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Like you, the first steps I took towards planning a day at Disney World Magic Kingdom was to do some research on the Internet and Pinterest. We knew we only had one day, and wanted to make the most of it.

Plan Ahead!

The most important message I collectively noticed was booking and planning ahead! With the ongoing Covid restrictions/advisement, the parks are tracking and monitoring the number of visitors attending each day.

Download the My Disney Experience App from your mobile App Store!

Decide what day you want to go and purchase your tickets through the My Disney Experience mobile app. It is available for both Apple and Android phones. This will also store the tickets in your Apple Wallet if using an Apple iPhone. Your phone is going to be your best friend throughout the park!

This is a pretty cool interactive app that is going to set you up for success from the start!

Think of the app as your own personal tour guide/concierge. Some of the highlighted features are:

• Purchase and access your park passes
• Purchase and access photography packages
• Purchase food from their mobile online ordering
• Interactive maps and GPS to guide you throughout the park
• Upcoming events notifications
• View your purchased photos and ride photos within minutes of them being taken
• And so much more!!!

Decide if you’re going to stay at a Resort Hotel within the Park?

We had already been staying at a separate hotel, so we didn’t do the resorts. Looking back on it, that would have been a neat idea as we learned there are additional perks and incentives for those who choose to stay at one of their Disney Resorts and attend the parks! Things like early entry into the park before general admission, or the opportunity to stay late after the fireworks show and not sweat the crowd and parking lot to get out when it’s over.

“Next time we would like to stay at one of the park’s resorts!”

The biggest incentive I think we would have appreciated would have been the opportunity to take a break during the day and go to the resort and have a rest for a little while before we rallied and headed back out in the afternoon and into the evening for the fireworks. We pulled an “all dayer!†Thirteen hours from before the park opened till after the finale fireworks show. We clocked in over 7 miles of walking, and we both pretty tired. So to have been able to chill out at a resort and break up the day would have made it a little less taxing. But in any case it was so worth it!!

Should you purchase Magic Bracelets for accessing park extras?

I had heard a rumor that they may not have been continuing to use the Disney Magic Bands, so I didn’t pay extra to purchase them. But after we arrived at the park I did see many guests wearing them and swiping them for access to the park and paying for snacks and souvenirs versus using their phones or cash/credit cards. Apparently, I think the resorts offer you magic bracelets as part of their stay.

“Next time, I’ll purchase the Disney Bands! They appear to be more convenient but also a fun souvenir to keep for future trips to Disney Parks”

It would have been fun to purchase a cute one and link it to your My Disney Experience app. They had many different themes and characters to choose from to purchase within the park or online from their Disney Store. In any case, it still wasn’t bad using your phone when you needed to, and you’ll still want to bring your phone to make the most of the app’s map and GPS to guide you throughout the park to your next ride or snack, or tell you when the next parade or character appearance will take place.

Should you purchase the Professional Park Photography Packages?

As far as the additional photography packages, you can elect to wait till you get to the park and have their staff take your photo and pay for them individually, or they offer a couple unlimited download packages thru the Disney Experience app that were pretty affordable.

I didn’t want for most of our photos to just be of myself or me taking one of Jeff, I wanted to capture our magical experience together as a couple. So I purchased the One Day Photo Pass package. This meant if we came across any photographer, we could get our pictures taken, and within a matter of minutes our photos would appear within the Disney app for download. The same was true for several of the rides we rode. I am not sure if it was due to the GPS tracking or some kind of fancy facial recognition software, but after riding a couple rides, our photo would appear on the app!

The choice is up to you! I opted to do the photo package just in case, but honestly some of the best photos Jeff and I took were with our own iPhones. There are plenty of photography apps nowadays that you can download use yourself to add a little “magic†of your own to your photo, as seen in the first castle photo Jeff took of me and I added some fireworks overlay to and placed at the top of this blog post! And they turn out as great IF NOT BETTER than the professional park photographer’s. For example:

For example, prior to the welcoming ceremony, the Disney castle entrance is roped off. But you can still get really up close and take some great photos! And the advantage of getting there early is that most everyone takes off to go get in line for the rides, and with the castle still being roped off there aren’t any guests in the backgrounds of your photos like their would be when using the professional photographers around the castle.

I was disappointed that the mobile app didn’t store the Haunted Mansion ride photo, because that was my favorite ride and one of the first ones I asked Jeff to do. Apparently for some rides, you have to be mindful when you are waiting in the long line for a sign with a QR Code (if no one has damaged or peeled it off, which had happened on a couple rides). Then you open the Disney app, go to the Photos, scan that QR code and it’ll check you in. I missed it because I was so used to the old school way of going up to the counters after a ride to purchase the photos…and assumed I could let them know I’d paid for the photo package there. But they don’t operate that way anymore, it’s all thru the phones nowadays.

Book any fine dining months in advance!

If you were wanting to have a fine dining experience at the park, like having breakfast with Belle and the Beast, you apparently have to book reservations months in advance of your arrival. Especially with Covid restrictions, they have lessened the number of guests who can dine.

Since we didn’t have the kids with us for this trip, we weren’t interested in the “sit down” fine dining, but did want to try some of the signature snacks and treats that other bloggers and Pinners had shared. This is where the Disney mobile app came in so handy! Keep reading to learn how to take advantage of the Disney app Mobile Food Ordering option.

Have a “plan of attack” for your day at the park!

When the day finally comes you are ready to head to the park, have a plan of attack! You should have plenty of time to research the rides you want to ride and snacks and treats you want to purchase. You can also get a general idea of the events you’d like to be in the right place at the right time for. Many of the events are daily ones.

“Having just finished my fitness competition, I was there more for the yummy snacks and treats than I was the rides!”

For me, our main goal was not rides or attractions per se, but making memories thru photos and getting to eat some delicious treats to celebrate my winning my figure competition the day before. I had been to Disney World and Disneyland California a time or two in my past, however this was Jeff’s first trip to Disney, and so it was important to me that I make it special! Check out my other post: Best Treats & Eats at Disney World Magic Kingdom!

Pack a bag of everything you may need for the day while in the park!

Some considerations to keep in mind when packing for the park. Yes, you read that right, I said “pack”! They do allow you to bring in backpacks, handbags, cooler bags, etc. I saw some guests with pretty elaborate ones. You can also bring in your own outside food and drinks. The prices for the food within the park aren’t excessive in my opinion, but if you had little ones or someone with special dietary needs, this is a nice option.

Bring your own bottles of water!

Do bring a couple water bottles! You can refill them at fountains throughout the park. And the water tastes great and is cool. If you opt to get a soft drink while you’re in the park, Jeff and I both agreed those were some of the best fountain drinks we’ve had! You will also want to pack sunscreen to reapply throughout the day. Depending on the time of the year, you’ll likely sweat it off. Chapstick is a good one too. If you will be using the Disney mobile app, it will drain your battery throughout the day. No one wants to be grounded to finding a wall outlet to be stuck at while trying to recharge it. So I highly recommend a portable phone charger! It is Florida after all, and it rains and showers often depending on the season. You may want to pack you a couple disposable rain coats. Fortunately for us, our day was clear skies and sunny all day, but should your luck change…it’s cheaper to have one handy than have to pay to purchase one at the park. Because the rides and shows won’t stop on account of a little rain, and neither should you!

Get to the park early!

After reading several other bloggers, they all recommended arriving to the park at least a half hour before it opens. Not only does this afford you a closer parking spot to the modes of transportation that take you into the park (options are a Ferry, Monorails, etc), but if you want some great photos in Main Street or with the Disney Castle in the background, chances are likely there are not as many people there yet and you won’t have as large of crowds to navigate around as you would if you tried later in the day. I really wanted some great shots with the Castle without a lot of people around. Luckily, we arrived around 8:30am… got a great close parking spot, and not having any children or strollers, we hoofed it at a swift pace to get into the park and up front to the castle.

Don’t forget to take note of where you parked!

Parking lots are notated by a name of a Disney Character and a Number. There are park ushers everywhere shouting out where you’re parking. Be vigilant! Look around and take note of where you are parked, either by taking a photo of it with your phone or noting it somewhere! Can’t tell you how many tired, short tempered, hopeless families we saw at the end of a long fun filled day who were struggling to recall where they’d parked the car in the dark of the night.

For us, the park that day didn’t officially open until 9am, so we had a front row view to the introduction of Mickey & Minnie and the Disney pals. With Covid restrictions still in a heightened state, this was one of the rare viewing opportunities we had to see the characters, since they weren’t yet allowing interactive guest photos with them again. Typically during October the characters are wearing more Halloween themed costumes, and the theme throughout the park transitions more towards the Villains over the Heroins. However, since it was the beginning of Disney’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, they had done their best to embrace both. Sadly you didn’t see as much of the Halloween themed displays in the center of the park between the Castle and Main Street, but they did have some pretty fall themed garlands and wreaths on many of the building’s facades and lamp posts throughout the park. It was still fairly warm thou, which messed with your head in trying to embrace the fall season vibes.

Do you have to wear masks while in the park?

Because of ongoing Covid restrictions in October 2021, we didn’t have to wear masks when we were outside walking thru the park, however if we did enter a store, eatery, or park ride, we did have to put our masks on. Since the situation is dynamic and often changing, it’s best to periodically check in ahead to learn what Disney’s Current Covid Restrictions are for the time period you’ll be at their parks.

While you didn’t read this on my blog, the only times Jeff and I briefly made the executive decision to remove our mask was on a couple of the rides which took photos, like Splash Mountain which is technically outdoors. For us, we didn’t come that far for a masked photo that hid our smiles and happiness in that moment!

The Splash Mountain ride was so much fun, but one of the few rides where the mask was a huge inconvenience. The ride definitely sprays you and gets you wet, and the mask felt like waterboarding torture. Kind of took the thrill out of the experience for us. Plus being soggy for a little while, but at least we were cooled off.

What should you wear to the park?

For fun, I purchased our Disney Castle Themed Face Masks, and my custom Minnie Mouse Ears off of Etsy as well as Jeff’s Buff Mickie Shirt. I knew I wanted to dress up for fun, and get Jeff to embrace the Disney spirit as well…without it coming off too “matchy matchy”. I’d say we looked like a perfect Disney couple!

You should plan on making sure everyone wears comfy supportive shoes, since you’ll be doing a lot of walking. You’ll also want to have breathable clothing! I know the kids will enjoy dressing up as their favorite Disney characters, but humid muggy Florida temperatures and hardly and breeze will make their those poor kids hot and miserable, and possibly itchy. So pack a change of clothes if they get to uncomfortable. There are rides you can and will get wet on, so plan accordingly. We opted to ride the Splash Mountain later in the day for a couple of reasons, it would be after we’d exhausted every photo taking opportunity I wanted to have cute hair for. Well as cute as can be expected after sweating and the humidity flattened my curls. We knew it would be warmer in the day, so getting wet would feel good, but also walking around in damp soggy clothes is not comfortable (hello chaffing) so we wanted not to have to continue power walking thru the rest of the park if we could help it.

Make the most of the Disney Mobile Food Ordering option!

Using the Disney Experience Mobile App, there is a section in there you can order food ahead! So the day of your visit, you can book yourself most of the delicious snacks and treats ahead of time and then when you arrive. Then when it’s close to your scheduled arrival/pick-up time you press “I’m here†and they prepare your order.

It is much quicker than waiting in the lines to order and pay. Especially at some of the more notable eateries like the Aloha Isle for the Dole Pineapple soft serve whips!

And now that you’re all ready for the most magical and memorable experience at Disney World, what you really want to know is what yummy and delicious eats and treats you simply must have while you’re there! Check out my next post! Also, be sure to subscribe to be my Bestie to be the first to know when I share a new blog, recipe, or seasoning launch!

Next Post: Best Treats & Eats at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom