On our first trip to Disney World, our daughters were 3 and 5 years old. We have only made one other trip since then when visiting my husband’s grandmother. Our most recent trip last month the girls were 10 and 12 and I realized how much our Disney trips have changed for the better since the girls were little. Here is why I think Magic Kingdom with tweens is so much fun!
Magic Kingdom With Tweens
I’m not saying I regret taking my girls to Disney when they were 3 and 5, they absolutely loved it. Brynna doesn’t remember a thing, but the magic in their eyes was pure. The excitement was magical, but it’s a lot harder with little babes.
With older kids, we don’t need to plan the day around nap times, diaper changes, strollers and sippy cups. Older kids can stay up later to watch fireworks and they are tall enough to ride everything. There is so much for your big kid to do but don’t worry there is still so much magic for them to experience as well.
They Get To Act Like Kids
Tweens are at such a hard age. They don’t know if they should act like a kid or an adult. When they are at Disney World my girls immediately went back to being a kid. Everywhere you look there are Mickey ears and character shirts on people of all ages. I feel like my girls finally let their guard down and didn’t have to worry about “being cool” to their peers.
They may want to ride Dumbo, It’s A Small World or Peter Pan’s Flight and that’s okay. Actually, it’s more than okay! My girls absolutely loved riding all the rides in Fantasyland and my Disney loving mama heart was so happy. I went right back to my childhood where I was riding the rides with my grandparents. I loved being able to experience those same rides with my girls now that they are older. And since my husband was off work still recovering from a broken collar bone my mom came with us, and I’m sure she loved being able to experience those moments with them just like I experienced them with my grandparents.
If you’re lucky you might even get a picture with them wearing the same outfits as you. Perks of having kids that can wear adult sizes?!
Skip The Parade
Most tweens will show very little interest in the parade in Magic Kingdom, especially if they have seen it when they were younger like mine. While everyone was lining the street for the 3 pm parade that was our cue to head back to our resort for a midday break. It was the hottest part of the day and we were all ready for a break. The girls had no desire to watch the parade and I didn’t mind at all. We left the park got on the monorail without a line and was back at our resort in about 20 mins. If they don’t want to see the parade my advice is to not make them and to enjoy a break back at the resort during that time.
Let The Tweens Help Plan
You don’t need to let your tween run the show, but asking them for their input helps make things go much smoother. When choosing our Fast Passes I asked both of them what their “must ride” attractions were. They both chose Space and Splash Mountain so I knew they were a top priority when choosing my Fast Passes. Thankfully, I got them for a little later in the day and we headed right for Fantasyland after rope drop. We started our day with the smaller more tame rides and they loved every second of it! We then transitioned to the bigger rides when it was time to utilize our Fast Passes. They loved riding the bigger rides and even more so that they didn’t have to wait in line for them!
Where To Eat
The food in Magic Kingdom is a tween’s dream come true. We all know how much they love to eat (at least mine do.) Magic Kingdom has plenty of food options. We started our day with breakfast at The Plaza before the park opened and it was probably the best decision we made. We all got to sit down and enjoy a meal in the A/C to start our day. We didn’t have to worry about missing anything because the park wasn’t even open yet! The girls even got to enjoy Mickey waffles which I didn’t think they would get since we weren’t staying at a Disney resort!
Nighttime Is the right time
The sun is going down and the kids (and adults) had a much-needed break. We went to the resort around 3 pm and got back to Magic Kingdom around 7 pm. We were refreshed, had changed clothes and had eaten. A fresh start without the blazing sun was definitely what we all needed. Plus, there are so many rides that are even more fun at night when the park is lit up. We even got to ride Big Thunder Mountain twice! Once in the daylight, and once in the dark! It was so much fun in the dark! The girls laughed and screamed their heads off!
That is a wrap for our day at Magic Kingdom! I was so happy with how much we packed in, and we hardly had to wait in any lines. We were all exhausted so we opted to skip out on Wishes. We left the park as the fireworks started and made it out, to the monorail and to the parking lot in less than 30 minutes. It was an absolutely amazing day, with very little meltdowns from my usually very whiny, argumentative tweens! That is truly magical!
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