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    Home » Travel

    Magic Kingdom In One Day

    Published: Nov 28, 2017 · Modified: Dec 28, 2022 by Jenna Urben · This post may contain affiliate links

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    How to strategize to get the most out of Magic Kingdom in One Day! From which rides to go on first to the food you can't miss out on.

    Magic Kingdom In One Day

    Let me just start this post out by saying that my first Disney World experience was nothing short of amazing. I didn't really know what I was in for but the day truly felt like a fairytale, even with the Florida heat and humidity.

    Zack and I went on a week-long vacation to Universal Orlando last month. We wanted to explore all 3 parks, Universal Studios, Universal's Island of Adventure, and Volcano Bay, and not have to run through the parks and sacrifice the magic each.

    Since we bought the park explorer pass, we were able to bounce back and forth between parks each day. On Thursday we decided that we had fully gotten the Universal experience and we should look into visiting Disney World for one day before we left early Saturday morning.

    Zack and I decided on the Magic Kingdom and that we would have to come back for another trip to visit the other parks.

    IMG_6353

    We woke up EARLY on Friday morning to catch an Uber from our Universal hotel to Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The park opened at 8 am and closed at 6 pm, and we were determined to spend every second we could there.

    Zack texted his co-worker who frequents the park to find out which rides we should do first so we don't waste a ton of time in lines. With our list of first rides, we headed into the park–but not before taking tons of selfies in front of Cinderella's Castle and getting our First Visit buttons!

    While waiting in the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train line, we discovered the Disney app that lets you know wait times, etc. That's a game changer, so make sure to download the app before arriving.

    We were able to ride every single ride with a few exceptions due to closures or not being children or parents! Zack even insisted we watch the parade pass Main Street USA. I can't believe I almost let us skip that!

    One Day at Disney World Magic Kingdom
    Disney World October

    Our strategy.

    To give you an idea of our day in the park, we started with the Mine Train, then Peter Pan's Flight, onto "it's a small world" and Mickey's PhilharMagic. All those rides are near each other and the PhilharMagic indoor/air-conditioned show was a perfect and fun break.

    It's a Small World Disney World Orlando
    IMG_6367
    IMG_6366

    Before the parade and lunch, we hit Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates, and Jungle Cruise. Thankfully, we packed snacks so we were able to munch on those as we waited in lines. Before we ate lunch, we found a spot in front of the castle to watch the parade pass. Then made a beeline for food.

    IMG_6378
    IMG_6372

    After lunch, we rode Space Mountain, Mad Tea Party (teacups), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Journey of The Little Mermaid. We ended the day with Haunted Mansion, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and a ride on the PeopleMover.

    Let's talk about food.

    I knew Disney served vegan and allergy-friendly food, what I didn't know about was how accommodating the cast members and managers truly are. Plus how amazing the food really is. I went in knowing I needed to try the Mickey Ears Pretzel and Dole Whip but other than that, I was kind of winging it.

    We ended up having lunch at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe. The service was out of this world! No, seriously. Our cast member flagged a manager down and he came out to talk us through the allergy-friendly menu.

    I ordered the Chicken Breast Nuggets with Fries and Zack got the Barbecued Pork Sandwich with Fries. The manager told us to find a seat and he would bring our food out to us. In addition to that, he gave us Enjoy Life's Chocolate Chip Cookies PLUS frozen lemonades.

    Now, that's service!! The food was spectacular and I could honestly talk about that amazing experience for hours.

    IMG_6383
    Allergy Menu Cosmic Rays Magic Kingdom Disney World Orlando
    Allergy Friendly Cookies at Disney

    We ended up not getting Dole Whip since we only saw it on the menu at one place on the other side of the park – Zack and I both agreed it was okay since we got to taste it at the Dole Plantation in Oahu during our honeymoon. We did, however, track down the Mickey Pretzels! Our last moments in the park were spent sharing the soft pretzel as the sunset and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party kicked off.

    Mickey Ears Soft Pretzel
    IMG_6440
    IMG_6435

    Final thoughts.

    If you only have one day to explore Magic Kingdom, you can definitely do it!! Download the app to help determine line wait times and go in with a plan – but be flexible.

    Zack and I both loved the mostly covered lines at Disney World compared to so many uncovered at Universal. Everything just seemed so efficient and easy at Disney.

    I can't wait to go back and visit the other parks! All that to say, I loved Disney but I also loved Universal.

    Have you been to Disney World's Magic Kingdom? What's your favorite ride or magical experience?

    How to do Magic Kingdom in one day

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    About Jenna Urben

    Jenna Urben is the recipe developer, content creator, and storyteller behind The Urben Life. She has over 10 years experience adapting family favorite meals to fit allergy-friendly diets. Join Jenna as she shares delicious dairy-free recipes that are easy to follow with plenty of tips and alternatives.

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    1. Melanie

      February 16, 2018 at 10:37 am

      First Visit buttons!! Oh my goodness!! I get so excited when I see people there on their first visit. Yay for a day of Disney Magic!

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        February 16, 2018 at 12:13 pm

        Ah, it was so amazing!! We're going back to the other parks next month and I cannot wait!

        Reply
    2. fromtoddlertotraveler

      February 15, 2018 at 5:42 pm

      That sounds like a crazy fun day! I think if you only have one day, Magic Kingdom is totally the way to go. Plus, I love Mickey pretzels.

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        February 16, 2018 at 12:15 pm

        Thank you, it was truly magical! I can't wait to go back.

        Reply
    3. Shirley Corder

      November 30, 2017 at 11:09 am

      This all looks so wonderful. My youngest son and daughter-in-law went a couple of years ago (from S.Africa) taking the their two kids. They came home broke but elated and with lots of wonderful photos. Eighty-year-old and her Walk to Freedom

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        November 30, 2017 at 11:31 am

        Oh, it was fantastic! Wow, that must have been an amazing trip.

        Reply
    4. Marian

      November 29, 2017 at 10:15 am

      I remember doing Disneyworld in 1 day years ago when my kids were younger. In fact, my daughter then 9ish, had sprained her knee and was in a wheelchair. It is amazing how Disney bends over backwards to accommodate kids who are hurt. We didn't wait in a single line, fast-tracked to the front every time.

      We saw 3 parks that day and spent more than 12 hours there. It was super fun but I was sorry that we didn't spend at least a few days. I think we missed a lot. Maybe one day we'll go back.

      But glad you had a great time!

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        November 29, 2017 at 10:31 am

        That is great that they were so accommodating! Yeah, I would love to go back to explore more too. Thanks!

        Reply
    5. Kristen from Pugs & Pearls

      November 29, 2017 at 6:27 am

      Looks like you had a great time! We live 2 hours away, so we have been to Disney more times than I can count-but we still haven't done everything there is to offer! That's why we love it, you can have a different experience everytime.
      And, yes, they are SO great about allergies!

      Reply
      • Jenna | The Urben Life

        November 29, 2017 at 10:31 am

        Thanks 🙂 Oh, that's awesome!! Totally, I can't wait for next time!!

        Reply

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