Magic Kingdom has a new welcome show that takes place in front of the castle. You can read all of the details here. We made it today to see it (we had company come in for the Alabama game and couldn’t make it on the first day) and it was quite interesting. Here are 5 observations you need to know:
1. Leave even earlier – We arrived at the TTC at 7:15 AM and did not get to the security tables until 7:43 AM. We were stuck in security for a good 15 minutes since they were sending everyone though the metal detectors. They had only 2 detectors and it was a major bottleneck waiting to go through them. They opened the Magic Kingdom at 7:48 AM to let people enter Main Street.
2. Take your time or rush? – There are plenty of things open on Main Street including The Emporium, The Confectionery, The Bakery, Casey’s Corner and Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (they serve waffles). There are also multiple Photopass photographers waiting to take your picture. So should you take your time or rush? They are almost doing away with the mass stampede into the park.
3. Breakfast in the park – There are 3 restaurants open on Main Street that serve breakfast. Main Street Bakery is your stop for Starbucks drinks as well as fresh pastries and baked goods. Casey’s Corner has more hearty breakfast foods including a hashbrown hotdog. Plaza Ice Cream Parlor is serving waffles and cereal. You can even get ice cream if you would like. So should you have breakfast? That is the big question!
4. Which rope to choose – There are multiple ropes where you can line up to enter the park. The main draws are Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, 7 Dwarfs Mine Train and Space Mountain. You need to decide ahead of time which of those attractions you are most interested in heading to and line up at that rope. By lining up at many of these ropes you will miss being able to see the Welcome Show in front of the castle.
5. The Welcome Show is less than 5 minutes – It started at 8:55 AM and ended just before 9 AM. It is cute, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t feel the same love as I did for the original show. I loved watching the characters ride in on the train where this show just opens a curtain at the Castle doors and the characters walk out. Getting a good spot for the show means you are sacrificing a good spot in the attraction lines. You can line up at the 2 ropes that block the paths that go through the castle, but you are held at those ropes an extra 1.5 – 2 minutes as they wait for all of the characters to go backstage. Decisions, decisions!