Our 2026 Disney World Vacation, Days 5 & 6 - Magic Kingdom & Home

I’m finally recapping the last of our Disney trip today!  I intended to have it up last week, but time got away from me, and this was a very time-consuming post, y’all!  Let’s get started!

Since we stayed at a Disney property, we had access to early entry in the parks, so we were up at 5:30 AM.  Waking up that early isn’t my favorite way to start the day, but it sure is a lot easier when you know you’re waking up to spend the day at Magic Kingdom!  ;o)

We got showered and ready as fast as we could, and we were heading to the bus stop before 6:30 AM.  A bus arrived at 6:36 AM, and we were on our way!

We arrived so early (prior to 7 AM) that they hadn’t even started scanning magic bands for early entry, so we jumped in one of the insanely long lines, and thankfully, they moved super-fast! 

The park opened promptly at 7 AM, and we were one of the first people in the park, which meant that it was time to take pictures by the castle.  If you do that first thing in the morning, you can always get great shots with minimal people in the background!  And if you’ve never been, just know that they have Disney photographers staged every 50 feet or so from the time you walk in on Main Street all the way until you reach the castle.  The lines for the first stations end up being really long (probably because people don’t realize that there are more photographers along the way) so be sure to keep walking and take your pictures with the photographer closest to the castle!  You won’t have to wait in a long line (we only had one family in front of us) and you’ll get way better pictures. 

As a matter of fact, after we took pictures with the last photographer in front of the castle, I spied a photographer standing even closer to the castle and off to the side a bit.  She had nobody waiting, we stopped to take pictures again, and I love how these turned out even more than the first ones!  We were also able to take our time with her because nobody was in line behind us.  She even took a video with my phone so I could have one for the One Second a Day video that I do every year.  Oh, and the sun was just rising, so the castle looked particularly stunning!

As I mentioned in my previous post for our Animal Kingdom day, I had grabbed a birthday pin to wear in MK all day since my birthday was only four days away.  It added such an extra layer of fun because I got lots of birthday wishes from cast members, characters, and other random people.  I had two birthday wishes before 7 AM!  Everyone is just so friendly at Disney!

After we were done taking pictures, we speedwalked to Tomorrowland Speedway.  We arrived there at 7:22 AM and we had to wait for them to start running the ride as no rides started running until 7:30 AM.  We were third in line for that, so we jumped right on!

After that, we rode Barnstormer with no wait.  We rode Dumbo the Flying Elephant with only a five-minute wait.  Then, the kids wanted to ride Barnstormer again, so we rode that again with no wait.  We had a lightning lane for Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid by the time we were done with all those rides, so we went to ride that next and we didn’t have to wait there either.  Whew! 

By the time we were done with all of that, The Haunted Mansion was open, so we rode that with no wait, and then we rode Pirates of the Caribbean with no wait.  Then we had a lightning lane for Jungle Cruise (our first time ever riding it!), so we did that next.

For anyone keeping track, we took photos in two PhotoPass spots and rode eight rides… all by 9:00 AM.  Impressive, right?!  And normally, we would have ridden Big Thunder Mountain Railroad while we were in that area, but it was closed while we were there because they had been refurbishing it for 16 months.

After that, the kids wanted ice cream for breakfast, and I wasn’t going to say no to that, so they grabbed Mickey ice cream sandwiches, and we watched the boats come down the big hill at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure while they ate.  Brian and I had already eaten protein bars while we were waiting to get on Jungle Cruise, so we didn’t partake in the ice cream treats. 

On another note, we’ve never ridden Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and we didn’t ride it when it was Splash Mountain either.  I did ride it when I was in 7th grade, but I’m the only one because Brian and the kids have never ridden it at all.  And none of us really want to either, since you get so wet.  Haha.

We ducked into a mercantile for sunscreen after that, and when we came out, we saw Country Bear and Romeo (I had to look those names up because I didn’t know them – LOL) and we watched them for a few minutes.  I also took a quick look at my steps, because, HOLY MOLY, that’s a lot of steps before 9:45 AM!!

After that, we decided to do another thing that we’d never done before – pull the sword out of the stone!  All four of us attempted it, and none of us were able to do it despite our best efforts, but we got some pictures to prove that we tried!  Unfortunately, there was a guy standing directly behind the photo spot and he was totally clueless that he was in the shot, so his leg is sticking out in most of our photos.  Haha.

We had a lightning lane for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, so we rode that next.  We’d only ridden it for the first time on our last trip, and everybody loved it more than we thought we would, so we made sure to ride it again this year.

We had never ridden the carrousel, so we got in line for that next since the line is never terribly long.  While we were waiting, we saw Anastasia and Drizella (Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters) riding it.  So fun!  We’d hoped that they’d stay on for our ride, too, but they got off before we got on.  We did get to see them right after our ride, though, since they were still hanging out in the area!  They were surely in character, too… just look at that mean mugging that Drizella was doing.  Haha.

We had a lightning lane for Mad Tea Party, so we headed there next.  I skipped out on that in 2024 because of my vertigo and dizziness, but this year, Brian and I decided to ride separately from the kids so I could ride.  They love to spin like crazy, but I didn’t want to trigger anything since I’ve been doing well, so it was nice because we were all able to ride, but I didn’t have to suffer through the mad spinning.  Haha.

The kids always love PeopleMover, so we jumped in that line since we were in the area, and we didn’t have to wait long at all.  We were all wanting to get off our feet for a bit, too, and that’s the perfect way to do it.  Normally, we would have hit up Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin while we were in that area, too, but it was also closed for refurbishment while we were there.  I think it opened just a couple of days after we got home.  Boooo.

It was 11 AM at that point, and we were all hungry since we’d been up for so long.  Plus, we had an early dinner reservation that we wanted to be good and hungry for, so we decided to eat an early lunch.  There really aren’t many quick service options in Magic Kingdom so we always eat at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café.  It’s just burgers and sandwiches, and there’s nothing special about it, but it’s massive so it’s always easy to find a table, and it’s usually quick to get in and out. 

Since we went at 11 AM, there was hardly anyone in line, and we had our pick of the tables.  We opted to sit by the window nearest to the castle, and we also had a view of the moat that had been drained.  They drained it in February to do some repairs and repaint the castle, so it was completely dry and there was some equipment in there, which was odd to see.  So much construction on this Disney trip!

When we were done with lunch, we walked over to Enchanted Tales with Belle.  It’s an interactive show where they pick adults and kids from the audience to be part of the production.  Our kids never volunteer because they don’t like getting up in front of people, but Brian got pulled up to be a castle guard, much to his dismay.  He was a good sport, though.  Haha.  After the show, everyone who was in the show + all the kids in the room were able to take pictures with Belle, so I was the only one who didn’t get to.  Boooo.  Haha.  I’m sure they would have let me if I had asked, but I got my picture with her on our last trip, so it wasn’t a big deal.

The wait for that was about 25 minutes, and I think that’s the longest we waited for any ride in all of Magic Kingdom, which wasn’t too bad at all.  Don’t get me wrong, though… MK was PACKED the day we were there.

Brian’s and Jacob’s lightning lanes for Tron were available at that point, so we all walked over to the ride, and Olivia and I settled in to see if we could spot them.  We did end up getting to see them, and I got it on video!  Also, Jacob's face in those pictures – priceless.  Hahahaha.

The kids wanted snacks after that, so we all indulged in ice cream treats from Storybook Treats.  Brian, Jacob, and Olivia all got the Aurora cup, which is Dole whip strawberry ice cream and blue vanilla ice cream swirled together and topped with white chocolate pearls, and I got vanilla soft serve with hot fudge.  We took our treats and found a patch of shade to enjoy them since it was sunny, and it had gotten warm. 

When we were done with those, we scoped out the line to pull the sword out of the stone – we all wanted a redo since that guy had been in our photos, LOL – but the line was soooo long, and nobody wanted to wait.

Instead, we decided to use our lightning lane for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!  I skipped that ride the last time we were there since I was still going through vertigo and dizziness issues, so I was excited to be able to ride it this time (even though I was a little worried).  It’s soooo smooth, and not jerky at all, so I didn’t need to worry at all.  I felt totally fine afterward! 

We took a bathroom break in the Rapunzel bathrooms (they’re soooo pretty) and then we started making our way to Adventureland.  On the way there, we saw that Aladdin and Jasmine were available for pictures!!!!  We’ve been to Disney World four times in the last eight years, and we have never seen Aladdin (we’d already met Jasmine), so that was a big bucket list check for me.  I wanted to meet him so bad, but the line was crazy long, and we didn’t want to waste too much time.  Instead, I snuck a couple of pictures of him from afar, and he just happened to catch my eye while I was taking them.  Haha.

We made our way to The Beak and Barrel next because we had a reservation to have some cocktails.  The Beak and Barrel is a new bar that just opened, and it’s Pirates of the Caribbean themed.  You have a 45-minute time limit since they have so many people to get in and out. 

They ended up seating us at Captain Jack Sparrow’s Head Table in the Captain’s Room, and since it was such a long table, they seated us with another family of four.  We hit it off with the other family – the mom runs a Disney influencer business on the side from her day job since they live so close to the parks and can visit frequently.  They have two little girls, both younger than our kiddos, and they were all so nice.  Both of us moms were getting our families to do boomerangs with our drinks, so we ended up doing one with the whole table.  Haha.

Brian ordered the Plunderer’s Punch (The Kraken Black Spiced Rum, Blackberry, Lime, and Vanilla) and it’s served in a souvenir pirate skull mug that he got to take home.  I opted for the Siren’s Whisper (Pot & Column Still White Rum Blend, Bols Blue Curacao Liqueur, Combier Crème de Peche de Vigne Liqueur, Lime, and Cinnamon) and it was good, but I liked Brian’s better!  I’ll be getting that one next time, assuming the menu is the same.  ;o)

Our kids don’t like specialty drinks, so they didn’t want anything.  They did see that there was a specialty drink that came with chocolate cookies, so we asked the server if there was any way to get some of the cookies without ordering the whole drink and, of course, she obliged.  Disney always goes above and beyond!

The kids at the table with us ended up ordering one of the other specialty drinks (The Treasure Trove) and when our kids saw all the snacks that came with it, they asked if they could split one and just not drink the drink.  Haha.  We all passed around the drink to try (Ube, Lemon, and Coconut) and the kids ate all the treasures (a Vanilla Cake Plank, a Chocolate Cannonball, and Golden Caramel Popcorn).

We had that 45-minute limit, so our server got us out of there right on time, and it was enough time!  So, if you’re thinking of trying it, we thought it was worth it.  The cocktails are expensive, but we enjoyed the whole experience as they have some interactive things that happen inside the bar.  We will definitely be going back at some point!

When we walked out, we realized that it had been POURING the whole time we were in the bar.  Magic Kingdom floods terribly when it rains, and there was standing water everywhere.  Thankfully, the rain had slowed down almost to a stop, and after a quick check of the radar, we saw that there was nothing else coming, so we didn’t have to get out the ponchos.  Talk about perfect timing!

We had to walk right by Aladdin and Jasmine again on our way out, and there was NO LINE.  I got so excited, but then I realized that there was no line because they were leaving.  Hahahaha.  I did snap one more picture of them, though.  Stalkerrrr.  Haha.  ;o)

We had a lightning lane to ride The Haunted Mansion again, so we walked over there next.  And on the way, the kids wanted to stop by the pillory (I thought it was a guillotine but Brian corrected me... he said it's technically a pillory since there's no blade).  Their faces.  Hahahaha.

On the way into The Haunted Mansion, I had to snap a picture because they had a MASSIVE tarp covering the whole house… we’re assuming they are refurbishing it, but I have no clue.  Leave it to Disney to have the fanciest thing ever to cover up their construction to keep the magic alive!

On this round, we knew exactly where our pictures were taken in the mansion, so we did funny poses.  Haha.

Brian and the kids wanted to ride Space Mountain since their lightning lane was available, so we walked all the way across the park, but it was temporarily closed, so we walked around for a bit, we took the coolest PhotoPass picture behind the castle, and then decided to go ahead and go to Be Our Guest for our 5 PM dinner reservation.  When Brian checked in, he asked if we could be seated in the main ballroom, and after a 20-minute wait, we were seated at a table in the back right corner of the main ballroom.  It was perfect.

First up, we ordered a round of cocktails and Brian and I both got the Roses & Rhubarb – Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Tempus Fugit Crème de Noyaux Liqueuer, and Fee Brothers Rhubarb and Cardamom Bitters.  I have no clue what some of that stuff is, but it was delicious.  Haha.  They also brought out a big baguet of crusty bread with a garlic butter spread and oh my word, it was delicious.  We ate the entire thing!

Brian and I both got the mixed greens salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and Dijon vinaigrette for appetizers, and then we both got the grilled filet mignon with garlic confit mashed potatoes, haricots verts, and brandy-peppercorn sauce for our entrée.  The kids both opted for the fruit and cheese plate for their apps, and then Jacob had the chicken strips and Olivia had the macaroni & cheese for the millionth time on the trip.  Haha.  Everything was soooo delicious and it was the perfect meal to end the trip! 

Towards the end of dinner, Artemis II was getting ready to launch, and since we were in Florida, we were hoping we could see it, so the kids and I ran outside for a few minutes to watch.  I thought it was probably an odd thing to do to leave dinner to see it, but we didn’t want to miss it since my brother worked on the project.  Much to our surprise, there were lots of other people who had left the restaurant to do the same thing.  Haha. 

I had already mapped it out with my phone compass on the way in, so I knew exactly which direction to look, and we cued up the live feed on NASA TV.  Unfortunately, it was cloudy in the direction where the rocket launched, so we didn’t get to see it, but we did get to see the smoke plume between two of the clouds.  I circled it in the picture below because otherwise you might miss it.  Haha.

When we got back in the restaurant, we finished our dinner, and then they brought out dessert – a blooming rose filled with “the grey stuff”, complete with a birthday candle for my almost birthday.  Brian got the same thing, and the kids got the dessert duo from the kid’s menu.

We wrapped up dinner a little after 7 PM, and then we walked straight to Peter Pan’s Flight for our lightning lane.  After that, we squeezed in Brian and the kids’ Space Mountain lightning lane since it was back open, and I waited for them outside.  I didn’t want to ride since it takes place in the dark.  I was worried about my neck getting messed up since I wouldn’t be able to see and brace myself for each hill and turn.  It was also Olivia’s first time riding it, and she loved it.  Four years ago, she almost rode it, but she decided against it right when we got to the front of the line, and two years ago she didn’t want to ride it at all, so I was proud of her for stepping outside her comfort zone this time. 

By the time they were done riding, it was almost dark, and it was time to take a bathroom break and find a spot for the fireworks.  Magic Kingdom now does a nighttime parade before the fireworks, so the whole area of Main Street was already so packed.  We finally found a spot and were marveling at our good luck only to find out that the entire area we were in was going to have to close down after the parade and before the fireworks show.  So, we walked closer to the castle, and we ended up making our way through the crowd to find a spot.  So many people sit down and spread out while they wait, so there was a lot of extra space when everyone had to stand up. 

We got into our spot at 8:30 PM which was just minutes before the parade started, and although we didn’t have a great spot for the parade, the floats are huge, so we were able to see pretty well.

The fireworks started shortly after that, and of course, we were able to see those well since they’re in the sky.  It was magical as always!

After the fireworks show, Jacob wanted to ride Tomorrowland Speedway again because the first time we rode it the person in front of him was going super slow, so he had to go slow, too.  We were able to get a lightning lane for it, so we walked right on.  Riding it at night was really neat, too.  We’d never done that before.

I really wanted to get pictures with the lanterns near Aurora’s tower, but the lines were soooo long, so we decided against it.  The line to pull the sword out of the stone was too long, too, so we skipped that as well. 

We ended the night walking through the castle and taking one more set of PhotoPass pictures in front of it, and then we ducked in a few souvenir shops so Olivia could look around.  She ended up not purchasing anything, and we left the park at 10:45 PM. 

We were back at the hotel by 11:15 PM, and the boys were excited to see that the big chess board was finally available.  But it was so late that they just posed for a picture with it, and then we headed back to the room.

The cleaning service had been through again, and they had arranged all our stuff on the beds nicely again, which the kids loved. 

They both got showered, and while they did that, Brian and I packed up everything that we could, and I also snapped a picture of my watch for the day.  Look at my stand ring!  I was on my feet for 19 hours that day!  Whew.

We were all in bed by midnight, and then we slept in until 8:45 AM the next morning because we were exhausted.  After getting ready, we walked to the café in the hotel to grab a few more beignets for breakfast + some eggs and sausage for Jacob and pancakes and sausage for Olivia, and then we walked back to our room, admiring all the little Easter bunny towels in the hotel windows. 

We got packed, left the hotel just before 11 AM, we stopped at Panera on the way home for lunch, and we were back home by dinnertime.  Traffic was surprisingly not too terrible!

And that was our trip!  Hope to see you again in 2028, Disney!

And just in case you want to see our entire day summarized, here it is…

 

Summary:

Hours spent in park – 15.75 (7:00 AM – 10:45 PM)

Rides/Attractions – 19

Shows Watched – 2

Characters met – 3

Autographs obtained – 0

Disney Photo Pass pictures and videos taken – 80

Steps taken – 20,817

Miles walked – 9.17

Weather – Mostly sunny with one rain storm, high of 83 degrees, low of 64 degrees

 

Schedule:

Wake at 5:30 AM

Walk to bus stop at 6:15 AM

Bus at 6:36 AM

Arrive 6:50 AM

Gates opened 7:00 AM

PhotoPass Pictures at the castle (everyone)

PhotoPass Pictures at the castle, round 2 (everyone)

Tomorrowland Speedway (everyone)

Barnstormer (everyone)

Dumbo the Flying Elephant (everyone)

Barnstormer (everyone)

LL – Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid (everyone)

Haunted Mansion (everyone)

Pirates of the Caribbean (everyone)

LL – Jungle Cruise (everyone)

Snacks in Adventureland (everyone)

Watched Tiana’s Bayou boats (everyone)

Mercantile for sunscreen (everyone)

Met Country Bear and Romeo (everyone)

Pull the sword out of the stone (everyone)

LL – The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (everyone)

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel (everyone)

LL – Mad Tea Party (everyone)

PeopleMover (everyone)

Lunch at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café (everyone)

Enchanted Tales with Belle (everyone)

LL – Tron (Brian, Jacob)

Snacks at Storybook Ice Cream (everyone)

LL – Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train (everyone)

Took pictures of Aladdin and Jasmine (everyone)

Reservation – The Beak and Barrel for cocktails (everyone)

LL – Haunted Mansion (everyone)

Reservation – Be Our Guest for dinner (everyone)

LL – Peter Pan (everyone)

LL – Space Mountain (Brian, Jacob, Olivia)

Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away Night Parade (everyone)

Happily Ever After Fireworks Show (everyone)

LL – Tomorrowland Speedway (everyone)

Walk around park a little (everyone)

PhotoPass Pictures at the castle at night (everyone)

Souvenir shopping (everyone)

Left park at 10:45 PM (everyone)

 

And if you missed any of the rest of the days from our trip, you can see them below!

 Disney by the Numbers

Disney Springs

Hollywood Studios

Epcot

Animal Kingdom/Pool

Happy Monday, y’all!