“Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.”
Nothing beats that early morning stroll down Main Street, USA: the freshly cleaned streets, the sun rising over Cinderella Castle, catching the Main Street Trolley Show and Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire performances as the sweet aroma of Main Street Bakery fills the air. We all have those special memories of Magic Kingdom in the daytime, but have you ever stayed until after park closure?
As my children grow up, we spend less time rushing back to our room in the evenings for bedtime routines and spend more time enjoying the parks in the evenings as the crowds began to disperse. One of our favorite amenities when staying at a Disney deluxe hotel is the Extended Evening Hours benefit. This is when a certain park will stay open later on select nights only for guests of Disney deluxe hotels.
During one special holiday trip while we were staying at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort, which just so happens to be my favorite Disney resort during the holiday season, we grabbed dinner at Geyser Point (view menu here). Afterwards, my eldest daughter and I took the 7pm ferry to Magic Kingdom Park to delight in magical mother-daughter bonding time and closed down the park.
The ferry is our favorite method of Disney transportation. The Magic Kingdom ferry will take you from Contemporary Resort, Polynesian Village Resort, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Wilderness Lodge, and Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground to Magic Kingdom.
Entering Magic Kingdom Park at night offers a distinctly different experience compared to the morning. By later in the evening most guests, especially those with younger children, are exiting the park for the day. A holiday stroll down Main Street, USA with my seven-year-old in hand was magical. Since we were two ladies enjoying the evening, I did not have to worry about bringing the usual caravan of bags or a stroller. We had four hours to enjoy the park until it closed for the night, and we did just that.
Since most of the crowds had left for the night, we enjoyed our favorite rides without waiting in a long line or reserving our spots ahead of time! We had a 30-minute wait for Peter Pan’s flight and a 20-minute wait to take the Floating Lantern photo by Rapunzel’s Tower. Other than that, we breezed right through each line. We were able to ride our favorite nighttime attractions: Pirates of the Caribbean, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
As the crowds began to race for their exit and transportation, we decided to head for the train station where we took our last photo of the night in front a vacant Main Street, USA.
We both fell asleep snuggled up on the last ferry heading back to the Wilderness Lodge at midnight. Magical moments were made that night at Magic Kingdom Park.
… And just like that, our magical night at the Magic Kingdom came to a close. As we drifted off to sleep, the memories of the empty streets, twinkling lights, and special moments filled our dreams. It was a night we’ll cherish forever.
Passports and Park Maps 