Family Traditions at the Magic Kingdom

Over the years, our family has established certain traditions and routines when it comes to visiting Walt Disney World.That’s one of the amazing things about the parks. Everyone encounters the same physical objects, landmarks, characters, and attractions, but no one experiences them in quite the same way. We bring our personal and family history with us, and they shape how we experience the magic.

For instance, we always start by going left in the Magic Kingdom. Once you leave Main Street USA, the rest of the park is a wheel that revolves around the hub whose center is the “Partners” statue. Somewhere along the line, we decided that it made the most sense to go left into Adventureland first thing in the morning. Our rationale? We’d heard somewhere that people have a natural tendency to veer right, meaning that the bulk of the morning traffic would head into Tomorrowland. I’ve since seen other studies suggesting just the opposite, but the veracity of the science isn’t really the point. Because of that idea, we ALWAYS begin our Magic Kingdom days in Adventureland.

After crossing the bridge, the first attraction you encounter is the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. If you’ve never toured the treehouse, well, you aren’t alone. It seems that people breeze right past it. There’s never a crowd, so exploring the elaborate structure is a leisurely experience. As we walk through the house, our family discusses which rooms each of us wants to claim. Our plan is to move into the park through clandestine means, live in the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, and never, ever leave the Magic Kingdom. Our son inevitably claims the library. Our daughter has laid claim to the Master Bedroom, which I suppose leaves my wife and I with Fritz and Ernst’s room.

Once we finish with the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, we head straight for the Jungle Cruise before the line gets too long. This is, without a doubt, one of our favorite attractions in all of Walt Disney World. We’re those annoying people who have memorized all the Skipper’s patter and can recite the jokes along with them. We cheer as loud as possible when we pass the Backside of Water!!!!! It’s the Eighth Wonder of the World, if you weren’t already aware. This little habit is so ingrained in our family’s psyche that we do it outside the parks. Pass behind a fountain? Everyone cheer for the backside of water!

After the Jungle Cruise, we cut to the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. Though there’s usually a small line, it’s never very long. This brings us to another time honored tradition. The person controlling the carpet’s up and down movement tries to get us as close as possible to the spitting camel’s stream of water without getting wet. OR, depending on mood, making it so only the people in the other seats get wet.

By the time we disembark from the carpets, Aloha Isle has finally opened and it’s time for the most important of our Adventureland Traditions: the dole whip breakfast. Soft serve ice cream for breakfast? It’s 100% acceptable at Disney. It’s not just acceptable. It’s practically required. If we skipped it, there would be a full scale riot. The kids would probably be pretty upset too.
After that, it’s a coin flip. We might head to the Enchanted Tiki Room (where the birds sing words and the flowers croon) or we might cut over to Frontierland to spend a little quality time with the Country Bears.

That is how every one of our trips to the Magic Kingdom begins. It’s a tradition that borders on superstitious ritual, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

What are some of your park traditions?