Magic Kingdom

About the happiest place on earth!

How to Do It All at Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom

Just a short post live from the Magic Kingdom! My favorite tip for anyone visiting Disney World is to arrive at the park when it opens. By staying ahead of the crowds, you can enjoy more attractions in under two hours than many guests will be able to through the rest of the day.

This morning, I went through bag check at about 8:45, just in time for the morning welcoming ceremony. Then we early birds hit the rides! At 9:00 sharp, I was standing under Cinderella's Castle ready to enjoy Fantasyland. Here's what I did in less than 90 minutes:

  • Flew with Dumbo over Fantasyland.
  • Rode a magic ship with Peter Pan to Neverneverland.
  • Bounced with Tigger and Pooh through the Hundred Acre Wood.
  • Took a spin on the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups.
  • Escaped with Snow White from the Wicked Queen.
  • Rode a magical horse around the carousel.
  • Enjoyed a concert with Donald at Mickey's Philharmagic.
  • Took a boat ride with the children from around the world in "it's a small world"

I had a few minutes before Casey's hot dogs opened, so I visited the 999 happy haunts at the Haunted Mansion and wrote up this post.

Did I mention that I waited for less than 5 minutes for every ride and most were walk-ons? How's that for a great morning?

Seriously, my plan for Fantasyland works virtually time. Now it's time for some lunch and head to work. Enjoy the rest of your day!

PS: Check out Page 20 in Mouse Map for more details on Fantasyland attractions, shops and dining. The more familiar you are with each area of the Magic Kingdom, the more you'll enjoy your day!

Posted by Anne on Tue, 2009-11-17 12:04

Tiana's Showboat Jubilee: My Personal Dream Comes True at the Magic Kingdom!

Photo: Tiana's Showboat Jubilee! at the Magic Kingdom.

When I was a teenager, I spent my summers reading every "juvenile novel" series in our small-town public library. One of my favorite books, Showboat Summer, featured twin sisters who spent a summer working onboard a paddlewheel showboat. Oh, how I longed for such an adventure... or to at least see a real showboat production.

That's why I'm so excited about the new princess appearance at the Magic Kingdom. To promote the upcoming movie, The Princess and the Frog, Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen and other characters are starring three times daily in Tiana's Showboat Jubilee!

After a short sort-of-but-not-really-a-parade procession to the Liberty Belle in Liberty Square, the princess, her prince, and a group of 15 singers and dancers board the ship for a live show as it paddles on the Rivers of America. The best spots for viewing are along the boardwalk in Frontierland.

(Here's a shot from the Disney photographer... I plan to go see it this weekend and get some more photos and video.)

After the show, the princess is available for greetings (read: autographs and pictures) in a special area behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe.

This special activity is scheduled to end on Jan. 3, 2010. I hope it's so popular that they keep it going! You can never have too many showboat shows, IMHO!

Posted by Anne on Mon, 2009-10-26 23:19

Evening Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom

Fireworks over the Magic Kingdom castle.I haven't written in a while about Extra Magic Hours.... We checked out the evening Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom last night, and I'm happy to report that it's still one of the best ways to maximize your time in the park!

The park closed to day guests at 8 PM, and the attractions were open for Disney Resort guests only from 8 until 11 PM. We started the evening by watching Wishes from Main Street, which took until about 8:20. We then went to Tomorrowland and a Fastpass for Space Mountain, and rode the Tomorrowland Transit Authority.... perfect timing for our ride into space. Then we took a spin on Astro Orbiter, which had a 20 minute wait.

(In case you haven't heard, no more wristbands for Extra Magic Hours! Cast members ask to see your Disney resort room key as you enter each attraction.)

Next we went to Fantasyland, starting with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh... about 15 minutes in line. Always fun! Then we narrowly escaped from the witch on Snow White's Scary Adventures... seriously.... the ride stopped for a minute just as we were under the big rock that the witch is trying to push down! The wait was less than 10 minutes.  Read more

Posted by Anne on Tue, 2009-01-27 09:22
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