There is something magical about waking up on your first morning in Walt Disney World, knowing you have your whole holiday ahead of you. We always wake up early on day 1 as we’re still jet lagged, thinking we’re still on UK time.
It’s the perfect day to get up, and out into the parks. For us, Magic Kingdom has become the traditional first day park, and I can’t see that every changing.
After a quick breakfast in Sassagoula Float Works at French Quarter, we found the bus stops and didn’t have to wait very long at all for a bus to Magic Kingdom.
Travelling from French Quarter, the bus service takes you behind the entrance gates of Magic Kingdom, meaning we never drove up to the big sign this year. Not the end of the world, just something I noticed.
Everything felt really familiar this year and I was so grateful to be returning once again. Once we passed security before the entrance to Magic Kingdom, we decided that we would head over to the rand Floridian resort to see the Easter egg displays first.
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This was a great idea as we were able to get a boat across in the gorgeous weather, and our first Fastpass wasn’t until mid morning, as I had deliberately given us a later start in the parks, knowing we would be staying there most of the day.
The Easter egg display is amazing, and there are so many to look at in the grand lobby. We really wanted a coffee, but the quick service location at the Grand Floridian isn’t in the most convenient location, so we decided to take the monorail right around the circuit to the Polynesian.
I was hoping for a dole whip float, but they didn’t open for dole whip floats until midday, so a coffee and a snack it was.
We decided to take the boat back across to Magic Kingdom, before our first Fastpass on Haunted Mansion. I was expecting the parks to be really busy as it was Easter holidays, and also the end of Spring Break. I was pleasantly surprised that being a Monday, really warm and holidays that it didn’t feel that busy at all.
Before lunch we managed to enjoy Haunted Mansion, Mickey’s Philharmagic and generally take in the sights again. This was a deliberately slow day for us, mainly because we were travelling with Abby’s Granny, and also because we wanted to soak up the atmosphere a lot more this time and not feel as though we were rushing around all the time.
I had booked lunch in Be Our Guest. We have previously enjoyed both dinner and breakfast here, but not lunch. Knowing we were having a big meal later, we decided to share two meals between the four of us, and this worked really well.
Be Our Guest was very busy, but we were able to find a table very quickly after using the mobile ordering stations. Our food was served quickly and it was really nice. I shared the pot roast with green beans and mashed potatoes, and Hubby and Abby had a toasted sandwich.
Our two Fastpasses in the afternoon were for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Pirates of the Caribbean. We had found ourselves over in Adventureland enjoying a Dole Whip float when the Festival of Fantasy parade came through. We actually had quite a good spot to watch the top of it from sitting by the Aladdin’s Carpet ride.
It was very hot and very busy by mid afternoon, especially in Adventureland for some reason. We saved so much time by mobile ordering our Dole Whip floats as the queue was a lot smaller. Dole Whip floats are also a great way to use a snack credit.
We wandered slowly to the front of the park and went in some shops before heading back to the resort boats and across to the Wilderness Lodge. We had a dinner reservation at the new Storybook Dining at Artist Point.
I have been wanting to meet Grumpy Dwarf for so long now, and when I realised he was a character at the new dining experience, there was no question I was booking it. At only one table service credit on the dining plan as well, this was a great deal for us.
Dinner was great and despite being really full at the end of it, we all enjoyed our day. Flagging slightly we decided to head back to French Quarter resort and chill out for the evening.
No sooner had we got back into our rooms, did the heavens open, and our timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The rain didn’t stop for quite some time so we didn’t make it into the pool this evening, but we knew we would have plenty of chances on other days.
Dole whip floats are the most delicious thing!