updated 1-11-19

10. Ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Dumbo is a classic family ride that has been in the Magic Kingdom since opening day. Recently Dumbo moved from Fantasyland to the Storybook Circus area of the park. There are now two Dumbo rides side-by-side and a circus themed play area for kids to play in while they wait their turn to ride.

9. Character Meet and Greets

Whether you want to meet your favorite princess, pixie, mouse or space ranger the character meet and greets at the Magic Kingdom are not to be missed. While there are chances to meet Disney characters all over the Magic Kingdom, check your guide map and times guide for times and locations, two places use Fastpass+ to make your experience even more magical. At Princess Fairytale Hall you can meet Anna & Elsa or Cinderella & Rapunzel and at the Town Square Theater you can meet Mickey Mouse or Tinker Bell. I recommend getting a Fastpass well in advance of your visit if you wish to meet any of these popular characters.

8. Space Mountain

If you are 44″ or taller and want to zoom through the galaxy, then Space Mountain is the ride for you. This classic Disney attraction, and oldest roller coaster in Florida has been a favorite in the Magic Kingdom since the ride opened in January of 1975.

7. Festival of Fantasy Parade

We are huge fans of Disney parades and the Festival of Fantasy parade is now my 2nd favorite Disney parade ever! This parade debuted on March 9, 2014 to rave reviews. The magnitude of the floats, the wonderful music and the multitudes of Disney characters in this parade is mesmerizing. Add to that the signature steampunk fire-breathing dragon and Disney has significantly raised the bar for theme park parades! The parade usually steps off in Frontierland at 3pm daily but check your times guide or My Disney Experience App for the specific day and time of your visit. You will want to find your spot for the parade at least 30 minutes in advance so plan your day accordingly.

6. The Jungle Cruise

Maybe my family is just crazy but no visit to the Magic Kingdom is complete with out a trip on The Jungle Cruise. The corny jokes, fun skippers and animatronic animals make this ride a quirky piece of Disney fun. 

5. Dole Whip

It is my belief that everyone must try a Dole Whip at least once. Personally, I am a purist and I prefer the classic Dole Whip but many people enjoy the Dole Whip Float better. Whichever you choose, try this pineapple treat-it is a Disney rite of passage-and a great way to cool off on a hot Florida day. Dole Whip is available at Aloha Isle in Adventureland.

4. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a roller coaster that opened in New Fantasyland May 28, 2014. Guests must be 38″ tall to ride this coaster with rocking trains and a 39 foot drop. Beware the ride’s cars are not very comfortable for larger guests.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean

This classic Disney ride opened December 15, 1973. It is a must-do for everyone in your traveling party. See if you can find all 3 Jack Sparrows as you wind your way through the world of pirates. Remember-dead Men Tell No Tales…

2. It’s a Small World

Yes, the song might get stuck in your head but if you have traveled all the way to Florida and don’t ride this classic ride, you have wasted your money. “The happiest cruise that ever sailed” had its beginnings at the 1964 New York Worlds Fair and was an opening day attraction at The Magic Kingdom. While there are almost 300 dolls in this attraction, only 2 are from North America. Can you find them?

1. Happily Ever After

The only way to end your day at The Magic Kingdom is by watching the Happily Ever After Nighttime Spectacular. More than a fireworks display, Happily Ever After includes projections, music, and lasers along with the pyrotechnics. Happily Ever After takes place most evenings in the Magic Kingdom, check your times guide or My Disney Experience App for more information.

Did I miss anything? What would you include? Please let’s talk about this in the comments! Are you ready to plan your trip to Walt Disney World? Email Me, my planning services are free to you!

Other Disney posts that might interest you:

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The Tiered System

When booking FastPass+ for Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios you run into a very frustrating  problem. This problem has existed in one form or another since the beginning of the original FastPass program. In the old days we would enter DHS at rope drop and run to Toy Story Midway Mania to get FastPasses and then run to get in the hopefully still short early morning line at Rock ‘n Roller Coaster. Unfortunately, we have not ridden Toy Story Midway Mania in over 2 years because we have been unable to get Fastpasses by the time we arrive.

With the new FastPass+ system you can choose 1 “Premium” attraction and 2 other attractions.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios FastPass+

 “Premium” FastPass+attractions:

• Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage (I have never not gotten into this show, I’m not sure why it is listed here)
• Fantasmic (We used FP+ here and had the worst seats we’ve ever had for the show. Not worth wasting a premium FP+ on)
• Rock ‘n Roller Coaster
• Toy Story Midway Mania

Regular FastPass+ Attractions:

• Disney Junior Live on Stage (IMHO this is a must FastPass+ attraction-standing in that long hot line of whiny pre-schoolers is killer)
• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• Lights Motor Action Extreme Stunt Show
• MuppetVision 3D
• Star Tours the Adventure Continues
• The American Idol Experience
• The Great Movie Ride
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid

No FastPass+ Available Attractions

• American Film Institute Showcase
• Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure
• The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow
• The Magic of Disney Animation
• Studio Backlot Tour
• Walt Disney One Man’s Dream

Epcot FastPass+

Premium FastPass+ Attractions

• Illuminations Reflections of Earth
• Maelstrom
• Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot
• Soarin’
• Test Track

Regular FastPass+ Attractions

• Captain EO
• Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Living with the Land
• Mission Space
• Spaceship Earth
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends
• Turtle Talk with Crush

No FastPass+ Available Attractions

• The American Adventure
• The Circle of Life
• Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure
• Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
• Impressions de France
• Innoventions
• O Canada!
• Reflections of China

At Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom their is no tiered Fastpass+ in place. Why? Well, one of the guests I spoke to said, that if a park is well-rounded with a good assortment of attractions, a tiered system isn’t needed. I agree 100% with her. Both Epcot and DHS need to be fixed. Disney’s Hollywood Studios lost its focus years ago and in my opinion it doesn’t know what it is anymore. It was a working studio with both animators and television production being done daily for guests to see. Unfortunately, those things that made The Studios unique are both gone and have been for a long time. I think Disney Parks leadership needs to figure out what it wants DHS to be and then work hard to get her there. Magic Kingdom is the perfect park, it is well rounded and there are plenty of attractions for all types and ages of people. Animal Kingdom is a close second, though I feel the upcoming AvatarLand may tip the scales in the wrong direction for that park.

I just hope Disney guests do their homework and plan ahead to make sure they have a magical vacation at Walt Disney World.

The post The Current Major Complaint About FastPass+ at Walt Disney World appeared first on The Mom Maven.

**This tutorial assumes you are booking a Walt Disney World Vacation package and that you are staying in a Walt Disney World Hotel**

When you book your Walt Disney World vacation you get to choose which of  seven colors to choose from: pink, blue, green, red, gray, orange or yellow. MagicBands can be personalized with the family member’s name etched inside. The MagicBands arrive at your home in advance of your magical vacation! The MagicBand serves as park admission, access to FastPass+ experiences and Disney PhotoPass photo association, all rolled into one, it also serves as a room key and optional payment method.

If you have a smartphone, download the MyDisneyExperience app from your phone’s app store, it’s free! You will use this app during your vacation to keep track of your Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs), FastPasses, view menus, read ride info and much more.

Six weeks prior to your vacation, you can make your initial FastPass+ reservations for each day of your trip. To do this you need to know what park you plan to be in each day and which attractions are important for your family. You can use either the MyDisneyExperience website or app to make your selections.

• Choose which park and which date you want to schedule FastPass+ for.
• You can choose 3 attractions per day, in the same park in advance of your trip.
• Once you have clicked on the three attractions you want you are offered 3-4 different schedules to choose from. When choosing, make sure you are not overlapping with any ADRs or parade times (if you plan on watching a parade that day). Choose the schedule that works best for you.
• Your FastPasses now appear in your “plans” on the app.
• Repeat this process for each day of your vacation and you are ready to go!

Tips to Remember

• You can change or cancel FastPasses on your app at any time-please cancel any FastPasses that you aren’t going to use so that a slot will open for another guest
• If you are walking by an attraction that you have a FastPass for and the stand-by wait time is short, ride the ride and then go to a FP+ kiosk and get a different FastPass!
• Once you use your initial 3 FastPasses you can go to a FP+ kiosk in that park, or a different park and get another FastPass

Maybe you aren’t the plan ahead type of person and you are thinking you’ll just wing it and get Fastpasses at the kiosks…don’t. The lines are long and some attractions won’t have any FastPasses available.

FastPass+ Kiosk line in Tomorrowland

If you really don’t want to deal with all of this then just let me do it for you! I am a Disney Travel Planner and my services are FREE to you. Just fill out my travel quote form and we will get started.

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Applications are being accepted through September 10, 2009 for the 2010 panel so, if you share a love for all things Disney, you too can apply. Here is information from the official press release:

Entering its third year, the Walt Disney World Moms Panel is an online forum where guests can get insider tips and insights for vacationing at Walt Disney World Resort from real moms and dads who have mastered the art of planning a Walt Disney World vacation.  Due to the overwhelming response since its launch in 2008, Disney increased its panel from 12 to 16 members for 2009, featuring 15 moms and one Disney dad.

Each panelist was selected to share their vast knowledge of the resort and personal secrets of success with other families who are considering a trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Guests can pose questions to the panelists, as well as gain access to other valuable park insights and vacation planning tools for booking a Walt Disney World vacation.For more information, visit www.disneyworldmoms.com

The Moms Panel search begins online, www.disneyworldmoms.com/2010, Sept. 10, and will close on Sept. 20, or when 20,000 applications are received, whichever comes first. The application process begins with a series of questions and three brief essays – about his or her family, why he or she is a great Walt Disney World vacation planner and his or her favorite Disney vacationing tip. Following the search, the 10 best candidates will ultimately be named to the Moms Panel in January 2010. In exchange for sharing their Disney knowledge, panelists will receive a vacation at Walt Disney World Resort for themselves and three other people.

“The goal of the panel is to create a resource for vacation planners to obtain valuable insights from moms just like them on what might be considered vacation challenges,” said Crofton. “As most parents look to friends and family for advice, consider the Moms Panel an extended network of real parents who have helped plan hundreds of Disney trips and who are literally, Disney know-it-alls.”

To learn more about the 2010 Walt Disney World Moms Panel Search, please visit http://www.disneyworldmoms.com/2010

If you aren’t applying yourself I would love it if you would say a little prayer and send a some pixie dust my way, as my application is reviewed by those who have the daunting task of choosing this year’s panel.

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