Disney World’s Magic Kingdom with Tweens

Disney’s Magic Kingdom with Tweens

I think traveling with tweenagers is a lot of fun, especially when heading to Disney’s Magic Kingdom with tweens. They are at a magical age where they can bathe, dress, and feed themselves, but they also still have that childlike wonder. And, Disney World is a great place to visit with tweens! Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re heading to the Magic Kingdom with your tweenagers:

**This information is from our trip to Disney World in February 2019. Tomorrowland Speedway & Walt Disney World Railroad were closed/being refurbished so we were unable to ride those attractions.

What I Love About Traveling to Disney World and Magic Kingdom with Tweens:

• They don’t need to be picked up and carried everywhere
• You don’t have to bring in a stroller and baby food or toddler snacks
• I didn’t even need a backpack since the kids don’t use diapers and other supplies that younger kids really need.
• Tweens can help with planning your trip! There is no shortage of information and YouTube Videos that kids can use to learn what rides and attractions they are most interested in!
• Tweens don’t have to go to bed at 7:30 and they are cool with staying up late. You can really enjoy the fireworks and late-night Magic Hours.
• They’ll ride the more exciting roller coaster rides with you
• Tweens can ride attractions alone or together – I don’t have to ride Astro Orbiter anymore! And, I can ride a few coasters with the hubs!

Take Them to the Mountains

Most teenagers are starting to really like thrill rides, and the Magic Kingdom has some great ones. My kiddos’ favorite rides were the “mountain” rides (including Seven Dwarfs Mine Train).

Splash Mountain

We all loved Splash Mountain! This ride is over 10 minutes long and it is very entertaining. There are 5 drops, but only one big one. And, yes, you will get wet.

Space Mountain

My kids LOVED Space Mountain!! This is a dark ride and you really feel like you are traveling in outer space. There were lots of twists, turns, and dips and it was very exciting.

This was honestly my least favorite of the mountains. I loved feeling like we were in outer space, but the ride itself felt “jerky” and made me a little “car sick”. Next time, I’m sitting outside with a Dole Whip while my kiddos ride this by themselves.

Thunder Mountain

We hopped on our train straight out of the Old West and began our ride. There are no major drops on this ride, but there are lots of twists and turns through the caverns and mountains.

If your kids like the Barnstormer and they are ready to move on to a slightly more thrilling ride, they will love Big Thunder Mountain.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Okay, so Seven Dwarfs Mine Train doesn’t have “Mountain” in the title, but I’m including it. This was my absolute favorite ride at the Magic Kingdom park. It is a very tame roller coaster and the ride is very smooth. I highly recommend this ride if you are headed to the Magic Kingdom park with your tweens.

I also loved all of the details – look for them as you wait in line and all along the coaster’s route! As you find yourself heading to the end of the ride, you can see Snow White dancing with Dopey in their house (and the witch is hiding right outside the door).

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin is a must-ride if you’re visiting Disney World with Tweens! Imagine being completely immersed inside a video game!

Let Them Be Little – If They Want To

The Magic Kingdom has a way of bringing out a person’s inner child- even tweens. We rode almost all of the above rides during our day at Magic Kingdom and we enjoyed all of them! The kids really liked the spinning rides like Dumbo, Magic Carpets, and Astro Orbiter. My absolute favorite was Peter Pan’s Flight!

Depending on your tween’s age and preferences, they may enjoy these “kiddie” rides:

• Peter Pan’s Flight – I loved that we were hanging from the ceiling in a boat, flying over London and throughout Peter and Wendy’s adventures. It is a dark ride, but it is not scary at all.
• It’s A Small World – An easy-going boat ride that takes you through different countries showcasing singing animatronic dolls.
• Mad Tea Party Teacups – Spinning, oversized teacups. They spin around the room and you can manually spin your teacup as well.
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant – Fly and spin with Dumbo
• Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid –Jump on your clamshell and enjoy the music and highlights of The Little Mermaid movie. This is a dark ride, but it isn’t scary at all (even though Ursula appears briefly at the end.
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin – Imagine the Dumbo ride, but with carpets

Kiddie Rides (continued)

• The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh – Jump into your Honey Pot to see Winnie Pooh and his friends and their adventures through the Hundred Acre Woods. The end is a little psychedelic, but it’s not scary.
• Prince Charming Regal Carousel – It’s a carousel… at Disney World
• Pirates of the Caribbean – This boat ride lasts about 9 minutes. It features over 125 animatronics and HUGE Pirate Ship. There are 3 Jack Sparrows – some are hidden a little so keep on the lookout for those.
• Astro Orbiter – Imagine the Dumbo ride on steroids…and espresso. You have to take an elevator to reach this ride and then your space ship flies very high as it spins. If you can handle all of the spinning, this ride offers some fantastic views.
• Transit People Mover – Sit back and relax for 10 whole minutes and enjoy this easy-going tour of Tomorrowland.
• Jungle Cruise- A river raft ride with lots of animatronics and funny jokes that kids will enjoy.
• Barnstormer – This seems like a perfect “first” roller coaster for little kids. It’s literally less than 2 minutes and it isn’t very intense.
• Liberty Square Riverboat – This steamboat takes you on a relaxing cruise around Tome Sawyer Island, and the boat ride lasts less than 20 minutes.
  

Get Plenty of Food, Water, and Rest

There is so much pressure to have a “perfect” Disney vacation. But, no family and no family trip is perfect. If your tween is moody at home, they will have moody moments at Disney World. And, if they like to test your patience at home, they’ll test your patience at Disney World. If your kids fight with each other at home…you get the point. Disney World is magical, but not that magical.

Kids of all ages need water, food, and rest. Disney World is so exciting that we don’t want to stop and do the things we need to do. I had to make my kids go to bed early the night before, and I had to make them eat before they were starving.

It’s not uncommon to see young kids or toddlers crying or having meltdowns at Disney World. The thing about tweenagers is they also get tired and hangry. Tweens can also have meltdowns when they feel bad or a ride breaks down and they feel disappointed. It may not be as dramatic as a toddler’s tantrum, but it can still happen.

Be Prepared for Disappointing Situations

We couldn’t get a Fastpass+ for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, so we ended up waiting in line for about an hour. We were next in line to board our train. And, then, we heard the dreaded voice came over the intercom. The ride was closing down – maybe for the rest of the day!

My kids were so upset and disappointed. There were anger and tears. Disney, of course, did their best to make it up to us by giving us more Fastpasses. We had a nice dinner at Columbia Harbour House and rested a bit. Then, we rode Aladdin’s Magic Carpet and Pirates of the Caribbean.

We kept checking our Disney Experience APP, and eventually, Seven Dwarfs was up and running again. We used our Fastpass+ to go straight to the front of the line. It was one of our favorite rides!

So, things will go wrong at Disney. And, tweens can have their own meltdowns. But, food, water, and a little rest can help everyone’s feelings a lot!

Take Breaks

Sometimes it’s good to just take a break. Many parents swear that going back to your hotel during the hottest part of the day is key to surviving a full park day. You can eat, nap, or swim/lounge at the pool for a few hours. Then, refreshed, you can head back to the park for more rides and the Happily Ever After Fireworks Show.

There are plenty of great spots to stop for a snack, coffee, and/or meal while you’re at Magic Kingdom. For a full list of Disney World restaurants Click HERE.

Enjoy the Shows & Parades

The Magic Kingdom has lots of entertaining shows. They are a great way to sit and relax a few minutes or get out of a rainstorm. These shows are also very entertaining. My kids’ favorites were Mickey’s PhilHarmagic and Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor.

Here’s a list of all the shows at Magic Kingdom to see with Tweens:

• Mickey’s PhilHarmagic – This 3-D Movie lasts about 11 minutes. The show is a lot of fun, and the kiddos will love all of the special effects.
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor – Located in Tomorrowland, this hilarious show interacts with the audience while telling jokes. You can even text a joke and it may be featured in the show.
• Enchanted Tales with Belle – Step into Maurice’s cottage and see characters from “Beauty and the Beast” come to life. 
• Country Bear Jamboree- This reminds me of the cheesy animatronics they used to have at Chuck E Cheeses. Yes, this is outdated, but it’s still a favorite and your kiddos may enjoy it.
• Hall of Presidents- This theater features 43 patriotic animatronics modeled after the current U.S. President and Presidents of the past. It seems that it’s meant to be educational, not political.
• The Muppets Present….Great Moments in History –located in Liberty Square, the muppets perform funny, historical sketches
• Dapper Dans –barbershop quartet sings favorite songs, located on Main Street, USA. There are usually a few shows in the morning.
• Enchanted Tiki Room – This show features 300 animatronic and flowers that sing Disney (and other) songs.
• Carousel of Progress –This 20-minute attraction takes you through the history and progression of technology all while sitting in a rotating, carousel theater.

Parades

The parades at Magic Kingdom are very exciting. You can check the daily schedule or the My Disney Experience APP to find out the exact times of the parades.

The Move It! Shake It! Mouskedance It! Street Party parade moves up Main Street, U.S.A. several times daily. It was scheduled for 3 shows on the day of our visit.

The Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade showcases all of the fairy tales from Fantasy Land. There is usually one parade in the afternoon.

P.S. My kiddos were too scared for the Haunted Mansion, but it seems to be very a very popular ride at Magic Kingdom among tweens!

Enjoy Your Time Together

They’re only young once, so have a great time and enjoy all your time together!

Happily Ever After Fireworks Show

Happily Ever After is a must-see at Magic Kingdom. You will be tired and your feet will be hurting. The area in front of the castle will be massively crowded. BUT, it is a beautiful show and 100% worth all of your effort!

Other Post You May Enjoy if Traveling with Tweens to Disney World:

• Hollywood Studios with Tweens
• Epcot with Tweens

Want to Save this Info for Later? Just Click PIN on the image below!

This post may contain affiliate links (many are NOT affiliates, just great companies that I use and like. Whether affiliate links or not, I only recommend brands that I love, use, and genuinely recommend). If you choose to use these links, I may be compensated at NO COST to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that support me and my blog!

Let's Be Friends! Follow Me:

• 
• 
• 
•