Going to Magic Kingdom with 2 kids was not as difficult as I anticipated. Our girls made it from open to close with minimal complaining — except for the Florida heat, which is understandable. I’m sharing some things that helped us have the best time as a family of four.
Try Genie+
Genie+ and Lightning Lane were worth it to us. Kids just aren’t going to be patient enough to wait in line, especially in the heat, and it can be hard for adults, too. For $15 per person we could schedule multiple Lightning Lanes, and we got the most out of our experience. I would check the Tip Board and see which ride we could get the closest Lightning Lane reservation for, and that helped us not have to wait more than 25 minutes for a ride. Most of the time we walked right into the Lightning Lane to board the ride. As soon as we exited a ride, I would book the next Lightning Lane.
Bring extra clothes
We went through a lot of clothing on our trip. The Florida humidity is no joke! If you have young children, it’s a good idea to bring clothes to the park with you in case of an accident or if they get too wet on a ride. Ponchos are a great idea as well.
Grab a water bottle
It was so difficult to stay hydrated. Be sure to bring a water bottle that you can refill at the water fountains throughout the park. Also, all restaurants provide iced water, something I didn’t realize until later in the day. Pour your ice into the water bottle to keep your water cooler for longer.
Check out old-school rides
We enjoyed the older rides as much as newer ones. I didn’t feel the need to wait or purchase a Lightning Lane for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, for example.
Skip the fireworks for rides
If you have multiple days in the parks or have seen the fireworks show, you can choose to go on rides while everyone else is watching. We got an amazing view of the fireworks while riding Big Thunder. We could see the fireworks while walking around Frontierland to our favorite rides.
Mobile order your food
It’s so easy to order food on the Disney My Experience app. You can see menus for all the dining options and grab your food from the pickup window. Some pickup experiences were better and quicker than others. One in particular, at Pecos Bill’s, was slow, but the rest were well-run.