Check out our day celebrating Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration at Magic Kingdom! Their 50th Anniversary Celebration officially kicked off October 1st, and just about everything at the parks has been updated. In addition the new Genie service just came out on the Disney World app. We have also booked some new restaurants and look forward to the 50th Anniversary Celebration!
Planning
Planning is always key before you go to Disney World. We had already determined we wanted to go the last weekend in October, and booked our favorite timeshare resort near Disney. Also, with Halloween being that Sunday, we knew we had to come back early on Sunday. Our daughter is super-psyched about trick-or-treating this year. Plus she has a soccer game we need to get back for that afternoon. So, we decide to spend all day Saturday at Magic Kingdom.
We went to Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs the day before and had a blast. To read about our new experiences that day, see our post: New at Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs. But this Saturday we are going to Magic Kingdom. We checked their park hours and they are open all day from 9:00AM to 10:00PM. We also checked the Wait Times on the app on our way to the parks. They are already getting longer than we’re willing to wait. So, we decide we will try out the new Genie+ service for the day. Plus, unlike the day before, it seems to be a better value if you plan to spend a full day in the parks. So, we pay the extra $15/person on the Disney app. For more information on Genie+, read about it at Disney Genie Service at Walt Disney World Resort
Where to Eat at Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom is normally more crowded than the other parks, so it is good to plan your meals in advance. Some of the counter service restaurants at Magic Kingdom are mobile-order only. Which means you have to order on the Disney World app before you go there. And since you never know how crowded the parks will be, some of these counter service lines can be very long. More than any other park, we think it is best to book at least 1-sit down restaurant here. Without a reservation, you can’t get in. And for a little more money, the food quality is also much better.
I have been to the Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen once before, but Becky never has. And a lot of people rate this restaurant very highly. So, we decide to go and are able to book lunch at 12:05. And since we haven’t had a great experience at the counter-service restaurants here, we decide to reserve dinner as well. The only other place we have never eaten is The Plaza Restaurant off Main Street. And we are able to book dinner at 6:40 which should be perfect. The new night time fireworks show starts at 8:00PM and this restaurant is near the castle. So, we hope to be right in the middle of the action.
Getting to the Park
We had been to Disney Springs later than we hoped the night before, and we were slow to get moving. Since the park would be open late, we decided to come a little later. We leave our resort after 10:00 and arrive at the park about 15 minutes later. The lines to get in to the parking lot are backed up more than we can remember since Covid. So, we decide to pay $25 for the Preferred Parking. Annual passholders get free standard parking which is normally $25/day. Preferred parking is normally $50. Either way, we save $25. But, it’s a Saturday, the crowds are already here and the trams are still not working. We opt for the preferred parking and still have to park farther back than we expected.
The parking is still fairly good and we walk to the Transportation Ticket Center (TTC). Once in we decide to take the monorail even though there is a good line for it too. We get to the park entrance and get in line to get in. Again the lines here are longer than we’ve seen in a while. We get through the line no problem this time and we are in by 11:15AM.
On the monorail we look at options for our first Lightning Lane selection. With the Genie+ we can select 1 at a time on the Disney app. We decide we have time for 1 ride before lunch. And we are able to get the Lightning Lane for Splash Mountain between 11:35AM-12:45PM.
Main Street and Splash Mountain Lightning Lane
When we first enter we are greeted with princesses waving from the second level of the train station. Then we start to head down Main Street, and are quickly moved to the sidewalks. The Magic Kingdom Cavalcade proceeds down Main Street. Since parades have not come back yet, they have these unscheduled cavalcades instead. Think a small parade with a float or two and usually some people walking before and after. We see Peter Pan, Moana, Alice from Wonderland and others and continue walking.
On Main Street is the best place to take pictures with the castle in the background. Main Street is busy but we have some time before we can get on Splash Mountain. We always try to get at least one photo session with a Disney photographer. So, we wait in line. After some pictures, we walk through Adventureland to Frontierland and Splash Mountain.
The entrance to the lightning lane at Splash Mountain is not backed up when we arrive at 11:40. We are hoping to ride and get to Skipper Canteen for lunch at 12:05. We go through the lightning lane in 7 minutes. Unfortunately we forgot how long this ride really is. We get off the ride wet and it is after 12:00 and run to Skipper Canteen. Getting through the line in 7 minutes was great, though the standby line was only 25 minutes. However, we wouldn’t have been able to do this ride before lunch without Genie+. So far, this service is working, but now time for lunch.
Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen Lunch
After running from Splash Mountain, we are a few minutes late for our reservation. However, we are checked in promptly. By the time we park the stroller, they are paging us to be seated. They gave us a QR code for the menu, but did not give our daughter a kids menu to color on. We had to find someone to ask for one. And after a few minutes, they bring one with crayons to the table, but still no server. Though now our daughter has something to keep her busy while we peruse the menu on our phones.
This restaurant’s menu consists of a mix of Asian, South American and African cuisine. Our server finally appears and we are ready to order. Our daughter picks the Macaroni & Cheese with a side of veggies. She gets 2 sides, so we let her pick the Volcano! Cake as dessert. I order the Dr. Falls Signature Grilled Steak. And Becky decides to get 2 appetizers instead of an entrée. They have a special appetizer of Brazilian cheese bread bites with sauces. She gets that along with the Orinoco Ida’s Cachapas. Together her 2 appetizers were cheaper than any entrée.
The kid’s meal is plenty of food and our daughter enjoys it. The volcano cake she got was also a nice dessert. However, the steak is a little overcooked. It was a decent size, but the sides are under the steak and kind of mixed together. It also came with an onion puree that took up half the plate. But the star of this meal was Becky’s cachapas. These corn pancakes topped with beer-braised pork were amazing. Her Brazilian cheese bites were also tasty. Going for the 2 appetizers might be the way to go here.
Adventureland
In between lunch and dinner it’s all about the attractions. And with the Genie+ service we paid for, we want to maximize the number of attractions we do. At lunch we booked our 2nd Lightning Lane attraction – Pirates of the Caribbean. However, we have about an hour to kill before our time to return. Note you can only book 1 Lightning Lane attraction at a time. You either have to wait 2 hours or after you scan through your 1st Lightning Lane. Having some time before our next Lightning Lane window at Pirates, we head to the Swiss Family Treehouse.
Our daughter has never been on Swiss Family Treehouse all the times we have been here. We figured it would be a good time-killer and she enjoys it. We then get to The Magic Carpets of Aladdin and still have time to kill. So we decide to jump in the standby line. It says 25 minutes but the line is wrapping around the ride. It took about 30 minutes in line, but our daughter still loves this ride. By the time we get over to Pirates it is after our Lightning Lane window started but we still have plenty of time.
When we get to Pirates the standby entrance has a 50 minute wait time. But the line for the Lightning Lane entrance is much longer. However, once we get into the building, the line starts to move. We get on the ride in just under 15 minutes. 15 is much better than 50 minutes, but not sure the standby wait was really that long. After Pirates we book for our next Lightning Lane attraction, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, in about an hour.
50th Anniversary Celebration Fab 50 Characters
For the 50th Anniversary Celebration, Disney has added 50 golden characters around the parks. As we leave Adventureland we spot Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, then Chip and Dale. Magic Kingdom has all of the classic characters and as we walk past the castle we see more. Of course the highlight are the Mickey and Minnie statues. Not only are they proudly displayed in front of the castle, but a Disney photographer is taking pictures there. We decide to get another PhotoPass session since we get them with our annual passes.
After our pictures, we notice a couple more characters. We see Pluto by himself and then Goofy. It looks like Donald and Daisy are on the other side, but we head toward Tomorrowland. However, we see Dumbo on the way. These characters are nicely sculpted and a nice addition to the 50th Anniversary Celebration.
Tomorrowland
We still have some time before we can enter the Lightning Lane at Buzz Lightyear. So, we decide to get in line for the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. The line seems long and the wait time says 25 minutes. However, we get on the ride in about 15 minutes. It’s been so long since we rode the PeopleMover, we are looking forward to it. However once in Space Mountain, it stops. We realize all the lights are on and the Space Mountain ride has stopped. That’s something we’ve never seen before!
After the PeopleMover we are ready to get in the Lightning Lane for Buzz Lightyear. The line also starts outside and takes about 15 minutes. While on the ride, I am on my phone trying to find the next Lightning Lane window. We are hoping to get Haunted Mansion before dinner but the times are pushing later and later. Becky decides she wants to take our daughter on the teacups, so we book for just the two of them. While I am able to get Haunted Mansion for myself between 5:50-6:50.
Playing on the phone the whole time, I forget how to turn my Buzz Lightyear car. After complaining about the car not turning, we get to stay on and ride again. At least we get to enjoy the ride the 2nd time. After leaving the ride, we decide to wait in line for the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor show. We have never done this show before and looks like the line isn’t too long. We wind up waiting about 15 minutes until seated. The show uses people in the audience as part of the act and is pretty funny. After a nice break, we head toward the teacups and Fantasyland.
Fantasyland
Since we booked 2 of us for the “teacups” we head to Fantasyland. Unlike other rides that have a lot more bookings, we were able to get a quicker Lightning Lane window. While Becky and our daughter ride the teacups, I decide to try a treat from the nearby Cheshire Café. We’ve heard a lot about the Cheshire Cat Tails so we get 2. They are basically a braided pastry with icing and some filling inside. At this point it is 5:00 and we are hungry and devour them. Since we still have time, we check the wait times. We see the Tomorrowland Speedway is about 15 minutes so we jump in line. By the time we finish, it is time to head toward Haunted Mansion.
Now we only have the Lightning Lane pass booked for 1. We couldn’t add the rest of us on the app without cancelling, but that would put us during dinner time. So, we walk to Haunted Mansion and find a cast member. We tell them our situation and they first tell us we need to cancel and do it again. But we tell them we have a dinner reservation and she reconsiders and adds all of us to ride now! The only problem is it’s almost 6:00 before we get in line, and it is long. But, it is Halloween weekend and we have to do this ride.
The line goes a little slow and it’s just over 20 minutes before we get on the ride. This ride also tends to stop frequently which it does and prolongs the ride time. By the time we get off it is after 6:30 and our dinner reservation is at 6:40. So, I run across the park to the Plaza Restaurant near Main Street.
The Plaza Restaurant Dinner
After running, I get to the Plaza Restaurant right around our reservation time. The hostess says we can check in on the app, so I didn’t have to run. Oh well, at least one of us is here. Becky and Ella make it 5 minutes later and our name has not been called. We notice all the tables outside are already taken by people waiting for the fireworks at 8:00. It is almost 7:00 by the time we are seated. And once again, we don’t get a kids menu and our server is slow to get to the table. After asking for one, we get a kids menu and a pen because they ran out of crayons. Not a good start.
We are also seated at a table with a partial view of the castle outside unfortunately. We knew it was a gamble as to whether we would get a good view or not. And at 7:20 as part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration, is their Beacons of Magic. Basically this means the castle lights up and changes different colors. I go outside with our daughter to see and there are lines taped off and people everywhere. I snap a couple pictures and a cast member tells me to move out of the walkway. So I head back to the dinner table. We don’t get to see much, but hope to see more of the Disney Enchantment show at 8:00.
Our Food and Fireworks
We finally get our dinner around 7:35, almost an hour later. Our daughter got the cheeseburger kids meal with veggies and fruit. We get the Roast Beef Au Jus and Monte Cristo sandwiches to share. The roast beef sandwich is small and disappointing. The Monte Cristo was a little better. But we have our eye on the “Cheers to 50 years!” dessert only available for their 50th Anniversary Celebration. This dessert is meant for 3-4 people and costs more than 3 desserts, but we’ve been looking forward to it. We try to order it as fast as we can, but it comes out at 7:59.
The anniversary dessert is supposed to come with chocolate and caramel, but only has chocolate. It’s also supposed to come with “EARidescent Sugar” but we don’t see any. The dessert actually looks like it was thrown together quickly. They are known for their ice cream sundaes, but this is just a few scoops of ice cream and a bunch of other stuff thrown into it. Unfortunately, most was not good including an old Mickey Pretzel which took up most of it. For what we paid, it is very disappointing. And as soon as we dig in, the fireworks start and we only can glance at it from our table. And our server is nowhere to be found.
We eat as much of it as we want, mostly the ice cream. By the time we get our check, pay and leave, it is almost 8:30 and the show has been over. We decide to book one more feature ride with the Genie+ service. So, we book the Jungle Cruise Lightning Lane after 9:20. But we decide to head back to Fantasyland since the wait times are really good.
More Rides, More Sculptures, PhotoPass Lenses and More
As we leave we head toward Tomorrowland on the way to Fantasyland. We spot a secret Stitch golden sculpture on a side walkway by the Tomorrowland Terrace. And make it to the Carousel and there is no wait. Our daughter loves the Carousel and afterwards we head toward “The Little Mermaid” ride and walk right on. This line was almost an hour earlier in the day. We then head to the Barnstormer. Becky and our daughter get in the short line while I play around with PhotoPass Lenses on the Disney app. With the purchase of the Genie+ service, you unlock some of these lenses. They basically add Disney features to your picture like turning you into a villain or adding characters to your photo. They are a lot of fun and worth checking out.
Once off the Barnstormer, it is time to head back to Adventureland for the Jungle Cruise. On the way we pass more 50th Anniversary Celebration golden sculptures of the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire cat. We also see some Halloween decorations as we walk past the castle. The castle is beautiful all lit up and we’re sorry we missed it earlier at dinner. We make it to Adventureland where we spot another sculpture, the Orange Bird. Then get in the Lightning Lane for the Jungle Cruise a little after 9:30. It takes about 15 minutes and after the ride it is almost closing time. So we head toward the exit and Main Street.
Main Street and Shopping
The park has already officially closed, but the shops on Main Street are packed. We go into the emporium where everyone is scrambling for the 50th Anniversary Celebration merchandise. We look but don’t see anything we want to wait for, so leave. Buy Becky decides she wants to wait in line for a jewelry store, so I take our daughter to the confectionary. Our daughter falls asleep in the stroller. She is out.
I peruse the confectionary where I spot larger large lollipops. The normal large lollipops are $5, but these are listed at $29.99! So, I just decide to wait outside for Becky. She bought a special charm for the 50th Anniversary Celebration and was happy with her purchase. But by this time it is after 10:30 and we head to the Monorail. And we get to our car at 11:00PM, about 12 hours from when we first parked.
Summary
What a day! We got to try 2 new restaurants and the Genie+ Service. While we would go back to Skipper Canteen, we were disappointed with the Plaza Restaurant. With the Genie+ Service we purchased, we were able to do 14 different attractions. This included 5 Lightning Lane selections, though we should have probably only had 4. Though we could have started booking at 7:00AM and got more. With the crowds today, there is no way we would have been able to do so much without paying for Genie+. It seemed worth it today.
In addition, we got to see some of the 50th Anniversary Celebration additions. We got to see many of the Fab 50 Characters, but missed most of the Disney Enchantment nighttime show. However, the castle is amazing all lit up at night. We have read many people complaining about the prices going up and the quality going down. We can definitely see where prices are going up and we had a disappointing dinner. Though we still had a great day and were glad we were at Magic Kingdom for the 50th Anniversary Celebration.