House built of Walls: Disney World Part Three: Magic Kingdom with Two Year Olds

We decided before we booked our trip to Disney that we would stay somewhere central to Magic Kingdom. Next time we go back, with older kiddos, we will explore more parks. But MK certainly has the most (from my perspective) for toddlers. We stayed Wilderness Lodge so we could take the ferry over. I would seriously highly recommend staying somewhere close to MK with toddlers- either a hotel on the monorail or the ferry. The lines for the other buses and boats looked awful and are a much longer trek to Magic Kingdom. Here are some tips & how we navigated Magic Kingdom!

Get there early:

1. By 8:30 or 8:45 because you can see the opening ceremony with Mickey and because despite the park saying they open at 9, it is really around 8:45.

2. If you don't stop at the shops on Main Street and take your good old time, you can walk straight to fantasy land and get on rides with no wait (with no fast pass).

3. Bring a stroller. Early day means a long day. Toddlers cannot walk Magic Kingdom.

Rides:

1. Have some sort of plan, but be flexible. We were told by a cast member as soon as we walked into Fantasy land that Dumbo's line wouldn't be long until 10 or 10:30 and our best use of time was to hit some of the usually longer lines.

2. Book your fast passes ahead of time and if you can, book them in afternoon. In the morning you can get away with finagling your way through without it.

Day 1. {We barely waited for any ride starting at 9:00am}

-Winnie the Pooh

-Dumbo x2 (because we couldn't stop the crazed girls from going there!)

-Ariel's Grotto

-Small World

-Meet Minnie & Daisy at Pete's Side Show (shortest line to meet characters AND air conditioned- we waited about 10 minutes but it was cool and the girls could play around us)

-Note* I wish we brought bathing suits/change of clothes for girls for the water area next to Pete's Side Show*

-Break for lunch & naps-

-Dumbo again

-Carousel (never really a line)

-Dinner at Crystal Palace

-Fast Pass Small World (worth it bc super long line)

-Shops on way out

Day 2. {Also very minimal waiting}

-Peter Pan

-Small World x 2 (girls were obsessed, we had no control)

-Dumbo

-Carousel & ice cream break

11:00 Move it! Shake it! Celebrate it! Dance party in Town Square

(get there at 10:50, sit on the sidewalk next to the road. Kids can dance with characters in the street)

-Enchanted Tiki Room bird show (it was hot and this was A/C break)

-Lunch at the Plaza-

- We skipped going back evening #2 because it was 95 degrees.

Food in Magic Kingdom:

- If you can either make reservations for lunch OR head to lunch a half hour before your kiddos normally eat. We actually liked our non- reservation lunch better than our reservation lunch.

-Peco Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café is tucked right inside Fronteir Land and was perfect for all of us!

-The Plaza restaurant for lunch was WAY too slow for toddlers. Good menu but poor service for little ones. We saw a lot of tantrums in here.

-Dinner at Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh & Friends. The girls LOVED this. Jamie got food poisoning so I sort of will never be able to go there ever again. But it was awesome for a meal with characters. Take your chances ;)

-You can bring in your own water, food, etc. Do it! Bring a little soft cooler and attach it to your stroller. We curbed many break downs with some cold water and pretzels/fruit snacks.

Toddlers and Naps

-Let it be known I'm a sleep Nazi crazed mama. But I had heard (and know Sienna) that skipping naps is a horrible idea because of the cranky tired factor.

-Because our hotel was so close to things, the girls napped daily. Not as long some days, but they did. They were much happier after naps.

-If you can't swing getting back to your hotel, get a stroller fan and find somewhere shaded. There are also baby care centers at each park that are air conditioned- take advantage!

Souvenirs

-We bought one stuffed animal in the gift shop at the hotel the second day there. Sienna loved it and didn't ask for anything else until the last night when she told my parents she needed a Mickey Mouse Bank (she does love it so guess it was money well spent)

-We brought a few Disney items with us on the plane and those staved off the random asking.

-Avoid the shops and you'll avoid the expensive souvenirs. No need to go in them if you don't want to. Easiest way to save your money.

Overall

-1-2 days in Magic Kingdom is plenty for a two year old. But 1-2 days is definitely worth it!

-Seriously, BRING YOUR STROLLER

-Bring snacks. Bring water. Lots of water.

-Take breaks. Get ice cream. Know when your kid has had enough

-Be flexible and take a billion photos; the girls smiled so much we could barely keep up!

-If the grandparents offer to go, take them up on it immediately. Extra pairs of adult hands (and arms to carry little ones sometimes) were AMAZING!