“while you are alive collect moments not things…”
– Aarti Khurana –

Once a year, Disney World and Disneyland throw a 24 hour party to kick off the summer. Magic Kingdom opened at 6AM Friday morning…and did not close until 6AM Saturday morning. I wish I had taken more pics to commemorate the night…

Here is my night, and tips (I’ll note these with an *) if you attend next summer!

Bethany and her hubs, Mike drove down for the weekend — this was the only reason that I decided to venture out and play along.
*I got there around 5PM. Perfect timing. I was even able to park close to the ticketing area. Keep traffic in mind, and also closing times of the other parks. My friend tried to arrive around 11PM, which was right when Epcot was closing, and this was when MK got much more busy. Make sure to check out the closing times for the other parks and plan your arrival around that. 

The three of us immediately started acting like we were five years old, as the three of us do very well. If you have any kind of passport, *I would highly suggest setting up FastPasses+ prior to your arrival. If you are new to FastPasses+, you can choose three at once to expedite the lines on rides and get you decent spots for some of the parades. Definitely pick your three (for your entire party) and take advantage! MK will be extremely busy, and not waiting in line on a humid night will be nice!

Speaking of rides…if you can hang until 6AM, *ride the People Mover once Space Mountain is closed. I’m lame and just rode the People Mover for the first time last month (I may have risen it when I was younger but do not remember). However, the People Mover takes you behind the scenes of Tomorrowland, including into Space Mountain. Typically, you can only hear the fun going on inside, but after the ride is closed (was around 4AM on 24hr day), you can then see inside Space Mountain! It is a weird, twisty, compact mangle of metal and was super cool to see; thankfully, the two friends I was with at this point in the night are also Disney nerds and enjoyed it just as much as I did.

*One minor thing that helped throughout the night: get a locker! Bethany arrived early and grabbed one for me, they were only $5 to rent and well worth it. My backpack was full… I brought a refillable water bottle, snacks (my advice, do not eat too much sugar — MK is full of sugary goodies — but it will just make your tired!), a fresh shirt (felt good to change into halfway thru the night), and a few other toiletries. The weather turned on us, so ponchos were purchased — but those will be packed for next time.

*Make sure to bring your camera! We all know the castle is gorgeous at night, but you will also get a chance for amazing pictures without a lot of people; considering you are at MK in the wee hours of the morning. Not only of just the castle, but the other sites at MK as well! Since this trip, I have not stopped thinking about investing in a nice, nice camera; for shots like below, but for this little baby of mine too (my blog).

Caitlyn

Hey, I’m glad you’re here! I’m Caitlyn, a Tampa native with a love for all things social media, travel & tattoos. It’s no secret that I have a passion for social media - I’ve been at it for 11+ years! When I am not too busy supporting local companies as an SMM, I love to share foodie spots in Tampa and tips for your next Disney trip.