Magic Kingdom First Day Review: What to Ride & Where to Eat
Our First Day at Disney World
Our recent trip to Walt Disney World Resort consisted of 7 park days and a stay at Marriott Imperial Palms Villas. You can read about our complete Disney World vacation experience for the full trip recap. After months of anticipation, our first day in the Disney parks was finally here. On the second day of our Disney World trip (and our first park day), we stepped into Magic Kingdom, the heart of Walt Disney World. Follow along for our Magic Kingdom park review.
Magic Kingdom Park is the most famous Disney Park and a great place to kick off your trip. As we walked down Main Street, USA, we couldn’t help but feel awestruck by the sight of Cinderella Castle standing proudly at the center. The magic truly started the moment we arrived, even though we made an unconventional choice—skipping the popular “rope drop” to allow ourselves to ease into the day.
The night before, we’d had an amazing (and very late) adventure on the Starlight Safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Since it was also our travel day, I decided that waking up extra early wouldn’t be the best start.
I wanted everyone to be well-rested so that we could enjoy everything Disney had to offer, especially since it was my kids’ first Disney experience. They’re past the stroller stage now, so mid-day naps weren’t an option, making a good night’s sleep even more important. As soon as we arrived, I knew this was the right call, and everyone was in high spirits, excited for a day of exploring.
What Makes Magic Kingdom So Magical
Thanks to Disney Genie+ (no longer in use) and a bit of strategic planning, we were able to fit in a lot while keeping our pace relaxed. We arrived at the Magic Kingdom parking lot around 10 a.m. Unlike many visitors, we’re not big on thrill rides (no roller coaster rides for us), so our itinerary took us on a different route.
We skipped some rides that typically have long lines, such as Splash Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Space Mountain. This approach actually worked in our favor, allowing us to experience many classic attractions without feeling rushed.
We started our journey in Adventureland with the Swiss Family Treehouse, where my kids loved the idea of exploring a treehouse hideaway. Then, we sailed on the Jungle Cruise, which had us all laughing at the skippers’ corny jokes and enjoying the animatronic animals.
Pirates of the Caribbean was next, and it turned out to be my favorite ride of the day. The detailed sets, pirate animatronics, and classic theme song brought the story to life in a way that delighted everyone in our group. My kids watched all of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, so they had a great time seeing the Pirates of the Caribbean characters during this ride.
Moving over to Frontierland, the kids had a blast on Tom Sawyer Island. They ran around exploring caves, bridges, and forts, burning off some energy while we enjoyed a little break, it is a great space for young kids to get some energy out.
From there, we headed to the Haunted Mansion—a must-ride for the entire family. The eerie atmosphere and special effects made it a favorite, especially for my daughter, who loves all things spooky! We followed this up with the whimsical It’s a Small World, which felt like a Disney rite of passage.
My kids were less interested in Peter Pan’s Flight (we’d already done it at Disneyland), so we skipped it this time, but by 3 p.m., we’d already covered a good portion of the park. Between rides, we made time for a churro break and some playtime on Tom Sawyer Island, making the day feel nicely balanced.
A Mid Day Break for Dinner at 1900 Park Fare
With a reservation at 1900 Park Fare at 4:10 p.m., we started heading over to the Grand Floridian Hotel around 3 p.m. It was a hot day, even for April, so we welcomed the air-conditioned Monorail ride as a refreshing break. The dinner at 1900 Park Fare was nothing short of magical.
It was our first time dining at the Grand Floridian, and the Victorian-style ambiance made us feel like we’d stepped into a different world. The food was fresh and delicious and offered options that everyone in our family loved.
Surprisingly, 1900 Park was my son’s favorite meal of the entire trip. He isn’t usually one to get excited about character dining, but he couldn’t stop raving about the food. The character interactions were fantastic, too. Since the restaurant recently reopened with new characters, we got to meet several Disney characters including, Cinderella, Tiana, Aladdin, and Mirabel. My daughter was thrilled to meet Mirabel—it was the highlight of her day!
The friendly cast members and our sweet waitress made us feel special. Having a cool, sit-down meal was a welcome reprieve from the heat. Overall, the combination of great food, attentive service, and character interactions made 1900 Park Fare our favorite dining experience at Disney. We’ll be including 1900 Park Fare in our plans for our next Disney trip. If you’re considering character dining, read our detailed 1900 Park Fare review for everything you need to know about this magical experience.
Character dining is a highlight of any Disney trip. Compare this experience with other options like Ohana character breakfast, Storybook Dining, Hollywood & Vine and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall to plan your perfect character meals.
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See How We Do It →Tomorrowland
After we ate, we decided to go back to Magic Kingdom and tackle Tomorrowland before calling it a day. We all rode Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and loved Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, it was one of our favorite attractions (we did this twice). Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor consistently had low wait times and was a great air-conditioned break.
By 7:30 pm we were all beat and decided to return to the hotel (Mariott Imperial Palm Villas). Staying at a vacation club property with kitchen facilities was perfect for relaxing after long park days and preparing snacks for the next day.
Since we were doing seven park days, we had several options to return to Disney’s Magic Kingdom to see the fireworks show. This may have been our first day at Walt Disney World Vacation, but it won’t be our last. Multi-day Disney trips require strategic planning. Learn how we planned this complete Disney vacation for just $1,414 using points optimization techniques.
About Points to Magic
Our team at Points to Magic is led by Danielle, a CPA with 19 years of financial expertise. We specialize in helping families save thousands on Disney vacations using credit card points and cashback strategies. Every recommendation is personally tested through our own family trips.
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