One Super-Sized Day in Magic Kingdom: Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
The fourth and final day of our Walt Disney World “Minnie-moon” honeymoon was a true marathon of Disneyfied Halloween fun, food, and festivities. We said we weren’t sure if we could ever miss out on Epcot during the Food & Wine Festival in our Epcot recap, and the same goes for Magic Kingdom during spooky-scary season. Although the additional tickets to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party come at a hefty additional pricetag and need to be purchased separately, as die-hard members of the Do-EVERYTHING-Or-Die-Trying club, we felt that it was worth it for the extra time in the park that it gave us.
Space Mountain
This timeless space adventure represents the epitome of everything Walt Disney wanted in an attraction; it’s exploratory, whimsical, thrilling, sometimes scary, and unexpected. Space Mountain takes astronauts in training through a nearly blacked-out indoor sphere, as a rocket-ship shaped vessel rips and rolls up and down and around a winding and ever-changing track. The near total blackout interior pairs perfectly with this galactic roller coaster, with only the night stars providing a shimmer of light, each sudden drop and turn is a delightful surprise. This ride will forever hold a spot in our top 5 attractions in all of WDW, may it reign forevermore.
P.S. We rode this bad boy at night (lights out, spooky soundtrack version) during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary, and it was actually A-Little-Bit-Scary.
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
Speaking of timeless rides, this attraction that debuted at the World Fair in 1975, remains a must-see experience all these decades later. Literally rotating throughout the decades of progress in human ingenuity and technological advancements in home appliances, portrayed by ever-evolving animatronics, is always a pleasure. Trade in the craziness of the roller coasters and dark rides for a 15 minute blast from the past that remains as fun and informative as ever.
TRON: Lightcycle Run
We’re thankful this attraction made the 8,000-mile journey from Shanghai Disney to WDW. We could try to write a bunch of flowery details and flourished prose about this ride, but, to sum it up succinctly … it’s just really freaking cool, man.
The TRON coaster ride bucks the trend of your typical seated roller coaster, as each individual passenger rides a motorcycle-esque vehicle in a truly unique high-speed thrill ride experience that mimics gunning it on a motorbike on a highway while leaning forward (we imagine, anyway).
The TRON cycle begins indoors as riders are jolted forward at breakneck speed with bursts of neon color streaming all around the walls and vehicle. The fast start immediately connects into a swooping turn as your cycle rides along a futuristic canopy, where the recognizable neon panels from Tron light up alongside the cycle as it zooms past.
After a brief trip outside, the coaster continues its trek back indoors where a full-on light-cycle battle is displayed on massive 4K screens, as competing cycles crash into the impenetrable jet wall barriers.
Our only real criticism of this ride is the length, seeing as a little over a minute can feel anticlimactic after such a long wait. Despite this, however, this ride is undoubtedly one of the best roller coasters in Disney, and a welcome addition to Magic Kingdom.
PS – go at night for a neon spectacle highlighted against the dark sky.
Peter Pan's Flight
We can fly, we can fly, we can fly indeed! Riders take a pixie-dust enchanted pirate ship (pixie dust supplied by Tinker Bell of course), as they literally fly over a beautifully rendered model of the city of London lit up at night. The English city gets smaller and smaller as riders, led by Peter Pan himself and accompanied by Wendy, John, Michael Darling, and of course Nana the dog, are transported to the magic and whimsy of Neverland.
Once in Neverland, passengers are joined by iconic characters and residents of Neverland, such as the dastardly Captain Hook, his sidekick Mr. Smee, Tinker Bell, The Lost Boys, a toothsome alligator, and a host of pirates.
Brave the long line for this wonderfully nostalgic experience on the classic Peter Pan’s Flight.
It's A Small World
Stop us if you’ve heard this hot take before, but this is yet another all-time classic Disney Ride, albeit an allegedly annoying one. We think it’s simply delightful, and judging by its enduring legacy, so do many other parkgoers.
“It’s a Small World” doesn’t have any high-speed chases, twists and turns, or fancy 3D screens; it’s just a good old-fashion slow ride through a singing choir of animatronic children from around the globe. The dolls are decked out in traditional outfits and colors from their respective countries, while singing the famously simple earworm-y refrain that gives the ride its name in a variety of languages. This globe-spanning boat ride is a stunning, vibrant, and whimsical display of craftsmanship. Originally commissioned by Walt Disney himself as a tribute to global unity for the UNICEF Pavilion at the 1964-1965 World’s Fair, is a highly concentrated sugary spoonful of Disney.
Haunted Mansion
Come along on a death-defying slow ride through the hallowed halls of Disney’s Haunted Mansion, where the silhouettes of tuxedo-clad ghosties and ghostettes in poofy dresses waltz in the ballroom of eternity. The thickness of the dark will shake you to your core as all manner of creepy macabre things go bump in the night. A floating head of Madame Leota gives foreboding warnings of the dangers ahead, as riders brave the horrors of this ghoul infested mansion and graveyard. If you manage to be one of the lucky few to make it out alive, don’t count your blessings just yet, as a poltergeist co-passenger may be trying to hitch a ride home with you.
The Enchanted Tiki Room
“In the Tiki-Tiki-Tiki-Tiki-Tiki Room” is guaranteed to get stuck in your head for the rest of the day, and that’s just the way we like it. This simple but delightful and innovative Audio-Animatronic show is always a must-see for us every time we are passing through the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World. What isn’t there to love about a chorus of exotic singing birds and tropical thunderstorms, all set in an enchanted hut in a Polynesian paradise? Grab a Dole Whip at the hut adjacent to the Tiki Room and then enjoy this world renowned spectacle featuring over 225 amazing animatronic performers.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure
While we love the highly-revered and seemingly untouchable classic Disney rides as much as anyone, it’s clear that this renovation and facelift of the beloved Splash Mountain was a massive upgrade over the original in nearly every way.
The new elements in what is now a thrilling bayou boat ride with theming from Disney’s “Princess and the Frog” adds depth to a previously static experience with its famous final exhilarating drop.
The queue is an experience in itself, as you get an inside look at the baking process of Tiana’s famous beignets in a peek ‘backstage’ at her critically lauded, instant classic Louisiana restaurant.
Once the ride begins, passengers float down the swampy bayou of Louisiana (you don’t even need to imagine the humidity; this is Florida!), where they encounter familiar characters from Tiana’s adventure, such as animated fireflies singing in unison, Louis the Alligator playing his trumpet, and of course Prince Naveen’s titular frog.
Just when you thought the excitement was over after the thrilling drop, your boat goes underground and through the streets of New Orleans and the French Quarter as an animatronic Tiana and every other notable character dances the night away at the grand opening of her riverside restaurant. As you exit, Mama Odie and her snake Juju bid you farewell. Don’t forget to nab some of Mama Odie’s famous hot sauce in the gift shop.
Thunder Mountain Railroad
The third head on the world-famous Mount Rushmore triumvirate of Disney Mountain rides (so long & farewell, Splash Mountain), will always hold a special place in our heart. This Western locomotive coaster zips around sharp turns and corners with seemingly reckless abandon; you can feel the rattling of this bad boy deep in your bones.
Thunder Mountain is one of those rides where you can physically feel its age in the most wonderful way, the added suspense of wondering whether your head will strike the top of a red rock or if you’ll remain in the cart as you careen around is something only a ride this old can provide. We love this coaster, it has become a tradition for us to try to get as many consecutive rides in as possible at the end of a day in Magic Kingdom.
MAGIC KINGDOM EATS & TREATS
The Plaza Restaurant
Spooky Halloween Menu Additions
If you enjoy a good burger and also love Halloween are perhaps just a super edgy goth, then come feast on this delicious Americana crossover. A juicy all beef burger is blanketed generously with gooey cheese, smokey bacon, crispy onion rings, a tangy pickle slice, and the piece de resistance: extra- spooky black brioche bun to hold it all together.
The Halloween special menu also features a solid turkey club with jet black rye bread for the season, plus a classic chocolate milkshake with the added kicker of a ghostly glazed ‘bloody’ jelly donut, a slimy gummy worm, and a sugary candy pumpkin.
CINDERELLA'S ROYAL TABLE
It’s worth it to eat at Cinderella’s Royal Table once in your life simply for the bragging rights of dining with all of the Disney Princesses and the ultimate immersive Disney experience of having various princesses stop by to greet you (in character, of course) throughout your (probably mediocre) meal.
The food is decent, albeit extremely overpriced, as one has probably come to expect at this point. It’s a splurge-worthy exclusive Disney dining experience to immerse yourself in at least once if you can manage to snag a seat at Cinderella’s Royal Table – book in advance, because she doesn’t hand out those royal invitations to just anyone who rolls up to the castle!
It’s also worth noting that if you book this meal during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party like we did, you will need to buy tickets to the party to be able to go to your dinner reservation, otherwise you’ll be booted from the kingdom along with the rest of non-partygoers at the closing time before Mickey and Minnie kick off the festivities.
Leave a Reply