Disney fans are always talking about that feeling you get when you first see Main Street, U.S.A. inside the Magic Kingdom. I have to admit that I am one of those people who must pause, even for just a moment, to look around and take it all in just as soon as I clear the tunnel under the Walt Disney World Railroad.
It’s no secret that Main Street, U.S.A. is my absolute favorite part of the Magic Kingdom; second only to Fantasyland. I love every single thing about it. The charming Victorian look of all the buildings is swoon-worthy as are the lamp posts, the [REAL, working!!] mailbox, and the beautifully decorated windows along both sides of the street. I love to stroll in and out of each little shop all the way down both sides of the street, too!
Today, I want to share my top five things that I absolutely cannot miss each time I visit the Magic Kingdom. There are certainly more than just five, but for the purpose of this article, we’ll stick with just the handful today.
1) Walk Down the Main Street Confectionery Side of the Street
There’s something about this old-fashioned candy shop that makes my heart sing. Who am I kidding? EVERYTHING in this old-fashioned candy shop makes my heart sing! From the cast members’ yellow and white striped costumes to the gorgeous colorful treats, the Main Street Confectionery is a feast for your eyes – and your tummy should you decide to purchase something. I have to say that it’s not often these days that I indulge myself with any of the goodies that are for sale here, but when I do, it’s usually a caramel apple that we ask to have sliced and enjoyed as we’re heading home for the evening.
I also love to stop and watch as the cast members carefully hand create each treat. Have you ever gone to Cinnabon where you can watch the staff make the cinnamon rolls? I did as a kid and that’s what this reminds me of; only the treats have Mickey Ears or they’re inspired by Disney things.
Once we’re ready to head further into the park, we stroll through the shops until we can no longer go straight through which is just before the Main Street Bakery. This is where we cross over to the other side of the street by Casey’s Corner.
2) Ride Pirates of the Caribbean
We never miss a ride on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction whether it’s the first one we ride or the last. My husband has always been a huge fan of the films and when he rode the attraction at Disneyland for the first time, I didn’t think we were going to be able to ride anything else because he loved it so much. Before Walt Disney World temporarily stopped allowing FastPass+ selections, this was either our first one or our third one and we scheduled the times accordingly. I’m not sure how that’s going to go on our next visit if FastPass+ is still not back. We’ll just have to wait and see, but I can say that we’ll be going on it for sure as long as it’s open. (Side note: Visit our Walt Disney World Reopening Information and Updates page to stay informed on what’s happening during the reopening of the parks.)
3) Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
This is another attraction that we simply cannot miss. No one in our family happens to be a roller coaster junkie so we don’t typically go on roller coaster-type attractions. There came a point where Space Mountain was a little too much for some of us and the big drop on Splash Mountain has never been our thing. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is practically perfect in every way, just like Mary Poppins would say. It doesn’t have any huge drops and it goes fast enough to be super fun while not going up too high; for us, anyway.
4) Visit Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe
No matter what time of year I’m visiting the Magic Kingdom, a stroll through the Ye Old Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square is simply a must. When I was growing up, my mom used to occasionally take me to a little village that was about an hour or so from our house and it had the cutest little shops; one of them was a Christmas shop. I just loved that all of the festive-ness of the holidays was available to us year-round, and it’s no different at Disney. Picking up a new ornament or even a Cookies for Santa dish is a fun tradition that I love to partake in even if I’m not in the market for anything new.
5) Lunch at Columbia Harbour House
Spending the day in a Disney theme park, you can work up quite an appetite. There are a good number of quick service and table service restaurants to choose from all over the Magic Kingdom, but one of my family’s very favorite spots is Columbia Harbour House. There is always something on the menu for everyone. Most members of our family are all about the fish & chips, but their grilled salmon is to die for and I think it’s a great value.
Sometimes, we eat a late lunch there – like around 3 or 4 p.m. – and that is our big meal of the day. The best part about doing that, in my opinion, is that you might be a little hungry around 9-ish allowing you to splurge on a sweet treat that you may not have otherwise gotten if you were still full from a heavy dinner. Also, we always dine upstairs near the windows that overlook Liberty Square!
Now that I’ve shared my top 5 for Magic Kingdom, I’d love to hear yours! Please share them with me in the comments section below!
Also, in case you missed it, I shared the Five Things I Cannot Miss at EPCOT earlier this month if you want to compare notes!