10 Sensational Experiences You MUST Have At The Magic Kingdom

When visiting the most magical place on Earth, everyone has something different they are drawn to. Maybe you’re a thrill seeker and are looking forward to all the rides, or maybe you love the atmosphere and enjoy the storytelling all around you. If you’re a lifelong Disney fan, or it’s your first time visiting Walt Disney World, here are 10 sensational experiences you have to try at the Magic Kingdom.

10. Rope Drop

Starting our list is the opening of the park. While it may be difficult to wake up early enough to get to Magic Kingdom before the park opens, it is definitely worth it. The opening show is filled with so much excitement to start the day. Let The Magic Begin is the perfect way to kick off your day! After the countdown, fireworks soar into the air, signaling that the park is officially open. After the opening show, there are so many possibilities as you can literally walk onto the ride of your choice without the wait (if you hustle)!

9. Walt Disney World Railroad

Taking the train around the Magic Kingdom is one of the best ways to get from one end of the park to the other. The Walt Disney World Railroad, however, is so much more than mere transportation. You get to see a lot from the perimeter of the park, including scenes that aren’t visible from within the park. The narrator points out specific sights and gives a little bit of background information for each. The gentle ride from the steam engines make for a relaxing and fun way to get around.

8. Dining with Royalty

In the Magic Kingdom, there are two restaurants that allow you to dine with royalty. Disney Princesses can be found at Cinderella’s Royal Table located in Cinderella’s Castle. Dine at breakfast on caramel apple-stuffed french toast. Lunch and dinner feature dishes such as slow-roasted pork tenderloin or vegetable couscous with roasted vegetables. At the Be Our Guest Restaurant at the Beast’s Castle in Fantasyland, quick service meals are available for breakfast or lunch, but with dinner comes a fine dining experience complete with a chance to meet your host for the evening, the Beast himself. Both restaurants are sure to give you a truly royal dining experience.

7. Parades

Parades in Disney are always full of magic. Seeing all of the characters and the floats will put an instant smile on your face. During the daytime is the Festival of Fantasy. The floats are truly spectacular and are filled with all the fan favorite characters. The Princess Garden featuring Cinderella, Belle, Tiana and they’re respective princes as well as Anna and Elsa. The rest of the parade features Rapunzel and Flynn, Ariel, Peter Pan and Wendy as well as Merida.  A fire-breathing steampunk-inspired Maleficent Dragon glides along, with Mickey’s Airship bringing the parade to an end.

6. Interactive Queues

Throughout your day, you may wait in line for some of the attractions on your must-do list. The wonderful thing about Disney is that all of the queues for the attractions are full of the same whimsical detail that can be found on the rides. The Imagineers spend so much time carefully designing the way the queues move and what you can do along the way. Some of the most interactive queues are at Space Mountain, Winnie the Pooh and Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. Of course, one of the best interactive queues is outside the Haunted Mansion. Whether you are trying to figure out the mysterious deaths of the family members, keeping all of the books on the bookshelf or trying to catch a glimpse of the eyes opening on a tombstone, this queue has so much to do that time seems to pass much quicker.

5. Character Meet and Greets

The list of characters to meet at Magic Kingdom is huge. If you already know who you’d like to meet, it’ll help to narrow down your search, but there is almost always someone to see. Whether you are character dining at Crystal Palace, or looking to find someone throughout the parks, chances are good that you’ll find one or two of your favorite characters. Make sure to ask the PhotoPass Photographer to take a couple of pictures with your own camera or phone. You can also fill your autograph book fairly easily as well!

4. Eat a Signature Snack

There are a number of iconic snacks in Magic Kingdom that have their own fan followings. No trip would be complete without trying at least one of them. There are the funnel cakes from Sleepy Hollow, the cinnamon rolls from Gaston’s Tavern, the cake cups from Cheshire Café or any of the wonderful treats made in the Main Street Confectionery. Of course, one of the biggest fan favorites is the Dole Whip from Aloha Isle. If you haven’t tried a Dole Whip before, make sure it’s on your list for your next trip!

3. Ride at Night

Once the sun goes down, the park takes on a new life. The colors on the buildings change, Cinderella’s castle shines bright and any of the outdoor rides become new experiences. If you want to see the park at night, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover is one of the nicest ways to do it. One of the best nighttime rides in all of Disney World is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Without daylight, the mines and caves seem slightly scarier, but the true gem is thundering past the town, which is lit up, allowing you to see in the windows you couldn’t have during the day.

2. The Front Seat of Splash Mountain

During your trip to Magic Kingdom, Splash Mountain should be on your must-do list. The truly sensational experience comes when you get the chance to sit in the front seat. The 11-minute ride is great to view from your front seat vantage point. But with that perfect view comes the most splash potential. You are the first to plunge down the 50 foot mountainside into the water of the Briar Patch – this means you will likely get the most wet. That being said, it seems like a right-of-passage on the ride, where the experience of being in the front seat gives you a story to share with your friends and family for years to come.

1. Happily Ever After

The last sensational experience on our list is a great way to end your night at Magic Kingdom. Happily Ever After is one of the reasons why Disney is so memorable. Above Cinderella’s castle, the fireworks fill the sky as an incredible show accompanied by music covers the castle. It’s hard to describe Happily Ever After to someone who hasn’t seen them, but when you do get to see them in person, it’s sensational.

What are some of your sensational experiences at Magic Kingdom? Tell us about it in the comments below!