Tag: Magic Kingdom

Special Events to Add to Your Disney Vacation

Whether it’s your first or 50th visit there is always something to do at The Walt Disney World Resort to add a little extra pizzaz to your trip! Disney has several incredible Specially Ticketed Events to add extra park time to your itinerary, cut the waits and get in a few extra sweet treats.

Let’s take a look at the options you can add to your 2020 vacation.

Disney Early Morning Magic – Fantasyland

Prices: $89 Adults, $79 Children (Ages 3-9)

Guests checkin at 7:30am and play from 7:45am – 9:00am with little to no wait at fan-favorite Fantasyland Attractions. Then from 9:00am – 10:00am enjoy a hearty breakfast at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café.

Available Attractions: “it’s a small world” • Mad Tea Party • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh • Peter Pan’s Flight • Princess Fairytale Hall • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train • Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid

February: 2, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27
March: 1, 3, 10, 15, 22, 26, 29
April: 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 21, 26, 28
May: 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, 31
June: 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 23, 28, 30
July: 7, 11, 12, 14, 19

Disney After Hours – MAGIC KINGDOM

Prices start at $129

Ever dream about experiencing more magic in less time? When the crowds clear and the gates close, you’ll have the park all to yourself! Select Snacks Included like ice cream novelties, popcorn and select beverages—available at carts stationed throughout the park.

Available Attractions: Astro Orbiter • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin • Disney Princess Greetings at Princess Fairytale Hall • Haunted Mansion • “it’s a small world” • Jungle Cruise • Mickey’s PhilharMagic • Peter Pan’s Flight • Pirates of the Caribbean • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train • Space Mountain • Splash Mountain • And much, much more!

10:00 PM to 1:00 AM 9:00 PM to midnight 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM
March: 9, 16, 23, 30 January: 17, 20 January: 6, 13, 23, 27, 31
April: 5, 13, 20, 27 February: 3, 10, 17, 24 March: 2
May: 5, 25 May: 11, 18

Guests with Disney After Hours tickets can enter the park as early as 7:00 PM on the night of the event—start times vary slightly depending on date.

Disney After Hours – Animal kingdom

Prices start at $129

Discover a world that glows in the dark! Select Snacks Included like ice cream novelties, popcorn and select beverages—available at carts stationed throughout the park.

Available Attractions: Avatar Flight of Passage • DINOSAUR • DJ Dance Party • Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain • It’s Tough to be a Bug! • Mickey & Minnie Greeting at Adventurers Outpost • Na’vi River Journey • Pandora Drummers – Swotu Wayä • Rivers of Light: We Are One • Tree of Life Awakenings • TriceraTop Spin

January: 9, 16, 22, 30
February: 6, 13, 19, 27
March: 5, 12, 19, 26
April: 1, 7, 14, 22
May: 2, 9, 16, 19, 26

Guests with Disney After Hours tickets can enter the park as early as 7:00 PM on the night of the event.

Villains After Hours – MAGIC KINGDOM

Prices start at $145

indulge your inner villain at this sinister soiree! Select Snacks Included like ice cream novelties, popcorn and select beverages—available at carts stationed throughout the park.

Available Entertainment:

  • Villains Unite the Night—a 20-plus minute stage show starring Hades, Meg, The Queen, Maleficent, Jafar and other hilarious hoodlums—at Cinderella Castle
  • Keep your eyes peeled for the fire-breathing dragon, Maleficent as she slinks her way through the park at night
  • Three hours of access to over 25 popular Magic Kingdom attractions with low wait times and thrilling villain-inspired surprises at Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain.
10:00 PM to 1:00 AM 9:00 PM to midnight
February: 14, 28 February: 7, 21
March: 11, 18, 27 March: 6
April: 3, 10, 17, 24
May: 1, 8, 14, 22, 29
June: 5, 12, 19, 26, 29
July: 6, 10

Guests with Villains After Hours tickets can enter the park as early as 7:00 PM on the night of the event—start times vary slightly depending on date.

Disney h20 glow nights

Prices start at $65 Adults, $60 Children (Ages 3-9)

Guests with Disney H2O Glow Night tickets can enter Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park as early as 6:00 PM on the night of the event. Then, from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM get ready to “glow wild” at Disney H2O Glow Nights, where you’ll have access to all available attractions—with shorter wait times—plus:

  • Glow-rious lighting effects and décor throughout the water park
  • A DJ dance party on the sandy beaches of the Surf Pool
  • Toy Story-themed activities and Character Greetings
  • A tempting selection of limited-time, event-themed food and beverage specialties
  • The Wharf—an adults-only retreat for Guests 21 and over, featuring live entertainment and a cocktail bar with a bevy of refreshing beverage for purchase
  • An oh-so flashin’-able souvenir glow wristband

May: 27, 30
June: 3, 6, 10, 17, 20, 24, 27
July: 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29
August: 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29

MIckey’s Not-so-scary halloween party

Prices: TBA

Get your favorite costume ready and make your plans to Trick-or-Treat the night away! Stay posted for more info on the 2020 schedule and ticket details.

MIckey’s Very Merry christmas party

Prices: TBA

Celebrate the season at the most Magical Place on Earth! Joyful music fills the air. Disney Characters don their most festive attire. Favorite attractions take on a holiday theme. And enchanting surprises lie around almost every turn! Stay posted for more info on the 2020 schedule and ticket details.

Request events or inquire for more information below!
Let’s Start the Magic! ºoº

I Want to Add Extra Magic to my Vacation

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My First Visit to the Magic Kingdom (aka Disney Disaster!)

You might think, after reading about my first visit, that I would never want to return to the most Magical Place on earth, because the account is less than magical on so many levels. But you’d be entirely wrong.

October 1996. The Magic Kingdom was celebrating its 25th Anniversary and Cinderella Castle was decked out as a giant (nauseating) blow-up, candy covered, birthday cake concoction. But I had never seen the real thing so what did I know? There were banners lining Main Street with Lumiere on them so I may have been distracted from the awkward castle. Lumiere graced many of the 25th Anniversary collectibles I added to my stash that weekend. Collectibles? Yes. The entire reason for my visit to Orlando.

I went to spend the  weekend with friends I’d met online. We were all Beauty and the Beast collectors and had been chatting and trading for a while, so we decided to meet-up to… shop! Our intention was never to actually go to the parks, it was to hit Downtown Disney and the surrounding gift shops and malls on the hunt for treasures that eluded our collections. Who needs a Disney Park when you are finding a smorgasbord of new items to take home!?! Ahem.

We had a wonderful weekend getting to know one another, shopping and talking about our favorite subject. But alas, all good things must come to an end. And this is where my love of Disney Parks begins.

My boyfriend (now hubby,  Michael) was with me for this crazy trip. He couldn’t care less about my collection or Disney, but a get-away is a get-away. Sooo, he tagged along, even with the beginnings of a cold/flu/thing. He hung in there for the weekend and was super thoughtful to make sure I could experience a little of the crud too which I kept pretty well at bay until our departure day. We had a really late flight home so we decided to drive around and find something fun for lunch.

Somehow we ended up at Universal Studios. And I made the incredulous suggestions that if we were going to pay to get into a park for lunch we should go to Disney instead… Wait. What? Pay to go in to a park, just to eat lunch??? Um, yeah, I’ve learned a few things since then. But a one day park entry was *only* $38.50 in 1996. So off to Disney we went.

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom and I was so excited to go in! But, you see, we weren’t *at* the Magic Kingdom. We were in the parking lot of the Ticketing and Transportation Center because there is no parking lot at the park. (I told you, I’ve learned a lot since my first visit.)  We needed to purchase our tickets to get into the Magic Kingdom so we waited in our first line! Wahoo! Which lasted FOR-E-V-E-R, as I recall. You know what it’s like once you start anticipating your “vacation” and are in the car… Are we there yet? Are  we there yet? Are we there yet??? All the while the ick that had manifested was become more aggressive.

Three hours later (that time may be inaccurate, it’s been over 20 years after all, and I didn’t feel well) and we were on the Monorail headed to the Most Magical Place on Earth! Annnnd once you get to the park you have to go through the ticketing turnstiles. Which, as I recall, took another decade, or hour – whatever. THEN we were IN THE PARK. Remember we came to get lunch and by this time we were hangry, getting sicker by the minute and clueless. Where should we eat? I dunno, what’s here? What are you in the mood for? I dunno, etc., etc., etc.!!!

A little walk down Main Street had me all flabbergasted. I was *in* the Magic Kingdom! I was taking pictures of Lumiere on the street poles and the Castle from every step down Main Street all while the head cold surged on. Then we saw Casey’s. Hot dogs sounded ok. So we got our dogs (most expensive hot dog ever – ball parks got nothing on this dog) and sat to take it all in for a minute. As we were eating it started to rain. Since we came totally unprepared for a day at the park we bought the ridiculously overpriced ponchos (which I still use to this day, so I guess I’ve really gotten my money’s worth!) so we could explore the park as comfortably as possible. Alas after a stroll around the Hub with no clue where to go or what to do, we were both feeling so terrible we decided to just go to the airport an rest before our flight.

Yes, you read that correctly. My first trip to the Magic Kingdom consisted of taking a few photos and eating a hot dog. We didn’t ride a single ride, not one character interaction, no parade – nada!

It DID, however,  put that little spark of magic in my heart. I could feel something special and knew I needed to go back to experience all that Disney has to offer. So I began reading and researching everything I could about the parks and started making my plans to return!

I became a Cast Member at my local Disney Store soon after and began traveling to the parks once, twice (or more if I could) a year. Over the years my love for Disney only continued to grow.  After many trips under my belt and continual questions from family and friends about what they should do for their own trips serendipity stepped in and offered the opportunity for me to help folks plan their vacations – for real! In 2012 I became a Magical Vacation Planner.

I love being able to “do Disney” on a daily basis. Even when I am not there, I get to live vicariously through the families I help plan with. So, THANK YOU, to all the families that have allowed me to join you on your magical vacations and do what I love. I promise, your first visit will be much more magical than mine! ºoº