Disney Parks Adventure: Magic Kingdom Princess Experience

Are you looking for a vacation spot that appeals equally to both adults and children? Consider a Disney Parks Adventure: Magic Kingdom Princess Experience!

One of the best parts of having children is that we get to relive our childhood. After visiting six times now, we have to say that we think the best place to be a big kid again is at Disney World. A Disney vacation invariably yields special memories that our family will always treasure. The park has something for everyone.

Magic Kingdom Princesses

This year our daughter turned eight, and so for her birthday we decided to plan a trip to Disney and at the same time book a Magic Kingdom Princess Experience for her. We must say that we will remember the joy on her face forever and highly recommend that you consider splurging, too, and let your daughters be princesses for a day. Be sure to book in advance (up to 60 days ahead), though, as the princess events can fill up very quickly.

Following is a recap of the wonderfully special day we enjoyed:

Before your trip, have your daughter send a postcard to her favorite princess. The princess will write back, and your daughter will be doubly excited for the trip.
If you can, book the princess suite and package at your Walt Disney World resort hotel. Usually the package means a special letter and treat from the hotel’s princess. (You don’t need to buy the tiara because your child will receive one at other events.) We stayed in the Royal Guest Rooms at Port Orleans Resort-Riverside, where we were greeted by a beautiful proclamation and welcome letter from Princess Fiona. The rooms are beautifully and imaginatively decorated, and your princess (or prince) can set off the fiber-optic fireworks on the headboard. (We should warn that you can’t get a king-sized bed at this hotel, so we usually prefer to stay at the Yacht Club Resort or the Grand Floridian.)

Our Princess and the Fiber-Optic Headboard

Before the trip be sure to get your princess dress online or at a local store, since they are marked up significantly at the resort.
If possible, plan your trip to coincide with your child’s birthday. He or she will get a special birthday button and be entitled to a birthday greeting by every Disney cast member. Sometimes there are special surprises as well. Purchase a Disney lanyard to display the buttons and fun pins you can buy along the way.
Be sure to book a hair appointment at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, followed by lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Since the appointment, even with make-up and nails, lasts only an hour, we found that an 11 o’clock salon appointment, followed by lunch at Cinderella’s castle, worked out perfectly.
For the best day, we recommend arriving at the park when it opens (at 8:30). Take the train to Fantasyland, and then go to the Enchanted Reading with Belle right away, since the line for this can be very long. On the way, grab a Fast Pass+ for the Barnstormer and Dumbo the Flying Elephant rides at one of the kiosks.
During the Enchanted Reading with Belle, your child will perform in an adorable play. It is really fun for her to be in the costume you’ve already bought!

Enchanted Reading with Belle

After you’ve hit Belle’s, and while you are waiting for your next Fast Pass+, consider going to Big Top Souvenirs. There, if it is your child’s birthday, he or she can be Chef for the Day. Our daughter was able to help decide the menu for the day in the big, open-air kitchen in the middle of the store. She decided to make Rice Krispy treats. Your Chef for the Day can come back several times during the day to help out or grab a snack.

Chef for the Day at Big Top Treats

After spending some down time at Big Top Souvenirs, stop by the Journey of The Little Mermaid and Ariel’s Grotto, both of which are right next door.
If your family needs a bite, the only healthy snack we found in all of Disney World is at Gaston’s Tavern, where you have a choice of chips and hummus, veggies and dip or a fruit cup. The park needs to provide more protein. They definitely serve too many carbs!
Before 11 o’clock, we walked to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. We had such a wonderful time during our salon appointment. Moms can sit across from their daughters and really enjoy all the fun. Girls have the pleasure of choosing from a variety of hairstyles, complete with princess tiaras, sashes and special pink knapsacks.

Visiting the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

After the beauty session, proceed across the Cinderella Castle walkway to lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Your daughter and you get photographed with Cinderella and then go upstairs to lunch, where all of the Disney Princesses come to your table for autographs and hugs. The lunch is delicious, and the menu offers many healthy options for both children and adults.

Lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table

Unfortunately we had made the mistake of ordering our own birthday cake, tiara and balloon, in addition to the lunch, for $90. It turned out that this package is not needed, as the lunch features a festive dessert cake. Carrying our balloon and leftover cake around the park the rest of the afternoon turned out to be both a royal pain (no pun intended) and a comedy routine. Balloons are fun, but they are not a great way to make friends on buses or on the airplane ride home.

Making a Wish at Disney World’s Cinderella’s Royal Table

Meanwhile, while we girls enjoyed our Princess Experience, the boys had been hitting the Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain and Test Track at Epcot.
While you can greet the princesses again at the Town Square Theater throughout the day, the best place to collect autographs is at the lunch, because you avoid the long lines.
In the afternoon, you can hit Peter Pan’s Flight, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and the Mad Tea Party. We also squeezed in Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain and Lightyear Astro Blasters. Exhausted, we adults rested during the buffet dinner at the Crystal Palace, while the children met a multitude of other Disney characters.

With Eeyore at the Crystal Palace

To cap off the perfect day, we finished the night watching the beautiful Main Street Electric Parade and “Celebrate the Magic,” the gorgeous nighttime castle projection show.

For additional help in planning your trip, we’d like to recommend:

Magical Trip Planner, by Mona Lane, for creative and affordable Disney World trips, and
Valerie Wilson Travel for high-end luxury trips with the ability to schedule a VIP guided park experience

While we truly loved our Disney Parks Adventure: Magic Kingdom Princess Experience, we were able to visit only a small sample of the many other attractions. We do recommend, if possible, allowing at least two or three days to experience the Magic Kingdom fully.

Those of you with daughters, be sure to plan a Disney Parks Adventure: Magic Kingdom Princess Experience for them!

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