Park Tip Tuesday: Closing the Magic Kingdom

Have you ever wondered how people get those amazingly rare shots of an empty Magic Kingdom? How do they get those cute pictures of themselves sitting, literally, in the middle of Main Street U.S.A? Well, I'm here to give you the secret- okay probably not a big secret- it's a matter of getting there extremely early and/or staying extremely late, as in being the last person to leave the park. I haven't gotten there get early morning empty shots of the Kingdom but I did get to walk around an empty Main Street on my last trip, and it was a night I'll never forget.

HANGING BACK Best to start out in the back of the park, either in Frontier or Fantasyland are the best locations to do this. My friend and I watched the fireworks from Tangled Restrooms while we waited for our lantern pictures.

(Which, by the way, are AMAZING pictures! I am so happy Disney has created these special magic shots straight out of our favorite Disney movies.)

Peter Pan's Flight was a walk-on since the fireworks were still going on and we quickly traveled to Neverland and back. The crowds were basically non existent and that's the best time to go and ride the carousel so of course that's what we did! Riding it with the glistening of the night lights of Fantasyland is beyond magical! At that point the park was beginning it's closing procedures. Which simply means cast members slowly emerge to push people toward the entrance, but since the shops stay open an hour after park closing we knew we still had plenty of time before we'd have to leave Fantasyland.

This was a great time to get pictures with icons like Cinderella's Fountain and the Sword in the Stone, and of course the backside of the Castle.

3 Kisses Goodnight

Disney being Disney, they aren't going to come over the speakers and say "we'll be closing in five minutes please bring all your purchases to the front" like a department store. No, they put their own magical spin on kicking guests out of the park for the day and it's called "The Kiss Goodnight". There's a hush and suddenly you here the twinkling of music from Cinderella, and the Castle begins to change colors, and a voice says:

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, on behalf of everyone here at the Magic Kingdom, we thank you for joining us today for a magic gathering of family, friends, fun, and fantasy. We hope your magical journey with us has created wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

Walt Disney said that the Magic Kingdom is a world of imagination, hopes, and dreams. In this timeless land of enchantment, magic and make believe are reborn, and fairy tales come true. The Magic Kingdom is a place for the young and the young at heart. A special place where when you wish upon a star, your dreams can come true. Until we see you again, have a safe trip home. Thank you, and goodnight.”

It's such a magical moment, even if it is the end of your day at Disney, there's just something about it always brings tears to my eyes. It's a must for any Disney fan. And if you're like us you'll end up hearing it not just once, but three times, or more depending on how long you make it.

No Force Necessary

We made our way down Main Street, taking our time and taking a lot of pictures. It was interesting trying to figure out camera setting and we finally just took to using our phones instead. A cast member, a manager by the looks of it, was standing at the end of the street with two other guests. It was well after park closing, and we'd taken so many pictures and enjoyed being alone on Main Street that we decided to sit on the curb and just enjoy the view. My friend looked over at the cast member and asked him when they would have to force us to leave, he answered laughingly;

"We'd never forcibly remove you"

In other words they're not going to use force to make us leave but that subtle Disney magic that makes hard conversations go down with a spoon full of sugar.

Book a Late Night Dinner

He and the guests eventually left and so we sat on the curb, taking it all in, and we noticed how many people were still pouring out from the back of park. They were coming in little clumps, and we finally deduced that it must be people who'd had late dinner reservations. So, if you're wanting to close the park then that's a great thing to do! Make the latest dinner reservation you can for either Cinderella's Royal Table or Be Our Guest and then take you sweet time leaving.

We saw the cutest thing as two little girls dressed as Anna and Elsa were coming from the castle with their parents, having the whole of Main Street to themselves they waved to the imaginary crowd in their own little parade. It was the most precious thing I've seen, and added to the magic of the night. That's the magic of Disney, creating memorable moments that will last a lifetime. And sometimes just witnessing those moments can become your own personal magical moment. The magic is all around you, you just have to look around to see it.