All of my trips to the Walt Disney World Resort have left me with some unintentional traditions. Since my Disney College Program experience, there are just some things I do every time I go to the Magic Kingdom. I thought I’d share some of these things with you, and I’d love to hear if you have any Magic Kingdom traditions of your own!
Space Mountain
I LOVE Space Mountain. It’s kind of funny how much I love it because I was petrified of this ride as a kid, but I really do love it as an adult. I ride Space Mountain at least once every time I go to the Magic Kingdom. (I do kind of miss the days when I lived near the parks and I could pop over to the Magic Kingdom just to ride Space Mountain or grab a hot dog from Casey’s though). I love everything about Space Mountain– the mild thrills, the 70s kind of nostalgic image of future space travel, and the whole retro feel. I’m really not a huge thrill ride person, and Space Mountain is just thrilling enough that I can still really enjoy it without regretting it when it’s over.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
The PeopleMover is another attraction I ride every single time I visit the Magic Kingdom. It’s partially because I really do think it’s a great attraction (especially for its historical significance as a proposed form of transportation in Walt Disney’s original concept for EPCOT), but it’s also my favorite way to relax. It almost never has a line, so if I’m tired or my feet need a rest, or I just want to sit down and enjoy the breeze you can probably find me at the PeopleMover.
Cake Pops
As much as I love Disney food, there are very few things that I absolutely need to have each time I visit one of the parks. Mickey cake pops however are the exception. They put any other cake pops I’ve had to shame– they’re so fudgy and the chocolate coating is on the darker side which I much prefer to milk chocolate. They come with chocolate-covered marshmallows for ears, and while small in appearance they can be a surprisingly filling breakfast or snack. I prefer the vanilla cake, but they do also come with chocolate cake and red velvet cakes. If you’ve never had a Mickey cake pop, you need to try one! Visit the Confectionery on Main Street or Big Top Circus in Storybook Circus to indulge.
Live performances
It’s not necessarily the same one each visit, but I do make a point to see at least one live performance of some kind. Whether it’s the Dapper Dans or the Main Street Trolley Show in the morning or Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire, or anything else around the park I think that live performances really add to the whole experience of visiting the Magic Kingdom and I always catch at least one. I’m not one of those people who is strictly there to do all the rides and go home, and catching some street performers or the castle stage show is a great way to take in the rest of what the park has to offer.
Castle pictures
It blows my mind how many people visit the Magic Kingdom and don’t come home with a photo of them in front of the castle. I don’t know if maybe they’re worried about handing their phones off to a random guest or if they don’t realize that PhotoPass cast members will take photos with their own cameras, but I’m always surprised to learn how many guests don’t do this. I take a photo in front of the castle each time I visit– I’m sure I have more pictures of me in front of Cinderella Castle than one person would ever know what to do with, but it’s still a nice memory to have and I really can’t imagine not doing this.
Shop
Now I realize there are some shops in Disney that all carry the same merchandise, but even so I’d rather shop at the Emporium over Mouse Gear or any of the other similar stores any day. There’s something that I really enjoy about the atmosphere on Main Street, and even if I’m buying things I can really get anywhere that’s just where I’d rather do it. Some of my favorite smaller shops happen to be associated with attractions in the Magic Kingdom too. Memento Mori is one of my favorite shops at Walt Disney World, and I can always find something to buy at the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop.
Do you have certain traditions for when you visit the Magic Kingdom? Let me know in the comments!