Day three in Disney World started in the Magic Kingdom area and ended in the Magic Kingdom area. I was even able to visit a restaurant that’s a favorite, but had not been to in a few years.
We started our day at a restaurant that was new to both me and Maureen, The Wave…of American Flavors. I really can’t say enough good things about this breakfast, it was delicious! You can either order off a menu or opt for the buffet option. We went for the buffet and the choices were very good. I’ll write a review with more details and pictures soon.
After we finished our breakfast we wandered around the Contemporary. We did a little shopping and got to see the impressive gingerbread display, which has 17 hidden Mickeys!
Next it was time to head to Magic Kingdom. Instead of taking the monorail, we used the walkway. This was the first time I had walked from the Contemporary to Magic Kingdom and it was a pretty easy walk. Along the way there is a single bag check area, so you won’t have to go through the bag check at Magic Kingdom, you just head to the area to scan your MagicBand. I would definitely use this walkway again when coming from the Contemporary Resort!
Once inside Magic Kingdom we headed to the Main Street train station to take a ride around the park. It’s always fun to see the sights of Magic Kingdom from the train. There are four trains that run: Walter E. Disney, Lilly Belle (this was ours), Roy O. Disney, and Roger E. Broggie. The full loop is about 20 minutes.
After the train ride we waited on Main Street U.S.A. for the Main Street Trolley Show. Their outfits change with the season and this was the first time I caught them in their Christmas outfits. The trolley carries 12 performers who sing and dance every time the trolley stops. It’s a really cute show and a great way to start a day in Magic Kingdom.
When the trolley show was done, we headed down Main Street U.S.A. towards Liberty Square. We had really good timing, because we passed by just as “The Muppets Present…Great Moments in American History” was beginning. This was the first time seeing the show with “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” (I have seen the show about the signing of the Declaration of Independence a few times). As always, the muppets were funny and entertaining.
Next we headed to Fantasyland. Mickey’s Philharmagic only had a 10 minute wait, so we hopped on line. This is a fun 3D movie that follows Donald has he gets into some hilarious situations while chasing after Mickey’s sorcerer hat. There are lots of classic Disney characters that make an appearance in this movie and I definitely recommend adding it to your list of things to see!
Once the show was over we realized it was just about time for our FastPass with Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater. This experience was another first for me on this trip. It’s not a regular meet and greet, because Mickey talks to guests! When it was our turn he tried to perform a card trick, things did not go as planned though and it was pretty funny.
By the time we were done talking to Mickey it was time for lunch. We had made reservations at Garden Grill in Epcot, because I had never been there and Maureen hadn’t been there in almost 20 years. We boarded the monorail and headed for Epcot (the beauty of having a Park Hopper pass).
I’m so happy I finally tried Garden Grill. I had been hearing mixed reviews about Garden Grill for years and wanted to try it for myself. Our experience was very positive. The cast members were all great, the character interaction was fantastic (the characters came around at least four times while we were there), and the food was good (my favorite was the turkey). The characters you get to see are Chip and Dale, Farmer Mickey, and Pluto. A cool fact about this restaurant is that it rotates (very slowly) and passes by some of the scenes from the Living with the Land ride. I would definitely go here again!
After lunch we decided to walk around the World Showcase and do some shopping. We also got to see some of the Christmas decorations that had been put up following the last day of Food & Wine.
While wandering the World Showcase we caught the end of one of the performances of The Voices of Liberty. If you have not heard this group sing, I highly recommend stopping in to check out a performance, their voices are beautiful!
When we were done shopping we headed back to the hotel to drop off the bags before our dinner reservation. Initially we had reservations at Liberty Tree Tavern, but a reservation for California Grill opened up the day before, so we grabbed it. I hadn’t been to this restaurant since 2014 and was very happy to return. We were able to watch the fireworks from the observation deck, which is a big bonus of eating there. The music for Happily Ever After is piped in and you get to watch the fireworks without the crowd. It’s a beautiful thing!
Once it was our reservation time we were seated at a window, so we had a fantastic view of the castle lit up for the night. If you can wait until later in the evening to eat you will probably have a better chance at a window seat. Dinner was delicious, as expected. Unfortunately, neither of us had room for dessert, so we had to pass on that. The cast member who was helping us at the table was super friendly and very nice. If you have Jose as your server at California Grill you are in good hands!
We decided to use the walkway to Magic Kingdom again, to walk off some of the dinner. We were treated to a seeing a Mickey on the path during our walk to Magic Kingdom.
We made our way to the bag check area. This time there was no one at the single bag check area, so we had to go through the bag check at Magic Kingdom (there was no line since it was so late). Magic Kingdom was open until 12 a.m. and we took advantage of the later closing time. We headed to the PeopleMover, but it was not running. We saw Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin was a walk-on ride at that point, so we went on that ride.
After the ride, we decided to do a little shopping on Main Street U.S.A. On our way Maureen pointed out a hidden Mickey in the lights on the castle. That was a cool one to see.
When we made our way out of the store we hung out by the sidewalk for a little bit. We were hoping to finally catch “The Kiss Goodnight” before we left. Luckily, we did not have to wait that long. It’s a very magical way for Disney to say good night and, basically, “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”
Thanks for following along! Our fourth and final day was a busy one too. That post will be up soon!
Thanks for reading!
*Liz*
It’s neat seeing how different people do Disney World differently. We have young kids so its all about the rides and characters. There is of course some shopping but the food is almost always quick and let’s get going. It’s interesting to see how you focus more on the food and shopping and mix in the rides and characters as secondary. Thanks for the different perspective! Maybe once are kids are grown we can try some of the better food!
Hi Doug!
It’s definitely a different story when I’m in Disney with the husband and kiddos. Characters are always first, followed by rides, then food and shopping. However, we have brought the kids to California Grill and they loved it. 🙂