The Worst Mistakes You Actually Made in Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is full of rides, shows, parades, snacks, and more…

Magic Kingdom Train Station

Our readers spend a lot of time and energy planning their Disney World vacations. And every day, we try to help you in that process. We recently asked our readers “If you could redo one thing about your last Magic Kingdom trip, what would it be?” and you all had some THOUGHTS! We want to share those here to help you avoid their mistakes.

Before we jump into what our readers would do differently, have you downloaded our FREE Magic Kingdom Checklist? This is a checklist we put together to make sure you don’t miss anything on your next trip. It is easy to use on your mobile device so you can have it in the parks with you. It’s a great resource to help you have a great park day.

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Alright, now let’s get into the mistakes our readers said they made at Magic Kingdom.

1. Not Booking a Lightning Lane or Joining a Virtual Queue at 7 AM

Many of our readers told us they forgot to book their Lightning Lane and join the virtual queue for TRON Lightcycle / Run right at 7 AM. 7 AM can come up quickly after a long park day the day before, and it could easily slip your mind. TRON’s virtual queue can fill up quickly at 7 AM, and every second counts when you’re trying to get a boarding group. Lightning Lanes for popular rides — like Peter Pan’s Flight — also fill up quickly, so you want to grab those as soon as you can.

TRON Lightcycle / Run

So to avoid the mistake of some of our readers, be sure to set several alarms to remind you to book those Must-Do attractions right at 7AM. If you are wanting to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you can do so at 7 AM if you are staying at a Disney hotel, or at park opening if you are staying somewhere else.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

2. Doing Just One at Magic Kingdom

There is so much to do, eat and see in Magic Kingdom, and it can be very hard to get it done in one park day. Sophia wrote, “Block 2 days at Magic Kingdom … we missed out on a lot of things.” Even if you are starting at park open, getting Lightning Lane, and staying to park close, you might not be able to get in everything you want to do.

Walt Disney World

Some of our readers suggest going to Magic Kingdom for two days on your trip if you have the time. You might be able to relax more and take everything in if you do have two days at the park. This could help you get through that list of snacks you must try, ride more rides and see all of the entertainment options.

Main Street U.S.A

3. Making Too Many Table Service Dining Reservations

Michelle wrote, “I plan to make either no dining reservations or maybe one for the whole trip… It made the day more stressful trying to plan around the dining reservation, and the table restaurants were so expensive.” Many readers agreed with this. When Magic Kingdom has so much to offer, taking an hour or two for a sit-down meal can really cut into what you can get done.

Be Our Guest Restaurant

Instead, you can opt for quick service meals,but make sure you Mobile Order ahead. This can save you time waiting in line to order. We recommend Columbia Harbour House, which offers items like Salmon, Grilled Shrimp, and Salads.

Columbia Harbour House Spread

4. Not Taking Enough Photos

Many of our readers said they wished they would have taken more photos of their family or themself at the park. It can be hard to remember to capture those moments when you’re so focused on completing your checklist, but you will want to have something that you can look back on after your trip. You can utilize Photopass, which is a service Disney offers with photographers stationed around the parks to take your photo for you. You can purchase these photos, but you can also sometimes ask these Cast Members to take your photo with your phone.

PhotoPass Cast Members

We also get tempted to take pictures OF the park instead of us in the park, but you won’t regret taking that extra minute to snag a photo. So, pull out that device and make sure to capture you and your party enjoying the day.

Magic Kingdom

5. Rushing Through the Day

Tacking on to the last two redos, many readers said they wished they would have slowed down and not rushed so much during their park day. Elizabeth said, “Too much rushing around and not enough time to stop and relax.” When you have worked hard to plan the perfect park day, you can feel pressure to complete it all. But you will regret not taking a moment to take in the magic.

View from the train station

Take time to appreciate the small things. Walk up to the top of the train station at the front of Magic Kingdom and take in the views. Or can sit in a rocking chair in Frontierland and enjoy the people walking by.

Views in Frontierland

6. Leaving the Park

Lisa said … “I wouldn’t leave.” Many readers wrote similar answers. Of course, we all know every vacation has to end, but wouldn’t it be so nice if we never had to say goodbye to those castle views?!

Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

We hope our readers can help you not make some of these mistakes on your next trip to Magic Kingdom. For more Disney Parks tips and tricks, be sure to follow us at DFB! If you are planning a trip to Disney World soon, check out our resources below.


What is something you would redo about your last Magic Kingdom trip? Let us know in the comments below. 

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