A lot of our park coverage comes from weekday visits. But what are the parks like on the weekends? Well, I recently visited the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World on a Saturday (it was my birthday weekend, and what better way to celebrate, right?).
My day started VERY early as I live 90 minutes from Walt Disney World. I left home around 7:30 am and got to the parking toll booths a little after 9:00 am (the park had opened at 8:00 am that day). I opted to pony up for the Preferred Parking, which gets you a parking spot close to the Ticket & Transportation Center (TTC). Since the trams currently aren’t running, it’s a long walk if you get stuck in the back of the parking lot, which is not fun at the end of the day (I speak from experience). I lucked out and got in one of the very first rows of the Jafar section, which is right across from the TTC! since the line for the Monorail was way too long, I took a ferry boat to the park. Much easier!
I was inside the Magic Kingdom by 9:30 and it felt SO good to be back! I’ve done several trips to Disney Springs in recent years, but I had not been inside any of the parks since late 2018 (though I am a seasoned WDW veteran who has been visiting the parks since 1978). I walked through the tunnel and… I was home.
There were a bunch of characters doing a greeting from the back of the Main Street train station. I’m a full-grown adult and I think I love the characters more now than when I was a kid!
Seeing Halloween decorations out in early August is a big jarring though. And I’m one who absolutely LOVES Halloween (it’s my favorite holiday). Most haunt events don’t start until next month, but the first Boo Bash after-hours event at Magic Kingdom is already in full swing!
My first stop is almost always Tomorrowland, which is home to one of my all-time favorite attractions… the Peoplemover. It was the first attraction I rode my very first visit back in 1978 and to this day it’s tradition to make it my first ride every visit. It had a posted 5 minute wait, but it was really a walk-on. It was awesome to see the progress on the TRON coaster from the elevated Peoplemover track too (seriously can’t wait for that one to open).
Carousel of Progress was my next stop. It definitely needs some TLC (some of the animatronics seemed a bit stiff and didn’t move their mouths very much when speaking), but it’s a classic. I keep hearing it’s going to get a major refurbishment and the final scene updated… I hope it happens sooner rather than later.
I saw on the WDW app that the teacups had a 15 minute wait, so I ventured over there next.It ended up being a maybe 5 minute wait. This is a ride I don’t get to do that often because the waits get too long. But when the line is that short, you take advantage!
After spinning myself silly, I popped into one of the shops to get out of the hot sun for a little bit and look around, and discovered something I’ve never seen anyone talk about… adjustable Minnie ears! I love Minnie ears and have a decent collection (mine are mostly handmade ones from small shops), but the headbands can really dig into your head after awhile and cause awful headaches. Disney has finally come up with a solution with these adjustable ears! The headband part is more of a sturdy but flexible wire, which doesn’t dig into your head. Attached to that is the adjustable part, with a velcro closure. The tag says “One Size Fits MOST”. The adjustable ears only come in 3 styles right now – Briar Rose Gold (which I got), classic Minnie and Make A Wish blue (which oddly does not come with a bow). I REALLY hope Disney comes out with these in more styles. They should also be great for disabled guests or anyone who just can’t wear the normal headbands. Whoever in merchandise that came up with this idea is a freaking GENIUS… and I salute you!
I really wanted to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (only ride in the park I still have yet to do), but the line hovered between 60-70 minutes all day. Well there’s always next time.
There was a short wait for Mickey’s Philharmagic, so I decided to give it a final viewing before they add in the Coco scene like over in California. I usually skip attractions like this because I really can’t see 3D properly for some reason. And, I don’t know if it was just me and my wonky eyes, but the movie seemed really dark and dingy. But Donald’s animatronic butt was in working order (I do know sometimes the affect doesn’t always work), so that was good to see.
Even though it’s not listed on the wait times in the app, Country Bear Jamboree is running shows throughout the day. When I got over there, Big Al himself was hanging out on the balcony above the Grizzly Hall, waving to guests and dancing to the music for the character cavalcade that was about to step off into Frontierland.
I love the Country Bear Jamboree, but still mad at Disney for cutting all the banter (the real heart of the show) out. It makes the show feel disjointed and doesn’t flow like it originally did.
It was a very hot and humid day (heat index reached as high as 101 that day), and what better way to cool off than with a Dole Whip float! I tried using mobile order for the first time and had zero issues (though I know some have had problems with it). I decided to spend a few extra dollars and get a souvenir sipper that looks like one of the tiki totems in the Enchanted Tiki Room. Sweet treat and a cute souvenir! I also invested in a cooling towel before my visit and let me tell you… they REALLY come in handy on hot days like this. You can find them easily on Amazon, plus Disney sells them in the parks too if you decide you want one while you’re at the parks.
Since I was visiting the park for my birthday, the Skipper Canteen seemed like a fun and festive spot for lunch (I was able to score a reservation just a couple days before my visit). I had been wanting to try this restaurant since it opened. The bad jokes flowed like the backside of water, and the food was really good! I got the “Tastes Like Chicken… Because It Is!” – boneless fried chicken with a sweet chili glaze, served with jasmine rice and seasonal veggies. It was absolutely delicious and the sweet chili glaze was not spicy (I love sweet chili). I highly recommend checking this place out if you have the chance.
Since it was a Saturday and summertime, the park was crowded (but I’ve definitely experienced worse summer crowds pre-pandemic), and times for many attractions throughout the day ranged from 5-10 minutes to 70 minutes. Since everything is currently only standby lines, the lines do keep moving, making some wait times seem much shorter (and probably are). Haunted Mansion at one point had a posted 50 minute wait, but it was actually more like 30 minutes (maybe even less) by the time I got to the entrance to the foyer.
Walt Disney World has been requiring face coverings again in all indoor areas and attractions since July 30th. They are still optional in outdoor areas. As soon as you enter an attraction’s queue, you need a face covering on (over both your mouth and nose). Cast members seemed to be doing a pretty good job making sure everyone was following the rules.
The characters are still doing distanced meet & greets. It’s a little weird, but at the same time, nice not having to wait in long lines to see your favorites. Just stop for a couple quick photos and move on!
Another thing I noticed throughout the day, was several attractions went down for extended periods of time. This happened at Space Mountain, the Mad Tea Party, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain… those last two were actually down at the same time, and I saw cast walking guests off the rides. No idea what was causing all these breakdowns, but I have never seen so many in one day. Space Mountain actually went down at least twice! I managed to catch one reopening of Space right away and was able to get on with a 15 minute wait. It was interesting to see both sides of Space Mountain open to standby lines again, like how it used to be before Fastpass came along.
I was amazed at the number of attractions I was able to ride since I didn’t have to worry about reserving Fastpasses months in advance. If I happened upon a ride and it had a 20 minute or less posted wait, I got in line. I think I was able to get in more rides during this visit (at least a dozen) than I have in any of my previous visits when Fastpass was being offered. It was a bit of a throwback to the “old days” for me, and I liked it.
While the majority of the crowds were cramming in front of the castle for Happily Ever After, I was in a very vacant Fantasyland, enjoying Dumbo (which was a a rare walk-on). Since no one was in line, cast members just let everyone stay on for as many rides as they wanted! The fireworks started going off during one ride, and that was definitely pretty magical. You can’t see the castle projections or really hear the music way back in Storybook Circus, but the area in front of Dumbo gives you a great view of the fireworks as they’re shot off from behind the Beast’s castle/Be Our Guest restaurant.
I of course ended my day with some shopping on Main Street and got a nice little haul (thanks to a gift card I got for my birthday).
Overall, it was a good visit to the Magic Kingdom. It was a bit different compared to my last visit to the park in 2018, but it also felt the same, like I had never been away for so long. I would never have guessed that FastPass being unavailable would actually make the trip better. I can’t wait for my next visit, hopefully for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World.
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