A Day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom: First Family Trip

Why Disney with a Two-Year-Old?

Have you ever wondered what taking a two-year-old to Disney World would look like? I’m here to tell you, it can be magical if you do the right research. In my opinion, having a successful day at Disney requires a little bit of knowledge, so I put together this post sharing our tips and tricks from our first family trip to the Magic Kingdom that we took in May 2024.

I wanted to take advantage of the “under three for free” rule, so I booked our trip when my daughter was a couple of months short of three. Some of the advantages to doing this were that she got into the parks for free, she was at an age where she was still in awe of the characters, and she could be pushed in the stroller.

If you are interested in spending a day at Magic Kingdom for your family but aren’t sure where to start, this post is for you. Read on to find out why and what the first day of our trip looked like with a 2-year-old! This post contains affiliate links.

Booking Disney on a Budget

If you want the most bang for your buck, I highly suggest checking out Get Away Today to plan and book your vacation at a discount price! Click the link below for discount tickets on the parks and resorts. Get Away Today will even plan your whole trip for you!

Click here to book your discounted Disney vacation

I have used Get Away Today to help plan two of my trips and I highly recommend them! You can make a payment plan with Get Away Today which is helpful if you are planning on a budget. They also will apply discounts to your package if one becomes available on the Disney website. I loved this perk!

A Bit About Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is one of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. It is famous for the iconic Cinderella Castle. Magic Kingdom is divided into six themed lands: Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland.

Each land features a variety of attractions, shows, and quick service or table service dining options. I think Magic Kingdom is a MUST DO park if you are visiting Disney as it offers a magical experience for visitors of all ages, including babies! Magic Kingdom is personally my favorite park.

Planning Our Day Using the My Disney Experience App

The first thing you will want to do when planning a Disney trip is download the My Disney Experience App. This app has all of the information you need about Disney World including interactive maps with wait times, mobile ordering for quick service, dining reservation information, showtimes, photo pass information, and more. They also have AMAZING customer support that I have used multiple times.

I used the app to figure out what to book based on the wait times. I also invested in Genie+ which I share more about at the bottom of this blog post. You do not have to book rides, but if you use Genie+, you need to book your Lightning Lane rides on the app. There are great videos on Genie+ if you Google Mammoth Club.

In general, I love to start the day in Tomorrowland or Fantasyland, do Frontierland and Liberty Square in the early afternoon, do Adventureland in the evening, and end in Tomorrowland on the PeopleMover after the fireworks show. There are many ways to do Disney, but this worked great with my two-year-old!

Packing the Stroller

Packing was one of the most crucial parts of the trip, specifically the stroller. Now I’m not a fancy stroller Mama. I used the good old Safety First stroller and it was perfect for us. I did invest in a stroller organizer so we had easy access to our large water bottles and a pouch of necessities. Check out my list below.

Check out my Disney World Stroller Essentials list here.

Stroller Parking

Stroller parking can be a bit chaotic if you aren’t prepared, but don’t let that intimidate you. Strollers are not allowed in queue lines or attractions. You will notice signs for stroller parking in specific areas all around the park. It helps if you bring something bright to identify your stroller like a balloon, something colorful, or lights at nighttime. Also, DON’T forget a stroller cover for when it rains. This was a necessity for our trip!

Packing a Backpack

If you do not use a stroller, you will most likely want to pack a small backpack or fanny pack of some sort. If I am not taking a stroller to store a large bag, I will pack a loungefly and sometimes a fanny pack. If you need ideas on what to include in your park bag, check out my list below.

Click here to view my Disney World Park Bag Essentials List

You can take a fanny pack on most rides, and you can usually store your small backpack on the floor of the rides as well. If not, they will have cubbies for you to store your belongings.

Bus Transportation to Magic Kingdom

We stayed at Disney’s Pop Century Resort for this trip which offers bus transportation to Magic Kingdom. The bus ride took a little over 20 minutes. We did have to fold the stroller up on the bus, so to make this easy, we brought a large plastic bag to put all of our belongings in so that we could fold the stroller up.

Navigating Disney World’s bus system can be a breeze with a few helpful tips:

1. Plan Ahead: Check the bus schedules in the My Disney Experience app to plan your travel times.
2. Arrive Early: Buses can fill up quickly, especially during peak times. Arrive at the bus stop at least 30 minutes before you need to leave.
3. Allow Extra Time: Buses run approximately every 20 minutes, but wait times can vary, so give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination.

Our Day in Magic Kingdom from Morning Until Night

11:30 AM

We arrived around 11:30 AM our first day. We knew that we would be there until after the fireworks show, so we did not rope drop in order to keep our toddler happy. The first thing we did when we got to the park was Meet Mickey Mouse using a Genie+ Lightning Lane. After meeting Mickey, we took pictures at the Town Square and on Main Street and then hopped on the train.

1:00 PM

After we rode the train, we ventured to Tomorrowland and rode Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. We used a Lightning Lane for this. This ride is a fun interactive game that allows you to shoot at targets and earn points. Plus, who doesn’t love Buzz?!

I think Tomorrowland is one of the best-themed areas in the park! My favorite rides in Tomorrowland are Space Mountain, the Carousel of Progress, and the People Mover. I recommend riding the People Mover at night!

1:30 PM

By this time, we needed an indoor break, so we did one of my favorites, The Carousel of Progress. This is a great ride to get out of the heat and sit and relax and watch a show! If you haven’t ever looked into the history of The Carousel of Progress, I highly recommend you do. It’s very interesting!

2:00 PM

We then made our way to Storybook Circus in Fantasyland to ride Dumbo. This is such a cute ride. You can stop and play inside the indoor playground in the queue line and stay as long as you like. Just know that is a part of the queue, and you can’t go to the playground without getting into the line.

2:30 PM

After Dumbo, we made our way over to Voyage of the Little Mermaid. This is another favorite of mine and one that my daughter enjoys as well. By this time, it was hot, so we decided to stop at Gaston’s Tavern for some snacks. My review of the meals and snacks we had is at the end of this post.

4:00 PM

After enjoying our snacks at Gaston’s Tavern, we caught a glimpse of the Magical Faire Dance on stage, but due to technical difficulties, the show was canceled. Be prepared for this. Something similar happened to us twice on our trip. No worries, though. We used this time to take some great castle pics!

4:30 PM

We then made our way to one of my favorites – Mickey’s PhilharMagic! My daughter LOVED this show. It’s a 3D music show based around Donald. It plays the cutest music from many movies and is a MUST-DO for me! It’s the perfect little break from the heat. Aubrie laughed the entire time which was adorable.

5:00 PM – We then hit up “it’s a small world”, another one of my MUST dos. The line often looks long for this ride, but several people can fit into a boat, so it goes quickly. I love this ride so much and consider it a must-do. Aubrie asked to go on it again. She loved all the colors and the music.

5:45 PM

The next ride was The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. This is a cute ride as well! We did have a fun surprise though and saw Pooh and Tigger walking with some cast members. Usually when you see characters you can interact with them, but they were at the end of a shift, so we did not interact with them this time.

6:00 PM

My all-time favorite ride was next on our list – Pirates of the Caribbean. I was a little hesitant to take Aubrie because it is a dark ride, but she actually enjoyed it. She told me afterward “I like the ride, but I don’t like the pirates.” However, when we got back home, she talked non-stop about the “Pirate Ride.”

6:45 PM

By this time it was time to eat, so we headed over to Adventureland and stopped at Peco’s Bill’s Tall Tale Inn. The have a variety of tacos, fajitas, burgers, nachos, and bowls. I give a full review of my experience at the end of this post. However, I do recommend getting the Cheeseburger Spring Rolls as you enter Adventureland!

7:45 PM

Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride was next. This one was similar to Dumbo, except for every once in a while you get spit on by a Camel fountain! The wait time was short for this, and this is a perfect area to enjoy a Dole Whip treat while taking in the beautiful views of Adventureland.

8:00 PM

We wanted to stay close to the castle to get a good spot for fireworks, so we did the Swiss Family Treehouse which my daughter loved. She went through it twice! This is not a must-do, but it is good for toddlers to take a little break and I think it’s always pretty empty.

8:30 PM

We made our way toward the castle to find a good spot for the Fireworks Show. I marked it in red on the picture below. We were on the right side in front of the hub grass. This was a great spot, until someone jumped in front of us right before the music started. Expect this to happen. It can get a little crazy during the fireworks show!

9:00 PM

It was finally time! I love fireworks, but I do recommend bringing headphones for little ones. I think the most magical thing about Disney’s fireworks show is the music. It’s also a beautiful thing to see so many happy parents and children during those special moments.

10:00 PM

We then took advantage of the short wait time for Peter Pan’s Flight, a very popular ride. My husband liked this ride! I like it too, but it’s not one of my favorites. Usually, the line is long, so you will want to book a Lightning Lane for it or go when the wait times are low. Following Peter Pan, we did the carousel again. Waiting to do the carousel at night is a great hack because the line is short!

10:30 PM

I always ride the PeopleMover as my very last ride. I love seeing Magic Kingdom at night. I think the castle is breathtaking, and the views of Tomorrowland all light up are spectacular.

11:00 PM

We took our last walk down Main Street USA. We did stop at the Kernal Kitchen inside the Confectionary Cafe to get popcorn and it was a SOLID choice. We snacked on this popcorn in our hotel room throughout the trip. You can choose between many flavors and specialty toppings. It’s a real treat!

My Review of Our Dining Experiences

Gaston’s Tavern: Gaston’s Tavern was a nice cool and dark place to enjoy a little snack. We split the cinnamon roll but made a rookie mistake by not asking for extra icing. We also got the Ham, Provolone, and Swiss Sandwich served with Chips for $11.29 and a LeFou’s Brew which is Frozen Apple Juice with a hint of Toasted Marshmallow and topped with All-Natural Passion Fruit-Mango Foam for $6.79. I would eat any of these treats again, but I wouldn’t consider any of them to be “must-haves.”

Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn: The food is okay, but there are better places to eat in the parks. This is one of those quick-service restaurants that will do if you are in a pinch in my opinion. Would I eat there again? Yes. Would I choose it as my first option? No. I got the Taco Trio – Three Flour Tortillas served with choice of Seasoned Ground Beef, Seasoned Chicken, or Pork Carnitas served with Lettuce and Tomato for $10.99.

Main Street Confectionary Kernal Kitchen: We got popcorn on the way out, and it was the best decision! You get to choose your kind of popcorn and toppings, and they put it together for you in a bowl. We snacked on this in the hotel room the rest of the trip. I will be doing this each time I visit Magic Kingdom from now on!

Using Genie+

After much research, we invested in Genie+ for our Magic Kingdom Days. Genie+ is a paid service at Walt Disney World that enhances your park experience by giving you access to the Lightning Lane entrances for certain attractions, reducing your wait times. For me, it was essential on our Magic Kingdom Days.

With Genie+, nearly all of our rides were walk-ons. This was nice because we didn’t have to wait in line with a toddler any longer than needed. We accomplished this list of rides during the first day at Magic Kingdom with our two-year-old.

1. Meet Mickey at the Town Square Theater (Genie+)
2. Walt Disney World Railroad Train
3. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (Genie+)
4. Carousel of Progress
5. Dumbo the Flying Elephant (Genie+)
6. Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid (Genie+)
7. Mickey’s PhilharMagic
8. It’s a Small World (Genie+)
9. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Genie+)
10. Pirates of the Caribbean (Genie+)
11. Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride
12. Swiss Family Treehouse
13. Carousel
14. Peter Pan’s Flight (Genie+)
15. People Mover

Overall Review and Tips

Taking my daughter on her first trip to Disney World at two (almost three) years old was something that not only will I cherish forever, but I also recommend other parents do if they are interested in taking their children to Disney. You save money by going before they turn three, you get to experience the park through a young child’s eyes, and you create memories that no one can take away from you.

Keep in mind, that taking a child to Disney can be stressful at times, and when you have long park days, it’s natural for your kids to need to take a break. These moments happen, so try to give your child grace as well as yourself. But I can assure you that you can cut down on some of stress by doing a little planning.

Click here to book your discounted Disney vacation

If you would like more information as a first-time Disney goer, be sure to check out my other blog post The Best Tips for Disney World First Timers. Taking a two-year-old to Disney World can be an enjoyable experience if you do the correct research!