Tips to Navigate Disney’s Magic Kingdom Like a Pro

Have a plan in place before arriving on how you would like to tackle the day. Know what attractions and areas you think your family would most enjoy so you can be sure to experience them sometime throughout the day. Due to the size of the park, you really want to avoid backtracking as much as possible. Having a game plan for your visit will set up your family for an amazing visit to the park.

Enjoy the Details and Activities of Each “Land”

Walt Disney designed Disneyland and Magic Kingdom using a layout of different themed areas. Located within Magic Kingdom are six different “Lands” – Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Main Street, USA. As you travel through each of these areas enjoy the theming, the building décor, the extraordinary number of details, and notice how the Cast Members’ (what Disney calls their employees) uniforms change depending on the themed area they are working in.

Fantasyland

Fantasyland is located behind the Castle and is the most popular area in the park. You will experience fewer crowds if you check out this area early in the morning. The two most popular attractions in this area are Seven Dwarfs Mine, Peter Pan’s Flight and Dumbo (this attraction has a great inside play area if you need a break from the heat). I would encourage you to head directly to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for the first ride of the day. You will find this attraction behind the Castle and near the Mad Tea Party attraction (honestly, you can just follow the crowd as the majority of people with be heading to this popular attraction). Peter Pan’s Flight is the second most popular attraction in this area so try to see that one early in the morning. Other fun attractions in this area are It’s a Small World, Enchanted Tales with Belle, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Goofy’s Barnstormer, Under the Sea: The Journey of the Little Mermaid, and Goofy’s Barnstormer. Families with young children will find this “Land” will have the most attractions and activities to enjoy. Be sure to go to Enchanted Tales with Belle. This attraction is tucked away in Fantasyland near the restaurant Be Our Guest. This sweet story time with Belle will give each child a role in the story and of course, Belle, will be there for the story.

Meet Princesses
Behind the castle and near the carousel is Princess Fairytale Hall. Cinderella along with another princess will greet guests on one side and Tiana and another princess will greet guests on the other side. Also, you can meet Ariel in the very back of Fantasyland near The Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction.

Tomorrowland

The next stop on your journey around the park is Adventureland. You will find this area located across the park and at the end of Main Street. This land is home to the Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise attractions. Young ones will also enjoy Aladdin’s Magic Carpet ride (similar to Dumbo) and the Swiss Family Tree House. If you need a place to cool off, check out the Enchanted Tiki Room show, or better yet, grab a world-famous Dole Whip ice cream treat.

Frontierland

After you have finished exploring Adventureland make your way back to Frontierland. The popular attraction in this area is Big Thunder Mountain Railway roller coaster ride (Splash Mountain is currently undergoing reconstruction to become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure). Also in this area is the cute Country Bear’s Jamboree show. This is another fun place to take a break and relax.

Frontierland’s Tom Sawyer Island

Your little ones will love this island. It is typically not very crowded and the children will enjoy exploring caves and Fort Sam Clemens. The island is only accessible by a “raft” ride from Frontierland. Tom Sawyer Island is a fun, laid-back area that is great for allowing the children to run around and let off some steam.

Liberty Square 

Just beyond Fantasyland is Liberty Square. The primary attraction here is the Hall of Presidents. This show takes place in a large theatre. You may want to save this show for later in the day if you need a place to cool off or just relax. Continuing around the pathway is the popular attraction Haunted Mansion. Once you finish this area, if you follow the pathway you will find the side entrance to Fantasyland near Peter Pan’s Flight and you are back to where you started the day.