Category Archives: Magic Kingdom

Autumn at Walt Disney World

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RM-Main-Street-USA-Magic-KingdomSeptember has arrived!  While I live where it’s still incredibly hot and humid, September’s arrival means fall weather won’t be terribly far away.  Kids head back to school, mornings feel a little bit cooler, and, for those who can make it, one of the very best times to visit Walt Disney World is upon us.  This year, the part of my family that will be enjoying this perfect time of the year at our favorite vacation destination does not include me.  That doesn’t keep me from being crazy-excited for our daughter, Megan, who will be honeymooning at Disney World in the very near future.

The newlyweds will be able to make the most of this wonderful chance to experience…

Autumn at Walt Disney World – 5 Great ThingsBay-Lake-Tower-Sunrise

  1. The Weather – Lower humidity, lower temperatures, and less chance of rain.  Sure, it’s hurricane season, but the odds are pretty good that the weather will be fantastic.  The skies are bluer and the sunrises and sunsets are more beautiful.  Okay, maybe it just seems that way to me, but I’d swear it’s true.RM-Magic-Kingdom-Autumn
  2. The Crowds – There’s more room!  Fewer children!  The queues are shorter, so seeing and doing more on any given day is much easier.  Fewer guests makes Disney World seem more inviting – the extra elbow room is fantastic!RM-Fall-Mickey-Pumpkin
  3. The Events – Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a must-do event.  You must don an awesome Disney costume and experience this incredibly fun seasonal bash.  Trick-or-Treat (yes, even grown-ups), dance with your favorite characters, enjoy rides and attractions, and, do NOT (seriously, DO NOT) miss the Boo to You Parade.  RM-Boo-to-You-ParadeYou won’t believe it until you see it.  That alone is worth the price of admission.  Don’t even get me started on the joys of Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival.RM-Magic-Kingdom-Scarecrow
  4. The Decorations – Magic Kingdom gets all decked out for fall – and it’s incredible.  Sure, I love Disney World at Christmastime, but there’s a whimsical charm to the colorful leaves, pumpkins, and special touches of autumn that makes everything seem magical.RM-Magic-Kingdom-Autumn2
  5. The Opportunities – Lower crowds plus special events equals opportunity!  One of my favorites is the opportunity to slow down and soak up more magic!  Try new attractions and shows, taste new flavors, make the most of Memory Maker and pose for pictures wherever a photographer can be found.  Stroll, meander, mosey – sit and relax for a while.  You’re at Walt Disney World in autumn – and it doesn’t get much better than that.

Have you visited Disney World in the fall?  Please share your best tips for enjoying the season and I’ll pass them along to the happy couple!

Magic Kingdom – Wait Here Not There

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IMG_3279The opinions expressed here are my own (as if you didn’t already know that).  I’m crazy about Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and it’s probably my favorite park, followed closely by Animal Kingdom.  Don’t get me wrong – there’s plenty of fun to be had in Epcot and what’s currently left of the Studios, but Magic Kingdom holds the most happy memories and has so much entertainment to offer me when I’m there.  When I daydream about being at Walt Disney World, I’m almost always in Magic Kingdom.

It won’t be long before we’ll be selecting FastPasses for our next visit to the World and that got me thinking about how I’ll be weighing the pros and cons of different attractions – including the entertainment value of specific ride queues.  This is just me now, but I’m much more willing to wait in some queues than I am in others solely based on the quality of the wait.  If we start in Adventureland and work our way around the park, land by land, here are my recommendations for:

Magic Kingdom – Wait Here Not There

RM-Adventureland-Magic-KingdomAdventureland – Wait for Pirates of the Caribbean not Jungle Cruise.  Yes, if we are strictly speaking Adventureland attractions, I’d much rather FastPass Jungle Cruise and wait for Pirates.  The queue for Pirates is cool and dark with excellent mood-setting elements – it’s actually an excellent place to cool off on a hot day and let your face rest from the pressure of your sunglasses on your nose.  WDW Jungle CruiseThe wait for Jungle Cruise is hot and has less to enjoy.  Personally, I find it somewhat frustrating although I do enjoy the announcements.

Frontierland – Wait for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad not Splash Mountain.  Big Thunder’s queue is interesting with loads of interactive elements to enjoy – in fact, I enjoy it so much, I sometimes wish the line were moving a tiny bit slower.Interactive Queue for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Interactive elements for Big Thunder Mountain QueueSplash Mountain’s queue, while possessing some cute features (like the adorable bird houses) is not nearly as interesting.

Liberty Square – Save your FastPasses!  Haunted Mansion is the only attraction that will ever have a significant wait and the queue (unless the day is super hot and humid) is great! Check out all the interactive components, search for the Bride’s Ring on the ground (embedded in the pavement) as you move along.  RM-Liberty-Belle-Haunted-Mansion-ViewPay attention to the excellent (and plentiful) Disney details.  If heat and humidity are factors – cool off in the Hall of Presidents during the day and save Haunted Mansion for after the sun goes down.

Fantasyland – Hmmmm…This is the toughest one!  Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is going to have the longest wait – maybe for the entire park.  Seven Dwarfs Mine Train SignThat being said, it also has an excellent, highly entertaining and interactive queue.  Peter Pan’s queue has just been “plussed” and is worth waiting for.IMG_2542If you have little ones, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh has a very kid-pleasing wait.  IMG_0899Personally, I’d burn a FastPass on Dumbo if it’s a must-ride attraction.  I hate the wait for Dumbo so much, I’ve never made it to the ride.  (You can read the story here.)  Based solely on time-savings, excluding Dumbo, the FastPass would have to go to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

Tomorrowland – Remember that FastPass I told you NOT to use in Liberty Square?  I’d use it here for Space Mountain.  While the queue is dark and cool, it’s also a snooze-fest.  Even though it was one of the first attractions I can remember that got a few interactive parts added to the queue, they’re not all that interesting.  RM-Space-Mountain-SignOnce you reach the top of the upward climb to the boarding area, the queue reverts to old school back and forth, metal-partitioned, waiting.  And waiting….and….you get the idea.

Your turn to weigh in!  Where would you select FastPasses in Magic Kingdom – and where would you stand in line?

Walt Disney World – Perfect Day at Magic Kingdom

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RM-Magic-Kingdom-SelfieSo many touring styles!  Park-hopping, rope-dropping, FastPass-choosing, where to start, where to eat, when to leave, where to sit for optimum parade-viewing.  Get the idea?  Everyone has an opinion on how to best enjoy Disney World’s Magic Kingdom…including me!  (You’re shocked, I know.).  I’m not here to give you advice (unusual, right?) and you should know (if you don’t already) that I’m currently in a life-stage that does not involve vacationing with children.  So, keep in mind that my perfect touring plan for Magic Kingdom is heavy on the classics and light on the kiddie attractions.

To ensure I get the most out of my Magic Kingdom day, I’m planning where and when I’m going to eat dinner in advance and I’m booking an ADR (Advance Dining Reservation) 180 days before my vacation.  Being me (I’m picky about where I eat dinner), I’m not actually eating a table service meal in Magic Kingdom, but will be leaving at the appropriate time for someplace like Raglan Road in Downtown Disney/Disney Springs or one of the fabulous restaurants in the monorail resorts.  ‘Ohana or Kona Café at the Polynesian Village Resort would be good choices since unlike California Grill at the Contemporary or Citricos at the Grand Floridian, I’d feel fine arriving in my park-touring attire.RM-Kona-Menu

I’m also selecting my FastPasses as early as I’m allowed (usually 60 days out).  I’ll choose FastPasses starting very late in the morning and during the afternoon (before or after the Festival of Fantasy Parade at 3:00) OR later in the evening (depending on my dinner plans).  RM-7DMT-Train2I’ll try to book Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (otherwise, standby wait times are typically high enough to ruin my plans), Space Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain (because my goal is to ride it as many times as I can).  Alternate FastPasses (if my favorites are unavailable at decent times) would be Peter Pan (I know what I said about kiddie rides, but this one’s cool!  Don’t judge), Jungle Cruise (I really hate the queue, but love the ride), Splash Mountain (depending on the time of the year – I don’t like to be cold and wet), or maybe Haunted Mansion (I don’t mind the queue, but it is a pretty hot wait in the summer).

If all the planets align and my planning works out as described, my perfect Magic Kingdom Day would be…drum roll, please…Magic Kingdom Entrance in October

I’ll arrive 30 minutes before park opening (a.k.a. Rope-Drop) to watch the opening show  (which I love beyond description).  I’ll take pictures (mostly selfies) while waiting, then some of the show before heading into the park and straight toward Frontierland.  My objective is to ride Splash Mountain then Big Thunder Mountain first.Walt Disney World's Splash Mountain RM-Liberty-Belle-View-BTMRR If the lines aren’t long yet, I’ll ride one or both again.  While I’m in Frontierland, I’ll visit the Country Bears in Grizzly Hall (I like them, deal with it.) RM-Country-Bear-Musical-Numberand then I’ll check the wait time for Haunted Mansion and ride it next (if the wait is less than 30 minutes).  I’ve been known at this point to squeeze in the Hall of Presidents if it’s warm out because I can cool off AND listen to Morgan Freeman (win/win). RM-Hall-of-Presidents Again, I’m checking wait times.  If I have a pre-noon FastPass booked, I’ll wait until it’s almost expired and do that last before lunch.  For today, let’s say I do and it’s Jungle Cruise.  If I have no late-morning FastPass, I’ll try to squeeze in Pirates of the Caribbean (I don’t mind waiting since it’s indoors) OR Mickey’s PhilharMagic.

I know at this point I’ll be hungry and I’ll want to eat at Columbia Harbor House.  It’s my perfect day and, call me crazy, it’s going to include a tuna sandwich (no, it’s not just a tuna sandwich, it’s the best one in the World!).  RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-Tuna-SandwichPost-lunch, I’ll have time for at least one ride, probably with a FastPass, before I’m looking for dessert and a good seat for the Festival of Fantasy Parade.  If I’m really lucky, I’ll have time for two attractions, so let’s say I use my FastPass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and then catch Mickey’s PhilharMagic (if I didn’t see it in the morning) OR I’ll hit Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin or maybe Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.

Festival of Fantasy is the best parade I’ve ever seen and I want to watch it again and again.  I’ll grab my snack (a churro or ice cream cone, hopefully) to eat while waiting for the parade to start.  Festival of Fantasy Parade Ostrich Ariel in Festival of Fantasy RM-Festival-of-Fantasy-Maleficent-2015So exciting, Festival of Fantasy is packed with Disney magic, favorite characters, and awesome details.  I like sitting on the Tomorrowland side of the hub OR at the end of Main Street U.S.A. in front of the train station.  I only use that second choice if I’m leaving for dinner right after the parade.  So, let’s pretend I’ll be watching the parade near Tomorrowland.  Again, if I’ve worked this right, I’ve got a Space Mountain FastPass I can head for right after the parade passes by.  After Space Mountain, I’ll see Carousel of Progress and ride the PeopleMover.  PeopleMover wins if I don’t have time for both.RM-Space-Mountain-Sign

At this point, I’ve used all my FastPasses (most likely), but that’s great.  I’ll leave the park around 5:00 pm and I won’t make it back until nearly 9:00 pm.  If my Dinner ADR is at 6-ish and I don’t want to eat and run, that’s the sacrifice I’ll have to make for a nice meal.  When I get back to the park, I’ll grab the first decent spot I can snag that will let me see both Wishes and the Main Street Electrical Parade.  RM-HalloWishesI’ll have a full belly, so sitting on the curb in Main Street will be just fine with me.  Once the Electrical Parade passes by, I’ll be ready to call it a day.RM-Main-Street-Electrical-Parade-Dragon

No, I didn’t see and do everything I could have, but that’s okay with me.  I’ll have plenty of time on a future visit and someday, If I’m really fortunate, with a grandchild (or two or three).  In the past, my idea of the perfect Magic Kingdom day looked a lot different, as I’m sure it will in the future.  But for now?  This is what I like to do.  It’s the way I love Magic Kingdom most and, in my lifelong, ever-changing love for Disney World (the place that makes me happy at every age), keeps me coming back as often as I can.

How about you?  What are your must-dos?  What FastPasses will you choose and where will you eat on your perfect day in Magic Kingdom?  How has your touring style changed over the years?

 

Disney World Dining – Columbia Harbor House

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P-Columbia-Harbor-HouseMagic Kingdom is SUCH a great park!  Fantastic lands, awesome theming, wonderful attractions AND pretty darn good food!  Snacks aplenty, ask any Disney World fan and they’ll tell you that the popcorn on Main Street, the pretzels in Tomorrowland, the churros in Frontierland, and the, dare I say it? Dole Whips in Adventureland make Magic Kingdom the very best park for snacking.  Snacks are all well and good, but when I want a quick meal on the spur of the moment?  I’m choosing Columbia Harbor House in Liberty Square.

Disney World Dining – Columbia Harbor House:

As you may expect, I can share FIVE great things about dining at Columbia Harbor House for you to consider:

1. Location!  You think it doesn’t matter?  Oh, but it does to us!  When Magic Kingdom opens, we head on over to Frontierland to ride the two mountains there first:  Splash and Big Thunder.  What a way to start the day!  Then we have some leisure time (built into our plan, which I highly recommend).  We can see the Country Bears, tour the Haunted Mansion, chillax in the Hall of Presidents and, hungry now, are perfectly poised for an early lunch at Columbia Harbor House!RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-Menu

2. Variety – CHH has an excellent, broad menu – sure to please everyone in your party.  From the Disney website, ” Reel in fried fish, shrimp or chicken baskets, lobster rolls, New England clam chowder, grilled salmon, vegetarian chili and salads. Specialty sandwiches include the Anchors Aweigh, made with white tuna, and the Lighthouse, made with hummus and broccoli slaw. Kids can enjoy macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets and more. Top off your meal with seasonal cobbler, yogurt and fountain drinks.”  Me?  I’m partial to the Anchors Aweigh and will split a sandwich if Megan is with me to save room for snacks or a table service ADR (advance dining reservation) later in the day.  Raymond and Joseph love the fried fish basket.  We’ve never left unhappy.RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-Tuna-SandwichRM-Columbia-Harbor-House-Fish

3. Quality – The food is consistently good.  We’ve enjoyed lunch at Columbia Harbor House many times over the years and have never had an “off” meal.  For an eatery to reliably deliver exactly what we expect, every time we visit, that’s what keeps us coming back!RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-CM

4. Service – Sure it’s counter service restaurant, but the folks are swell!  Friendly staff, clean dining area, and a sense of urgency to keep the line moving – these make for an excellent experience and get us back out into the park pronto!RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-Window-Table RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-View

5. Seating – There’s ample seating both main floor and upstairs.  We always head on up to the second level where it’s usually a little quieter and, if we get there early or are especially lucky, we can find a table with a view!  Yup, window-side seating gives guests an awesome view of Liberty Square’s goings-on.  Except for the inside of Beast’s Castle at Be Our Guest, what other lunch place can boast a better view?RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-Decor

Is Columbia Harbor House one of your must-do’s?  What other Magic Kingdom counter service restaurants do you love?