Visiting the Magic Kingdom with Small Children
A visit to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando Florida can be a wonderful vacation for many families. With millions of visitors each year, the Magic Kingdom is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world.
When planning your vacation to Orlando, there are certain things to consider when choosing the best time to visit the Magic Kingdom. If you are able to visit during the least crowded times (any time schools are in session) you will have a less stressful vacation. If you must travel during the summer months, during holiday breaks or other times when schools are out, you will need to take certain actions to improve your chances of having a fabulous trip. This includes allotting extra days for visiting the park, and being able to skip some attractions and focus on your “must sees”.
Traveling during the non peak times will allow you to visit the Magic Kingdom at a much slower (and calmer) pace. This definitely helps when traveling with small children. Even with the best of touring schedules, small children require more rest and snack times. During a non peak time of year, a family with small children could see just about everything in one long day at the Magic Kingdom. However, most families plan at least two days just at the Magic Kingdom, as small children love to re-visit their favorite attractions. It is also good to allow extra time for character visits, shows and parades, and just the ability to experience any magical moments that might arise as you tour the Magic Kingdom.
It is important to be prepared when traveling around the Magic Kingdom with small children. Bringing snacks and small toys will come in handy during your visit. Although Disney generally does not allow outside food items and beverages, it is considered okay to bring in small snack items and bottles, juice cups, etc for small children. Without bringing your own snacks you will not be able to keep up with your children’s request for food and drinks. It is also important to keep the children hydrated as the Florida sun and humidity is quite hot. Small snack crackers, cheerios, fruit, etc are great ideas for keeping children satisfied. Pack any of your child’s favorite foods for you day at the Magic Kingdom, as you will probably not be able to find them at the parks. Bringing small favorite toys is also helpful as you will be waiting on lines for the attractions and will need to keep children occupied. Also you will be faced with Disney merchandising almost everywhere you look; you will need to keep children focused in order to distract them from the onslaught of toys and items for sale. Disney does sell items in all price categories and they do have small plastic characters and cars that are reasonable priced and seem to keep children occupied for quite some time. You may want to purchase a few of these at the beginning of your trip and give them out throughout your days in Orlando.
When planning what attractions to see, try to review the park layout before you arrive. This will help you plan how you wish to tour the park. Smaller children will spend a lot of time in Fantasyland. It is recommended that you arrive at the Magic Kingdom before its scheduled opening time. This way as soon as it opens you can go directly to Fantasyland and hit all the attractions before the crowds descend. Favorite family attractions in Fantasyland include it’s a small world, Peter Pan, Dumbo and Winnie - the - Pooh. It you are traveling with small children you will find yourself in this section of the park for quite some time. Another favorite area of the park is Toontown, where you can visit Mickey’s House, Minnie’s House and Donald’s Boat. Many characters can also be found in Toontown, in the Judge’s Tent. Here you can find several Princesses, Winnie-the-Pooh and friends and also friends of Mickey Mouse. Mickey himself can be found in his home - it is best to visit him first thing in the morning or later in the evening.
Traveling to the Magic Kingdom with small children can be a very stressful vacation for your family. With a few advanced plans you can turn this into a fabulous trip - the best advice that can be offered is to allow for flexibility when touring the Magic Kingdom. The most magical times are usually the ones that you stumble across, without knowing they will happen, from your children coming across their favorite Disney character in a quite, uncrowded area to discovering a park surprise, like the talking garbage cans that roam around Tommorland. These unplanned moments seem to be the ones the children (and parents) remember most!
Magic Kingdom
Photos from around the Magic Kingdom
