If you’re planning an adults only trip to Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom is probably the biggest question mark on your list. It’s the most popular theme park in the world and the flagship park of Walt Disney World Resort, but it’s still mostly for kids…right? In this post, we’ll cover everything adults need to know about Magic Kingdom, from how long you’ll need to which rides to target to where to go for some adult beverages. Read on to learn all about Magic Kingdom for adults!
Related Posts
We have a few posts that center on adults-only trips to Disney World. You’ll want to start with our Guide to Planning a Disney World Trip for Adults. We’ve also got park-specific posts:
Guide to Magic Kingdom for Adults (you are here)
Additionally, we have a post specifically to help adults choose their Disney World hotel.
Is Magic Kingdom Fun for Adults?
Yes, Magic Kingdom is great for adults—if you know what you’re getting into.
With the addition of TRON, Magic Kingdom now has five of the nine roller coasters in Walt Disney World, though some of the resort’s better thrill rides are at the other parks. You also won’t find alcohol served outside the table service restaurants, making it the most restrictive of the four parks in this regard.
But it’s also the most popular theme park in the world and easily one of the best theme parks in the world for a reason. There’s a deep, well-rounded lineup of attractions, which includes a few roller coasters and classics like Jungle Cruise. There are great restaurants and and entertainment.
For adults, Magic Kingdom is sort of like an animated TV show or movie. It has an obvious appeal to kids—and many people write it off as being for kids—but when you grow up and actually start paying attention to the details you’ll realize how little you understood when you were a kid.
If you try and do only the “adult” things, you’re missing the point and probably won’t have a good time. If you do whatever sounds fun to your inner child—be it meeting Mickey, riding Peter Pan’s Flight, or watching the parade—you’re on the right path.
General Magic Kingdom Planning
None of our content for adult trips stands on its own. As an adult, you still need basically the same preparation for a trip to Disney World as any family. In particular, you’ll want to read our Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy and our One-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary. While I’ll tell you here which rides I do and don’t recommend for adults, I’m not going to rehash all the strategy that’s in those posts.
Do adults need a full day at Magic Kingdom?
This comes down to what you want out of your visit, but we’d always recommend adults spend a full day at Magic Kingdom. If you were only interested in thrill rides, then you’d only need a few hours…but if you’re only interested in thrill you might be better served at, say, Universal Orlando Resort.
If you’re just planning to cut some “kiddie rides,” I could see deep cuts getting you down to maybe 3/4 of a day. But you could also fill that last 1/4 with a table service meal, a visit to the nearby hotel bars, a park tour, or those rides you shouldn’t have cut in the first place. More on all these things below…
An enthused adult is the only person on the best ride at Magic Kingdom
Ticketed Events at Magic Kingdom
Ticketed events are usually something people do as a “bonus” as part of their trip, but for adults these can be a good alternative to a full day at the park, which is why I mention them early in the post.
Ticketed events include Magic Kingdom After Hours and the seasonal holiday parties—Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
All of these are events that take place at night after the park closes to other guests. The holiday parties are more focused on unique entertainment—parades and shows—but you could get in a few rides, too. The After Hours event is better for rides.
Alternatively, you could stay at a deluxe Disney hotel that gives you access to Extended Evening Hours at Magic Kingdom (select nights only!).
Best Magic Kingdom Rides For Adults
I don’t think you need to discriminate between the Magic Kingdom rides based on your age. But you’re here, which means you want to, so I’ll at least give some guidance. A fuller description of the rides is found in our Magic Kingdom Rides Guide.
For this post, we’ll consider 24 rides at Magic Kingdom. This doesn’t include certain non-ride attractions, like Enchanted Tales With Belle, Country Bear Musical Jamboree, and Tom Sawyer Island. I’m going to break these into categories (coasters, dark rides) and then guide you as to which might be most worth your time.
The five coasters. TRON, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train are all roller coasters that adults should find worth a ride. The Barnstormer is a very short coaster more geared to kids.
The seven classics. Haunted Mansion, “it’s a small world,” Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, and the Walt Disney World Railroad are classics that should be ridden by all guests, though personally I’d skip “it’s a small world.” Main Street Vehicles is a fun classic but can often be difficult to fit into your day.
Four other highlights. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is a laser shooting game in a dark ride, which is fun for competitive adults. Tomorrowland Speedway is a traditional go-kart (non-racing) attraction that I suspect most adults can skip. Liberty Square Riverboat is a leisurely ride on a steamship around the Rivers of America (while I always try and ride it, it is much more valuable for parents who just need to get their kids out of the chaos of the park for a bit). Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a log ride that replaced Splash Mountain.
The three story dark rides. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid are dark rides through Disney stories. They’re geared toward children. For an adult trip, I’d say that Peter Pan’s Flight is the best, but Under the Sea is usually easy to fit into your day. I like The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and would always try and ride it, but if you don’t have Lightning Lane Multi Pass you probably shouldn’t wait more than 20 minutes for it.
The five Denny Green rides. Astro Orbiter, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant are all aerial carousels. Mad Tea Party and Prince Charming Regal Carrousel are standard theme park rides. You can just look at these fives rides you’ll immediately see they are what you thought they were.
Other Attractions, Entertainment, and Characters
Country Bear Musical Jamboree and Hall of Presidents are indoor animatronic shows worth a watch. Mickey’s PhilharMagic is a 3-D show worth your time if you can walk right in midday.
Everyone will want to watch the Festival of Fantasy Parade. This is a cornerstone of your day, and since it often only runs once a day, be sure to check the app for the time and plan ahead. The Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade is generally skippable for adults, but it’s usually not hard to grab a quick look at it during one of its showings.
The Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire stage show occurs several times a day. Its central location (the castle stage) means it’s usually easy to fit into your day, and it’s worth a watch. The Happily Ever After fireworks are can’t-miss and typically occur once each night.
One adult-only trips, we rarely meet characters because they don’t much interest us, but plenty of adults feel differently and love meeting them. And honestly, the characters are such professionals they make it fun and entertaining even if we feel a little awkward. You can Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater. You can read more about Meeting Characters at Disney World. If you want to meet a character, you should feel 100% comfortable doing so.
An adult meets a character at Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park Tour
Tours are one of the best ways for adults to experience the parks, though they come at a price. Keys to the Kingdom ($129–$149 per person) is the only tour at Magic Kingdom these days (in the past, a more limited “Marceline to Magic Kingdom” tour was also available).
Because they discuss backstage and historical matters, the material might be a tad boring for kids in addition to “spoiling” the magic. Keys is actually restricted to guests aged 16 and above (I believe this is for liability / safety reasons in backstage areas).
These tours come with a ride or two, but that’s not really the point. The point is to learn more about the design and workings of the park. There are separate VIP Tours for ride access, though we don’t recommend any of those.
Dining and Drinking at Magic Kingdom
Maybe the real reason you came here is because you wanted to read our post on Where to Find Beer and Alcohol at Magic Kingdom.
For the most part, you can only get alcohol inside the table service restaurants at Magic Kingdom. Our recommendation—and one we typically follow—is to book a table service lunch so you can escape the heat and crowds and have a drink. We’re fans of Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen.
For other dining, you have your pick of quick service restaurants at Magic Kingdom. We don’t find any of the quick service restaurants to be notable for adults, and you’ll basically want to pick by a combination of geography and menu options.
The park also has tons of snacks and limited time offerings available. Every Disney World park has a Starbucks, Magic Kingdom’s Starbucks is on Main Street:
As we note in that above-linked post about alcohol, you can also find restaurants and bars at the resorts near Magic Kingdom. You might be interested in the Monorail Bar Crawl or the Bay Lake Bar Crawl.
A brunch at Kona Cafe (Polynesian Village Resort) or a dinner at Narcoossee’s (Grand Floridian Resort & Spa) might be a perfect addition to your day at the park. Read more about Disney World Advance Dining Reservations and Disney World Dining Plans.
Adults may also want to consider the Happily Ever After Fireworks Dessert Parties. These are ways to get preferred viewing for the fireworks that also include dessert. (Kids are welcome at these events too.)
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.
Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Lightning Lane Guide and Strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.