Our Magic Kingdom Priorities: Characters & Experiences

When planning Magic Kingdom, I had to remind myself that my little one doesn’t really know Disney characters yet. That’s okay — because this trip is more about building memories than checking off a list. For us, the real magic comes from a mix of meaningful experiences and a few characters I personally love (and want to share with him).

Planning it in Notion — watch now.

Here’s how our priorities shake out:

⭐ High Priority: The “We’re Doing This No Matter What”

• Harmony Barber Shop (First Haircut!)This is happening, full stop. My child’s very first haircut, done Disney-style at the Harmony Barber Shop. I can’t wait for the certificate, the keepsake lock of hair, and yes, the sprinkle of pixie dust. This is the memory I’m most excited about from our whole trip.

• Stitch (If We Spot Him!)I love Stitch, so seeing him is high on my list. The twist? Stitch is a bit of a wanderer in Magic Kingdom — he’s not always in one set spot with a queue. Instead, he pops up roaming and interacting with guests, which honestly makes it more fun. My plan is to keep an eye out and hope we’re lucky enough to bump into him for a playful moment or a quick picture.

✨ Medium Priority: The “Would Be Magical”

• Ariel Meet & GreetAriel has always been my princess, so this is one I’m looking forward to for myself. Even if my child doesn’t know her yet, I think it’ll be a fun and magical interaction. And let’s be honest — I’ll be the one most starstruck here.

😊 Low Priority: The “If It Happens, Great”

• Anastasia & Drizella (the stepsisters) — Hilarious interactions, but not worth a special trip across the park.

• Chip & Dale — Always adorable, but we’ll consider it a bonus if we bump into them.

• Captain Jack Sparrow — Entertaining, but not top of our list this trip.

• Mickey Mouse — I know, I know! But Mickey is everywhere in Magic Kingdom — parades, shows, cavalcades — so we’re not worried about waiting in a dedicated line.

• A Pirate’s Adventure — Looks cool, but we’ll save this treasure hunt for when my kid’s a little older.

Why These Priorities Work for Us

Since my child doesn’t really know the characters yet, our must-dos are more about creating special family moments (like the Barber Shop) and catching the characters that make me light up (like Stitch and Ariel). I know we can’t do everything, and that’s the point — by choosing a few priorities, we leave room for magic to happen naturally throughout the day.

For us, that means: first haircut, fingers crossed for a Stitch sighting, and a princess meet that I’ll secretly be more excited for than my child. Everything else is just pixie-dusted bonus magic.

👉 If you’ve done Disney with little ones, did you chase character meet-and-greets or just soak up the surprise moments when they happened?