Magic Kingdom Guide for Adults
There are so many tips and tricks for families when it comes to Disney trips. However, there aren’t many guides or itineraries for adults. We recently took a trip to Disney World in Orlando, and have made guides for each park specifically designed for adults and couples without children. Even if you’re not a “Disney Adult” visiting Disney is an amazing experience without kids.
getting into the park
Magic Kingdom is by far the easiest park to get to, with multiple transportation methods. You can drive and park in their lots, take the monorail from certain resorts, take the ferry or monorail from the Ticket and Transportation Center.
Keep in mind that there are two different Monorail lines that run to the Magic Kingdom, the resort monorail and one for the ticket and transportation center. The resort monorail goes to the Ticket and Transportation Center, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Magic Kingdom, and the Contemporary Resort. The Express monorail only travels between the Ticket and Transportation Center and Magic Kingdom. If you are able to, I would try to cut out as many modes of transportation as possible.
itinerary planning
Planning your day at the Magic Kingdom is important if you’d like to fit a lot into your day. If you’re looking for the relaxed approach even knowing what you’d like to do will help ease the day along. Pick your “must do” rides and make those your priority, then sprinkle in the smaller rides when the lines are long. If you have a fast pass use your time slots for those priority rides.
best rides for adults
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Haunted Mansion
- Jungle Cruise
- Space Mountain
- Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse*
- Its a Small World*
- Peter Pan’s Flight*
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure-Opening this summer
This is a biased list of the best adult rides at Magic Kingdom. It’s a Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight and Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse are starred because it’s an unbiased split between love and hate among Disney adults. Personally, I like them. I won’t go out of my way to fit them into my day though. If the lines are short I will definitely hop on. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain are worth rope dropping or using fast-pass to skip the line. Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion’s lines fluctuate throughout the day. Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain (Tiana’s Bayou Adventure), and rides of that caliber tend to have long lines in the afternoon.
best places to hide
- Tom Sawyer’s Island
- Liberty Square Riverboat
- Hall of Presidents
- Mickey’s Philharmonic
- Tomorrowland Peoplemover
- Walt Disney Railroad
If you need a minute to yourself to get away from the crowds there are several spots you can hide-away in. If you brought a picnic lunch, or just want to grab a coffee and head over to Tom Sawyer Island you will find peace and quiet. There isn’t a ton to do over there, so most of the time park guests move on rather quickly. Find a shady spot to sit and hangout for a little while.
The Liberty Square Riverboat takes a hot minute to take its spin around the lagoon. Catch glimpses of the back side of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Tom Sawyer’s Island and some other hidden gems bordering the lagoon. Don’t sit too close to the speakers that play out the steamboat noises though-that is not relaxing.
Hall of Presidents and Mickey’s PhilharMagic are shows in air conditioned theaters to hangout in and catch your breath. It’s a good mid-afternoon stop for when the heat is getting to you.
The Tomorrowland Peoplemover and Walt Disney Railroad are slow, long rides that are good for sitting down and figuring out your next power moves. You can get off at different stops from the Walt Disney Railroad so you may want to use it to reposition yourself in the park.
best restaurants
“Best” can mean different things to different people. This list includes good food and a fun atmosphere. There may be better, more gourmet (expensive) options out there but this is a general list, and meant for your average park day.
- Jungle Navigation Co.-Skipper’s Canteen-$$ Table Service
- Liberty Tree Tavern-$$ Table Service (Family Style)
- Casey’s Corner-$ Quick Service
- Sleepy Hollow Refreshments-$ Quick Service
- Columbia Harbor House-$ Quick Service
- The Friar’s Nook-$ Quick Service
If you’re looking for super Disney themed restaurants ($$$$), Be Our Guest, Crystal Palace and Cinderella’s Royal Table have a great atmosphere and have good food (compared to theme park food not gourmet restaurants).
Magic Kingdom has limited table service restaurants compared to other parks. My personal recommendation is to grab a quick service lunch (or pack one) and find a quiet spot to sit down. There is no alcohol in Magic Kingdom outside of the sit down restaurants, which is also something to note.
Fireworks
If you’re staying for the fireworks show there are a few tips that are vital to having a good experience. The most popular viewing spot is on Main Street, in front of the castle. There are a couple of other spots with mostly unobstructed views. Behind the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, lined up with the castle will give you good views of the entire firework display. There are a few spots that are surprisingly poor to watch the fireworks from, so if you want the best experience, you can’t go wrong with the plaza in front of the castle.
A lot of visitors pick their fireworks spot in accordance of how easy it is to exit the park. If you aren’t in a super rush to leave the park, pick a comfortable spot to hangout until the largest part of the crowds has filed out. There is no reason to be caught in the hoard from inside the park, all the way back to your car or hotel.