If You’ve Got One Chance To Visit Disney World Here’s Your Must-Do List
Here’s a list of must do things at Disney World. If you’ve only got the chance to visit Mickey once we want to make sure you don’t miss the highlights from each of the 4 parks. We’ll keep this list up-to-date as Disney World continues to create new lands within the parks.
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Fireworks
You really must watch the firework show ‘Happily Ever After’ at Magic Kingdom. I must warn you that you might get a little teary eyed! Plan to be in Magic Kingdom one night to enjoy this show. You can download the My Disney Experience App to keep up with the firework schedule during your visit.
Eat a Mickey Premium Bar
Let’s be honest, few things better than Disney and Ice Cream, the combination is almost too good to be true! The Mickey Premium Bars are a staple and they are great for your Instagram photos!
Meet with Belle
Meeting this beloved Princess is not just simply a meet and greet, it’s a full experience! No matter how many times we visit Disney World, meeting Belle is always on our list. The kids love being a part of the show and having dad join in at times. Meet Belle and the whole castle family!
All The Magic Kingdom Mountains
You must make time to ride all three Magic Kingdom Mountains.
- Splash Mountain – Follow Br’er Rabbit as he goes through dark tunnels and turns. Watch out because he’s constantly having to avoid the Br’er Fox and Bear. The ending is well worth it!
- Big Thunder Mountain – This ride is in close proximity to Splash Mountain but they are very different from one another. This ride takes you through caves, boulders, and a waterfall. You will experience some abrupt turns and drops. It’s a lot of fun and a must-do ride!
- Space Mountain – Most everyone who has visited Magic Kingdom can tell you about Space Mountain. This iconic ride is a memory maker for sure! You might call it the most thrilling ride in Magic Kingdom!
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Easily, my favorite ride at Magic Kingdom. As always, Disney is about the thrill of the ride and fully immersing you in the story. The mild thrills make it one of the better rides for your younger kids.
Year after year my favorite photos comes from our time riding on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Animal Kingdom
Dole Whip with Rum
You read that right! Not only should you try Dole Whip while visiting Disney World but you should level it up with delicious rum! It’s the perfect adult treat to enjoy while exploring Animal Kingdom.
The Safari
On my first few visits to Animal Kingdom I did not take the 18-minute Safari tour. I assumed it would be a lot like visiting the Zoo and honestly I’d much rather be riding the Flight of Passage (a ride in Pandora) than taking a tour. However, once we did finally check out the safari tour I was surprised at how much I liked it. Disney has a way of making everything extra special, it must be all the Pixie Dust!
Flight of Passage
If you don’t follow any of my other suggestions on this post, please make sure you go ride Flight of Passage! It really is the best ride I’ve ever been on in my entire life {gasp}! In fact, we have all the details here.
Epcot
Epcot Fireworks
There are two fireworks shows that I try not to miss when we visit Disney World. The one at Magic Kingdom and the one at Epcot. IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth is the name of the firework show. See it before it ends, a new show starts October first so Reflections of Earths final bow is September 30th, 2019.
*We’ll keep you updated on what we think of the new show–Epcot Forever.
Spaceship Earth
You must ride Spaceship Earth because it’s one of the most iconic landmarks at Disney World. The ride is slow and it’s dark, just sit back and relax.
Test Track
My kids LOVE Test Track including my adult kid (my husband). Create your own virtual concept car and then buckle up because you’re going to take it for a test spin around the track. At the end, you’ll get to see how well your car performed and possibly earn “bragging rights” for the rest of the day.
Margaritas at Epcot
One of my favorite things to do when we visit Epcot is to enjoy a margarita while watching the firework show. You can find these drinks in Mexico and there are plenty of places around to watch the firework show.
Soarin
Before Flight of Passage, this was my favorite ride at Disney World. I just loved how immersive it was, I really felt like I was soarin around the world!
Hollywood Studios
Toy Story Land
This is the newest area of Hollywood Studios. You get the chance to play in Andy’s backyard with all his favorite friends. Be sure to ride The Slinky Dog and enjoy eating from Woody’s Lunch Box. I wrote all about our experience at Toy Story Land here.
Tower of Terror
I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never ridden Tower of Terror. My stomach protests any ride that drops me from up high. However, my family loves this rider so I feel like it must be one that you should experience if your guts are up for the challenge!
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
This is an awesome show that we love watching. You sit in the audience watching incredible stunts and behind the scenes action. We enjoy watching it in the afternoon to take a break from the heat. If you raise your hand high enough you might get to be a part of the show.
Other Fun Disney World Experiences
There are some other fun things you won’t want to miss during your visit. Here are a few things to consider that require some advance preparation or booking before you arrive.
Character Couture Makeover
If you’re visiting Disney World for the first time and you’re going to want to let your inner princess out! Don’t worry, Disney can help you do that. The Character Couture Makeover experience is NEW to Disney World. We had the opportunity to check it out and we think it’s pretty incredible.
“Character styles include princess, villains, fab five, “galactic” styles and “hero/heroine” styles.” We have all the details here: Character Couture at Disney World, Adult Makeovers!
Pin Trading
What is pin trading? Inside the Disney World parks, you can pin trade with any cast member wearing a lanyard full of pins. You can purchase pins ahead of time on the Disney Store online or even on eBay. If you do look for pins on eBay, be sure that they are official Disney pins and that you are purchasing them from a reputable seller.
It’s fun for both kids and adults to find pins that you want to trade for. Some Disney hotels/resort will even give pins to the kids. We had an issue with our room once and my kids all got Beauty and the Beast pins to add to their collection! This is one of my tips on this post– 8 Things You Should Know Before Your First Visit To Disney World.
Other Helpful Resources:
Amazon Prime One-Day Delivery Now Available at Disney World
Things You Won’t Want to Miss at Animal Kingdom
Don’t Forget to Buy These 9 Things at Disney World
Where to Stay in Orlando Florida with a Big Family
