Circle of Parks Podcast: Talking all things Walt Disney World
Because there's far too much to see and do. We're here to help guide you through. We are a married couple with two boys age 9 and 6 talking all things Disney World. This podcast will cover the tips and tricks we've learned along our journey, history of the parks and attractions, and most importantly why and how Disney makes us feel how we do while in the parks and that it's ok to feel that way.
Circle of Parks Podcast: Talking all things Walt Disney World
Episode #143: How to make the most of your Day in Magic Kingdom
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Ever wondered how to breeze through Magic Kingdom like a seasoned Disney pro? Buckle up, because Brittany and I are dishing out all the insider tips on nailing the perfect Disney day. From mastering Genie Plus to securing those coveted Lightning Lane passes, we're unraveling the secrets that'll see you zipping through Tron's virtual queue and setting realistic expectations for ride wait times. And, of course, we'll share our own tales from the park to sprinkle a little pixie dust on your game plan.
Crack the dawn code with us as we reminisce on the thrills of being first in line for Space Mountain and map out the ultimate morning strategy in Tomorrowland. Hungry for more than just adventure? We've got the scoop on where to grab the tastiest breakfast, whether you're all about the pastries at Joffrey's or craving the colossal cinnamon rolls at Gaston's Tavern. And for those looking to dine with Disney royalty, we weigh in on whether it's worth trading in those Dole Whip dollars for a seat at Cinderella's Royal Table or the Crystal Palace.
As night falls on the Magic Kingdom, the enchantment doesn't fade. We'll guide you through the best spots for evening dining — from the jungle flair of Skipper Canteen to the homely Italian vibe at Tony's Town Square Restaurant. Plus, we chat about how to wind down your day with stellar fireworks views and late-night rides, capturing the magic as the park glows under a starlit sky. Join us for this episode of Circle of Parks, where every second is a step further into the heart of Disney wonder.
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Hello and welcome to Circle of Parks podcast episode number 143. Today we are continuing our series with how to make the most of your day in a certain park, and today's park is Magic Kingdom. There is far too much to see and do. We are here to help guide you through, to see and do. We are here to help guide you through. But before we do that, we must talk Disney merch.
Speaker 1So this week, disney merch. For those of you that like charms and Pandora bracelets, you might want to check out a bunch of new Pandora charms that have shown up on DisneyStorecom. You have a Mickey and Minnie Mouse fireworks charm. You have a Mickey Mouse lollipop that dangles. You have Sorcerer Mickey. You have a Mickey and Minnie Mouse clip charm. There's one that's the Fantasyland Castle. There's a Donald and Daisy teacup charm, where it looks like they're on their teacup ride. There's Stitch and quite a few more. So, again, go check that out at DisneyStorecom Still getting used to saying that, as you know, it used to be ShopDisneycom but it's now DisneyStorecom. Also, we have merch. So if you go to CircleOfParkscom, click on merch and then it will take you directly to the TeePublic site and you can find Circle of Parks merchandise, such as stickers, coffee mugs, sweatshirts, t-shirts and more. So please go check that out.
Speaker 2Thank you, everybody for joining us. Episode number 143. I'm Zach, I'm Brittany and we do this show every single week and our goal is to help you have a better Walt Disney World vacation and to break your week up and take you to Disney once a week.
Speaker 1Yes, this is an escape for us too, not just you, the listener.
Speaker 2Yes, because we're going over this. It takes time and effort to do these episodes. I know it just sounds like we're rambling a lot, but there's a lot of work that goes into these shows, so that's kind of an escape for us too, right.
Speaker 1It is especially, you know, if you've had a stressful day or week and you just wish you were at Disney and want to talk Disney to put that smile on your face.
Speaker 2So yeah, so today we're talking about how to make the most of your day in the Magic Kingdom, and I think this was the hardest one of them all.
Speaker 1I agree and I feel like I left something out, but yeah, Well.
Speaker 2So I went about it a different way than I have the past ones, because here's the thing with Genie Plus in the Magic Kingdom there's no way to plan around that. You get what you get right.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2So I went about it as if you're in this area at this time of day, right?
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Because you're going to have to crisscross the park. It's just no other way around it.
Speaker 1It's true Like there are so many times and y'all have probably heard me on past episodes like can't we just go in order for once, because we zigzag, zigzag, zigzag. But it's just how you have to do it sometimes depending on the wait times for rides or whatever.
Speaker 2Back in the old FastPass days, you could plan your day around what you had selected, right. So you could do that. Now with Genie Plus here at Magic Kingdom not happening, and it's not like Hollywood Studios, where Hollywood Studios is a pretty compact park. So you're not. Yes, you're walking around the park, but you're not. Yes, you're walking around the park, but you're not.
Speaker 1It's not like magic kingdom it's not spread out quite like the magic.
Speaker 2Yeah, so keep that in mind. And again, we're doing this based on normal crowd levels, not like a spring break or a fall break or a fourth of july or christmas day, so just keep that in mind. This is normal wait times, which, when I think of normal wait time for Space Mountain, I think 45 minutes to an hour. I think 80 plus for Mine Train, I think 30 for Mansion, 30 for Pirates, maybe 45 or 50 for Big Thunder. Right, is that?
Speaker 1that's on a non crazy busy day.
Speaker 2But just on a normal day, normal day Busy in the summertime day.
Speaker 2So for the Magic Kingdom, we do recommend Genie Plus. For Magic Kingdom and an individual, I recommend an individual pay lightning link for Tron. Yeah, Do not forget 7 am. If you're staying on property, Everybody else is when the park opens. As of today, the recording Magic Kingdom opens at 8 am. Early magic hours or early entry from 7.30 to 8 am. So at 7 am you can start making that first Lightning Lane selection, which I would recommend. Peter Pan or Space Mountain would be probably my go-to for the first ones, or maybe Jungle Cruise.
Speaker 1Seven Dwarfs.
Speaker 2Lightning Lane, not individual paid.
Speaker 1That's an individual paid, sorry, sorry sorry, yes, no, I would agree with what you said.
Speaker 2Or get in that virtual queue for Tron, because Tron is awesome. But keep in mind, with Tron, if you get a virtual queue, you could still wait an hour plus in that line. That's just guaranteeing you a spot in the line. It's not saying the line's going to move fast yeah so the and the queue for this I don't think is that great. It's cool, but it's not worth waiting an hour in for guard like like guardian.
Speaker 1I'll wait an hour for guardians, I don't mind right but tron, I'll just take the individual lightning lane and go and in fact speaking from experience too, because there was one time when y'all did the virtual- queue and you did wait almost an hour, um, but then another time with the lightning lane it was like 20 minutes, yeah, yeah so there's a virtual queue at 7 am and that's for everybody.
Speaker 2You don't have to be in the park for that, and at 1 pm't have to be in the park for that and at 1 pm. You have to be in Magic Kingdom for that. Now, if you're doing an individual paid Lightning Lane for Tron, I would highly, highly, highly highly recommend you do this at night, Because you can pick the time slot for the individual paid Lightning Lane Nighttime. You're welcome.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean I haven't ridden it, but it looks.
Speaker 2even just watching it at night looks so amazing it's so much better at night, but we'll get to later on in the day. But so for recording purposes and planning purposes, today's hours for the Magic Kingdom are 8 am to 11 pm, with early magic hours from 7.30 am keep this in mind. Happily ever after fireworks show 8.45 hours from 7 30 am. Keep this in mind. Happily ever after firework show 8 45 pm. So you still have a few hours after after the firework show.
Speaker 1We'll get into that, yeah, and you know, but this is where you do need to be aware of the hours when you go, because it's not always going to be the same. It depends on the time of year changes quite often. Yes, yes, and so keep that in mind, because certain times of the year, after the fireworks, that's it that's it, yep you know, and then other times, as zach just mentioned. You still have some time all right.
Speaker 2So what attractions are we rope dropping in magic? Keep in mind, the only two lands open are space, mountain, fantasy land, that's it well, the land is called space mountain yes, the land is called space Mountain. Yes, the land is called Space.
Speaker 1Mountain. Yes, sorry, tomorrowland.
Speaker 2Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are the only two lands open for that early entry.
Speaker 1Yes, so yeah, definitely keep that in mind, because if you're thinking you'd rather do like, you know Pirates or some.
Speaker 2Big Thunder.
Speaker 1Big Thunder. You can't get there at that time. That opens at 8 am.
Speaker 2Yeah, Big Thunder that you can't get there at that time. That opens at 8 am yeah.
Speaker 1So what we do? You know we've talked about this before Now. The first couple of times we went we did do a different direction, but now we do Tomorrowland to hit up Space Mountain or at least Zach and the boys do. I go to Joffrey's get a coffee, get some donuts for them and wait till they meet me again.
Speaker 2Yes.
Speaker 1So I'd recommend Space Mountain 1. And you don't have quite as big of a crowd going towards Tomorrowland as you do Fantasyland, because everybody's either going to be going to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Right.
Speaker 2Or Peter Pan.
Speaker 1And we used to, like the first couple of times, head in the direction of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, but it was just craziness and we just feel more comfortable. Head in the direction of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, but it was just craziness and we just feel more comfortable. It's less like ah, in your face first thing in the morning if you go to Tomorrowland, for us I really like the music while you're waiting for the rope to drop at Tomorrowland, because you can hear it.
Speaker 2It's loud, it's not crazy busy there yet and the cast members are chill and they're asking. Some of them will ask you like Space Mountain trivia and stuff like this. So, of course, Zach loves that. Oh yeah, I love that, and when you walk through it the music in the queue is. So it's just. It's something about it. I don't know, maybe it's just tradition with me and the boys. That's something I'm always going to remember, and when we have grandkids I'll look back on that.
Speaker 1I don't know, but it's just something about it. But I think even walking through Tomorrowland to get to Space Mountain you hear the music more.
Speaker 2That's what I was saying, yeah.
Speaker 1I thought you were talking about the ride.
Speaker 2No, no, Well that and the ride music.
Speaker 1You hear the music during the day a little bit, but it's just so busy that you don't hear it as clearly.
Disney World Morning Attractions and Breakfast
Speaker 2It's not getting your attention as much as it does early in the morning or later at night. So one of our friends, they went for spring break during the week where it was not busy.
Speaker 2And they put on their stories. They were rope dropping Space Mountain and they were at that rope drop line. You could hear the music and I'm like I could just it music and I was like I could, just it's like I was there. I could smell the smell in the air. It felt like I was there because the music it was great, all right. So we've rope dropped either Space Mountain, peter Pan or Mine Train. Here's what I put. Keep in mind the areas you're in. Here's what I put. Keep in mind the areas you're in. So what do you do for morning attractions and breakfast? I put if you rope drop Space Mountain, you can do Buzz Lightyear, ranger, spin and Astro Orbiter pretty quickly, so you can knock those three attractions out in that first 30 minutes.
Speaker 1Yes, because Astro Orbiter tends to get a longer line as the day goes on because of the process to get up to it.
Speaker 2Yes, it's a very slow load and unload process.
Speaker 1Yes, so um so yeah, that is an option. I put Tomorrowland Speedway People Mover.
Speaker 2I'm saving the People Mover.
Speaker 1Well, you can ride, well, we can ride. People Mover off and on all day.
Speaker 2Right, exactly.
Speaker 1But, um, you can ride PeopleMover off and on all day, right, exactly, but I'm thinking other rides that you might want to do if you start in Tomorrowland.
Speaker 2You can do a lot of them pretty quickly.
Speaker 1Yeah, it could be Tomorrowland Speedway and PeopleMover. Now PeopleMover and Tomorrowland Speedway throughout the day. They usually don't have long wait times.
Speaker 2No, they don't.
Speaker 1But if it's one of those like hey, we're here, let's get a couple more rides in, couple more rides in, and maybe you don't want to do buzz lightyear or go up to astro orbiter.
Speaker 2These are some others. So I put buzz lightyear because it can get a long wait. We don't prefer, personally like it, but it can get a long wait and if you go to it right after space mountain, no one's going to be going to buzz light your buzz light, your ranger, space ranger spin first thing in the morning. But you can go ahead and knock that out pretty quickly too.
Speaker 1Yeah, and I mean, some people really like this ride, but we like Toy Story Mania better in Hollywood Studios than Buzz Lightyear.
Speaker 2Yeah, so I also put since you're in Space Mountain, you go to Joffrey's Coffee and you get a couple of big donuts for breakfast.
Speaker 1Yes, you can split those. They're splittable, yeah.
Speaker 2So Split those, they're splittable.
Speaker 1Yeah, so that's what you know I tend to do. I go ahead and get that while the boys are riding boys and Zach are riding Space Mountain, and then it's waiting for them when they get off the ride.
Speaker 2But as far as breakfast goes, I also put Sleepy Hollow Fruit waffle.
Speaker 1Yes, so they have more than just the fresh fruit waffle sandwich, but it is so good. You have strawberries, banana, blueberries and chocolate hazelnut spread on a waffle for $8.49. They also have funnel cake with strawberries and powdered sugar regular funnel cake, mickey-shaped waffle with strawberries and powdered sugar, a regular Mickey waffle with powdered sugar and your choice of juices or Coke beverages.
Speaker 2So I'm trying to stick to where you may be for what you might want to eat.
Speaker 1Right, I get it. Well, we covered Joffrey's Right.
Speaker 2So if you rope drop Mine Train or Peter Pan, and then maybe you could knock out Winnie the Pooh or Little Mermaid pretty quickly too.
Speaker 1Yeah, since you're in that area, if you start over there, yeah.
Speaker 2And so for breakfast, if you're in Fantasyland, Gaston's Tavern.
Speaker 1Oh, for the big cinnamon roll.
Speaker 2For the big cinnamon roll. Well, first of all, they have the gray stuffed cupcake, they have the warm cinnamon roll and they have a warm provolone and Swiss sandwich. That actually looks ham, provolone and Swiss. That actually sounds pretty good. So these are huge, but if you have a big family, split it.
Speaker 1Right, yeah, because that cinnamon roll yeah, it is massive.
Speaker 2And you get LeFru's Brew, which is frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow and topped with all natural passion fruit mango foam. That's very sweet, but so here's the thing don't take a big swig, lefru's brew right after taking a bite of the cinnamon roll.
Speaker 2It's gonna hurt, yeah, so, but if you want a lot of sugar to get you going for the day, gaston's tavern is the place. Now here's another option we don't recommend, but if you have families that want to do this and and this is a bucket list place for families as well Cinderella's Royal Table. Well yep $69 per adult for breakfast, $42 per child for breakfast.
Speaker 1Yeah, we have not done this.
Speaker 2I don't think we will ever do this, but they just have traditional breakfast scrambled eggs, sausage, baked potatoes, they have beef, beef tenderloin and egg. But that's a lot of money it is, but it's a bucket listing for a lot of people. I get it it is now.
Speaker 1if you, and if you're big on breakfast and you want to do some other character meet and greets for a little cheaper, you can also head to the Crystal Palace. It's a buffet. You meet the Winnie the Pooh characters and that's $48 per adult and $30 per child and it's your typical buffet offerings that we talk about each and every time, from fruit, bacon, waffles, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, yogurt, eggs, cereal, assorted pastries. So that's another option.
Speaker 2Okay, are we good with breakfast time stuff. Okay, so now it's lunch time Later. Okay, let's do with breakfast time stuff. Okay, so now it's lunch time later.
Speaker 1Okay, so it's later. Let's do some attractions and then lunch.
Speaker 2Okay, so here's where I'm at. Here's where I'm getting at. Okay, a snack. Yes, here's where I'm getting at. I couldn't decide Like. You're going to be crisscrossing this park so much with Genie Plus. So Do your Genie Plus attractions, whatever they may be right. Again, you can pick one every 120 minutes, or when you tap into that one, right.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2So I'm not even going to try to imagine where you could possibly be at any time in this park, right? Not even going to try. So I'm thinking, like you've done some attractions, you've had breakfast, you've done some Genie Plus, you've done your lightning, like you've done your lightning, like you've done mansion or big thunder or jungle cruise or whatever, right, right? So you've done a couple of attractions.
Speaker 2When you're in that land, whatever land it may be, look for the filler attractions oh yeah like, if you're in, like if you do jungle cruise, do aladdin's carpet right, or if you're in um you know, if you're in fantasy land, do the teacups, something like that, that's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2They're not going to be 20, 30. I mean, they'll be 20, 30-minute waits, but do something like that. But for the midday and you brought this up multiple times this is a good time to get out of the sun.
Speaker 1Yes, especially in the middle of summer.
Speaker 2Do a couple of shows and you want a relaxing lunch, because it's going to be, even though it's not like 4th of July or Christmas Day, Magic Canyon can get very overwhelming.
Speaker 1Yeah, now I did it where, like if you had done some attractions since eating your breakfast and you're getting a little hungry again, stopping at the spring roll cart.
Speaker 2Yeah, so snacks are great. Spring roll cart yeah, I didn't really talk about snacks on this too much.
Magic Kingdom Dining and Attractions
Speaker 1Yeah, so I was thinking again. This is if you're not quite ready for lunch but you are a little hungry. Maybe you did split that cinnamon roll and you weren't stuffed. Because you split it among family members, so you're getting a little hungry again. Stuffed because you split it among family members, so you're getting a little hungry again. That spring roll cart, you know, right now they have the cheeseburger in the pepperoni pizza. Now that pepperoni one lately is the one that's been changing. It could be a different option when you go like, maybe like a buffalo chicken one, but it seems to be that they are keeping the cheeseburger on.
Speaker 2So can you remind us where the Spring Roll cart is?
Speaker 1Adventure Lane Outside of it.
Speaker 2Are you asking me or telling me? I'm, I'm telling you, you're telling me Right outside of Adventureland.
Speaker 1Say it with confidence Right outside Adventureland on the right.
Speaker 2From the hub, from the hub, there we go.
Speaker 1Coming from the hub, coming from the castle. If you don't realize what we're saying, the green grass area is the hub. As you're walking into Adventureland, off to the right, you will see a spring roll cart.
Speaker 2All right, so I'm assuming you're in Tomorrowland. Maybe you wanted to do another Space Mountain Lightning Lane, right? You rope, dropped it and you want to do it again Because you paid for Genie Plus Might as well, take advantage of it, right.
Speaker 1Yeah, but I'd want to do it later in the day. Okay, well, just go with me here, I'm going.
Speaker 2Let's just say you're in Tomorrowland right. You've done Space Mountain right. I think a good show. Carousel of Progress Gets you out of the sun. Classic classic Walt. Walt built it, had his hands on it, designed it. It's not exactly the same. It's gone through some iterations but it's still essentially the same show, right.
Speaker 1Yeah, I mean, and that is when, at some point in the day, when it's getting really hot, because it takes a little while to go through it too. It, and that is when, at some point in the day when it's getting really hot, because it takes a little while to go through it, too, it does. It's 20 minutes.
Speaker 2You're out. Yeah, so you're 20 minutes out of the heat Right.
Speaker 1People movers, great yes, anytime of the day.
Speaker 2Anytime of the day.
Speaker 1Night Anytime.
Speaker 2Anytime People movers Great.
Speaker 1And that is one of my choices I put, I put this here, this cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches it's nuts in here. But they do have plenty of seating.
Speaker 2There is plenty of seating. So, even though it's nuts.
Speaker 1You're going to find a table.
Speaker 2Mobile order. The lines here get very, very long. I do not know why people do not mobile order Mobile order here get very, very long. I do not know why people do not mobile order Mobile order here. It will save you so much time and headaches but it can get pretty nuts. So I'm bumping this down a little bit on my rankings for quick service restaurants in Magic Kingdom.
Speaker 2But, it's a theme park burger. It's not a bad burger, it's not going to knock your socks off, but you got chicken tenders. You got all that stuff here. Everybody's going to be happy with the food here. You got Sonny Eclipse. He's playing some tunes. Funny, pay attention to it, it's good. So that's what I put if you're in that area, that area.
Speaker 1Yeah, and so he's on my, or Cosmic Graze is on my list too, Sony Eclipse. Yeah, cosmic Rays is on my list too. Again, like Zach was saying, depending on where you're at Now, I had mine kind of listed out. You know, after the spring roll cart, maybe, if you haven't already, get in line and ride Pirates of the Caribbean.
Speaker 2Ooh, I like where you're going with that.
Speaker 1And then you're out of the heat again.
Speaker 2Right.
Speaker 1You know it's, it's what. How long is that ride? 10 minutes once you're on it, yeah, but the queue is even out of the heat too, yeah, yeah. And so Pirates of the Caribbean, maybe Haunted Mansion If you're wanting a show, and maybe even take a dole whip with you.
Speaker 2Hall of Presidents. No, the Tiki Room. Tiki Room's on my list the Tiki.
Speaker 1Room and then I had put you know, maybe for lunch. These are my choices for lunch. Now, one of them I haven't been to, but zach has. So again, depending on where you're at, I have put cosmic rays. I had also put columbia harbor house here's where I'm at.
Speaker 2yes, columbia harbor house if you're on that side of the park, regardless if you're in Adventureland, frontierland, fantasyland, columbia Harbor House, I think is Go ahead.
Speaker 1Well, it's kind of in a central location. Yes, it's in.
Speaker 2Technically it's in Liberty Square but it's kind of very centrally located. This I'm going on a limb and saying this is going to be the best quick service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, for two reasons. One, it's not theme park. Well, they do have theme park food here.
Speaker 1But Not just that.
Speaker 2It's not just that. Two, it's crazy. Downstairs you go upstairs, it's a whole new world.
Speaker 1Yes, it's a lot more quiet.
Speaker 2Barely any people know about it is chill so I'm looking at the menu. They have a lobster roll, new england shrimp boil. Grilled salmon, mustard glazed salmon shrimp skewer. The trio platter is what I've always gotten and it's made me feel sick. I'm not getting that anymore. But that's fried shrimp, chicken strips and battered fish with hush puppies. All fried stuff. I'm done with that.
Speaker 1But it's very good.
Speaker 2It is good but for next time we go. I'm either getting the grilled shrimp skewer or the grilled salmon.
Speaker 1Yeah, but I mean anything that we've tried has been good. And then, looking at other people's plates and stuff, it's like ooh, that lobster roll looks good. Ooh, that shrimp boil looks good.
Speaker 2Served with rice and green beans. So this is going to give you a little bit of a reprieve of just your basic unhealthy, fried, quick, sweet theme park food, right yes, this is actually going to be some healthier options. And the kids have a good. You know they have fried shrimp chicken strips and they also have a shrimp skewer and grilled salmon. Our kids love shrimp.
Speaker 1They do, they do.
Speaker 2So this may be a better option if you just want to save your stomach for a little while, right. Not feel so bad after eating all that fried stuff and get out of the heat and get out of the craziness that is the Magic Kingdom and chill upstairs. It's so peaceful, the decor is so elegant and beautiful and you can people watch. I like watching from up there too. I think that's really cool. Right, yeah, but there's always plenty of seating up there.
Speaker 1Yeah, and then another one I put, and again, it depends on where you're at, and this is one I haven't experienced, but Zach has, and it may be that you do this, maybe even like more mid-afternoon, so you have a good appetite built up for it is skipper canteen.
Speaker 2I have this for dinner. Okay, we'll talk about that well it's a good. It's a very, very good option.
Speaker 1Yeah so you know, and again I haven't eaten there and that's why I said maybe, like mid-afternoon maybe you don't want a huge lunch in the middle of the day and don't want to end your day on something heavy, but maybe that mid-afternoon, and so they have things like crispy fried chicken with rice and vegetables. It's called Taste Like Chicken because it is Delicious. Dr Fall's signature grilled steak. You have curried vegetable crew stew.
Speaker 1Sustainable baba lamb chops I like the hearty hard char pork yes, and then you have a noodle bowl, and then they, you know, this is just a more. Uh, what's the word for broad menu, different menu? Um, adventurous?
Speaker 2adventurous menu a little bit. It's the jungle cruise. It's gonna be adventurous exactly.
Speaker 1And then you know, for the kids, they have a Chef Tanda Cheese, crispy Chicken, you have macaroni and cheese, junior Skips macaroni and cheese, you have Sizzling Savannah Grilled Steak and you have Congo Connie's Coconut Curry Concoction.
Speaker 2So, and then for sides have potatoes, fruit, volcano cake, steamed broccoli, seasonal vegetables, rice and chocolate covered banana pieces for the kids sides so I'm going to get more into this in a minute, but I think this is probably the most underrated sit down in restaurant period in the magic kingdom yeah, it's so good, but. I also put or go ahead.
Speaker 1Well, my last thing for this time of day. Another thing that can that hasn't been mentioned yet, that can get you out of that heat, is PhilharMagic.
Speaker 2So I put yeah, so you've eaten PhilharMagic's right there. I did mention the Tiki Room and I'm throwing something leave oh yes leave the magic kingdom. Go to one of the monorail resorts for lunch. You don't have to have a reservation, you can go to their quick service restaurants yeah uh, go to the polynesian. Relax if you have a reservation at what's the place we ate at last time kona kona cafe very good food, very relaxing, captain cooks.
Speaker 2I've said that this over and over, and over and over again and over and over and over. I'm going to keep saying it it is one of the best quick service restaurants, not just in a resort but in the entire Walt Disney World area. It's just so delicious and it's just. There's nothing special about it, but it's just so good.
Speaker 1Yeah, the pulled pork nachos are amazing. And, like Zach said, I mean it's just taking the monorail there, taking the monorail go to the Grand Floridian, go to the Grand Floridian Cafe.
Speaker 2It's a little more higher end but they have a lot of good selections. Go eat at Steakhouse 71. You can usually walk up in the contemporary. It's so delicious, gets you out of the heat, gets you out of the craziness for an hour and a half to two hours and helps you recharge and a lot of people tend to go to Contemporary, to leave the Magic Kingdom for a little while and go eat at Chef Mickey's as well.
Speaker 2And that's a buffet, but you're not getting out of the craziness there. You're not getting out of the craziness. The craziness is just somewhere else.
Speaker 1Yes, but you're still out of the heat. It's again just a monorail or even walking from Magic Kingdom there, and so I know a lot of people sometimes tend to do that they they book that reservation with chef mickey's to coincide with their magic kingdom day I'm not one of those people. No, I'm not gonna be one I'm trying to cover it for our listeners I also put ride the train yeah it's a good 20 minutes all the way around. You're not in the heat.
Speaker 2Take the riverboat around 20 minutes yeah that. That's cool. Around the rivers of America. Go to Tom Sawyer's Island.
Speaker 1Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2We've seen families just passed out. Yeah, there were like two kids flat out napping in like a little secluded area over there and the parents like you can bring like breakfast not breakfast, but like deli meats and sandwiches and stuff in the parks, like they were having like a little picnic right out there yeah, you can do that too. I think that's a good way because you're still in the park, but it's very quiet over there, well, besides the boat but, and the train whistles, but it's but it's still peaceful.
Speaker 1Yeah, it is in its own way.
Speaker 2Its own way so alright, if you well, you got anything else, no, All right. If you would like to experience and exist in the Magic Kingdom, you know how to reach out to right.
Speaker 1Is that our sponsor?
Speaker 2That is our amazing, amazing sponsor, main Street Travel. They are the official sponsor of this podcast and we use them for all of our Disney and non-Disney vacation needs. They can plan your Walt Disney World, disneyland Disney Cruise Line, adventures by Disney Aulani and Disneyland Paris vacations. We also recently just found out they can plan your Hilton Head Disney Resort and Vero Beach Disney Resort, which we are doing in two months.
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Speaker 1Yeah, and I mean I say it again and again and again, but really like we don't worry about the dining reservations at all anymore. She knows what we're interested in doing for that particular trip, what time of day we want the reservation, and you know a few days out she just confirms is this what you still want to do, is this where you still want to eat? And all right, I got it. And then you know a few days later when it is that 60 day?
Speaker 1window, she, you know, reaches out to us and, okay, your dining reservation is set up for this day, at this time yeah, so you can go check them out wwwmainstreettravelcocom.
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Planning Disney World Evening Dining
Speaker 2All right. So now we've done all that, we've rested, we're full. It's early evening, right? Yes, we've done some more lightning lane attractions Again, whatever they are. I'm hoping you've done pirates. Go ahead.
Speaker 1Say what I've put yes.
Speaker 2I'm just saying yes, you're broadening it so much. I'm just saying it's yes, I get it though.
Speaker 1Yes, because depending on what your lightning lanes are, you can be anywhere in the park. So I get what Zach's saying. However, I did this is where I had put, because if it's still early early evening and it's in the middle of the summer, if this could be another opportunity, get that 20 minutes out of the sun, yes, and then Big Thunder Mountain, you know, early evening or even better, later in the day, at night, yes, and I don't know the last time for this, but an early evening attraction could also be Enchanted Tales with Belle.
Speaker 2Yes, great show has one of the best illusions in all of all disney world.
Speaker 1Yeah, it's amazing and I didn't know what I mean. Yes, I'm a bell fan and beauty and the beast fan and everything, but I didn't expect to still enjoy it as much as I did I enjoyed.
Speaker 2I mean, it was a. It was a cute show. I don't think we'll ever go back. Well, no, no, no, I just want to go. Hey, can I go into the front room and see the little thing and then I'm out. I just want to see that. I don't want to ruin it for people. You can look it up, but it's so cool.
Speaker 1It is. It is so cool, but I think how they try like especially those with little ones, how they try to get it is so good, it is so good. I also put Jungle Cruise.
Speaker 2That's a good one.
Speaker 1Yes, so, and then End of the Night.
Speaker 2I haven't finished my dinner, sorry. Well, you were just going on and on and on earlier, so I just started going on and on. So for dinner I put two things.
Speaker 1This is when I'm talking about Skipper Canteen. Getting to my dinner, when you said end of the night.
Speaker 2We got a whole other separate thing for end of the night. Okay, so for dinner I put Skipper Canteen Again underrated restaurant, great. I put it for nighttime because I really like Adventureland at night.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2When you walk out, it's dark, it's adventurous, it's kind of scary. Not scary, but just just, and they made it that way for a reason. Right, dimly lit. I just love it. I think it'd be a great time to eat at night. The skipper, like the servers, are skippers for jungle cruise right, so it's gonna be witty.
Speaker 1There's just so, it's so cool.
Speaker 2It's just so cool it's. It's great. You went over the menu earlier. I'm not gonna go over that. I, I had the don't call it chicken, because it is chicken. I also put one more for dinner and this is the more I think about this, the more I'm liking it. This is when you want to spend some time down main street, usa with the lights lit up I think it's that for a little later.
Speaker 2It becomes this whole other thing right. Tony's Town Square Restaurant for dinner On Town Square. Try to get a seat outside. I think this is an underrated restaurant too. I've eaten lunch here and the salmon I had was delicious. The garlic bread's really really good, and I think there's things here that everybody will like. Is it just basic? Is it going to be good Italian food? Probably not. No. Will like is it just basic? Is it going to be good italian food? Probably not no, but I like the salmon. It was good salmon, it was priced right and if you like beauty, uh, I'm going blank here beauty and the beast.
Speaker 2No, oh lady and the lady and the tramp, if you like that. There's so many great references here. Outside the restaurant there's a heart with their paw prints in it, there's a statue of them in the main restaurant and they got the movie playing outside where you go to check in, like when you wait for your name to be called for your table.
Speaker 1Well, why haven't you taken me here?
Speaker 2No, the kids could care less. But the kids menu has grilled chicken and spaghetti and meatball and macaroni and cheese and you know there's stuff the kids will eat here. What else do they have? Yeah, so the kids will eat here. I think it's a good. I want to sit outside at night and just watch people on. Be a good people watching spot for Town Square.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2Yeah, okay, so that's what I have for. Hopefully you've done all the major attractions. With Genie plus, you can get most of them done. You've done some shows, so now we're just relaxing down main street usa, and I really think the area comes alive at night I agree yeah so yeah, I put well, so it depends on where you're at where you're at where you've eaten.
Speaker 1You know, did you eat a bigger lunch or a late lunch? All of these things, but some other options. So this could be another time for that columbia harbor house. You know, it's later in the day. Maybe you want that platter, that might, all of these things but some other options. So this could be another time for that Columbia Harbor house. You know it's later in the day. Maybe you want that platter that might not agree with you in the middle of the day, but you want to end your day on it.
Speaker 2I don't know, I don't know you know, uh, also this, this next restaurant.
Speaker 1I'm going to say now we haven't eaten here for dinner, but if you really want to see a place for the environment and willing to pay $70 per adult or $41 per child, be our guest restaurant.
Speaker 2Yes, I was thinking about putting that on here, but I didn't. Yeah, because it's only open for dinner, right? Lunch and dinner. It's not open for breakfast, right.
Speaker 1Yeah, so not right now they're not doing breakfast. When we went a few years ago, it was breakfast.
Speaker 2It was completely different than what they did now. It was like a quick service thing and you ordered out the kiosk.
Speaker 1Yeah, so everything was really different. But I want to experience it later in the day with those food options and maybe it would be a little more worth the price. But the rooms, the individual dining rooms they have here, take on different themes in the theming. You have to admit that it was on point was amazing.
Speaker 1You know from the dining room like where they, you know, dance together to the beast, lair and the. You know the scenes kind of change and it's just it's, it's. It's beautiful inside, so for dinner I just have it pulled up. For the dinner, you know you have appetizers such as French onion soup, duck and pork, potato leek soup, green salad, escargot, but then your entrees you're gonna choose one. So you choose one appetizer. You know it's included in those prices. Then you choose one entree. It can be dry aged joe rock pork, chop trout, uh, grilled filet, mignon, wine and beer. Braised beef short rib pan, roasted squash that short rib sounds good and then they have a chicken dish.
Speaker 1You have desserts. You have a dessert trio the chocolate tart, dark chocolate, truffle, lemon jam, macaron, and then you have a vanilla cake with lemon curd. And then the kids, you know they can choose as an appetizer start off with a salad, a fruit bowl or a fruit and cheese plate, and then their entrees are chicken breast, pan, seared shrimp, macaroni and cheese, grilled steak, chicken, chicken strips, and then you have your typical sides for them as well. So you know if you're a big beating the beast fan or you've heard all the talk about you know I really want to see the inside of this place.
Speaker 2Like the inside is is amazing it is amazing, it truly is, and I think we need to give another shot and I want to do dinner sometime.
Speaker 1Okay, at some point okay.
Speaker 2So I think we need to give another shot, maybe when we go again for next valentine's. We go to dinner here, okay what?
Speaker 1do you think that'd be our?
Speaker 2valentine's dinner yeah, you can get in bell dress, but they want what you can like. Wear it like a yellow. We'll see something.
Speaker 1so, uh, but another option now more towards the end of the night, but I want to throw this in while we're talking about food If you didn't have a huge dinner, like at dinnertime, but you're hungry closer to time of fireworks, if you can, maybe you can get a table and eat some Casey's Corner.
Speaker 2Mobile order.
Speaker 1Yes, mobile order.
Speaker 2Yes.
Speaker 1And you know, like they have hot dogs, I like the corn dog nuggets with the cheese sauce.
Speaker 2Do not use a snack credit for the cheese sauce. No, because it will default to that. You have to go in there and fix it.
Speaker 1Yeah, but that's another option If you don't want a huge dinner. Or maybe you ate that late lunch, early dinner, and it's getting closer to fireworks time and you're getting hungry again, casey's Corner is a good option.
Speaker 2Perfect segue it's fireworks time. Yes, if you have never done it, you have to see Happily Ever After. It is a must do.
Speaker 1Yes, at least experience it once.
Speaker 2One time. It is a must must do. We recommend multiple times. We have seen it multiple times.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2So I think we are now at the point of, if you have either, start looking for different places to watch it from right, or this is a great time to ride those big ticket rides yeah and watch it.
Speaker 1Oh my gosh, sorry, go ahead, sorry well, in everywhere you see it from, like it's great, no matter where you're at. But you but you see different details depending on where you're at. If you're up closer to the castle, you're going to see those amazing projections on the castle, but you might struggle with seeing all the fireworks.
Speaker 2Yes.
Speaker 1You know, the further back you are, you may not see the projections on the castle as well, but if you're further down on Main Street, you're going to see some projections on the Main Street buildings. Yes, but if you're further down on Main Street you're going to see some projections on the Main Street buildings. Yes, you know. And again, there's different like you can even watch from behind the castle, like in Fantasyland.
Speaker 2Right.
Speaker 1You know, so you can watch from off the side. You know, like that Tomorrowland Bridge, there's all sorts of places you can watch from Now. If you do happen to get a table over there by Casey's Corner, you're not like if you're sitting under one of those umbrellas it's going to cut off your view some, but you can still see. Enough of the show.
Speaker 2Sure can, yeah, so if you're choosing not to be on Main Street, or you know, in the hub with 50 billion people, which I prefer not to be anymore, this is a great time to ride those big rides. Ryan and I of years ago rode big thunder during the finale of that firework show, which is gone. We never talk about again. However, it was amazing. The inner, the energy on that coaster, with everybody. It was amazing. It was the best ride on big thunder we've ever had. It was so much fun. Mine train, another one, astro orbiter, another one go. I want to go watch the fireworks from Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse.
Speaker 1That would be nice.
Speaker 2Nobody's going to be up there.
Speaker 1Yeah, or you're only going to get it.
Speaker 2They close it. During that time you can't go up there. They close it.
Speaker 1Oh, ha, ha ha. No, and another one. Now, you're only going to see a short portion of it, but it'd be so awesome on PeopleMover as you're coming around as you come up on the castle.
Speaker 2That'd be so cool. If you time it just right. Oh my gosh, That'd be so good. Also, leave and watch the fireworks. One of our best memories is watching the fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian.
Speaker 1Yes, you can watch it at any of those monorail resorts from different locations.
Speaker 2And any of those like monorail resorts from different locations and they pump the music in and geyser point, oh my gosh, so good.
Speaker 1Now guys. Now geyser point is at wilderness and it's not a monorail resort no but you can still see a portion of the fireworks and they pump the music yeah, it's so.
Speaker 2That's maybe an option as well. Now and you can get to that by boat, but yes, yeah, so if you do choose to stay and watch the fireworks, which we do recommend, if yes, At least once At least once, multiple times. Stay afterwards If the park's still open.
Speaker 1Yeah, and I put that too.
Speaker 2Because this is when you can go. Me and Ryan, we did Pirates walk on, we did Jungle Cruise walk on, big Thunder walk on, big Thunder, walk on. Now everybody usually runs to Space Mountain or Mine Train, but if you let, after about an hour because the park closes today at 11, happily ever after be over by 9.15. So you've still got an hour and a half of park time.
Speaker 2Almost two hours of park time. Let that initial rush for those bigger attractions dissipate and then you can get in Mine Train, probably 30 minutes before park close, and then it'll be a 15 minute wait.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2So this is a time to take advantage of those bigger items if you're still here, if you've been here since rope drop.
Speaker 1Right, it's a long day, and, again, if the park is still going to be open after fireworks.
Speaker 2Not always, so make sure you check those hours.
Speaker 1Yeah, that too, you know like usually I'm with nolan and we're both kind of tired and ready, but you know. But thinking again for our listeners, you know I had put that too. If if open after fireworks and you know it's not closing right away, then maybe do space mountain again. You know y'all have done that. Maybe I put seven dwarfs, mine train, big thunder and or any ride.
Speaker 2You may not have gotten to go on earlier in the day, maybe it was down during the day or whatever. Most like your. Big Thunder is probably going to be a walk-on, pirates is going to be a walk-on and Haunted Mansion is definitely going to be a walk-on. Peter Pan would probably be about a 30-minute wait still as long as Mine Train. But outside of that Space Mountain mountain probably be a 30 minute wait. People move or walk on people who walk on the tomorrowland speed to be a walk-on.
Speaker 1Most of the other attractions will be walk-ons yes, and then I also put some of what zach was saying earlier. Uh, enjoy main street like, especially when that initial rush of everyone leaving from the fireworks. Enjoy main street, take it all in, see how it looks just all lit up at night the music is beautiful and it just you, I don't know.
Speaker 1You just get some different feelings seeing the castle at night looking from and empty your main street with the lights on and you know, shop in the emporium. Then again, wait, let that initial rush after the fireworks leave. That way you're not bumping into people while you're in the Emporium. But that's a good time too. A lot of times we try not to buy things earlier in the day in the Emporium because we don't want to keep up with it all day long, but then on our way out we stop and get them.
Speaker 2Says the person that bought a popcorn bucket first thing at the beginning of the Christmas party.
Speaker 1Because I didn't want them to run out.
Speaker 2Did they run out?
Speaker 1No, but some people were saying that they could, so I wanted to go ahead and make sure I got it. I carried it most of the time.
Speaker 2I'll give you that.
Speaker 1So, but yeah, so just take a moment, take it all in, you know, if you want to walk back up to the hub once that rush of people leave, you know, and just listen to the music in the hub area and admire the castle, and yeah, I just go down in front of the train station, you know, and look back at all of Main Street in the view of the castle, all of those things.
Speaker 2Yeah, I completely agree.
Speaker 1You know, and if you have a younger one and you're like, the only way you're going to get them to stick around a little bit more and do another ride is maybe get them some candy from the confectionery.
Speaker 2Yes, yes, main Street Confectionery yes.
Speaker 1Because that's kind of helped us with Nolan in the past, like, oh, you want that big sucker, now Just let it go. You're at Disney, go ahead yeah.
Speaker 2And it works out. They get that initial sugar rush and then they crash.
Speaker 1It works out. It's a twofer.
Speaker 2Yes, you don't got to worry about them like getting tired and whiny the whole time, just put them to bed.
Speaker 1Right, but, like we've been saying, you know there's so many ways to do Magic Kingdom and there's not a certain path to take and there's so much here and it depends on how you did Genie Plus and your lightning lanes and what your family likes, and you know, do you have dining reservations, do you not? All of those things. But it is truly, truly a park that I wish you could go from one land to another in order, but you just can't so there's no right or wrong way to do magic kingdom, you just got to figure it out and maybe you have figured out a way to do that that works for your family.
Speaker 1You know, maybe you only want to do a handful of rides and it just works out where you do go from land to land to land so we're gonna have to figure that out this summer.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, all right. Anything else you want to say about it?
Speaker 1no, just enjoy it, have fun, take it all enjoy it.
Speaker 2Look, I think the past few times we've gone, we've let magic kingdom overwhelm us yes and don't yeah set like, as long as we get to do these four things right, let's just relax yeah, I think we did it better last time by leaving to go to lunch, but we got to do a better job of it yeah, I agree, like it's um we're not perfect either, like we don't it's, it's just tough like the love for magic kingdom that we used to have, hasn't been there as much the last few times when we've all four been together, because it has been some crazier crowds at the time too.
Speaker 1So I think you know, like zach just said, you got to narrow down what you plan to do maybe, and then if you have time to get other stuff in, then. But don't go in thinking you're going to hit it all necessarily because magic kingdom will beat you.
Speaker 2Yeah, so all right. So disney trivia again. I try to keep it relevant to what we're talking about this week, and so this question was about magic kingdom and I picked a good one. I didn't think this one would be as difficult for people to find out, but apparently it was so. From what movie and person did the sculptor blaine gibson blaine gibson's one that did the partner statue and the roy and mini statue and all them, so he's a very famous sculptor. What did he use? From what movie and person did blaine gibson use to judge the height of mickey mouse with walt disney for the partner statue? I, I had no idea, you had no idea.
Speaker 1Brittany was like no, I just thought they did it the answer, so hold on. But once he tells you the answer and he showed me a picture it made sense.
Speaker 2So there's no pictures of Mickey Mouse with Walt before Walt passed away. So there was no. There was nothing he could use to to figure out how tall Mickey should be Right, Except for one, one image, and it was from the movie Fantasia, when Mickey mouse shakes Leopold Stokowski's hand. He was the conductor of the orchestra.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2That is where Blaine Gibson what Blaine Gibson used to determine the height of Mickey versus Walt. So it's from Fantasia. And when Mickey Mouse shakes Leopold Stokowski's hand, no winner this week.
Speaker 1No, and that was a tough one because, like you said, there wasn't one with Walt. But when you see what it is in reference to, it's like oh, okay.
Speaker 2Yeah, so that's what Blaine Gibson used. Sweeney was emailing me. He's like I've learned way much more about Blaine Gibson than I would ever want to know and I'm like okay, well, all right.
Speaker 2So thank everybody for joining us this week. We hope you enjoy the show. The best way to support the team is to go book your next vacation with Main Street Travel Company. It costs you nothing to do that. They're going to save you money. They're going to save you stress, save you money and you're supporting the podcast. What better way? I just don't know. I don't know, I don't know why you wouldn't do it. Go check them out wwwmainstreettravelcocom. They're on Instagram, facebook and YouTube and again call them 1-800-593-1262. Again, 1-800-593-1262. Tell them we sent you. Take advantage of those special offers. Some of y'all are doing that. Thank you, they're going to save you money.
Speaker 1Yes, thank you so much.
Speaker 2Email us circleofparks at gmailcom. Go check out our website, wwwcircleofparkscom. We're on Facebook, instagram and X all that Circle of Parks. And again, go leave us a five-star rating review on Apple Podcasts. It really helps us to grow the show and please share us with your friends. We've had some friends over spring break or people we know over spring break. Share the show. We've really helped them. Thank you so much. Really, do appreciate that and and we will talk to you next week.
Speaker 1Talk to you soon. Bye.