Magic Kingdom Restaurant/Attractions Advice

[HalfGlass]

Hey Everyone!

I'm going around to each park to get enthusiast advice for how to tackle each of my 3 days at Disney!

We are going to MK on May 17th. What are some good places to eat dinner there? Overall, we are looking for some place with middle of the road entrees (like 15-20 dollars). I know we really want to go to Be Our Guest for lunch, so do you have any recommendations?

As for our plan of attack, we want to stay to see the fireworks at night (which I think is around 10). We sadly are not staying on Disney property so we will be taking Mears to and from. Here is our list of attractions we want to do! Let me know what you think we should do and what time to arrive at MK!!!

Jungle Cruise
Pirates of the Caribbean
Peter Pan's Flight
It's a Small World
Philharmagic
Enchanted Tales
Journey of the Little Mermaid
Big Thunder Mountain
Splash Mountain
Space Mountain
Monsters Inc Laugh Floor
Haunted Mansion


Thanks guys!!!

 

[HalfGlass]

bump!

 

[Hockeyman55]

If you want to eat at BOG then you will need to line up early. How early depends on you, but about 10:15 last March when I walked by the line was already well across the bridge and really busy. Are you getting there at rope drop and staying all day?

 

[rhino4evr]

my advice...get there as early as possible. 30 mins before the park opens is usually good...you'll be able to see the opening ceremony as well.

the key to seeing all the attractions is using Fast Pass..

I like to get Fantasyland out of the way first...personally, but that's because I have a small child that has more energy in the morning.

so here is what id do with these rides...
Go straight through the castle..and pick up a fast pass for Peter Pan
Enchanted Tales - Do this first...it gets crowded early and never dies down.
Small World - never a wait in the morning
Philharmagic - never a wait.
Pick up Fast Pass for Little Mermaid
Peter Pan
Haunted Mansion
Little Mermaid
Pick up fast pass for Space Mountain
Lunch in Tomorrow Land Diner.
Monsters Inc. (Buzz Lightyear is better..but will have a longer wait at this point.
Space Mountain
Get Thunder or Splash Fast Pass
Pirates
Jungle Cruise
Splash or Thunder - these are both great rides in the evening or at night in my opinion, so I like to save them to the end.
Thunder or Splash.
Dinner
The Harbor House near the Haunted Mansion has great food and is reasonably priced...compared to other places...
Skip the first Electric Light Parage (if there are two)
Find a spot for Wishes/Fireworks...
Find a spot for 2nd Electric Light Parade..

- - - Updated - - -

also id skip trying to eat at Be Our Guest...if you want to eat in new FL, grab the pork shank from the tavern.

 

[Dr. Emmett Brown]

As much as the park freak in me loves getting there before opening to see the opening ceremonies, it tends to be exhausting throughout the course of the day. However, with MK, you for sure won't be able to get everything in that you want to see without being there early.

On the 17th, Wishes (to my memory) is at 10pm with the electrical parade at both 9pm and 11pm. Best spot for fireworks is right in the hub (the roundabout centered around the Partners statue) to the right of the Partners statue, facing the castle.

For dinner, with your price specifications, I highly recommend making a reservation ASAP for The Plaza restaurant. It's not very well known, but the food is surprisingly good and for a table service restaurant, it features some of the lowest prices on property. I've eaten there several times.

Basic info:
1. Take advantage of the Fastpass system. You can print a new Fastpass for a different attraction every 2hrs, regardless of your return time for the Fastpass you currently hold.
2. If you're getting there early/before park opening, it's tempting to head right into Tomorrowland and start doing rides. However, my recommendation is to grab your Fastpasses for Space Mtn. and immediately head over to Adventureland. The crowds almost always head to Tomorrowland first, so this way you avoid long lines in Adventureland while still having your Fastpass ready for Space Mountain later in the day.
3. However, if you choose to not do the aforementioned plan, head into Fantasyland after grabbing your Space Mountain Fastpasses. By doing this, you ensure that you'll be able to experience Enchanted Tales with Belle with little to no line. The attraction commonly rivals Peter Pan's wait times during the day.
4. Be at Be Our Guest early for lunch. It fills up very quickly and it is not something you want to miss out on.
5. Don't feel stressed to see the first showing of the electrical parade. If I recall, May 17 should have two showings, and the showing after Wishes is always less crowded.
6. Make sure you grab a Dole Whip at Aloha Isle (Adventureland) at some point in the day!

With the attractions you specified, you should want to look into getting Fastpasses for the following:
1. Splash Mountain
2. Space Mountain
3. Thunder Mountain
4. Journey of the Little Mermaid
5. Peter Pan's Flight

When done right, Magic Kingdom is the most enjoyable park on property, IMO. Follow (roughly) what's outlined above and you should have no problem seeing the attractions you want to see while still moving at a leisurely pace throughout your day. Overall, have a magical time!

 

[Jessie91]

Why not do Be Our Guest for later on? Like 5PM? Just grab a snack around 11.30 from the hotdog place on Main Street?

As for the others I would get a fast pass for Jungle Cruise, Space, Splash and Peter Pan definitely and possibly Pirates (though you could be queuing for that whilst waiting for Jungle Cruise time slot as it's quite a "nice" queue in that it's air conditioned at least)

Go to Haunted Mansion first. If you're staying late then do Small World later on as it gets less busy I find nice toddlers are snoozing!

My biggest mistake is I get drawn into the shops the minute I arrive and waste time there. Try to resist and go there later after you've done the bulk of your day (best shops are in Main Street and Tomorrowland)

i rarely get there for opening but I think you want to be there for 10 at least to get a sporting chance of seeing everything. It will be a stretch in one day.

To be honest food is the least of my concerns so I wouldn't bother with Be Our Guest especially if I only had one day but that's probably just me being odd as others say it's amazing.

enjoy yourself

 

[IzzyB]

^^^^

Be our guest becomes a sit down place at dinner time, so if you are going to do counter service you need to do it at lunch time.

You don't need a fast pass for jungle cruise most days and there is no fast passes for Pirates. Also, other than summer and spring break Pirates is normally less than 20 minutes. Haunted Mansion also should not have a long line.

I would suggest either starting in FL and getting fast passes for LM and Peter Pan or starting in tomorrowland and getting fast passes for Space Mountain. If you are going to do the second parade (which I highly suggest) do Thunder Mountain and splash mountain right before and during the first parade as that is when the lines tend to die down since everyone is waiting for the parade and trying to get prime seats for fireworks. Then after that go through adventureland to get to see the fireworks.

Good Luck, it shouldn't be too busy, as I was there last weekend and the crowds have really died down a lot.