Last, but not least, my personal Magic Kingdom favorites. I opted to write my own last, not as much for a save the best for last theory as because how am I supposed to choose? How am I supposed to describe my top three when my head is circling every ride on the map? I love them all, each for their own specific reasons, but for the purpose of this exercise, and letting you get to know a bit more about me,  I have narrowed down a top three.

My first, a true favorite, is none other than Adventureland’s Jungle Cruise. I love this ride and could board these little river tour boats over and over and still enjoy the adventure. Don’t get me wrong, the thrill for me is not the ‘ride’ itself. The animatronics leave a lot to the imagination, it’s really only my three year old who can be convinced that the animals could be real, and it took me only a few rides in my adulthood to realize that the boat was guided through the course rather than being ‘driven’. However all that said, the cast members do such an incredible job of entertaining you in the most magical way (one in which Disney and Pixar have worked so hard to master) above the heads of the children. I am that one guest who sits and stares at the driver in awe – laughing at even their punniest of jokes – they quite literally crack me up. From the backside of water to the shrinking business of the head hunter (ironically holding a spear of shrunken heads … I mean honestly!! HAHAHA) the jokes keep on coming. Not to mention that depending on your tour guide you really don’t get the exact same script each time. Maybe it’s my sarcastic nature or my dry humor but this ride is definitely one of my favorites. (Magic Mom Moment – this line can get quite long so a lightning lane is a big help – keep an eye on your MyDisneyExperience app)

My second favorite is one that I just can’t forget. And believe me, with the terribly long wait times that belong to Peter Pan’s Flight from rope drop to the night’s end, I have tried, but the nostalgia of this ride gets even me and the idea that I am taking my kiddos on quite literally the same ride that I went on during my earliest trips reserves at least one fast pass per trip for this favorite. I could near perfectly describe the path of this ride in its entirety, but I will save for some surprise, I just appreciate that it brings out the child in us as you travel from scene to scene from this iconic Disney film paying fair tribute to all of our favorite characters – not to mention the chance to fly! They have done a fair amount to enhance the queue in this ride as well adding touches of pixie dust wherever possible, however its wait times are nothing to joke about, and there’s only so much that you can do while standing in line for sometimes upwards of 2 hours (as I said, I highly recommend either legit rope dropping this favorite or making it be a first choice for lightning lane – it will book up). Unfortunately my 11 and 7 year olds are quickly out growing the need to wait for this ride, although I’m not sure I ever will.

My final choice is by default. I could ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin over and over again. Not only do I love the imaginative excitement that is all things Toy Story the interactive component and competitive nature of this ride makes it so much fun! It’s a small scale version of its counterpart (more to come on that ride) with much more reasonable wait times – somehow the common 30 minutes spent in this line seems like less with the anticipation. We alternate riding partners and shout our scores before even leaving the cars each hoping to demolish our loved ones target by target. We’ve also gotten very good at posing for this in ride camera – a lifetime of memories that get uploaded automatically to our magic bands – this ride is a definite favorite for our family as a whole. (Magic Mom Moment – this is the one ride that has the worst placed gift shop. If your little is anywhere near that phase where they need to have or need to touch one of everything, do your best to make a quick exit from this ride…that said…we’ve all been there. Also, the meet and greet for Mr. Lightyear himself is located just outside that dramatic exit!)

So there it is, my top three…that was tough. Like I said I could give you valid reasons why each ride in this park is my favorite so please don’t think otherwise of those not mentioned. MK is our multi-day park. It’s where we kick off our Disney adventures and where we want freshest in our memories when we leave. Will this always be the case, I’m sure not, but for now I’m soaking it all in, because it truly is the most magical place in the most magical place on Earth. Where dreams come true and where you can wish upon a star and see it light up the night, where our favorite characters dance in the streets and where Tinkerbell flies from the castle, where our memories have been made. These are our Magic Kingdom favorites…what are yours?

Now typically the favorites belonging to my husband and I would be categorically similar – too similar to warrant their own posts – being as we fall within the same age bracket with the same over the top love of all things Disney. That said, our MK loves differ in their origins greatly enough that our favorites are reflected. My husband is a facts and statistics guy, putting great emphasis on the nostalgia of the parks and the detailed history of the rides. His first visit to the kingdom was on our honeymoon and my only regret is that we did not participate in the Keys to the Kingdom tour because I truly believe that backstage magic would have been immensely meaningful to him. It will happen, though, eventually, when our visits become less centered on our little ones as they are these days. Never the less, he’s been hooked since that very first visit, doing his own research between each trip on the behind the scenes fun facts about each ride and its origins within the Disney family, however after all that research I believe his favorites have changed only slightly in all these years.

His top choice when asked is one that we admittedly have only recently started to come back to – Space Mountain. We are usually fortunate that my mom and grandmother join our adventures so we did have a small few opportunities to slip off and do the big big kid rides, however the wait times on Space Mountain are typically so high that a ride on this coaster wouldn’t fit in these grown up sneakaways. That said, the bigger two have reached Mountain height and it is a new ball game. Lightning Lane is a must for this thrill imo (although there is a somewhat interactive queue as well as the possibility to shorten your wait as a single rider). Nevertheless, this ride has become my husband’s number one. Space Mountain was the world’s first completely indoor roller coaster and although you only travel at speeds of around 30 mph it feels like you are flying much faster as the ride takes place in darkness with only neon racing lights periodically reminding you that your eyes really are open. You are on a ‘space ship’ seated single file making this ride even more thrilling since you truly are alone in the darkness, not to mention that even I, at an optimistic 5’2”, feel the need to duck out of fear of low ceilings in the constructed outer space. This has quickly become a trip requirement for our increasingly thrill seeking kiddos.

A’s second favorite was surprisingly Splash Mountain, mostly due to the anticipation of the inevitable plunge (I swear after all this time he asks “is this it?” on every uphill climb) and the suspense of whether our flume will get soaked or splashed. However he also enjoys the MK vantage points that this ride allows as well as the fact that this ride is such a classic. Most of your ride throughout the briar patch has you secretly climbing with characters from the story set out to distract you so the drop is, as always, a surprise, however if you scan the horizon on your floats outside of the mountain you have a pretty great view of Frontier land – which A appreciates. Additionally, in the ever changing environment that is Walt Disney World, Splash Mountain seems to be standing the test of time (however now that I’ve said that I’ve surely put a magical curse on the old fave) and he respects that history. He also is like a kid in a candy store now that this favorite aligns with our B’s. The two of them would ride this and Big Thunder over and over again – a bond that makes my love for MK grow with each visit. Will this change with the Princess and the Frog overlay? I’m not sure. If the format of the ride stays similar as it did with the Frozen takeover of Maelstrom then probably not. It’s the anticipation….and the drop that does it for him!

A’s third favorite speaks to the detail oriented side of my husband, however I must say it again surprised me. He chose the iconic Haunted Mansion as his final choice. He claims, his words, that as many times as he’s ridden this ride (which is a lot because this is usually a more than once an MK day choice for our family – it makes for a perfect mini-man nap) he sees something new and exciting each time. I can attest to this – there is so much to see, so many intricate details that each ride feels new and different. Is it spooky? Ehh – our six year old would say yes. However he’s been riding it by choice for years and he is not one to venture into spooky situations. It’s spooky but it’s also cartoony at the same time – the ghosts seem almost goofy and for us it is exciting to find that new detail with each ride – although admittedly at this point it takes some pre-ride research. Either way, this slow moving, cool dark option with periodic entertainment during the waiting line is in my opinion a good option for a midday break from the heat. (Magic Mom Moment – check out the pet cemetery at the exit of the ride for another reference to the memory of Mr. Toad. Also, there’s an excellent photo op just in front of the invisible horse where you can capture the whole mansion in the background while your family poses.)

When asked for a list, my husband requested a Magic Kingdom honorable mention. I quickly denied his request until I heard which ride he wanted to include, upon which I decided that it should be allowed. The People Mover, is in our opinion a Magic Kingdom ‘hidden gem’. Its entrance is, in fact, somewhat hidden and often confused with the entrance for the Astro Orbiter, however once you find it – you must try it. You weave along the ground beneath the space ship that is the center of Tomorrow Land then take a moving walkway up to the ride cars. They are standard 4 (or 6 with little’s) cars with two bench seats facing each other and no tops allowing for the incredible view that you will experience. That said, mom to mom, hang on to your little ones as it does go quite fast and does enter some very dark spaces, it’s safe but I’ve definitely spazzed once or twice. The amazing thing about this ride, since it really isn’t thrilling or designed after a classic Disney film, is that it provides the rider with little snippets of almost each ride located in this Land. You travel through Buzz Lightyear’s Spin – even being able to see the riders aiming their weapons at the point earning targets, through the gift shop after Stitch’s Great Escape, and even into the ground level of Space Mountain (the sound and light effects make you feel like the ships are zooming all around your head). You get a unique view of Walt’s original vision for EPCOT and more than one breathtaking view of Cinderella’s Castle and its surroundings. This ride is definitely not a kid magnet so some persuading does need to occur for those younger fans, however you have not truly experienced an evening in the Magic Kingdom until you have ridden this favorite at night – try during the Fireworks for some added excitement. (Magic Mom Moment – we turn this ride into a mission – using the awesome vantage points to make a list of the rides that we need to ride next!)

Continuing along the Walt Disney World Railroad through the Magic Kingdom, our other little boy has his own well thought out favorites. B has been to Disney 6 times in his 11 years – a record for most – not enough according to him – and has had very different experiences each time. He’s gone through phases where he was all about the parades and shows, others where he lived for the character meet and greets (we are thankful for the photo passes from this phase) and, like most recently, where he can’t get enough of the rides. And surprisingly, as he is still that little guy holding his autograph book waiting to see his hero Buzz Lightyear in my eyes, we are learning that the bigger, the better as far as he’s concerned.

At the age of 7, B’s favorite rides are very different from his choices even a year ago. We had a trip changing experience on our 2016 visit where we were granted a special fast pass (yeah the paper kind) able to be used on any one ride of our choice, whether it was ‘sold out’ online or not. It was the last day of our week and we had worn ourselves out going from park to park and ride to ride but we knew that we could squeeze in one more. Now at this point B was still holding on to the smaller ride’s, the Speedway, Dumbo (he’s always loved the circus tent waiting zone), and Aladdin however we knew he had hit that 40” mark and with a little coaxing could be persuaded to give Big Thunder a try. Well last ride, on our last day, wouldn’t you know it was his absolute favorite – highlight of his trip. By the grace of ‘rider swap’ we were able to give him a back to back ride, and boy did he love it. This was a turning point in our itinerary making and has definitely since molded his list of favorites.

When asked today he says that his number one favorite is the new family coaster Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train – and honestly, I can’t say that I blame him. This is one of those more recent creations with animatronics that could almost fool you into having a conversation with those hard working dwarfs, however it’s also a quite thrilling experience to coaster enthusiastic adults. Riders begin their experience with Walt’s first animated family in an extraordinarily interactive queue where they can play as they wait in themed video games on touch screens stationed throughout the line. There are hands on activities and so much to see that the wait is never boring – which is good because this can definitely be a lengthy wait as far as the kingdom goes. The ride itself puts you in a free rocking two person mine cart on a runaway track both indoors and outside at speeds that have B screaming with joy. There are times when you go from a slow uphill climb, immersed in scenes from the iconic film, to cruising downhill and around curves where if you glance up you can see all areas of Fantasy Land – it’s easy to see why this is one of his favorites. (Magic Mom Moment – a video of your ride is automatically linked to your magic band so you can remember this adventure for years to come. Also – fun tip – the Snow White and dwarfs dancing in the cottage at the end of the ride came straight from the Snow White ride of our childhoods – love it!)

I allowed an exception when B chose his second favorite ride, let’s just say it’s the “Mountains”. On our most recent visit he rode (back to back – thanks again rider swap) Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain each day we visited MK. Unfortunately, these wait lines are longer than we are typically able to wait and less than exciting for someone at 6 years old so we utilize are definitely a family who takes advantage of all of our resources (fast pass in the past and Genie+ today), or wait until next time when we can’t, but they are definitely favorites for both bigger kids and adults. Both B and G are now tall enough to hit the Magic Kingdom Mountain trifecta, and let’s just say we are here for it!! We are all pretty excited to see how Tron lives up to the the anticipation on our next trip and, while we will admittedly be missing our regular visit to the briar patch, we are pretty excited to see what Tiana has in store for Splash.

B’s third choice is a family favorite of ours. We can turn almost anything into a competition so the interactive elements incorporated into Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin are just our style. B takes turns choosing who he wants to ride with aka compete against while weaving through the aisles and being greeted by an animatronic Buzz Lightyear requesting your help on a space mission like no other. On the two person (or three with a little one) cars you each have access to your very own laser tag style space gun. You can use team work, or competitive measures, to turn the car with the control stick and aim your laser at a multitude of targets throughout the ride, each with an undisclosed point value (there are some that are quite high – you just need to find them) trying to tally a higher total than your partner. I like that this ride is another that incorporates an in ride photo opp – he likes that he gets to ‘kick our butts’.

While his taste in rides is ever changing, and this is probably no longer his ‘favorite’ park, the true to story details are undeniable and there is no Disney World without the Castle. It’s where we start and end our trips now, and maybe always….although, maybe now. 😉

“Venture outside your comfort zone. The rewards are worth it.” –Rapunzel (Tangled)

Anyone who’s been to the “World” as often as we have is sure to have developed personal favorites. Favorite restaurants, resorts, parade spots, evening activities, and of course, rides! What better way to get to know my family than learning about those rides that we can’t get enough of. Let’s start at the most obvious of the four parks – where each of our visits begins and ends – the Magic Kingdom and our youngest Mouseketeers.

G has been to Disney World twice in his first two years and once since. T has been once and has experienced just as much as most adults who visit. That’s one of the magical things about these parks, there are so few rides with height restrictions that little guys rarely get left out (big brother doesn’t miss out either with the help of rider swap – but more on that later). They can ride in your laps – aiming for the targets on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, take naps in the cool darkness of the Haunted Mansion, even drive (not very well) their very own race car on the Tomorrowland Speedway. And while G was finally able to graduate to the mountains on his last visit – their kingdom experiences have been far from lacking.

This park is definitely a favorite, and our favorite for the littlest visitors. There are so many excitingly thematic rides and elaborately detailed wonders around every turn, how can a little guy like him not be filled with excitement from rope drop to the ‘Kiss Goodnight’. Without a doubt, from the time G was 10 months old, the height of his visits has been “It’s a Small World” and T was no different on his first trip. I mean, c’mon. The bright colors, the catchy music, the dolls that are just their size, what’s not to love? We have videos of G from his very first visit, sitting on the edge of our knees, head on a swivel, checking out as many details as his little neck would let him, all the while bouncing and dancing to the tune that he will officially never forget. From throwing coins into the seemingly never-ending wishing well, to playing eye-spy in each culturally themed room, we cannot get through a day in MK without riding It’s a Small World at least twice – guaranteed to leave that catchy tune in all of our heads for the duration of our stay. Good news is that the line is fast moving, even on the busiest of days, and with such a central location in Fantasy Land there is plenty to look at while you weave through the chains.  (Magic Mom Moment – stock up on pennies for this ride as there is even water access from the queue – easy way to entertain the little’s while you wait. Also, keep an eye on the flowers in the “Good-bye” room. Disney magic recently began linking them with rider’s magic bands to add a little pixie dust to your adventure.)

Another Magic Kingdom favorite for tiny friends is undoubtedly Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. Even if they don’t fully understand the story itself, with the brilliant details it is hard to believe that you are not actually riding that clam shell into the deep blue sea. This ride does a phenomenal job of incorporating everyone’s favorite details from the story of the Little Mermaid, with each character getting attention. This is a newer ride in the Kingdom and the animatronics make that obvious – there are times that even I feel like Ariel and Flounder might just stop dancing to Sebastian’s smooth tunes and swim away like they do in the iconic film so it is easy to see why a little guys are mesmerized by this ride. This ride can definitely carry a lengthy line, however it was one of the first to incorporate a more interactive queue, so Scuttle’s seagull friends do their best at entertaining you while you wait without a Fast Pass. An added bonus, most of the weaving happens indoors so that air conditioning can make it worth it on those hot Florida days. (Magic Mom Moment – don’t forget to stop by and visit the mermaid herself. Ariel’s grotto is right next door!)

Speaking of excellently designed queue’s, the last MK Top 3 for tykes takes us to the Hundred Acre Woods. Now full disclosure, during G’s first visit (at age 10 months) this was decidedly NOT a top 3, let alone a top 10. It takes you on an exciting ride into the world of Pooh and his friends on what is at times a very blustery day, complete with Hephalumps, Woozles, black lights, and tiggerific bounces all of which gave my mini quite a fright. That said, 23 month old G and 4 year old T had a much different opinion. One of the most creative features of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is its expertly designed queue. From the moment you begin your weave there are so many hands on activities to keep even the biggest kids entertained while they wait. A visit in Rabbit’s garden provides the setting for a tunnel made of crates, bongo’s designed to look like vegetables, and a roller coaster of bumble bees that is so hard to resist. (Get that hand sanitizer ready mama’s) A littler closer to the ride itself is an interactive wall of honey where riders of all ages can use the power of touch to find their favorite friends, or read along with the many oversize story book pages that cover the ceilings and walls. Even the ride itself now makes them squeal with excitement. More than once we hear a request for a ride in the ‘honey pot’ making this an obvious favorite. (Magic Mom Moment – this is a great ride to use one of those late afternoon ‘extra’ fast passes on. Keep an eye on your MyDisneyExperienceApp to see what times are available once you’ve used your original three. Also – be on the lookout for a blast from our past as Mr. Toad makes an appearance on this ride that took his place. Now that’s magic!!)

Is it just me, or does this time of year make you think of Disney World? You’d be hard pressed to find a time of year that doesn’t make me think of Disney – but the holiday season, spending time with family, reminiscing about past vacations, planning the year to come – for my family, the topic of ‘the world’ definitely comes up more than once. And if I’m being honest, it has been the focus of a couple of conversations between my husband and I over the past few days.

We haven’t been to Disney World since October of 2021, with an even longer break before that. If I’m being honest, probably my longest break ever – COVID…..am I right??!! But we were able to get to the Happiest Place on Earth with our finally complete family of 5 for the Halloween/Christmas turnover in 2021. And while it was AHHHHHHMAZING!!!! I have been ready to go back for, well, MONTHS.

So you know – the start of a brand-new year, the possibilities are endless. Not in a silly new year’s resolution sort of way but more in a Disney planning sort of way – way more serious – haha. There are literally 12 perfectly acceptable months in which a vacation could be planned!! How could one possibly choose? Thus those conversations between me and the hubs. So in typical type A fashion – we lay out all our option.

As we are trying to narrow down the timing for this year’s visit we start with the obvious. Those times of the year during which we’ve visited before – spring break, summer, early November – natural breaks in the school system. As a teacher, I relied on those breaks for family vacations. The only problem with these scenarios – so did everyone else. Aside from the crowds, spring break really is great. Sometime between March and April (depending on the Easter holiday) the Orlando weather is warm, not terribly hot or too humid yet, but definitely water park warm, and the ‘World’ is stunning with its nature made decorations of brightly colored flowers. In fact, it is during this time that Epcot presents the International Flower & Garden Festival, where you can find countless of your favorite characters created out of topiaries and flowers. The Magic Kingdom has a special mini parade on Easter Sunday just prior to the regularly scheduled day time parade featuring belles in Easter dresses and bonnets that make girls of all ages envious (except for the obvious excessive amount of fabric in not so cool weather aspect). Yeah, we’ve definitely done our fair share of spring break visits. And sure, the parks are at peak occupancy nearly every day of the two-week period, but who goes to Disney World and doesn’t expect to wait in lines. We’ve learned you just need to anticipate the increased wait times and difficult stroller maneuverability and who knows, maybe you end up being surprised. I can say that they’ve never been so bad that we wouldn’t go during that time again.

We’ve also gone during summer vacation; however, this was pre-kiddos. We got married on the Fourth of July and spent our honeymoon in Disney soaking up the sun and as much fun as we could in eight days or so. This trip was great, still one of my favorites (but aren’t they all lol), however it was definitely hot with a capital H. The parks are typically filled with Floridians taking day trips and out of state visitors taking advantage of the break from school, however, probably because of the heat, these months aren’t typically peak attendance. In fact, Disney usually puts out special, packages to entice families to visit during this time and increase park attendance. Now I’m not saying we wouldn’t ever go this route – at this point it is not my first choice. As young adults we could handle the heat, kept up our fluid intake 😉 and distracted ourselves waiting in long lines in the heat – but now as a momma, the thought of seeing all three of my little guys sweat faces and hearing their whiny voices complain of the heat and wait times does not sound like my idea of an ideal Disney vacation.

Now one of my true favorite times is the fall. Every other year, the school districts where we live create a mini fall break thanks to election festivities. The first week in November students have no school on Tuesday, Thursday, and typically Friday leaving students (and teachers) with only two days to miss and a week’s worth of vacation in return. We like to time it just right so that we arrive during the last few days of October – see the Magic Kingdom in its best fall attire (Mickey pumpkins and scare crows, characters in costume, even attending the Not So Scary Halloween Party – a must at least once in my opinion) then see it literally transform overnight into even more magical Christmas décor for the remainder of our trip (extravagantly decorated Christmas trees everywhere you look, again characters in their most festive costumes, and the Very Merry Christmas Party – another must experience). Disney also tends to put out that free dining option again in the fall so if you time your arrival carefully you may end up with a ‘sweet deal’. For us, at this point, this might be our favorite time to visit – that said – this is not an election year.

So, here’s what we’ve kind of decided in recent years. And teachers…please don’t be offended…but I’ve been staying home with the kids and don’t need to time my vacations around natural breaks. And as far as our kiddos go – we can probably handle missed content at least through fifth or sixth grade or so? Haha. So we’ve chosen to avoid these peak times (with tickets priced to match) and branch out when planning our visits.

When we visited in 2017 we timed our stay with our oldest son’s birthday – May 31^st (full disclosure, we may have convinced our middle (or youngest at the time) that we were celebrating his birthday too – shhh don’t tell). It was great! The weather, while definitely able to be categorized as hot more than one of the days, was not terrible and not too unmanageable for our little guys – we managed with frozen lemonades purchased and ‘sick pops’ (Mickey shaped ice cream pops). The crowds were average (I truly believe there is no time during the year in which there aren’t average crowds) and the wait times were definitely tolerable. The Flower & Garden Festival was still underway so we were able to take advantage of the beautiful flowers in each of the parks and my kids celebrated their birthdays in ways that you’d never even consider. They wore their ‘It’s My Birthday’ pins proudly and cast members and characters all over wished them happy birthday. Meals became opportunities for surprise as wait staff brought out special birthday desserts and signed cards at character dining. It was so fun to watch as they were treated like Disney royalty!

So gosh, that’s March, April, May, July, October, and November. While it’d certainly be magical, I’m not sure that I’m ready to change our Christmas routine with such little people. September would be a great time, just after the start of school – again sorry teachers. T’s birthday is the 8^th and mine is the 14^th so maybe sometime around there. We’ve never seen the World in September, but I’ve done my research and it seems to be excellent. Only those true rule breakers taking kids out so close to the start of school, so crowds… well let’s just say I’ll believe it when I see it. And the weather beginning to turn from summer sweat to less humidity and mid 80s. You can even hit an early Not So Scary Halloween Party. Seems ideal, although really, again, when is it not?!?

So yeah, seems like I am always planning a Disney vacation, and replanning and replanning. Why not let me help you plan yours too?

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Walt Disney