Figuring out Disney

Posted: November 20, 2025

Making sense of the Magic Kingdom

My wife had a conference near Disney World not so long ago, so that afforded us an opportunity to spend some days in the Magic Kingdom. Going to Disney World is ... complicated! Figuring out the best strategy for where to go, and when, can seem like navigating a labyrinth. I can see why people hire professionals for help with this, but ... I really like figuring out these kinds of things. For me, the anticipation and planning of a trip like this is half the fun.

I wanted Anna to experience the parks in the order they were created, and to experience as many famous attractions at each park as possible; Including the classics like Its a Small World, and the new ones like Tron and Guardians of the Galaxy's Cosmic Rewind. All the planning paid off and we managed to fit a ton of fun into our timeline.

In the months leading up to the trip I spent a lot of time doing research and making multi-tabbed spreadsheets in Google Docs, to help with a budget, and to chart an itinerary of our activities. I read a lot of Disney blogs forums and reddits. And funnily enough, without realizing it, we purchased the same official and unofficial guidebooks that I had when I went as a kid.

This was Anna's first trip. I'd been there a couple times already: once when I was a kid with my parents, and about 7 years ago I went to a conference that was held at the Contemporary Resort. I really enjoyed the Contemporary. There is something about the brutalist aesthetic of the main building, surrounded by the immaculate grounds, that make the Contemporary Resort feel special to me. That and I remember when I was a kid being amazed riding the monorail right through the middle of it's A-frame main building. When I stayed there for my conference I was in a Garden Wing room which meant I could walk right out the sliding doors onto the beautiful grounds next to Bay Lake. And the best part was I could walk right into the Magic Kingdom.

This trip we stayed at the equally amazing Yacht Club resort (which has the awesome benefit of being walkable to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios). But to still get a taste of the Contemporary Resort I also made a reservation at the California Grill, Contemporary's rooftop restaurant. I made our reservation for around the time as the fireworks show over the Magic Kingdom, so we could enjoy the show from on top of the Contemporary. We were delighted to find out the same music you hear in the park is piped up onto the rooftop patio, so even though you're watching from high above, you still feel like you're getting the full experience. The California Grill was certainly our finest dining experience, but we experienced a lot of other great meals while we there.

The Food is great at Disney

Casey's Corner. When I was a kid, my dad was very excited to get a foot-long hotdog at Casey's Corner, something a family friend and Disney fanatic encouraged us to try. I think we ended up not having time (but my dad got one at EPCOT). so to honor my dad again, I made sure we got some. We actually went there twice because the dogs were great, and it was very convenient before trying to find a spot to watch the fireworks.

Satu-li Our friends recommended we try this quick counter service sit down location in the Pandora region of Animal Kingdom. I thought it was good, and not too far off from food I've had a a couple middle-eastern restaurants in Charlotte.

My second favorite meal we had was at Raglan Road in Disney Springs. This Irish Pub had some of the best fish and chips I've ever tasted. In EPCOT we had reservations at La Cantina de San Angel, and Via Napoli Restorante e Pizzeria - both were excellent experiences.

The Cast Members are who make the experience so amazing

Our waitress Carolina at Via Napoli made our visit there extra special because she took some time to tell us how much she loved working at Disney. She was about to finish her stint at Disney World and was required to travel back to Italy for at least a year to be able to return and work there again in a year (per her visa requirements). She mentioned she'd traded some shifts at the restaurant to spend a whole day visiting each park before she had to go back to Italy.

In every interaction I was impressed by the level of care from all of the Disney Cast Members. The staff at our hotel were outstanding and very helpful and patient when we were trying to figure out how to use gift cards to pay for some of our expenses on the second to last night. I had forgotted to grab a map from Animal Kingdom on the way out, so I asked a Cast Member by the front desk if they had any copies, and she gave me a couple of each from every park, and even the water parks and Wide World of Sports.

Everyone we encountered was helpful, friendly, and very effective at what they did. It's very evident they really care a lot about what they do. While waiting in line in Smugglers Run I had time for a conversation with a Cast Member about their other favorite rides. During the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom I witnessed a Cast member doing crowd control quickly identify a lost child during the celebration and immediately snap into action to help calm him and find his parents. Her actions seemed nothing less than heroic.

When Disneyland first opened it was said to have some of the best user experiences ever designed (find source). Customer experience is the hallmark of the Disney experience. While every trace of every space is meticulously considered so that you can find delight in every nook (waiting in line is part of the fun! ), its really the Cast Members who bring the magic to the kingdom.

Favorite rides and attractions

Big Thunder Mountain was sadly not available this trip due to some renovations to the park. But we were able to go on a lot of other classics at the Magic Kingdom, including: Space Mountain, It's a Small World, Pirate's of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion. We also got to ride the updated Tiana's Bayou Adventure (which I had ridden once before when it was formally Splash Mountain). My favorite ride will always be The People Mover, partly because its just a fun relaxing chill experience, and partly because its the one ride I remember going on with my dad when I was a kid. As for the new rides ...

Guardian's of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind was awesome for me, but terrible for my motion-sickness-prone wife. The theme was excellent, and the ride itself was absolutely a blast with a killer soundtrack.

Mickey and Mini's Runaway Railway was a surprise hit for me. I assumed it would be more geared for kids, but the theme was ingenious, keeping with the Chinese Theater design up until it makes you feel like you're being brought into the world of the cartoon. It was a really fun ride.

Tower of Terror - I was nervous to go on this one, and since I knew Anna was not interested, I went by myself on a day she was in her conference. I'm not a fan of drop rides, but I summoned the courage, mostly because I had heard it was great, and knowing it's Disney, I know it can't be that bad. And it wasn't! It was just about 30 seconds of unpredictable drops and up and down.

I missed out on going on Pandora Flight of Passage my last trip due to it being closed the small window I had available for my fast pass. So I was really looking forward to finally going this time, and it didn't disappoint.

Evening shows

Disney is not just about rides, it's also about the amazing shows. I remember as a kid being amazed by Illuminations over EPCOT's World Showcase. Now the show is called Luminous: Symphony of Us, and it's even more of a moving experience.

We also loved Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios, and of course the evening fireworks at the Magic Kingdom (which we got to experience from 3 different locations including the roof of the Contemporary). But my favorite shows will always be Country Bear Jamboree, and the Carousel of Progress.

Everything about our trip was awesome, and now I can't wait to do it again :)

Tips

• Free Water - hydration is key, but buying a lot of refreshments can cost a lot. So we like to share one soft drink, and get free waters that are offered at every park restaurant (excluding some of the food carts which do not offer free waters)
• Invest in Good Shoes - you will walk a lot. We averaged over 10 miles a day. The smartest thing I for this trip was to go to an independent running shoe store (Run for your Life here in Charlotte) and have an expert help me find good shoes.
• If you have Gift Cards and you are staying at a Disney Resort that allows to add expenses to your room charge, the night before you check out you can take your gift cards to the front desk and deduct their value from your total bill.
• Don't stress about making your Lightning Lane time. You have a 15 minute leeway if you're running late. AND you can also use the app to reschedule for other available times. Inevitably something about your trip will be compromised. That can't be avoided in such a complicated process. But no matter what happens your bound to have a good time anyways.