arrival at the Main Gates
9:30AM – Arrival at Security
9:45AM – On the Express Monorail to Magic Kingdom
9:55AM – On Main Street – Here is a great time to find a Photopass photographer to take your picture to document the start of your day at the Magic Kingdom
10:10AM – In line for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin – I love starting in Tomorrowland with littles because of just how much they can do on this side of the park.
10:25AM – On Buzz
10:35AM – In line for the PeopleMover – I also love this ride for littles because it is long and gives them time to take a drink or snack while still experiencing something.
11:05AM – In line for the Barnstormer – This ride does have a height requirement of 35 inches but it is a great starter coaster and with it’s usually short wait time, it can be ridden more than once in a row – I know from personal experience… our record is 5!
11:20AM – In line for Dumbo – a classic Disney ride that I think is a must for this age group
11:35AM – In line for Journey of the Little Mermaid
12PM – In a clamshell on Journey of the Little Mermaid
12:15PM – In line for the Mad Tea Party
12:35PM – On Main Street to watch a cavalcade go through
After that, we had to leave so that we could pick up my oldest at school. However, I will include my suggestions for the afternoon if you want to spend the full day at Magic Kingdom.
At this point of the day, you will want to grab something to eat. I’d recommend Casey’s Corner for kids of this age group. You can find hot dogs, corn dogs and French fries here and everything here is a hit with my almost 3 year old. Give yourself about an hour to order food, get it and eat. I love being able to sit with a view of the castle for a meal at Magic Kingdom.
1:30PM – In line for It’s a Small World
2:10PM – In line for The Magic Carpets of Aladdin – just outside of this attraction is a photo pass opportunity to meet Jasmine and Aladdin, so check the times of their meet and greets and stop by to meet them if your little(s) would like that.
2:30PM – In line for Pirates of the Caribbean – I also love this ride because it is dark and cool, so it’s a good way to get out of the afternoon heat.
3:15PM – In line for Mickey’s PhilharMagic – another great, indoor ride to help keep out of the heat
3:45PM – In line for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
After this time, if your littles are tall enough to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (38 inches), I’d recommend waiting for that. The line here is almost always long, so grab a snack and a drink and prepare to wait for a bit with them. It’s a quick coaster that is definitely a step up from the Barnstormer but not a thrilling as one of the 3 mountains (Space, Big Thunder and Splash) would be. If you have an adventurous and tall little one, I’d recommend starting with Big Thunder or Splash Mountain. Both of these mountains have a 40 inch height requirement. My 5 year old was that tall when she was in this age group – she’s adventurous when it comes to roller coasters, so we always would wait for one of them with her.
If your littles are not going to want to ride a rollercoaster to end the day, I would spend the rest of the day waiting in line to meet characters of their choosing, shopping and snacking. Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe would be a fun spot for these littles to eat at because the menu is full of food they’d enjoy. If you can get a reservation, Be Our Guest is a super fun spot for kids of this age to eat because of the amazing immersion into the world of Beauty and the Beast. Crystal Palace is a good option if you’d like to have a character dining experience, but I’d recommend making sure you have a reservation ahead of time for this venue as well.
Our girls cannot stay up late enough to enjoy the fireworks, but if you’re willing to stick around until then, I’d recommend doubling back to their favorite rides, meeting characters and/or shopping.
Give yourself time to get out of the park when you are done for the day. It’s always crowded at the entrance/exit and lines for the monorails and boats are also long at this time of day.
