I survived a day at Magic Kingdom with a toddler!
Our magical day began when the two of us walked over to the Disney bus stop from our hotel room in Casitas 2 at Coronado Springs resort. When we arrived at Magic Kingdom just after it opened at 9 a.m., the park’s entrance was as packed as you’d expect, but the security line moved quickly. I wanted to head over to the stroller rentals, but we immediately saw Minnie and Pluto in Town Square, so we had to get in line. Victoria was ecstatic!
We waited for about 25 minutes, enjoying some entertainment in the meantime. As you can expect, waiting is difficult for a toddler. She just doesn’t understand why she couldn’t run up to Minnie and give her a hug. I completely understand her frustration. Waiting was also nerve-wracking because a cast member informed us Stitch would be replacing Minnie, so not everyone would meet her. But, luckily, we were among the last to meet Minnie, and Victoria was great about waiting her turn, at least this time. We took our photos with Minnie, who was just as adorable and sweet as I remember.
After meeting Minnie, I rented a stroller for about $15. Victoria was amazed at the castle straight ahead, so we walked toward it for a closer look. It was then time for our first of four fast passes, for Buzz Lightyear’s ride in Tommorowland.
We next walked over to Fantasyland, where I picked up some iced coffee at Cheshire Cafe. Victoria spotted the tea cups adjacent to the cafe, so I obliged her request to go on that ride. She loved it as expected, and she even wanted to spin faster.
By this time I was starving, so we walked around Liberty Square and Adventureland in search of food. I admired an ornament at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe that I later returned to buy, too. We came across the Aladdin Magic Carpets, so we got in line for that. This was another instance of impatience from Victoria, but I kept reminding her that our turn was coming up, so there was no need to worry.
Lunch was a veggie burrito for me and mac and cheese and fruit for Victoria at Pecos Bill’s. (Tip: A cast member informed that you can make anything vegetarian here except the burger.) Lunch was about $18, so I highly suggest bringing your own lunch to the park. I also should have just shared my food with Victoria, because she only really ate the fruit and I ended up eating her mac and cheese as well.
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| Veggie burrito is zucchini, rice and beans. |
It was then time to meet Mickey in Town Square, where the stand-by line read 30 minutes. We had a fast pass, so it took us about 5 to meet him. This was where Victoria lost her patience, screaming and crying when I held her back from hugging him during the previous family’s turn. The cast member who was assisting reassured her that her turn was coming, and finally Mickey walked over to Victoria. She immediately smiled and hugged him. They spent a few minutes together before we waved goodbye.
Our next fast pass was for It’s a Small World, which had about a 50-minute stand-by line. We boarded a boat within 5 minutes. The rides as adults just seem so much shorter than we were kids, no?
It was time for Victoria’s nap, so we headed toward the exit, admiring a show at the castle on the way. We boarded a bus to our hotel and were back in our hotel room shortly after that. Super easy!
We returned to the park two and a half hours later. We rode Aladdin’s Magic Carpets (again), the jungle cruise (for which we had a fast pass), and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. We also climbed through the treehouse and had dinner in Fantasyland (more mac and cheese; pretty much the only veggie option I could immediately find). Again, bring food!
Last, but not least, we watched the fireworks at the end of the night. We didn’t have the best viewing spot because we had been on a ride when most people stake out their area, but we could see the fireworks just fine. Victoria’s face showed just how much she was amazed at what she saw, and we left the park exhausted but content. And that’s the magic of Disney.