Magic Kingdom recommendations for
@raven24:
1. Haunted Mansion. Obviously. Note that it's
considerably more popular here than at DL.
2. If at all possible get a ride on Space and Splash for yourself (Genie+?). Splash is, IMO, much better than the DL version and is likely going away soon. Space Mountain is a totally different spin on the concept and a bit more of a true roller coaster than DL's is. Think Matterhorn but smoother in all respects.
3. Jungle Cruise with added temple scene (not sure if things have changed, but back in October THIS was the ride to rope drop. A definite popularity boost since the redone scenes were added.
4. Festival of Fantasy is a pretty good daytime parade .
Great things to hit that you can probably do whenever:
-Country Bears, OG show!
-Swiss Family Treehouse >>> Tarzan's Treehouse
-COP
-Their unique two-island Tom Sawyer Island is MUCH better and is basically unaltered from its original state.
-Their riverboat still has a nice, long route if you're nostalgic for the pre-SW:GE DL river, with more elaborate scenery than DL used to have.
-REAL PhilharMagic!
-Peoplemover
If you need another in-park dining experience, I would recommend Liberty Tree Tavern (Thanksgiving in a lovely colonial setting) or Skipper Canteen (basically Jungle Cruise: the restaurant).
Other things worth noting:
-IASW has a disappointing facade, but an argument could be made that the actual attraction is superior in FL (not one I would personally make, but there are definitely points I can see in the MK version's favor).
-The ONLY castle park with the rockets in their proper place above the Peoplemover loading station.
Less necessary
-Big Thunder has slightly different scenery but is basically identical to DL's in layout and experience.
-Similarly, the presentation of the Tiki Room is subtly more elaborate than in CA in a way that I think is interesting but the actual show is mostly identical to the DL version, just a bit further condensed (that said, it's another easy thing to do when everything's busy).
-Buzz is pretty bad out there. Avoid.
-Hall of Presidents I admire more in concept than execution (at least the current show), but it's a fun thing to compare/contrast with Mr. Lincoln. Another one you could do whenever if desired.
-Laugh Floor isn't great (but another attraction likely to have a quick wait)
-Pirates for all previously stated reasons.
-Is Pooh better in Florida? Yes. Is it also MUCH harder to get on than in CA? YES.
-I think the MK Peter Pan's Flight has a lot to recommend for it, but the waits will likely be prohibitive.
-Little Mermaid unless you want to laugh at how overly elaborate the queue is for the exact same ride at DCA.
BUT ANYWAY it's a good thing that you're prioritizing things because it's MUCH harder to
do things at Magic Kingdom than Disneyland. Make sure that you arrive before opening if possible (rope drop is much more important in Florida) and that you allow extra time to get from the parking lot to the TTC and across the lagoon to the park if you're driving in.
Despite the often-deserved lashing MK and WDW get on here, there are still gems that shine through. I hope you're able to find them and enjoy your day at the park!
