Welcome to day 3 of our Walt Disney World trip report! If you missed day 1 you can catch up here! And check out day 2 here!
To read an overview of our trip plans, click here!
The Most Magical Place on Earth!
It’s funny, I hear people refer to Walt Disney World or the Magic Kingdom as “The Happiest Place on Earth” – sorry folks, that title is reserved for Disneyland! Today we headed off to The Most Magical Place on Earth, the Magic Kingdom! We got on a bus from our hotel and off we went, arriving in the park around 9:15am!
Our first FastPass+ was for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but since we had until 10am to use it, we decided to do Pirates of the Caribbean first. As a frequent Disneyland goer, a lot of people ask me what I like better – Disneyland or Walt Disney World. This is an instance where Disneyland’s version of Pirates totally takes the cake. I will say that the queue for Pirates in Florida is pretty amazing, though.
After getting mildly wet on Pirates of the Caribbean we hustled over to Big Thunder Mountain for the wildest ride in the wilderness! This is such a fun coaster – well themed, thrilling, but not too thrilling, and just all around a good time. What was kind of weird about this trip through the mine shaft was that they weren’t boarding the last few rows of the train, on either side of the loading platform. In any case, it was a fun ride as always!
Our next FastPass+ was for Space Mountain, which is all the way in Tomorrowland on the other side of the park. Since the train was down for refurbishment, we had a long walk ahead of us! We hustled over there, hit up the restroom next door, and blast off through space! It’s hard to compare Disneyland’s version to the Walt Disney World version because they are both so different. I like them both equally, personally.
Silly Moments
Next, we had some time to kill before our lunch reservations, so we went on the Mad Tea Party as it was a short ten minute wait. I love that the Walt Disney World version of this attraction is covered, so we can ride it rain or shine! And, I love the surprise animatronic in the middle of the attraction. One thing I will note is that this thing really spins compared to the Disneyland one! I was quite dizzy afterwards.
Next, we went to the PhotoPass Studio in Fantasyland. There are 3 locations at Walt Disney World:
- Sir Mickey’s, Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom
- Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney Springs
The PhotoPass Studio is free to use, and there oftentimes isn’t a line at all! They’ve got a variety of props and backgrounds, some of which are seasonal. If you don’t have Memory Maker or photo downloads included with your AP, you can purchase photos or photo downloads.
After taking some prom-inspired pictures at the PhotoPass Studio, we checked out everyone’s favorite Frontierland show, Country Bear Jamboree! I remember seeing this a lot as a young child at Disneyland (it closed in September 2001, in its place is the Winnie the Pooh attraction), and it holds a special place in my heart. I always giggle at this one.
One thing I’m consistently impressed with at Walt Disney World is the fact that most of the shows are filled to near-capacity. At Disneyland that’s usually not the case (there are exceptions of course, but many theater shows run at partial capacity). It made me happy to see such a huge crowd full of people joyfully clapping along!
A Patriotic Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern
Next up was our lunch reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern. We generally avoid buffets because it’s so much food, and the menu options at Liberty Tree Tavern are delicious! What’s really cool about the menu is that it offers a la carte entrees as well as an all-you-can-eat option. As a history teacher, I also truly love the setting and theming. US History is my favorite class to teach, so I love stepping into colonial times!
We were quick to be seated, and we were all pretty hungry, so we ordered right away. I got the fish and chips, my husband ordered the turkey pot pie, and our friend James ordered the pot roast. By the way – the pot roast here is amazing!! I thought about getting it myself, but I was in the mood for fish and chips. Service was quick and friendly, and we enjoyed a nice, quiet meal* before heading out to enjoy the Magic Kingdom again!
*Side note: this is one of the reasons why I prefer earlier dining reservations. We had a reservation within the first 30 minutes of lunch service, and we didn’t wait long to be seated, nor did we wait long for our food to arrive. In addition, the restaurant was fairly quiet, but was filling up by the time we left. It’s nice to experience a bit of “down time” in the middle of a busy theme park.
Tomorrowland & Fantasyland
After lunch, we met up with our friend Katie on Main Street and took some pictures with a PhotoPass photographer. One of the things I wish Disneyland had was the zoom photos! These are offered in Magic Kingdom and Galaxy’s Edge, in Hollywood Studios. They make for really unique shots. We had some time to kill before our next FastPass+ reservation, so we checked out Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor (another one that Disneyland needs!) and Carousel of Progress. Disneyland used to have the Carousel of Progress; prior to that, it was at the New York World’s Fair. I didn’t actually get to see Carousel of Progress until I visited Walt Disney World in 2014, and since then I have loved it! I sing the theme song to my son. If you haven’t heard it, you should definitely give it a listen – it’s a Disney classic.
After enjoying some sit-down theater shows, it was time for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! This is a super cute coaster that’s enjoyable for the whole family.
FastPass+ is a necessity on this one, as the line gets very long wait times very early on in the day. With FastPass+ we waited no more than ten minutes. We got some great pictures from PhotoPass with this one!
FastPass+ Tip: Once you use your first three FastPasses, start checking the My Disney Experience app for a 4th FastPass+. You can only book one subsequent FastPass+ at a time after using your first three, and you can book as soon as you’ve scanned in for your third FastPass+ experience. When we were waiting for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, we got FastPass+ for it’s a small world, and while we were in line for it’s a small world, we got FastPass+ for Haunted Mansion!
Back to Epcot!
We decided to head over to our favorite park, Epcot, for dinner at San Angel Inn. We cancelled it from the night before because we were all too tired and had rebooked it for tonight, so we needed to make it over there. On the Monorail ride over, we scored FastPass+ for Living with the Land. I know a lot of people find Living with the Land “boring”, but I think it really envelops the “edutainment” concept that Walt was so good at executing.
After our peaceful boat ride through the greenhouses, we headed over to San Angel Inn for dinner, and got a table right at the water’s edge. The atmosphere here is similar to Blue Bayou at Disneyland in Anaheim, but instead, we were dining on delicious Mexican food! As native Californians we have pretty high standards for Mexican food… and I can confidently say the food here does not disappoint. I definitely recommend the guacamole, and the entrees are big enough to share!
After dinner, my husband really wanted dessert from his favorite ice cream place in France, so he headed all the way back to the France pavilion while the rest of us checked out the Epcot Experience Center to see what’s coming next to Epcot! I’m pretty excited for the changes, although I know some of them are a bit controversial.
Once my husband rejoined us, we had our last FastPass+ of the day on Spaceship Earth. This is my favorite attraction at Epcot, and another example of “edutainment” done right – and I totally wish I could take my history students on this one.
Home for the Night
When we got back for the evening, we decided we wanted some dessert. This is where we discovered zebra domes. If you haven’t had these… wow. You’re missing out! Make sure to stop by the Mara quick-service restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House – and pick up a box to share with your family (or hoard some all for yourself!)
Highlights of the Day
- Photopass Studio! Honestly, if you have free Photopass downloads, there’s no reason not to do this. I wish Disneyland had this.
- Liberty Tree Tavern & San Angel Inn – I think these two restaurants are overlooked in favor of restaurants that are “harder to get” reservations, but these are both solid options.
- We got great additional FastPass+ reservations!
Letdowns of the Day
- I don’t think there were any letdowns today! It was a great day.
Next Up…
How many parks can we hit in one day?
