Disney World: Exploring Magic Kingdom-Day 2

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We were up just as early the second day to being exploring the other half of Magic Kingdom. Although you can’t really tell how excited the boys were in this picture. Haha!

Let’s Get Moving!

Our day started before the parks opened with an early morning breakfast at the Beast’s castle. Ever since Beauty and the Beast came out when I was in 6th grade, I have been obsessed. There’s just something about a girl wanting more, not settling, and finding unexpected happiness that spoke to me. So you can imagine how ecstatic I was to experience it first hand.

Breakfast at the Beast’s Castle

We made use of mobile ordering and had ordered our food ahead of time. So all we had to do when we arrived at the restaurant was check in and find a place to sit. Since we were able to seat ourselves, we could pick from one of three rooms-the ballroom, a room off to the side that resembled a cafeteria to me, or another room that was the Beast’s room in the West Wing.

We opted for the ballroom since I was afraid the West Wing would scare my youngest. Lightning flashes and thunder crashes, and the Beast’s torn picture changes back and forth from that of a prince to a Beast. The enchanted rose is also in this room. It just feels like you’re in the movie. I’d love to go back someday and experience this room now that my boys are older.

The Ballroom

The ballroom was a lovely experience. From the ceiling hung some of the biggest golden crystal chandeliers that I have ever seen, and it was painted baby blue with soft pink clouds and angels resting among them. Sconces hung on the walls emitting a soft glow, and there was a balcony with fabric draped all along the front. There were even windows that resembled those of the real castle, and when you looked out them, it appeared to be softly snowing.

The Food

Our food “magically” arrived at our table on carts without us having told anyone where we were sitting (magic band tracing perhaps). And it was delicious! Sadly, I’ve heard they stopped serving breakfast since our visit though.

Hitting the Park

We were finished eating just a couple of minutes before the park officially opened, but as soon as we were allowed to venture out into the rest of the park, we headed straight for the Haunted Mansion. We hadn’t been able to find and watch this movie before our trip, so while we didn’t understand some of the theming, we were still able to enjoy the ride. (Bonus! While it does have the word Haunted in it’s title, it really isn’t scary for anyone. Our then 6 year old said the creepiest part for him was the voice whispering in his ear telling the story of the ride as we went along. Haha!)

Adventureland

We then headed over to explore Adventureland. We took a ride on Aladdin’s magic carpets, encountered some pirates on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and when it was getting super hot mid-morning, we stopped for a dreamy pineapple Dole whip at Aloha Aisle. Then we took a ride on the Jungle Cruise (insert a cast member with lots of dad jokes here), and cooled off watching the birds in the Enchanted Tiki Room. We were able to catch the animatronic singing Country Bears show after that (It reminded me of the characters at Show Biz Pizza from the 80s, and I loved every single second of it!).

Liberty Square

We then headed over to explore Liberty Square. My husband was dying to see the Hall of Presidents show from his childhood, so off we headed. It was so cold and dark in there, and the 6 year old and I may or may not have dozed off a few times during this show. BUT in our defense, waking up at 5:30 a.m. and walking thousands of steps in scorching heat will wear anyone out. The 9 year old and my husband really enjoyed the show though. And I enjoyed the parts I was awake for.

Yummy Snacks

Since it was so hot, no one was really hungry for lunch. We decided to skip lunch and enjoy a late afternoon snack while we waited for the parade to begin. Our family had planned on watching the parade the day before, but like it does every day in Florida, it had poured down rain, so the parade got canceled. We found Sleepy Hollow Refreshments, and enjoyed the scrumptious Mickey waffles topped with ice cream and whipped cream while we waited.

Fabulous Parades

Just like the fireworks were fantastic the night before, so was the parade. I grew up watching Disney parades on TV as a kid and always thought they were great, but as usual, you’ve never experienced something until you experience the way Disney does it in person. This was the BEST parade I have ever experienced. There were beautiful floats covered in roses, tons of characters, dancing, music, and just plain happiness. I’d totally go back to Disney just to see a parade. That is if they were doing them right now-stupid Covid!

Liberty Square Riverboat

After the parade, the boys decided that they wanted to take a nice, calming ride on the Liberty Square Riverboat. And after the excitement of the parade, we were okay with that. The boat takes you on a ride around Tom Sawyer Island, so were able to get a great view of the island and enjoy the warm breeze blowing across our faces. Neither boy was interested in visiting the island this time, so we added that to our list of ” Things to do if we ever go back”.

AND a Ride Goes Down

We were supposed to have a Fast Pass for Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain, but as luck would have it that day, both rides ended up being down for our scheduled Fast Pass time. After getting over the disappointment that we’d probably miss these rides this trip (something else we’ll have to add to our list of “Things to do if we ever go back”.), Disney offered us 2 Fast Passes to a list of other attractions for the day.

Enchanted Tales with Belle

We ended up selecting a Fast Pass for Enchanted Tales with Belle. (Okay, I’ll admit. Maybe I convinced my 6 year old to pick that one because of my love for Beauty and the Beast. But we hadn’t done this attraction, and this was as good an excuse as any to experience it.)

I’m so glad we ended up Fast Passing this attraction. I had read online prior to our trip that it could get really busy, and they were right. Just like the Beast’s castle was magical that morning, this attraction was just as magical.

They start by walking you through a “house” and giving you some background information on the story Beauty and the Beast. The kids even get to put on a sweet little play if they volunteer to participate. In true Disney fashion, you meet the talking wardrobe, and then you’re led into Belle’s gigantic library where you get to see Lumiere come alive. (One of my favorite parts!) There’s a photo op for the kids at the end of the story, and this turned out to be one of my 6 year old’s favorite photos from the whole trip. He was truly enchanted with Belle.

Flexibility REQUIRED

After this show, we had a Fast Pass for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (even though my plan was to stay in the 2 halves of the park we hadn’t explored the previous day, the two ride closures earlier in the afternoon had changed that some…insert the ability to be flexible on a vacation), so we walked clear across the park to do that. The boys decided they wanted a ride on Dumbo again since we were on that side of the park, and the lines weren’t terrible at all, so we did that.

Ending Our Day

By this point, everyone was getting really tired, and we had felt like we had experienced everything we had wanted to at the park. So we shopped at the stores on Main Street, bought some souvenirs, and waved goodbye to the characters as we headed back to our hotel to enjoy a refreshing dip in the pool and dinner at our hotel.

I closed out the day so thankful that my family and I had experienced the enchantment of Magic Kingdom. If you’ve always wanted to go to Disney, my advice is to save, save, save and do it. You won’t be able to do everything, and that’s okay. Just add it to a list of things to do next time. Even if you don’t plan on a return visit, it will help you prioritize.

A Word of Advice

If you’ve never been to Disney, I’d say to wait until they start opening up things like parades, fireworks, and character meets and greets so your family gets the whole experience (although some people would argue otherwise…I just recommend this so you get your entire money’s worth).

In the mean time, you can have fun planning and dreaming about your trip. We planned for an entire year before we went, and had guidance from an awesome travel agent who patiently answered my 9 zillion questions. (In case you didn’t know, travel agents are free to use. My advice-USE THEM! They make your life so much easier by doing as much or as little as you need them to!) All of this combined to make our Magic Kingdom trip a huge success!

Feel free to let me know in the comments if you have any questions about our trip or Disney in general. I’d be happy to help.

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