It is finally Magic Kingdom Day! Or it should have been. We are now onto what should have been the fourth day of my Walt Disney World trip and it is time to visit my favourite park, Magic Kingdom!
I love Magic Kingdom because you can feel the magic in the air and atmosphere. I really feel transported into a world where your worries melt away and you get to live in the excitement and happiness that Disney creates! It also feel like the most 'Disney' park to me.
Walking into the park and standing at the top of Main Street and seeing Cinderella's Castle is always so moving! No matter how many times I visit Disney this is always a special moment!
There is so much to see and do in Magic Kingdom that I always plan more than one day in this park. That way we can really get to enjoy everything that is on offer and take our time to just soak up the magical atmosphere!
Today I had planned an epic 'three restaurants in one day' challenge! There is a wide variety of restaurants to choose from in Magic Kingdom and we had so many we wanted to get to visit that we had to squeeze as many as we could into our itinerary. But you are on holiday after all, so you can do these things!
At the moment a lot of restaurant have modified menus or may be temporarily closed. In these blogs I will be discussing everything I had planned before covid hit and lots of changes had to be put in place. I hope that in the future a lot of the food offerings will be able to come back for everyone to enjoy again! So please keep that in mind that some of the restaurants, dining experiences and foods I mention may temporarily not be on offer. But I look forward to the day they will be back!
Be Our Guest Restaurant for Breakfast
To start the day off we were having going to be having breakfast in Be Our Guest Restaurant. I have experienced this before and it is just the best way to start the day off! Be Our Guest is such a beautiful restaurant, the decor is just stunning! For any fans of Beauty and the Beast this is a restaurant to be put down on your list!
Unfortunately, as of recently, breakfast is no longer offered which is such a shame! It was a great way to get into the Disney spirit by dining in such a highly themed restaurant, whilst inside Magic Kingdom. Luckily lunch and dinner is still served here, where you can enjoy a table service meal of French cuisine.
TOP TIP!
The Master's Cupcake, also known as The Grey Stuff, was previously only available inside Be Our Guest Restaurant. But now it can be found on the menu in Gaston's Tavern! So everyone can try it and decide whether The Grey Stuff is delicious!
I was really excited to try LeFou's Festin. It looked so good! In fact I am going to recreate it tomorrow for breakfast! It won't be the same as being able to eat it in the iconic Beauty and the Beast ballroom, but it will be a lovely way to bring some Disney magic into my home!
Something for Everyone
Something else I love about Magic Kingdom is just how wide a variety of rides and attractions there are. There is something for everyone! Whether you like roller coasters, water rides, dark rides or animatronic shows, everything is covered! It also creates a lovely pace, as you can switch between thrill rides, to shows, to classic attractions. Having so much variety throughout the day keeps the excitement and energy levels up!
If you are lucky you might even get to witness some Disney magic and see a classic Disney characters on one of the rides!
TOP TIP!
If you are looking to have a little break out of the sun there are some great attractions that can offer you some seating in air conditioning whilst getting to enjoy a show! Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, The Country Bears Jamboree and Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress are three classic Disney attractions that are great for this!
Liberty Tree Tavern Lunch
I love to visit this restaurant to get a taste of what a Thanksgiving meal is like! The food is very hearty and delicious and just what I was hoping for. So I was very excited to dine here again.
TOP TIP!
If you dine at restaurant that has family-style dining you can eat as much as you like as they will keep bringing out the items you request more of! This is a great way of filling up on a big meal for a set price.
Liberty Tree Tavern is famous for it's family-style Thanksgiving platters. It is lovely for everyone to get to share a variety of traditional Thanksgiving foods, plus the iconic ooey gooey toffee cake!
I chose this as our lunchtime meal because there was a wider variety of options compared to dinner, which was family-style dining only. Because we had mixed dietary requirements the lunchtime menu was a better fit for us. I loved the look of the portobello pot roast and the revolutionary meatloaf. They both sound delicious!
TOP TIP!
Be sure to check out restaurant menus before you go. Some restaurants will serve different options for lunch and dinner. Deciding what you would like to eat whilst planning your Disney dining will help you know which mealtime to book for. You can view restaurant menus in the dining section the Walt Disney World Resort Website.
Columbia Harbour House Dinner
I think Columbia Harbour House is one of the best quick service locations in Magic Kingdom. It has a nice menu and also offers some healthier options. It is perfect for those days when you just want something light and delicious. The inside is huge! This is a big bonus as you often won't need to wait for a table to become free as there are so many of them. You can sit, relax and enjoy your meal and have a nice break in the air conditioning which is always welcome!
I have always wanted to try the Lighthouse Sandwich. It is something that consistently gets amazing reviews. So I was so excited when early this year it was now made to be vegan-friendly so everyone can now enjoy it! I am so sad I will have to wait to try this on my next Walt Disney World trip, but when I finally get to eat it after such a long wait it will be so good! The lobster roll is also highly recommended and fits the New England theme of this restaurant perfectly!
TOP TIP!
Choose a table upstairs in Columbia Harbour House. Many people don't realise there is an upstairs so it is usually much quieter and there are lots more tables available.
Haunted Mansion
The other great thing about Columbia Harbour House is it is in Liberty Square which means it is by one of my all-time favourite Disney attractions - the Haunted Mansion! I can go on this thousands of times and never get bored! I love everything from the theming, the spookiness and the merch! This is a fan favourite attraction and has it's own cult following. Are you are Haunted Mansion fan?
If, like me, you love the Hitchhiking Ghosts and their friends then make sure you don't miss Momento Mori - the Haunted Mansion gift shop next to the ride. There is so much amazing merchandise that is always being updated! In fact one of my most favourite pieces of merchandise ever I got from here! I had my photograph taken in a Victorian style booth and a few minutes later the spirits rang a bell rang and my final, spooky, photograph appeared. See below for a video!
I love touches like this, that not only sell great themed merchandise but you get a unique and memorable experience too!
So those are just some of the reasons that Magic Kingdom is my favourite park! Which is your favourite Disney Park?
In tomorrows blog I will be talking all about outlet malls, how you can save massive money on Disney merch and two character dining experiences in one day!
For an easy way to plan your own Walt Disney World itinerary consider purchasing the Most Magical Itinerary Planner for Walt Disney World. Complete with a range of handy templates for you to customise to your own trip, this itinerary planner will make arranging your days simple! It includes a trip itinerary planner (an example version and a blank version for you to complete for your own trip), a daily planner and an hourly planner. Available here.
For the full range of Most Magical Guides please visit the Guides and Planners page!