Should I do these things at MK?

[mom22boys]

How old is the party you will be traveling with? When our crew was 10 and younger Tom Sawyer's Island was a must-do. The kids loved the fort and caves, and they especially loved the unstructured time to play.

The railroad also used to be a must-do when they were younger. We always found it relaxing and to be a nice mid-day break.

 

[rpb718]

there are some things that despite our many trips, I just have never bothered to do at MK. We're bringing first timers on this next trip and I'm wondering if I should do these for their sake. let me know what you think!

1. walt disney world railroad
2. liberty square riverboat
3. tom sawyer's island
4. swiss family treehouse
5. carousel of progress
6. hall of presidents (this might be closed when we go)
7. under the sea (journey of the little mermaid)

With the exception of the last 2, this could have been my list. I hope to have #1 crossed off the next visit. Meant to do this almost every trip but just never found the right time. The rest I may never do. Even the ones I've done, I may never do again. One not on your list is the People Mover - I think it's been 15 years since I've been on that one.

 

[srwarden1928]

1. walt disney world railroad
2. liberty square riverboat
3. tom sawyer's island
4. swiss family treehouse
5. carousel of progress
6. hall of presidents (this might be closed when we go)
7. under the sea (journey of the little mermaid)

1. yes--it's fun, relaxing, big in Disney history--Walt loved trains, a first day attraction
2. maybe--it is relaxing, a first day attraction, but skippable if time is too short
3. I have NEVER done this. I keep saying I should try it, but there are always too many other things I want to do.
4. yes if stairs aren't a problem--a first day attraction, never a wait
5. yes, yes, yes--a must do, brought in from DL previously from NY World's Fair, relaxing, air conditioned, a Disney classic
6. yes--a first day attraction, relaxing, air conditioned, patriotic. The attraction is politically neutral; it honours the office of President and all who have served regardless of politics
7. yes--a Disney dark ride done in the classic style

 

[TG_WDW]

there are some things that despite our many trips, I just have never bothered to do at MK. We're bringing first timers on this next trip and I'm wondering if I should do these for their sake. let me know what you think!

1. walt disney world railroad
2. liberty square riverboat
3. tom sawyer's island
4. swiss family treehouse
5. carousel of progress
6. hall of presidents (this might be closed when we go)
7. under the sea (journey of the little mermaid)

1. Absolutely. Some great views of the park
2. Unique experience. worth it
3. Lost a bit of luster
4. Same as 3
5. Always awesome
6. I LOVE this but like you said. Will probably be closed
7. This is a nice ride with a typically short wait (30 minutes or less)

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I absolutely cannot believe that people have not done some of these things
!
1. walt disney world railroad
YES
2. liberty square riverboat
MEH, PROBABLY NOT
3. tom sawyer's island
MEH, PROBABLY NOT
4. swiss family treehouse
SURE, ITS JUST A QUICK WALK THROUGH.
5. carousel of progress
YES, YES, YES!!! MY FAVORITE ATTRACTION AT MK!!!
6. hall of presidents (this might be closed when we go)
ITS WORTH SEEING AT LEAST ONCE ALTHOUGH PERSONALLY I LIKED IT BETTER YEARS AGO.
7. under the sea (journey of the little mermaid)
AGAIN YES, YES, YES!!! USUALLY A WALK ON AND I LOVE LM.

 

[djc9699]

We love COP and I like to ride the train around at least once. I have not been on the riverboat since our first trip, but we are planning to ride it at Christmas. Hall of Presidents is good for a nap. Swiss Family Robinson is a waste of energy. Tom Sawyer Island is good if you have kids who need to decompress a little. Little Mermaid is a great ride for the little ones. My daughter likes to go look at the que and ride it at least once every trip.

 

[sharonabe]

Count me as another one that says you should do everything at least once. How do you know you won't like it if you don't try it?

Everything on your list are really good things to do in the middle of the day when headliner lines are long. These attractions rarely have long lines and are good for that time frame. They are also good "rest time" attractions that give you a breather in the middle of a long day.

 

[Ensusieasm]

there are some things that despite our many trips, I just have never bothered to do at MK. We're bringing first timers on this next trip and I'm wondering if I should do these for their sake. let me know what you think!

1. walt disney world railroad
2. liberty square riverboat
3. tom sawyer's island
4. swiss family treehouse
5. carousel of progress
6. hall of presidents (this might be closed when we go)
7. under the sea (journey of the little mermaid)

#5 and #7 are for sure must do's if you have never done them.

 

[ols386]

there are some things that despite our many trips, I just have never bothered to do at MK. We're bringing first timers on this next trip and I'm wondering if I should do these for their sake. let me know what you think!

1. walt disney world railroad
2. liberty square riverboat
3. tom sawyer's island
4. swiss family treehouse
5. carousel of progress
6. hall of presidents (this might be closed when we go)
7. under the sea (journey of the little mermaid)

The ones I'd say yes to see are:
Railroad, Tom Sawyer's Island, Hall of Presidents (if it's open), and Little Mermaid.

 

[DisTXMom]

Some of the things on your list are nostalgic for me and so I wouldn't skip them- CoP, RR, Tom Sawyer's island. I hit hall of presidents last trip when DD needed a nap and was pleasantly surprised by how well it's done. As a kid, it bored me to tears, but now that I'm older, I enjoyed it.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

I think most people need to do 1,2,5, and 7 on a first trip assuming you have the time in your day between the high priority rides

 

[joyjoy]

Do NOT do Tom Sawyer's Island June - September. It's like taking a raft to hell. Kind of fun the rest of the year, nice photo ops.
To me, Carousel of Boringness is well, you know.
Do everything else. We climbed up that Treehouse in Sept for the first time in probably ten years. It's still cute and there are some great views of Adventureland.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Do NOT do Tom Sawyer's Island June - September. It's like taking a raft to hell. Kind of fun the rest of the year, nice photo ops.

I have to admit this made me laugh out loud.

 

[Surgie2]

So looks like I am the only one that loves Hall of Presidents.

I also love the Hall of Presidents. It was most impressive when audiotronics were a "new" thing several decades ago but I still enjoy the sense of history one feels when visiting and listening. I am old enough that I have voted in 12 Presidential elections. Certainly some of the Presidents in the Hall are not ones for whom I voted but that has absolutely no bearing on whether I am interested in visiting the attraction or not. I appreciate that the democratic process for electing leaders works in this country and the exhibit reminds me of what I don't want to ever take for granted.

 

[TinkerPan]

1. walt disney world railroad - yes. Great way to relax, plus it can get you around the park.
2. liberty square riverboat - yes. Great relaxing way to catch a breeze and get out of the heat.
3. tom sawyer's island - yes. A kid's dream. My son when young especially loved it. (I still do.)
4. swiss family treehouse -yes. One of my favorites. I'm 68 and still do it every trip. Love the view and cool breeze at the top.
5. carousel of progress - yes. A classic.
6. hall of presidents (this might be closed when we go) - yes. Another Classic.
7. under the sea (journey of the little mermaid) - Maybe not. My one and only disappointment.

 

[Magpie]

there are some things that despite our many trips, I just have never bothered to do at MK. We're bringing first timers on this next trip and I'm wondering if I should do these for their sake. let me know what you think!

1. walt disney world railroad
2. liberty square riverboat
3. tom sawyer's island
4. swiss family treehouse
5. carousel of progress
6. hall of presidents (this might be closed when we go)
7. under the sea (journey of the little mermaid)

I really can't say what you or your friends should do, because I don't know any of you. But several of these are must-do's for us, on every trip. And, regardless of what you decide to do for your first timers, I'm a big fan of "try everything", if you've got the time.

How can you know what you will, or won't, like, unless you try it?

1. walt disney world railroad - Love this! As others have pointed out, it's a great way to get around the park. But, we also enjoy it just for the ride. The wait to get on is rarely long. Even if it looks like there's lots of people, the train holds tons and comes around every seven minutes, or so, depending on how many they're running.
2. liberty square riverboat - I'm fond of this, but it's not a "must do, every trip" kind of thing. It IS a nice way to view the park, chat with family members, and enjoy a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle.
3. tom sawyer's island - Once every few trips, if we're feeling the urge for a nice stroll. That said, if we had younger kids (between about 7 and 11), this would be a "must do". We'd sit down somewhere shady and take a break, while the kids ran amok over the island. I'd tell them to try and find the secret passage out of the fort. (Younger kids would need an adult to tag along.)
4. swiss family treehouse - Every trip, just because it's there and has a great view from the top. Also, no wait!
5. carousel of progress - Every trip, because we LOVE this ride! Seriously, we adore it. We even sing along with the song. The history of it is worth Googling.
6. hall of presidents (this might be closed when we go) - I suspect it will be closed. Which is unfortunate, because we've enjoyed seeing the displays out in the waiting area, as well as the show itself.
7. under the sea (journey of the little mermaid) - It's cute! And the song is fun to sing along to. I wouldn't get in line if there's any wait, but it's often a walk on, so we always end up riding it a few times. It's at least as fun as Winnie the Pooh, in my opinion, and the queue is really pretty.

 

[BriLovesDisney]

I wouldn't bother with TSI and Swiss Fam Treehouse

 

[Okinawanchick]

#1 and #5 are MUST for me.

 

[kniquy]

1. walt disney world railroad
2. liberty square riverboat
3. tom sawyer's island
4. swiss family treehouse
5. carousel of progress
6. hall of presidents (this might be closed when we go)
7. under the sea (journey of the little mermaid)

1. Definite yes. We rode it a couple times. One time we sat at the very back and one of the conductors allowed my son to yell "all aboard" into the speaker. You can even just ride it if you want to take it to the other side of the park.
2. Not sure when your trip is but i looked into this for our april trip and it appears it will be closed during our time. I haven't done it but have seen some youtube videos -- i think the riverboat gives some different views that you normally wouldn't see
3. A nice break from the park, but not a must do
4. I wasn't thrilled with it - kind of lackluster attraction.
5. Disney classic, so yes and it is a nice break if you have been walking a lot.
6. Who knows when it will open. Interesting show and i guess it will be interesting to see how they incorporate trump. Not sure why it is taking so long. I think normally it is closed for 6 months
7. Yes even for the adults and kids in the group. Just another classic movie and ride

 

[Chisoxcollector]

I absolutely love Carousel of Progress. It’s one of my very favorite attractions at Magic Kingdom. It’s the only “must do” on your list for me.

I do enjoy Hall of Presidents, though not nearly as much as I enjoy CoP.

If you have time, I’d probably do the Railroad and Under the Sea once.

You could probably skip the Riverboat, Tom Sawyers Island, and the Treehouse. Definitely the Treehouse, lol.