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We Can’t Wait For These New Experiences at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

50th-disney-world
Credit: Disney Tips

There are so many things we miss about Walt Disney World, and especially Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park, that it’s impossible to fit them all into a single article.  

It’s been a little while since we packed our bags and headed off on a magical vacation to WDW, so practically everything in the Parks has taken on the rosy glow of nostalgia!

In addition to our favorite old reliable attractions, restaurants, and experiences, there are a few things that are either new to Magic Kingdom since the last time we visited, or that we’re finally getting around to experiencing for the first time on this trip.  

Here are a few things we’re excited to experience at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park later this year.

Disney Enchantment

In its never-ending quest to bring Guests the absolute best of everything, Disney periodically shelves old fireworks shows and introduces new ones on an even grander scale.  

While it can be tough to say goodbye to beloved nighttime spectaculars that have been a staple in a Park for years, we admittedly feel a thrill of excitement every time there’s a brand-new fireworks show to dazzle us anew.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks

Credit: Disney

The new nighttime spectacular at Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park is Disney Enchantment, and it’s part of the celebration for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World, so you know it’s fabulous.  

Like previous fireworks shows like Wishes and Happily Ever After in the Park, Enchantment features uplifting Disney music, jaw-dropping lighting effects, and the best fireworks display Guests could ask for. 

But for the first time, the stunning lighting effects won’t be confined to Cinderella Castle – they’ll incorporate Main Street, U.S.A., as well. There’s also a new song written specifically for Enchantment by Philip Lawrence, a 7-time Grammy award winner.  

We can’t wait to be enchanted by the newest nighttime spectacular at Magic Kingdom.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

There’s nothing new about Cinderella’s Royal Table, the VIP dining experience inside (yes, inside!) Cinderella Castle.  

But one of our most anticipated experiences this time around in Disney’s Magic Kingdom is dining at this classy spot for the first time – at long last!

This table service restaurant has traditionally been a character dining experience (which we avoid as a rule because interaction with Disney characters as we stuff our mouths full of all-you-can-eat grub fills one of us with utter anxiety).  

But since it reopened, character dining has not returned to this spot, meaning it’s the perfect time to book a meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table without Disney princesses watching you eat!  

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Credit: Disney

We can’t wait to gaze around this magnificent restaurant and indulge in a dining experience that makes us feel like royalty!  
Who knows, maybe we’ll even call ahead and order the exquisite Chocolate Glass Slipper Dessert to mark the occasion.

Festival of Fantasy Parade 

Guests who have visited Walt Disney World since the pandemic changed all of our lives will be familiar with Character Cavalcades: smaller, quicker mini-parades that replaced pre-pandemic parades of yore.  

Props to Disney for finding a way to make it possible for Guests to safely see their favorite characters, if in a modified format!  

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Credit: Disney

But, let’s get real – who else is ready for the Festival of Fantasy Parade to finally return to Magic Kingdom? We sure are!  

The engaging floats, the music, the dancing, favorite characters from Disney’s animated films, the thrilling spectacle of it all – we can’t wait to experience it again. And we won’t have long to wait, happily. Disney’s Festival of Fantasy Parade returns to Magic Kingdom on March 9, 2022.

Cinderella Castle Beacons of Magic Makeover

Disney is pulling out all the stops for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. One of the special treats in store for Guests is a magical transformation of each WDW Park icon (Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Space Mountain at EPCOT, and the Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios) into Beacons of Magic.

We can’t wait to see Cinderella Castle come to life as a Beacon of Magic! The transformation happens approximately every 15 minutes, starting around dusk.  

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Credit: Disney

50th Anniversary Treats

Move over, DOLE Whip: Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration treats are here!  

Walt Disney World is full of quick service and table service locations that are offering special dishes to celebrate WDW’s golden anniversary, and Magic Kingdom Park is no exception. We plan to take full advantage on our next WDW vacation.

Guests can check out the My Disney Experience mobile app for all the details, but a few celebratory treat standouts at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park include the Mickey Mouse Dome Cake at Gaston’s Tavern, Happy Haunts Milkshake at Columbia Harbour House, Uncle Orville’s Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow Sundae at Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies, Mr. Toad Dome Cake at Friar’s Nook, Royal 50th Churros at the Frontierland Churro Cart, Adventureland Colada at Skipper Canteen, and Walt’s Chili-Cheese Dog and Walt’s Chili-Cheese Fries at Casey’s Corner.

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Credit: Disney

Phew! We may need to extend our vacation by a week just to squeeze in all of the 50th anniversary eats we want to try.

Bottom Line

We can’t wait to show our Magic Kingdom favorites some love on our next Walt Disney World Trip. Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Grey Stuff, Main Street Confectionery, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover – we’re looking at you!

But we’re also looking forward to experiencing some firsts at Disney’s Magic Kingdom this year. Whether it’s a classic restaurant that we’ve never had time to try or an experience that didn’t exist the last time we visited Walt Disney World, we can’t wait to give these new, or new-to-us, experiences a try.  

What are you looking forward to experiencing on your next trip to Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park?

About Stacy Milford

Stacy has lived in 4 countries on 3 continents, and travels whenever humanly possible. Passionate about music theatre, dessert, and adventure in the great wide somewhere, she visits Walt Disney World every year, usually during Halloween! Stacy currently divides her time between writing and teaching English as a second language to children in China, and is pretty sure growing up is over-rated.