Magic Kingdom | Love Dwells Here

Jennifer March 29, 2019 Disney

Best Places to Watch the Magic Kingdom Fireworks

The fireworks are the perfect way to cap off a magical day at Magic Kingdom and I’m sharing some of our tips on the best places to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks. Even though we’ve seen them many times, I still make sure we can catch a glimpse of the fireworks on just about every night of our trip! Sometimes it’s from a prime viewing location within the park, and sometimes it’s from somewhere else at the Walt Disney World Resort.

There are several different schools of thought when it comes to watching the fireworks. Some people will spend hours staking out one of the prime locations in order to have a perfect view, some watch the fireworks from wherever they happen to be in the park, and some utilize the fireworks time to go on as many rides as possible with shorter lines. There are pros and cons to each choice and our method is a bit of each depending on how many days we’re at Disney!

First things first, you can find the fireworks schedule here. Right now, Happily Ever After runs every night sometime between 8-10pm, depending on the time of year. At Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, you can watch Hallowishes at 10:15pm and at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, make sure to watch Holiday Wishes at 10pm. Without further ado, here are our fave places to watch the fireworks!

Magic Kingdom Fireworks From Main Street

Starting just about as far back as you can get from the fireworks (besides the Train Station), the flagpole area on Main Street is actually a pretty decent place to watch Happily Ever After from and has the advantage of being close to the exit if you want to beat the crowds out of the park after the show. While you’re not close enough to get the full effect of the projections on Cinderella Castle, it’s a fun place to watch and get the ambiance of Main Street. However, if you’re planning to watch the 4th of July, New Year’s Eve, or Halloween/Christmas party fireworks, be aware that you won’t be able to see the 360° perimeter bursts.

Further down Main Street (this was taken just outside of the Main Street Bakery), you have a much better view of the castle projections, especially if you can get all the way into the middle of the street so that your view is not obstructed by trees. You can typically walk into the street very last minute and still get this view although you may have some trees/buildings in your sightline if you can’t get to the middle. This option works better for solo/couple travelers than large families due to space constraints or ending up behind taller people.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks in the Hub

The Hub really is the best place to be for the full effect of the fireworks and the projections on Cinderella Castle and there are three distinct areas to choose from. The Hub Grass on the right if you’re looking towards the castle is reserved for the Fireworks Dessert Party with Plaza Garden Viewing. You can make reservations for this dessert party 180 days prior to your visit and it’s currently (as of March 2019) $69 for adults and $41 for kids 3-9.

The Hub Grass on the left side as you’re looking towards the castle is usually open seating though sometimes it is used as overflow for VIP groups. In the past, this area was used for FP+ but it has been open seating for the last few years. Oftentimes people will stay seated in this area, so please be aware of what the people behind you are doing, especially if you’re on the front railing.

There’s a “secret” spot on Main Street, just past Casey’s Corner and the Plaza Restaurant that is affectionately known as “The Hump”. Unless you’re really paying attention, you would never notice this small hill, but if you position yourself at the top, the road slopes downward towards Cinderella Castle minimizing the impact of taller guests standing in front of you. If you’re having trouble finding “the hump”, look for the guests with big cameras and tripods as it’s one of their favorite shooting locations!

Wherever you end up in the Hub, make sure that you can see to the right of Cinderella Castle towards Tomorrowland if you want to catch a glimpse of Tinkerbell flying through the sky. While she is set to fly in every show that’s currently offered at Magic Kingdom, she cannot fly in inclement weather so be forewarned, if it’s raining or super windy, she may not fly.

Magic Kindom Fireworks Around the Park

The Big Top Circus area of New Fantasyland has a pretty good view of the fireworks and you can hear the music, but you definitely cannot see the castle projections. This is not a spot I’d recommend for first-timers or if you only have one chance to see the fireworks on your trip, but if you’ve seen them before, it can be fun for something different.

Since we’ve seen the fireworks so many times, we often try to time a trip on the PeopleMover with the show. Since you’re constantly moving, the view changes often and you can see the fireworks over the castle as well as over other rides in the Magic Kingdom- like the Tomorrowland Speedway! Typically the PeopleMover has a very short wait so they’ll let you stay on and go for another ride if you get to the end and the fireworks are not over.

We were on the Tomorrowland Speedway one time during Happily Ever After and if you don’t care about seeing the whole show, it actually offers a great view. And for parts of the ride, you can see both the Castle and the fireworks though you cannot really hear any of the music or see the projections.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks From Narcoossee’s

The WDW Resorts around Seven Seas Lagoon (Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and the Contemporary) all offer great views of the fireworks. Many people watch the fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian or try to snag a coveted California Grill (Contemporary) reservation for the fireworks views, but did you know that other restaurants offer great views, too? Narcoossee’s at the Grand Floridian is a perfect example! The waterfront restaurant is on the shores of Seven Seas Lagoon and the window tables afford a great view of the fireworks. But if you’re wanting a really amazing view, you can go outside and watch from the waterfront verandah that’s open exclusively to those dining at Narcoossee’s.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks from ‘Ohana

Everyone raves about ‘Ohana, and we love it for the food, too, but did you know that you can watch the fireworks while you eat?! As long as you’re okay with a late dinner, you can totally watch them from inside the restaurant. They dim the lights and pipe in the music and it offers a totally different experience than watching them in the park. If you make your reservation for about 1-1.5 hours before the fireworks, you can request a window table (subject to availability, of course) and have this view from your table!

Magic Kingdom Fireworks from Resort Rooms

While certain rooms at the Grand Floridian, the Polynesian and the Contemporary (and Bay Lake Tower) have a fireworks view, even some rooms at Wilderness Lodge will be able to catch a glimpse of the fireworks. This picture was taken from the Copper Creek Villas wing of the resort and I imagine the MK facing rooms on the other wing would have an even better view above the trees.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks from the Transportation & Ticket Center

Perhaps our favorite outside the park place to watch the fireworks, and one that is often considered a secret by those in the know, is the ferry dock at the Transportation and Ticket Center. Like the resorts around Seven Seas Lagoon, the music is piped in, but the ferry dock lines you up perfectly with Main Street and Cinderella Castle so the fireworks are centered just as they would be watching from the Hub. This area usually isn’t very crowded- most of the people that watch from the TTC are photographers so please be courteous and watch out for their tripod legs.

There are so many great places to watch the fireworks at Magic Kingdom and we try and do different ones on every trip. We ALWAYS make sure to dedicate one night to staking out a spot, usually on “the hump,” but then we’re pretty flexible with where we watch. The kids LOVE watching from rides- especially Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I’ll have to really improve my photography skills to get a good picture of the fireworks from that ride!!

Are you a fireworks fan?? Where’s your favorite place to watch from??

Jennifer February 15, 2019 Disney

Top Snacks at Walt Disney World

There are SO MANY amazing snacks at Walt Disney World and you could literally spend all day, every day of your trip snacking through the parks. With tons of snack options to choose from, and some even developing cult followings, it was difficult to narrow down our top Disney snacks to just one or two per park. We’ll have another post coming out soon with more of our favorites in each park, but for the purpose of this comprehensive look at Walt Disney World, we went with a max of two in each location giving us 11 of our favorite snacks throughout Walt Disney World.

In order to keep costs down and not fill up on sugary drinks (so we can eat more snacks, obviously!) we bring these filtering water bottles. Florida water can taste a little “different” and these water bottles do a great job minimizing the weird taste, ensuring that we stay hydrated in the Florida heat.

Magic Kingdom Snacks

While not technically a “snack” and not eligible as a snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan, the Loaded Buffalo Chicken Tots from The Friar’s Nook are definitely worth a stop. We included them as a snack because even though they’re quite filling, they’re easily splittable for an afternoon snack and at $9.49, splitting an order puts it firmly in “snack” pricing territory. The crispy tots are topped with buffalo chicken, blue cheese dressing and celery, making a spicy and delicious snack.

The Cheshire Cat Tail from the Cheshire Café is a more traditional snack, and eligible as a snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan. Located near the Mad Tea Party, Cheshire Café is a small location with a walk-up window and a very limited menu. Really, the only reason I can see stopping there is to get a Cheshire Cat Tail, and you ABSOLUTELY should stop! It’s a braided pastry with chocolate filling, pink and purple frosting drizzle, and chocolate chips. While it sounds totally basic, it’s really good. Like, realllllllly good! And at only $5.85, it’s another one of our favorite Disney snacks whether you’re on the dining plan or not.

EPCOT Snacks

The Schoolbread at Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe is one of our top picks in the World Showcase. We LOVE EPCOT dining options and snacking around the “World” is one of our favorite activities, but even if we don’t have time for a full World Showcase loop, we always make sure to stop in Norway for Schoolbread. At first glance, it’s just a toasted coconut covered roll, but this sweetbread pastry is filled with custard making it a sweet treat that’s not-too-sweet and Disney Dining Plan snack credit eligible.

Head to Kabuki Cafe in the Japan Pavillion for a great treat to beat the heat- Kakigori! This Japanese shaved ice can be topped with strawberry, melon, cherry, tangerine, blue raspberry or a rainbow of any three fruit syrups. This giant cup of shave ice is only $4 (and DDP snack credit eligible) but you should totally spring for the sweet milk topping for an extra buck.

Animal Kingdom Snacks

The Night Blossom from Pongu Pongu in Pandora is another great treat to beat the heat! We’ve always found Animal Kingdom to be the hottest park (least shade, lots of concrete, etc) so we’re always looking for something cold and refreshing. Enter the Night Blossom- it’s a frozen limeade with apple and desert pear flavors topped with passion fruit boba balls (you can order with or without the boba balls). This frozen, fruity concoction is $5.99 and counts as a snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan.

For a more savory snack, we love Mr. Kamal’s Seasoned Fries from Mr. Kamal’s in Asia. The crispy fries are topped with tzatziki salad and drizzled with sriracha ketchup (you can get extra ketchup, too!) and are totally addictive. They’re $5.99 and count as one snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan, too. There are several shady tables near Mr. Kamal’s but watch out for the birds– they love the fries, too!

Hollywood Studios Snacks

So I have to be honest here, we haven’t spent much time in Hollywood Studios lately due to all of the construction so I’m not really up-to-date on the latest snacks there (though I’ve heard great things about Woody’s Lunchbox!). DHS has been a half-day park for our family, or we skip it altogether, but I’m assuming that will change once Star Wars Land is open. So for now, our go-to DHS snack is a Mickey Ice Cream Bar– they’re $5.75 or one snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan.

Disney Resorts Snacks

Even though you can get a Dole Whip Float in the Magic Kingdom, we ALWAYS get it from the Pineapple Lanai at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (mainly so that we can enjoy other snacks in the park!). The dole whip float- pineapple and vanilla soft serve topped with pineapple juice- is a great treat to enjoy while relaxing at the Polynesian. We often stop by on an off-day from the parks just to get a dole whip and ride the monorail for some resort hopping fun.

Another favorite of ours, the Oreo Monorail Cupcake, can be found at the Contempo Café in Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Gourmet cupcakes are a huge thing at Disney Parks right now, and this is one of our favorites because of the white chocolate monorail. It’s a basic vanilla cupcake filled with cookies and cream frosting and topped with more of the same, but the white chocolate monorail really puts it over the top. This sweet treat is one snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan or $5.99.

Disney Springs Snacks

Ok, so this one isn’t technically a snack, but when you’re splitting it as a family of 7, it feels like a one and it’s a favorite for our crew. The Earthquake at Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop in The Marketplace has 8 scoops of ice cream (you can choose the flavors), eight toppings, bananas, whipped cream, cherries, and sprinkles. It’s $42.95 but it easily feeds 6-8 people making the price per person much closer to that of a snack. And, they offer discounts for Annual Passholders, DVC Members and military so for our family, it’s actually cheaper than everyone getting their own snack elsewhere. . . and way more fun!

Last, but certainly not least, are the drinks with Latte Art from Tea Traders Café at The Landing. You pick any of their delicious lattes, mochas, or tea lattes, and for 50¢ extra, you can get it topped with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy or Pluto. It’s a fun little add-on to your afternoon pick-me-up and it makes for a great photo op!

Thanks so much for following along on our favorite snacks throughout Walt Disney World! There are so many to choose from and new ones coming out every week it seems, so there’s always something new to try.

What’s your fave WDW snack??

Jennifer November 30, 2018 Disney

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tips and Tricks

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is one of our all-time favorite things to do at Walt Disney World and it’s the perfect way to kick off the holiday season! As soon as the park closes after the last Halloween party, the Halloween decorations come down and the Christmas ones go up. Almost overnight, the Magic Kingdom is transformed into a Christmas wonderland, and about a week later, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party begins and runs until right before Christmas. We always make the trip down to Florida to start our holiday season with Mickey, and now, I’m sharing some of our best tips and tricks with you so you can enjoy a magical night at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, too!

VERY MERRY TICKETS

The Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates were released in March 2018 for this year’s party and tickets were available over the phone initially, and then also available online here or at the gate. While it’s not imperative to buy them as soon as they’re released, the parties do sell out, especially the first one of the season and those around Thanksgiving. Traditionally, Friday night parties are more crowded because locals can easily attend and not have to worry about work or school in the morning. Weeknight parties are typically the least crowded especially those earlier in the season (barring the first party).

DATES FOR 2018

November: 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29, 30

December: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21

Party ticket prices range from $99 adults/$94 kids to $125 adults/$120 kids if you purchase them in advance. You’ll be paying more if you want to buy them the day of the event (and that’s assuming that it’s not a sold-out party). Double check for discounts if you’re an annual passholder, DVC member or eligible for military tickets because they could save you enough for a few Mickey ice cream bars! Note for military tickets: Buy them at Shades of Green and they’re tax-free! Also, if you want to attend a sold-out party, those eligible for military tickets can purchase at the gate, the day of the event but no discount is offered.

ARRIVAL

Like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party runs from 7pm-midnight but you can actually get into the park at 4pm (or a smidge earlier since they sometimes open the tapstyles around 345pm). And, if you’re a DVC member, you can actually get in at 2pm!! We took advantage of that perk this year and enjoyed a couple of extra hours in the park, which was great since we were just there for the party and didn’t have park tickets.

We recommend NOT using a park ticket on your party day and instead, spending it relaxing at your resort or resort hopping to check out all of the Christmas decorations, especially at the resorts on the monorail loop. The Christmas decorations at all of the Walt Disney World deluxe resorts are absolutely magical but we especially love the Gingerbread House at the Grand Floridian and then Gingerbread Castle at the Contemporary.

If you arrive at the Magic Kingdom before 6pm (when it officially closes for day guests) head to the far right and make sure you go through one of the Event Entrance tapstyles. Once you’re through, a Cast Member will put a party wristband on your (right!) wrist and the Christmas magic begins!

VERY MERRY GAMEPLAN

With the ages of our kids right now and the fact that some years, our only time at Magic Kingdom is for the parties (Not So Scary and Very Merry!), the rides and treats are the biggest draws for our family. We make sure to arrive at the park by 4pm (or 2pm this year for DVC members!) and then go on as many rides as possible AND eat dinner by 7pm when the party officially starts. This year we also stopped for a popcorn snack break to pick up the new Pluto Christmas Sweater refillable popcorn bucket!

Once the party starts, we spend our time doing a mix of rides, treat stops, and enjoying the party entertainment, but we almost always skip the character meet and greets because our kids don’t want to “waste” park time in character lines. If meeting the characters (especially the popular ones) is important to you, make sure to get in line for your first choice well before 7pm (like at least an hour early) so that you don’t waste official party time waiting in line. This year, several of the character meet and greets actually started around 5pm- they were definitely checking wristbands so if you’re not really there for the party, don’t even bother getting in line.

We definitely take a different approach to Very Merry than most people and I think it’s partly due to the ages of our kids, as well as not being locals and needing to buy so many tickets (so we really want to get our money’s worth out of our time!). For our family, going to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party allows us to spend 8+ hours in the park (this year we got it up to almost 12 hours!) with lower crowds than usual, at night (which is our absolute favorite), participate in some Christmas fun, and go on lots of rides with much shorter lines! If you’re an annual passholder or are doing the party as part of a longer trip, I can absolutely see the appeal of doing character meet and greets and spending the bulk of the night focused on party exclusive events and entertainment!

RIDES

We typically head to Tomorrowland once we’re in the park so that we have a chance to go on Carousel of Progress before the park closes for day guests (for some reason, it’s not open during either the Halloween or Christmas parties). While we’re over there, the big kids go on Space Mountain and we all go on the PeopleMover!

Our family LOVES the PeopleMover so we go on it at least once every time that we’re in the park– but usually way more than that!

For the holiday season, the Jungle Cruise transforms into the Jingle Cruise, and those silly skippers change up their puns and keep the holiday laughs going all the way through the new year.

The boats are decorated with Christmas ornaments and garland and take on Christmas-y names, too! Normally, we’re not fans of riding Jungle Cruise at night because it’s hard to see the “animals” but Jingle Cruise looks extra-festive once the sun goes down and the Christmas lights go on.

VERY MERRY TREATS

Once the party officially starts at 7pm, there are treat stops throughout the park where you can get (complimentary) snacks!

Tortuga Tavern: Snowman Soft Pretzel and Sno-Cone
Cosmic Ray’s: Snickerdoodle Cookies and Hot Chocolate
Storybook Circus: Peppermint Crunch Cookies (though this year they don’t have the milk…)
Liberty Square Ticket Office: Ginger Molasses Cookies and Eggnog
The Friar’s Nook: DOVE Chocolate and Apple Cider
Auntie Gravity’s: Chocolate Chip Cookies and Sno-Cone

Pinocchio Village Haus is the best one-stop treat location because it has all four cookies: Chocolate Chip, Peppermint Crunch, Ginger Molasses, and Snickerdoodle. They give you one of each cookie along with hot chocolate or orange Fanta and you’re welcome to go through the line as many times as you’d like in case you want extras.

HOLIDAY WISHES

Holiday Wishes, the exclusive Very Merry fireworks show, should not be missed- it runs every party night at 10pm.

The hub/Main Street is the best place to watch the show so that you can see all of the projections on the castle. However, if you’ve already seen Holiday Wishes, or don’t want to deal with the crowds by the Castle, Storybook Circus and the Rivers of America are both great locations to watch with fewer crowds.

However, if you want to be able to see Tinkerbell fly during the show (weather permitting!), you have to make sure that you have a clear view of the castle and the sky towards Tomorrowland. You cannot see her fly if you’re on Main Street or in other areas of the park.

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMASTIME PARADE

The Once Upon A Christmastime Parade runs nightly during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at 830pm and 11pm starting in Frontierland and then making its way down Main Street. This is my absolute FAVORITE parade in the current WDW parade line-up and we stake out spots for it EVERY year. Before the parade begins, the snow starts to fall on Main Street and it is absolutely magical!

If you’ve never seen it before, I would definitely add Once Upon a Christmastime to your must-do list! While Frontierland is less crowded and you don’t have to get there as early to find a spot, it absolutely does not compare to watching the parade from Main Street, with the snow falling and Cinderella Castle in the background.

The toy soldiers are the absolute best part of the parade!!

Those silly reindeer are a close runner-up though!

Once Santa makes his way down Main Street, it really feels like the Christmas season has started!

MICKEY’S MOST MERRIEST CELEBRATION

Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration is another party exclusive and runs nightly at 740pm, 925pm, 1030pm, and 1155pm on the Castle Forecourt Stage. We love watching the 1155pm show because it doesn’t take up very much party time and it keeps you in the park past closing!

Aren’t these two the cutest?!

The END of the Night

We wrap up every night at the Magic Kingdom with an ice cream cone from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor while we watch all of the guests walk down Main Street and out of the park. And once Main Street has cleared out, but before the Photopass photographers close up for the night (so sometime between 1230-1am), we get a family picture in front of Cinderella Castle. We all wore ugly Christmas sweaters for the party this year (even though it was 85 degrees out!!) so I wanted to make sure that we had a great family picture of us in our sweaters!

And then we slowly make our way towards the exit, stopping every so often to turn around and snap a picture of Cinderella Castle at the end of an empty Main Street. We always have a magical time at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party which is why we keep going back every year! It’s one of our favorite ways to kick off the holiday season, and even though it can still be hot in Florida in November, it feels like Christmas when you’re walking down Main Street in the snow!

Things to Remember for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Dress up! Unlike the Halloween party, most people don’t wear full costumes but many guests do dress up in festive shirts or Christmas pajamas. It’s so fun to see all of the people walking around the party in their Christmas-y best and we try and get ideas for what to wear to our next party while we’re there since so many people are dressed up!
Get there early! While the party officially runs from 7pm-midnight and those are the hours for the exclusive party offerings, you can get into the park at 4pm with a party ticket (or 2pm this year if you’re a DVC member). Spend your morning/early afternoon relaxing and arrive right before 4pm in order to maximize your time in the park
Get lots of cookies! This year, the cookies are individually wrapped so you can stock up and bring them home if you want. I think we had about forty cookies to bring home by the end of the night!
Buy your ticket early! You don’t have to buy your ticket as soon as they’re released but if you want to go to the first, last, or a Friday party, definitely buy your tickets sooner rather than later.
See if you qualify for any discounts! Tickets are definitely expensive, even more than the Halloween party, but there are discounts for military, AP, and DVC for some of the November/early December parties so double check before you buy.
Check the weather! While it’s the tail end of hurricane season, it is Florida and rain is likely- we always make sure to bring disposable ponchos with us! Also, November and December can be really hot or really cold so make sure to pack appropriately.
Have fun!! Go with a plan, especially if you want to see a lot of the party exclusive characters, but take time to soak in the atmosphere. There is nothing better than the Magic Kingdom decorated for Christmas.

Have you been to Very Merry yet this year?? Do you have any tips for a first timer??

Jennifer September 21, 2018 Disney

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tips

Year after year, one of our favorite things to do at Walt Disney World is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. We live about eight hours away and still feel like it’s totally worth it to drive down for a quick weekend trip every fall just so that we can go to the party! It’s been our tradition for the past few years now and I’m finally at the point where I can share some of our favorite tips and tricks to help you plan a night of spooky fun at Not So Scary!

Tickets

The Not So Scary dates were released in March 2018 for this year’s party and tickets were available over the phone immediately, and available online here starting in April 2018. While it’s not imperative to buy tickets as soon as they’re on sale, the parties do sell out, especially the first one of the season and the one on Halloween.

Dates for 2018

August: 17, 24, 28, 31

September: 3, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30

October: 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31

Party ticket prices range from $75 adults/$70 kids to $125 adults/$120 kids if you purchase them in advance. Expect to pay more if you want to buy your tickets the day of the event (assuming they’re not already sold out). If you’re going to one of the earlier parties and you qualify, make sure to check for annual passholder, DVC, and military discounts because they’ll save you enough to buy a Mickey ice cream bar (or a few, in the case of military discounts).

Arrival

Not So Scary technically runs from 7pm-midnight but you can actually get into the park at 4pm or a smidge earlier (and new this year, DVC members can get in at 2pm!!). We totally recommend that you get there as early as you can in order to maximize your time- and your money since party tickets definitely are not cheap!

We recommend making the morning/early afternoon of the day that you go to a party relaxing instead of spending it in one of the parks and showing up tired. We typically sleep in late and spend the day lounging by the pool or we go resort hopping to see what’s new at the Disney Resorts, especially the ones on the monorail loop. We love getting a Dole Whip at the Polynesian, wandering around the lobby of the Grand Floridian, and watching the monorail go through the Contemporary and it’s a leisurely way to spend the morning/early afternoon while still being immersed in the Disney magic.

If you arrive at Magic Kingdom before 6pm (when it officially closes to regular guests) there will be turnstiles open for regular admission as well as Event Entrance ones. If you’re not an annual passholder and you didn’t go to a park in the morning, make sure to go through the Event Entrance turnstiles so that it doesn’t use one of your regular park ticket days for admission. Once you’re through the turnstile, a Cast Member will put a party wristband on your (right!) wrist and then you’re off for a spooky good time!

Costumes

One of our favorite parts of Not So Scary is that the whole family can dress up. While it’s very common to see little girls in princess dresses on a regular park day, you don’t often see older kids dressed up- and the Halloween parties are the ONLY time that adults are allowed to wear costumes in the park!

Our approach to costumes is more dis-bounding than super-elaborate costumes, partly because elaborate costumes are really expensive (and we’re a fam of 7!), and partly (mostly?) because we’re talking about Florida in September (or August/October) and it is HOT! Some years the kids just wear Halloween shirts for the party but my favorite visits are the ones where we all dress up in a group costume- like our Toy Story ones from this year!

While Disney does allow people of all ages to wear costumes to the event, they do have a costume policy- make sure to check it out here to ensure that your costume will be allowed. For the most part, as long as it’s a family-friendly costume, does not include a weapon that guests may mistake for an actual weapon (so plastic swords are fine!), and does not have a mask, you should be good to go!

Candy

When you enter the park for the party, they give you a small trick-or-treat bag with your first set of treats and starting at 7pm, treat locations are open around the park. We always bring big, reusable bags to dump our candy into because they’re easier to carry than the small bags.

You can go through as few or as many treat stops as you’d like, and you can do them more than once! Our kids love going through the same ones over and over, and as long as you wait in line again, that’s totally acceptable. We usually end up with 20+ pounds of candy by the end of the night!!

Not So Scary Gameplan

With the current ages of our kids and the fact that some years, our only time at Magic Kingdom is for the parties, the rides are the biggest draw for our crew. We make sure to arrive at the park by 4pm and then do as many rides as possible and eat dinner by 7pm when the party officially starts.

We spend our party time doing a mix of rides, trick-or-treating, and enjoying the party entertainment, but we never do the character meet and greets- mainly because we have limited time in the park and our kids don’t want to waste it standing in line. If you want to meet characters (especially the popular ones), make sure to get in line for your first choice well before 7pm (like at least an hour early) so that you don’t waste official party time waiting in line.

We definitely take a different approach to MNSSHP than most people and I think it’s partly due to the ages of our kids, as well as not being locals and needing to buy so many tickets (so we really want to get our money’s worth out of our time!). For our family, Not So Scary allows us to spend 8+ hours in the park with lower crowds than usual, at night (which is our absolute favorite), participate in some Halloween fun, and go on lots of rides with much shorter lines! If you’re an annual passholder or are doing the party as part of a longer trip, I can absolutely see the appeal of doing character meet and greets and spending the bulk of the night focused on party exclusive events and entertainment!

Rides

The PeopleMover is one of our favorite rides and we go on it at least once every time we’re in the park- and usually more than once because we like riding while it’s light out and after the sun goes down!

For MNSSHP we typically go to Tomorrowland first so that we can ride the PeopleMover and take a spin on the Carousel of Progress since it’s always closed during the party. While a majority of Magic Kingdom rides are open during the party, several are closed (including Jungle Cruise) so make sure to check ahead of time if there’s something specific that you want to ride.

New this year, there are REAL pirates roaming the Pirates of the Caribbean line AND in the ride itself! Make sure to ride during the party hours and see if you can find Gunpowder Pete!

PhotoPass

We don’t stop for every PhotoPass photographer or magic shot that we see, but we do like to do a couple of new ones each time we’re there. As our family’s official photographer, it allows me to be in some of the pictures and it’s a great way to get new and unique photos.

The Headless Horseman Magic Shot outside of the Train Station is one of our favorites! They don’t start doing it until the party officially begins so if you enter the park early, don’t forget to do it on your way out at the end of the night! The PhotoPass photographers are usually out front doing this one until 1-115am!

Fireworks and Shows

HalloWishes, the exclusive Not So Scary fireworks extravaganza, cannot be missed and runs every party night at 1015pm. The best place to watch the show is from the hub/Main Street so that you can see all of the castle projections- they are phenomenal! If you’ve already seen the castle projections or you want to avoid the crowds on Main Street, Storybook Circus and Rivers of America are both great places to watch from with fewer people.

Kicked off by the Headless Horseman, the Boo to You! parade runs nightly during Not So Scary at 915pm and 1115pm- it starts in Frontierland and makes its way down Main Street. I absolutely LOVE the parade but since they’ve already seen it, the kids veto my request to stake a spot and watch since it uses up so much party time (ie. they don’t want to give up ride or candy time to sit on a curb). If you’ve never seen it before, I would definitely add it to your must-do list at the party, and remember that the second run of the parade is significantly less crowded than the first- especially in Frontierland!

The Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular is another party exclusive and it runs three times every party night (at 830pm, 1045pm, and 12am) on the Castle Forecourt Stage. We love watching the midnight showing because other than arriving a bit early to get a spot, it doesn’t take up any official party time. We walked up at around 1145pm and had a great view of the stage (though obviously, we were not in the very front).

We always wrap up every Magic Kingdom night with ice cream from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor while we watch all of the people stream down Main Street and out of the park. It’s funny how something as seemingly inconsequential as an ice cream cone at the end of the night becomes such a treasured family tradition- even the kids look forward to it!

And once everyone has left the park, we stick around to take a few pictures on an empty Main Street- at least until we start getting pushed out by security!! We usually get a couple of family pictures with a PhotoPass photographer and then I end up taking a few of just the kids though we do try and hurry since I know that the Cast Members want to go home, too.

We always have a magical time at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party which is why we keep going back year after year. It’s one of our favorite ways to kick off the fall season, and while it’s still hot in Florida in Aug/Sept/Oct, being around all of the fall decor (like the Mickey pumpkins!) is the perfect way to make it feel like fall!

THINGS TO REMEMBER FOR MICKEY’S NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY

Dress up! It doesn’t matter if you wear a full costume or a festive shirt, it’s so fun to see all of the people walking around the party in their Halloween best. We try and get ideas for what to wear to our next party while we’re there since so many people dress up!
Get there early! While the party officially runs from 7pm-midnight and those are the hours for the exclusive party offerings, you can get into the park at 4pm with a party ticket (or 2pm this year if you’re a DVC member). Spend your morning/early afternoon relaxing and arrive right before 4pm in order to maximize your time in the park
Get lots of candy! Bring a big, reusable bag to empty your little treat bags into- they hold more candy and are easier to carry.
Buy your ticket early! You don’t have to buy your ticket as soon as they’re released but if you want to go to the first, last, or a Friday party, definitely buy your tickets sooner rather than later.
See if you qualify for any discounts! Tickets are $75-$125 depending on which night you choose (earlier in the season is cheaper than later) but there are discounts for military, AP, and DVC for some of the Aug/Sept parties so double check before you buy.
Check the weather! Not So Scary runs during peak hurricane season in Florida and the party has been canceled due to weather before. Always bring ponchos (you can get them for less than $2 each at Target, whereas Disney sells theirs for $10) because it’s Florida and rains a lot.
Have fun!! Go with a plan, especially if you want to see a lot of the party exclusive characters, but take time to soak in the atmosphere. Magic Kingdom all done up for fall is an amazing sight to see and just being immersed in the fall magic is one of the most wonderful parts of the party.

Have you been to Not So Scary yet this year?? What’s your best tip for a first timer??

Jennifer August 21, 2018 Disney

Why We Go To Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Every Year

It’s that time of year again where the pumpkin Mickeys are lining Main Street and adults and kids alike are showing up to the Magic Kingdom in costume. As other parts of the country start to cool off and it’s obvious that the beginning of fall is in the air, fall is happening in the Magic Kingdom too, just without the nice drop in daytime temps!

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party started back up this weekend with a sold-out party and the earliest start date in history! Even though mid-August doesn’t scream Halloween (our kids haven’t even gone back to school yet!), the Halloween parties are starting earlier and earlier every year, allowing more people to attend and more to experience the magic of the Magic Kingdom decked out in its fall finest!

The Halloween Party has become a tradition for our family over the past few years and even though there aren’t many changes from year to year, we still find ourselves booking a quick weekend trip so that we can attend a party!

One of our favorite aspects of the party is that it’s okay (and even encouraged) for everyone to dress up. Because we’re talking about Florida at the tail-end of summer, that means it’s still HOT and humid almost every day, so our costumes are always lightweight and breathable to make sure that everyone is comfortable. My absolute favorite costume that we ever did was the year that we all dressed up as characters from Peter Pan!

Though the party is technically from 7pm-midnight, you can get in at 4pm (and new this year, DVC members can get in at 2pm!) and enjoy the Magic Kingdom for a few hours before the party officially starts. Since we don’t do a big Disney trip where we go to all 4 parks every year, we make sure to arrive by 330pm so that we don’t waste any time in the park at all!

With the ages of our kids and the fact that some years the parties are our only time in the parks, our priority on party nights is going on as many rides as possible. The Jungle Cruise is usually one of our earlier stops so that we can ride while it’s still light out- and this year it’s not open during MNSSHP so make sure to ride between 4-7pm if you’re interested in riding!

As day turns to night and the spooky fun officially starts, we always make sure to pick up our trick-or-treat bags even though we don’t typically start trick-or-treating until the lines have died down a bit.

One of the nicest things about trick-or-treating in the Magic Kingdom is that you can go through each line as many times as you’d like. One year, we got stuck in a torrential downpour and the kids went through the Pirates trick-or-treat line repeatedly for about half an hour and they ended up with TONS of candy. We always bring big reusable bags to dump their smaller bags of candy into so that they don’t get stuck carrying around really full and heavy bags.

And then it’s always back to the rides. Because the party starts so late in the day (and runs late!) we make sure to sleep in that morning and have a relaxing day so that everyone is able to stay awake for the whole party.

Hallowishes, the fireworks show during MNSSHP cannot be missed! This extra-spooky fireworks extravaganza happens once each night at 1015pm. The best place to watch the show is from the hub where you have a clear view of the castle projections, but some years we watch from wherever we happen to be in the park– Storybook Circus has a surprisingly good view of the fireworks even though you can’t see the projections.

Of course, for the kids, the highlight of the event is the trick-or-treating and they get tons of candy! We’ve found that the more they interact with the Cast Members, the more candy they end up with.

We usually end up with 15-20 pounds of candy by the end of the night and we typically take it home to pass out on Halloween! Our kids definitely don’t need to eat that much candy and it means we don’t have to spend more money buying candy after we’ve paid for party tickets.

After the fireworks and trick-or-treating, we finish up our night going on as many rides as possible. We’ve watched the Boo to You! parade before and while it is a great parade, we don’t like to give up ride time to watch it (we do the opposite at the Christmas party though). However, if you want to watch the parade, stick around for the second run and it’s considerably less crowded, especially if you watch from Frontierland. We also watch the midnight showing of the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular for the same reason.

We always finish every Magic Kingdom night (whether its a party night or just a night in the park) with ice cream from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor and we eat it while watching the hordes of people leave the park.

And once everyone is gone, we’re able to enjoy those empty Main Street and Cinderella Castle views!!

We make sure to get pictures with (almost) every PhotoPass photographer on our way down Main Street.

The kids love doing all of the special PhotoPass Magic Shots that are offered during the parties but we save them until the very end of the night so that we don’t have to wait in long lines.

All of the pumpkins, especially the Mickey ones, are one of the things that keep us coming back year after year. I wish I could get one of the Mickey pumpkin wreaths for our front door!! We typically attend a September party and it’s a great way to get in the fall mood!

Since we go into the park before the party officially starts, we aren’t able to get the Magic Shots on the way in, but the photographers in front of the Train Station hang out there until well after the party is over.

The spooky Train Station at the end of the night, or technically, really early in the morning!

Our family takes a very different approach to MNSSHP than most people, in part because we have such a large family and tickets to Walt Disney World are expensive no matter what you’re doing. We can’t afford to do a big Disney World trip every year (even though we’d love to!) so some years going to the parties is our only time at the Magic Kingdom for the year, especially since a party ticket is cheaper than a one-day park ticket (assuming you go to one of the earlier parties). Because of that, our kids would rather spend their time going on rides than doing character meet and greets and other party specific activities. For us, it’s a great way to spend 8+ hours in the Magic Kingdom and enjoy some special Halloween fun, but the rides are definitely the focus.

We keep going to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party year after year because it is an excellent value for our family. We get to enjoy a fun-filled night at the Magic Kingdom for less than a one-day ticket and it’s a great way for us to kick off the fall season. We always go to a party in early September (I draw the line at celebrating Halloween in August!) because tickets are cheaper than closer to Halloween. MNSSHP is the highlight of our fall activities for our crew and now that we’ve gone the past few years, it has been cemented in our “family tradition” lineup.

For those of you that are locals or that are adding a party to your regular WDW trip, I can definitely see the appeal of the Halloween party exclusive activities. The Boo to You! parade is great and really shouldn’t be missed if it’s your first time at MNSSHP. The character meet and greets are fantastic as well, but the lines are long! Get in line for your top pick early (like in the 4-7p window) so that you don’t use up as much official party time in line. There are fun dance parties throughout the park where you can dance the night away with characters but they will not stop and pose for pictures. And of course, loading up on Halloween candy is great fun whether you’re at your first party or twentieth!!

Things to Remember for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

Dress up! Whether you wear a festive shirt, disbound, or wear a full costume, part of the fun of the party is seeing all of the cool costumes that people come up with. Plus, it’s the only time that adults are allowed to wear costumes in the park so definitely take advantage!
The party officially runs from 7pm-midnight and those are the hours for character meet and greets and all of the extra party magic, but you can get into the park at 4pm with a party ticket (or 2pm this year if you’re a DVC member). We plan a relaxing morning/afternoon and get to the park just before 4pm and stay until well after closing in order to maximize our time at the Magic Kingdom.
Bring something to empty your little treat bags into so that you can get more candy!
Buy your ticket in advance because the parties do sell out– especially weekends and the closer you get to Halloween.
Tickets are $75-$125 depending on which night you choose (earlier in the season is cheaper than later) and there are discounts for military, AP, and DVC for some of the Aug/Sept parties so double check discounts before you purchase your tickets!
Keep an eye on the weather! MNSSHP runs during peak hurricane season and the party has been canceled due to weather before- we actually had to postpone our trip a week due to Hurricane Irma last year. That being said, Disney World is one of the safest places to ride out a hurricane because it’s so far inland, so while you do need to be weather-aware, there’s no reason to avoid going during hurricane season.

Have you ever been to MNSSHP?? Are you going this year??

Jennifer July 13, 2018 Disney

Finally 40″ Tall At Disney World

For as long as I can remember (really, since having kids) we have ALWAYS had to utilize rider swap at Disney parks because at least one of the kids wasn’t tall enough to ride something. And once we got to the point where the big kids were tall enough for everything, Ellie was born and we had to start all over.

Ellie has always been on the small side so we’ve been waiting… and waiting… and waiting for her to get tall enough to go on the “big” rides with us. We measured her every month at home to check the progress, told her she needed to eat her veggies if she wanted to be tall enough (which isn’t a big deal because she LOVES veggies), hoped and prayed, and finally, for our trip this summer, she hit the 40inch mark and she was ridiculously excited!!

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – Magic Kingdom – 38″ or taller

While the height requirement on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is actually only 38 inches, she was not quite tall enough the last time we were at the Magic Kingdom so this was her first time riding. We chose to do Mine Train as her first “big ride” just to make sure that she enjoyed the thrill level and then we moved up from here. She was a bit nervous when we started out.

But absolutely LOVED it!! She’s seen so many ride videos– either PhotoPass from previous trips or from the big kids showing her on YouTube– and has dubbed it the “Hi Ho Ride”. She sang the song on the lift up and smiled so big on the way down. It was definitely her favorite ride of the trip… at least, so far!

Test Track – EPCOT – 40″ or taller

We chose not to tell Ellie anything about this ride because we weren’t 100% sure that she would want to ride if she knew how fast it went. Turns out, our fears were all for nothing, and she loved it! At least we now know that she loves fast rides and high thrills!!

Soarin’ Over the World – EPCOT – 40″ or taller

We didn’t really explain this ride to Ellie until we were at the front of the line, not because we thought she wouldn’t like it, but because we hadn’t really thought about it. I told her that your feet dangle and made sure to put her flip-flops in the bin under the seats so that they didn’t accidentally fall off during the ride. She loved the elephants in the safari scene– they’re her favorite animal!

Pretending to put her toes in the water– she had on a huge smile through the whole ride! For kids (under about 5 feet tall) there’s a loop that you put the seatbelt through so that they can’t slide out of the seat.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Magic Kingdom – 40″ or taller

This ride, her mama’s favorite, was one that she was a bit apprehensive about. We didn’t need to tell her anything about the ride because she’s seen the train zooming around Big Thunder Mountain on plenty of occasions. She said she wanted to ride and was all smiles as we waited in line, but as soon as we were on and the lap bar was pulled down, she got scared. I honestly thought that she was going to spend the whole ride with her face burried in me, but she stayed brave and looked forward.

And LOVED it!! Even though she said Mine Train was her favorite, the squeals of delight from her on Big Thunder Mountain are something that I’ll never forget.

Splash Mountain – Magic Kingdom – 40″ or taller

After riding Big Thunder (and loving it), she was completely against the idea of going on Splash Mountain because the drop was “too big”. With some bribery (and telling her she didn’t have a choice!) she boarded our log and we were off. She and I sat in the back row so that we didn’t get quite as wet as the kids in the front row– didn’t work, we all got pretty wet! Every ten seconds she would ask me “is that the big drop??” and I would assure her that we still had awhile and to look around and enjoy the ride. By the time we got to the top, she was as close as possible to me as she could be without sitting on my lap and she looked petrified. By the time we got to the bottom of the drop, she was soaked and laughing hysterically and has told me every day that the “big drop ride” is her absolute favorite and has asked when we can go ride it again.

Kali River Rapids – Animal Kingdom – 38″ or taller

Grandma and Grandpa were kind enough to take all of the grandkids on Kali River Rapids while the parents stayed dry (or would have if it wasn’t Animal Kingdom in June!) and took pictures. The height requirement on this one is also 38 inches but it was Ellie’s first time being tall enough to ride. She hid behind Grandma (and Grandma’s poncho!), not because she was afraid but in an effort to stay dry!

In fact, she (and the other kids) loved it so much that Grandma and Grandpa took all the grandkids TWICE in a row!

All smiles! Kids between 38-42″ are given a special wristband at the entrance to the ride and then have to sit in a special seat with a safety bar that they can hold onto. Not every raft has the modified seats but those that do have two seats with the safety bar allowing you to ride with two 38-42″ kiddos.

Happy faces from everyone on Kali River Rapids!

Surprisingly, no one got very wet on Kali River Rapids- or as wet as they’ve gotten in the past. At the very end of the ride, we used the water guns to shoot their raft and get them all a bit wetter.

Big Thunder Mountain AGAIN – Magic Kingdom – 40″ or taller

Since Big Thunder Mountain is one of our family’s favorite rides, we went on it many times during our week at Walt Disney World. Ellie even branched out and rode it with one of her big brothers– and that same smile!

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train AGAIN – Magic Kingdom – 40″ or taller

Ellie asked to go on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train every time we walked past it, so luckily, we had FastPasses for multiple days and we didn’t have to wait in the 120-minute line. She really liked sitting in the front row and we often requested it!

Such a happy girl! I’m so glad that after all of the waiting for her to be tall enough, she loves the rides and we can ride together as a family. Now we need to wait for the 44″ mark so that she can go on Space Mountain, Expedition Everest, and Flight of Passage! One of my favorite things about Disney Parks, and one of the reasons that we keep coming back, is that there is always something new to experience.

Things to Remember about Disney World Height Requirements

Height requirements are in place for the safety of your child and other guests– not to negatively impact your trip or make your kiddo miss out on something fun.
If your child is close to the cut-off they may get measured at the ride entrance and again just before boarding. We didn’t have any issues with making the cut-off at the ride entrance and being denied at boarding on this trip, but we have had that problem in the past. If that happens, PLEASE don’t take it out on the Cast Member– they are probably a college student and do not want to be held personally liable if your child gets hurt on a ride because they were not quite tall enough. If you feel that the call was made in error, ask for a supervisor.
Practice how to stand up straight and not move around with your kids. The goal is for them to bump their head on the measuring guide (or clearly be taller than it). Some kids crouch down thinking they need to be below the guide and then they end up with an inaccurate measurement and miss out on riding. Last year Ellie was literally the width of a piece of paper too short for Mine Train– they really do have to bump their head on the guide.
If they’re still not tall enough, utilize the Rider Switch option so that the rest of the family still gets to ride. In this case, the whole family goes up to the Cast Member at the ride entrance, then Parent 1 and the big kids (or just the parent!) can go on the ride while Parent 2 waits with the ones that are not tall enough. When Parent 1 is done, Parent 2 can proceed to the FastPass entrance (with up to 2 additional guests– and they can be the kids that just rode with Parent 1) and enjoy the ride while Parent 1 waits with the little one(s). This way, both parents (or adults) get to ride and sometimes the other kids get to go twice!
Even if your kiddo isn’t tall enough to ride EVERYTHING in the parks, there is still plenty to do! And it gives you a great excuse to plan another trip for when they are taller!!

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Jennifer April 16, 2018 Disney

Magic Kingdom in the Rain

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I just got back from a long weekend trip to Disney World with a friend from church— without ANY of our kids!! We both have annual passes(!) and went down to visit her oldest daughter who is part of the Disney College Program this semester.

We spent our last day of the trip at the Magic Kingdom and we arrived bright and early! Even though the park officially opened at 9am, they open up Main Street at 8am so people can shop or grab a cup of coffee. After using the Passholder line (the little perks make us happy!!) we made our way towards Cinderella Castle to get a spot to watch the Welcome Show— something that we often skip when we’re traveling with all the kids since they’re all about the rides.

While the weather that day started out fairly nice, big thunderstorms filled the afternoon forecast. We snagged a great spot on the curb for the 3pm Festival of Fantasy parade and then secretly hoped for the storm to move in and the Rainy Day Cavalcade (also known as the Rainy Day Parade) to take its place. We chatted with the Cast Members as we waited– they were also hoping for the Rainy Day Parade as none had seen it yet.

It sprinkled for about thirty seconds and then started POURING!! We quickly opened up our ponchos, got covered up (some of us had them on backward at first!), and held our spots on the curb. The Cast Members said that we looked like the three fairies (Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather) from Sleeping Beauty and after a while, we had our own little crowd of CM’s to hang out with. Every 15 minutes there was an announcement that due to the storms, Festival of Fantasy would be delayed, and we kept waiting for the announcement switching to the Rainy Day parade.

Having ponchos with us, and ready to go at any time, totally saved our afternoon. While we weren’t there during the official “rainy” season, it’s Florida and afternoon thunderstorms are pretty common. I ALWAYS pack a bunch of ponchos from Target because at $1.49 each, they’re cheap enough to be disposable and they work great to cover everything from people to strollers!

We waited on the curb as hordes of people tried to leave the park or huddled in the stores hoping to wait out the rain, and we had a blast doing it! Our great attitudes about the rain and the fact that we were having fun with a group of CM’s- instead of getting mad at them because it was raining like we saw and heard multiple people do- totally worked out in our favor!

Our little group of CM’s all chipped in and bought us a Mickey balloon and then offered to take pictures of us (while still holding our spot on the curb!) in front of the castle. After several delayed parade announcements, and a whole lot of fun and laughing on our part, one of the CM’s asked us if we’d like to give up our curb spot and move to the VIP Parade seating on the Liberty Square Bridge and of course, we jumped at the chance!

The CM’s went and got towels to dry the benches off for us and then we had the MOST AMAZING VIEW of the Festival of Fantasy Parade! Because we were in VIP seating, the character interaction was phenomenal and everyone wanted to talk to us and waved and smiled as they passed by!!

There’s nothing quite like watching the Festival of Fantasy parade make its way across the Liberty Square Bridge and having a completely unobstructed view to really bring the Disney magic alive.

– Festival of Fantasy Parade –

The detail that goes into some of these floats is amazing- this one has axes swinging like pendulums as well as Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder and a few henchmen!

The Lost Boys were a riot! I honestly thought that the parade was going to get held up because they were having so much fun interacting with our group!

The Maleficent dragon float is the most impressive parade float I’ve ever seen! The piercing eyes seem to look right into your soul and then she pulls her head back and breathes fire.

– That fire is AWESOME –

Since it had been wet and rainy, parts of the parade were eliminated (like some of the dancers) but there was still plenty of Disney magic to enjoy. The Seven Dwarfs all came over to see us and Happy even sat on our bench!

– The main Mouse –

For a lot of people, a rainy afternoon at the Magic Kingdom can totally ruin their day, but if you’re flexible and have a good attitude, it can become a wonderful, once in a lifetime experience!

What has been your most magical experience at the Magic Kingdom??