Thanks to the perks of my mom’s job – we got to visit the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World this weekend. Although it was just for the day, there is something magical about Disney! I know it may be hard to believe, but this was my first trip to Disney and I’m so excited to share this #MommyDaughterAdventure with you.

Since moving to Florida, we don’t have to worry about having to find flights for last minute trips. Our drive was surprisingly only an hour and 30 minutes and during the morning hours didn’t seem too bad. And mom was actually driving the speed limit so this is what others that are in our area should expect. I thought we would just stay for the day and drive back that night. We’re use to being on the road so I didn’t think anything different until we pulled into the parking area for The All-Star Music Resort area. Mom says she wanted my first time at Disney to be special so she booked us a room so we could stay the entire day and I could get a feel for what the resorts access to the park would be like.

The All-Star Music Resort is one of three All-Star properties. These are a part of Disney’s value resort category. I don’t think we would choose to stay here during a longer trip as it was kind of small and far from the parks. But the beds were so soft and perfect for a night of recovery after being at the Magic Kingdom ALL DAY! The All-Star Music Resort also has two pools – one in the shape of a guitar and the other in the shape of a piano. There are different areas which you can stay. We stayed in the Broadway zone and had large signage of Disney Broadway shows as our outside decoration. We were only in the need for the room for one night since this was an impromptu trip.

Because we stayed at Disney resort, they provided Magic Bands for us. This was definitely a plus as we didn’t have to purchase our own and it automatically linked to our My Disney Experience. What is a Magic Band you ask. . . . . Well the Disney Magic Band is an all-in-one bracelet that connects everything associated with your Disney trip/vacation. They come in a range of colors and designs ranging from $12.99 – $22.99 and they’re waterproof. There are even some limited edition designs which are a bit more costly. Magic Bands will unlock your room door if staying at a Disney resort, use as your entrance to the theme parks, hold your FastPass+ reservations, allow you to add those amazing photos that are taken by the PhotoPass photographers as well as the photos from the rides, and even allow you to purchase items throughout the park if you add on a debit/credit card. We chose to not add a debit/credit card to our Magic Bands since we used a tip from Ms. LJ and disneyworldwithinreach.com and used Disney Gift Cards. Before we left we made sure to get gift cards from Target. Since mom has a Redcard, she gets 5% off her purchase.

Yeah I’m learning about budgeting for trips too. Especially after this one. If that means we can go on more, I’m all for learning how to save.

Okay so back to the amazing day at Magic Kingdom. We started the day early. So early we were there when the park opened at 8 AM. We didn’t schedule any Fast Passes for the morning in the hope that we could just get on as soon as the day started. We were able to ride 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, the Teacups, Space Mountain, and Astro Orbiter all within the first two hours.

For those that know me are aware that I don’t do too well around characters. I’m not sure when this semi-fear came but I’d rather stand next to a wild tiger than to a cartoon character. But I’m glad my mom suggested we go to the Big Top to meet Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse. This was definitely a highlight of my day. And if you really listen on that final hug, you’ll hear Daisy and Minnie actually share a kiss goodbye with you. That was awesome. In addition to meeting Daisy and Minnie, we met some of the princesses. Located in Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland, you can meet either Cinderella and Elena of Avalor or Rapunzel and Princess Tiana. We went with Rapunzel and Princess Tiana!!! SO MUCH FUN!!!

 

We were planning to go to the other side to see Cinderella and Elena, but it was time to eat. We were very mindful of the food options as I’m still on the pescatarian plan. We had lunch at Harbour House in Liberty Square. Knowing we wanted something sweet too, we shared the Fried Shrimp & Fish plate with fries. Yummy! Shoutout to AJ with Disney Food Blog for the hint of the second floor. We were able to find a great seating area for two by the window. This way we kept an eye out for the Festival of Fantasy Parade that would be coming through and kept cool from the sunny Orlando weather.

The afternoon was filled with more rides and dessert! I had my first churro and it came with chocolate sauce. So amazing. I definitely was missing out on this creation for life. As long as we lived in Texas I hadn’t had one, but I won’t make that mistake again.

9:15 PM and 10:00 PM are the best times in the Magic Kingdom. My mom tweeted about it and asked a question I’m sure many others ponder.

The Happy Every After show is an indescribable fireworks and light projection show around Cinderella Castle (not Cinderella’s Castle – we learned that too). Some of the Disney stories shared in this amazing event are Aladdin, Brave, Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Moana, Toy Story, and one of our favorites The Princess and the Frog. After the show, the crowd scattered in different directions and I thought we would too. My mom just stood there and looked at me like she knew something others didn’t. LOL

There is ANOTHER show!!! On the inside and somewhat on the outside I screamed like Kermit the Frog would when he gets excited.

 

 

 

The Once Upon a Time show is also around Cinderella Castle and starts with Mrs. Potts sharing stories with Chip. For those Beauty and Beast lovers, this show has lots of projections. We also saw a shot of my mom’s favorite movie of all time (she literally says it like that every time) – Lady and the Tramp. Since most of the crowd left after the first show we were able to sit directly in front of the castle. We were literally near the cast member that stands by the rope so no one will actually walk up the castle’s ramp.

Overall, this was the best day ever. Thanks mom, for everything!
– Rhi

#MommyDaughterAdventures