Anyone who travels with kids understands that while it’s loads of fun, it’s also a lot of grunt work getting everything and everyone organized. One of my favorite pastimes to enjoy with my nieces and nephews is traveling. And it just so happens that we can not get enough of Disney. However, something about theme parks seems to magnify a little bit of the chaos.
We Let The Kids Take The Lead
We’ve been more times than we can count, and since Magic Kingdom is a must for every trip, I decided to take a new approach on our last visit a few weeks ago. I didn’t do any of the planning.
Yes, you can clutch your pearls. As adults, we know how to “stalk” the best rides in the app. We know which parades to prioritize, when to stand in line to capture the perfect picture with that $200 photo pass, and where the characters will be. We need efficiency and structure of sorts to be sure we are making good use of our day and time. And I get it because tickets for the parks and the cost of travel, plus food and souvenirs, can quickly add up.
But for this girl’s day in Magic Kingdom, the adults were not in charge. It was two 9-year-olds, their lightning-lane passes, and a snack budget against the world. There was no second-guessing or overruling their ride choices. As much as I wanted to ask, “Are you sure about that?” I kept my thoughts to myself and just happily followed in tow, carrying a bookbag full of Owalas, phones, and other essentials for the day.
Of course, handing over the reins didn’t mean completely abandoning all structure. They had a few rules, such as taking turns selecting attractions, shows, and dining. If someone wanted to take a break, that had to be respected. And, if one of the girls was super interested in something that the other was not, they could reach a compromise or ask one of the adults to do it with them.
Giving two nine-year-old tweens a balance of freedom and guidelines turned our day into something far beyond a chaotic checklist.
So, How Did We Spend Our Day In Magic Kingdom?
The girls were given the “rules” a few days in advance, along with park hours, and were encouraged to check the weather and TikTok for ideas of what they might want to do.
Ordinarily, we’re in the parks from open to close. When the super young kids are with us, we take mid-day breaks back at the hotel to get them out of the sun for a few hours. It’s one of the advantages of having the shuttle service and staying on the property.
But the tweens slept in and decided to have breakfast at the hotel. They also decided they wanted to drive to the park instead of taking the shuttle. They didn’t have any real strategy. So, we were quite literally zig-zagging back and forth across the park at their whim instead of exploring each land fully before moving on to the next. As the kids say, “we were chasing vibes.”
I can’t count how many times we rode Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Or, how many times we refilled popcorn buckets, grabbed a churro, and of course, we ate our weight in Dole Whip, Mickey Ice Cream Bars, and turkey legs.
We waited in line for rides I usually skip, such as The Barnstormer and Peter Pan’s Flight. Trust me, I know the latter is blasphemous. We also enjoyed snacks I often overlook while chasing my usual favorites, like the enormous, irresistibly tasty cinnamon rolls from LeFou’s Brew.
The girls also really enjoyed a few of the shows throughout the park, like the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. I was particularly fond of the crowd participation aspect. We also checked out Mickey’s PhilharMagic concert. It’s a 12-minute 3D show taking place in the Concert Hall. The kids and adults alike were not shy about belting out some classic Disney tunes like “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast and “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” from The Lion King. And, the animatronic parrots (Michael, Fritz, Pierre, and Jose) put on one heck of a performance at the Enchanted Tiki Room.
Because they were in charge, we didn’t have any sit-down meals as normal. They opted for quick-service meals they could eat as we headed to the next attraction. By the time we reached the end of the night to watch the fireworks, it was clear that letting them plan the day was the best choice because it showed me the park through entirely different eyes and reshaped how we experienced one of our favorite destinations together.
Magic Kingdom Turned Into The Most Magical Classroom
When I was a child, we would roam the neighborhood after school, using the streetlight turning on as the official sign that it was time to make our way home. Over the years, we’ve seen children become more attached to devices and social skills decline. Giving the girls autonomy was reminiscent of my youth.
They had “independence” throughout the day, reflecting the life and social skills they learned at home and in school. For instance, they used critical thinking skills to problem-solve among themselves. They constantly demonstrated financial literacy to keep up with their own dining and shopping budgets. I saw two shy little girls confidently walk up to other kids and cast members to negotiate pin trading. They opted to talk to nearby parkgoers while standing in line, rather than reach for their devices.
Our day felt less rushed. There wasn’t a schedule to adhere to. We weren’t quickly shuffling from an attraction to find the best spot to watch the parades. And perhaps that was the beauty of it all. We had a chance to really savor each moment as it was.
And honestly? I’d do it again.
