Y’all, I have to admit it. It’s true. When I visit Disney World, sometimes I SKIP Magic Kingdom.

Before you think I’m a monster who hates fireworks and princesses and castles and joy, please let me explain! I promise I have some pretty good reasons for skipping this magical park, and by the time you finish reading this, who knows? You might even be convinced to try it out on your next trip.  

When I told my coworker Kayleigh that I sometimes skip Magic Kingdom, she was shocked. Appalled, even. One might say baffled. So she demanded to come in and defend the park in this post, which I think is a great idea because I know that a ton of you are going to agree with her super-valid points! (If you’ve read our other Sara vs. Kayleigh posts, you know how this works! I’ll type in dark blue and she’ll type in maroon so that you know who’s who!)

And let me just start with a DISCLAIMER: I DO love Magic Kingdom. It’s definitely the most iconic Disney World park, and it’s the FIRST place I take someone if they’ve never been. But after visiting Disney World several times, I found that it’s just at the bottom of my list! It’s not a bad park at all, but there are a few reasons why I’ll SKIP it when I go to Disney World.

Why I Skip It

I Have Other Priorities

Sara: If I have four days in Disney World, I’ll probably spend at least part of one day in Magic Kingdom. But if I’m just going for a short trip, then Magic Kingdom is the first park to knock off the list! 

Kayleigh: I’m already sad. But continue as I cry.

Sara: I absolutely will never skip Disney’s Animal Kingdom — if I do, who will say hello to Cora the baby elephant for me? Who will visit the gorilla family and make sure Grace and Ada are still getting along? I also HAVE to stop by Nomad Lounge every time. 

Kayleigh: This is actually hilarious because Animal Kingdom is the park that I personally skip! I think I just found our next argument.  

Sara: Ooh yes we have to talk about that because I will die on the hill of Animal Kingdom being the best park!

EPCOT is my next favorite park, mainly because of the FOOD. If there’s a festival going on, that’s even better. I also never pass up on an opportunity to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

Kayleigh: EPCOT is also my second-favorite park! Did we just agree on something Sara?!

Sara: FINALLY! lol Maybe that’s the only thing but at least we have one thing to agree about.

Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom are almost tied for last, but a couple of the thrill rides in Studios just put it over the edge by a tiny bit. I love Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (which is sadly closed right now) and Slinky Dog Dash. I also think the food in Hollywood Studios is better than the options in Magic Kingdom, but we’ll get to that in a minute.  

Magic Kingdom has a couple of my favorite rides — TRON is super cool, and Pirates of the Caribbean is iconic — but I just have more can’t-miss attractions in the other three parks!

PRO TIP: Make sure you create your own list of must-see shows, must-ride coasters, and must-eat snacks before your Disney World vacation! There’s so much to do that it can get overwhelming, but if you go in with a plan, you won’t miss all the stuff that you’re looking forward to most.

Click here to check out our FAVORITE Magic Kingdom rides.

It’s BUSY

Sara: Magic Kingdom is almost always the most crowded park. I’d say “always,” but Hollywood Studios can sometimes give it a run for its money.

Still, on any given day, if I had to bet on which park was going to be the busiest, I’d say Magic Kingdom every time. Ride wait times are almost always pretty high, even for the smaller rides. The walkways just FEEL super busy, and it can get a little overwhelming.

Kayleigh: There’s a reason it’s busy! It’s the BEST! Anyway, anyway. I’m getting ahead of myself.

You’re not wrong. However, the crowds don’t bother me here because I get to see little ones seeing the castle for the first time, see grown adults tear up as they meet their favorite characters, and I get to join in on all the nostalgia shared with all those folks. It truly is so special. However, I guess that if you’ve experienced it once, you’ve experienced it a lot of times! 

Sara: That’s actually the sweetest thing and I’m going to be looking out for that the next time I visit. I usually just get annoyed when there are a ton of other people around me!

But since I’ve already experienced most of what I want to do in Magic Kingdom, I’m OK to skip the park in order to avoid the crowds. Give me a quiet stroll in the Tree of Life Gardens at Animal Kingdom with my DOLE Whip from Tamu Tamu instead!

PRO TIP: If you’re going to Magic Kingdom and are nervous about the crowds, there are some great hacks that can help you avoid the worst of the chaos. First, consider purchasing Genie+ so that you can skip the standby line at some of the most popular attractions.

Check out our complete guide to Genie+ here!

Make sure to get there EARLY and stay LATE — typically the times of day when we see the lowest ride wait times are right around park opening and near park close. I always go early for rope drop (which means arriving well before the park opens — at least a half hour before) and then take a break midday, either returning to my hotel for a nap or just hanging out in a lounge. Then, I go back in for the evening.

Learn more about rope drop here!

The Food Is “meh” at Best

Sara: Food is one of my top priorities on my Disney World vacation (I know — that’s a shocker coming from a Disney Food Blog writer ). And the food at Magic Kingdom is…not it.

Kayleigh: Alright, alright. You got me. I don’t eat quick service meals OR table service meals in Magic Kingdom. I typically head outside of the park and eat at the Monorail resorts. I’ll agree that Magic has some of the WORST food when it comes to proper meals out of all the Disney parks. 

Sara: I LOVE the food at Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT has tons of great restaurants, too. Hollywood Studios has two of my favorite snacks: the Ronto Wrap and Totchos. At Magic Kingdom, top-tier snacks and meals are scarce.

Kayleigh: If you ever find me at Animal Kingdom, it’s for the food. That’s all I’ll say.

Sara: I just found the SECOND thing we agree on! Wow, we’re on a roll today.

I DO love the Sleepy Hollow Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich, but once I’ve gotten that, I don’t usually get any other food in Magic Kingdom. 

Kayleigh: There are so many other iconic snacks I love in Magic, but I won’t get ahead of myself. 

Sara: Because I don’t have a lot of must-get snacks in Magic Kingdom, I just don’t feel the need to spend as much time there as I do at the other parks! If I’m being brutally honest, sometimes my vacations consist of a list of food I want to eat, and I’m just trying to kill time in between snacks while I wait to be hungry again. I just can’t do that in Magic Kingdom. 

Kayleigh: That’s totally fair. I admire your snack list.

PRO TIP: If you’re looking for good food on your Magic Kingdom day, leave the park! Go to the nearby hotels instead. Steakhouse 71 at the Contemporary is one of my favorite lunch spots (get the stack burger and thank me later), and I also love Capt. Cook’s and ‘Ohana at the Polynesian and Gasparilla Island Grill at Grand Floridian.

Kayleigh: YASSSSSS.

If you MUST eat in Magic Kingdom, eat THIS.

Why Kayleigh Doesn’t Skip It

NOSTALGIA, BABY!

Kayleigh: Magic Kingdom is absolutely a must-do if you love classic Disney movies because that’s where the ideas behind a lot of the attractions come from! Plus, if you’re into history, it still has some stuff from way back when that Walt played a role in creating, like the Enchanted Tiki Room, Haunted Mansion, and more. 

Sara: That’s a good point! And if we’re including the “cry factor” in this debate, I have to admit that watching the fireworks at night on Main Street, U.S.A., still gets me every single time.

Kayleigh: Ugh, me too. But I watch the fireworks from Big Thunder Mountain and cry. And then my tears are kind of lost in the wind and it’s okay. 

Some of our favorite snacks live here.

Kayleigh: Some of our FAVORITE snacks here at DFB can be found in Magic Kingdom. Sara’s Fruit and Nutella Waffle is a great example, as well as the Cheeseburger Spring Rolls, Gaston’s Cinnamon Roll (with extra icing), the OG DOLE Whip, and MORE. 

Sara: OK, Magic Kingdom’s snack game is all right I guess, but there are just BETTER snacks in the other parks! I guess I can’t argue with those Cheeseburger Spring Rolls…

Click here to see the BEST Magic Kingdom snacks.

I have attachment issues.

Kayleigh: As some of you may already know, I used to work at the Haunted Mansion at Disney World. Since this was my home park, I developed some attachment issues!

I love coming back and seeing my old coworkers and even riding. It’s really special to me.

Learn more about my experiences working at Haunted Mansion here!

SHOPPING!

Kayleigh: If you love all things Disney merchandise, the Emporium at Magic Kingdom is the place for YOU. It’s one of the biggest shops in all of Disney World. Here, you can find a lot of the souvenir collections that are newly released as well as home goods, toys, pins, plushes, ears, and much more. I spend so long in here and it’s glorious.

Sara: My only problem with the Emporium is that it’s always so CROWDED, though! You can almost always find the same stuff in the other parks, and if all else fails, go to the giant Disney Store at Disney Springs. 

Kayleigh: You’re not wrong. It’s pretty packed and I do have to wait in a small huddle of folks just to check out the sweatshirts. 

Check out the most UNIQUE Magic Kingdom gift shops here.

Iconic rides.

Kayleigh: Sara briefly touched on this, but the park is filled with a lot of super popular attractions. That being said, you can expect a wait a long time at a lot of them. On Magic Kingdom days, I do utilize Genie+, and I understand that isn’t always doable for every trip — especially for folks purchasing the service for large parties. 

I can’t believe I’m about to say this, because I hate rope dropping, but Magic Kingdom is a park you might want to rope drop if you don’t want to utilize Genie+.

Sara: Yes! Rope drop is essential at Magic Kingdom.

I also have another tip that might help mentally more than anything. Before I had my Annual Pass, I would always purchase Park Hopper tickets. I would spend the morning at Magic Kingdom and then hop over to a less-busy park to unwind for the second half of the day. I have never spent a whole day in a Disney Park, and totally recommend using this tip if you’re able. A lot of folks talk about “half-day parks versus full-day parks,” but every park is a half-day park for me. Even my beloved Magic Kingdom! This way, I can have multiple trips to the same park without getting tired of it, you know?

So where do you stand? Is Magic Kingdom a must-see for you every time? Let us know!

Kayleigh and I disagree about a LOT of Disney World tips and hacks. Wanna see more of our arguments? Check out these posts!

• Disney Adults Are DIVIDED Over This Controversial Park Tip
• Value vs. Deluxe: Disney Adults Are Fighting Over This Hotel Debate
• I Have a Controversial Opinion About Hollywood Studios’ Most Beloved Ride

Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on the latest Disney news and best park tips!

Click here for the ULTIMATE DFB guide to planning a Disney World trip! 

Which Disney World park would you SKIP if you had to pick one? Let us know in the comments!

The post I SKIP Magic Kingdom When I Go to Disney World…Let Me Explain first appeared on the disney food blog.