food IS a theme park
There are a lot of Disney “hacks” out there, but we’re sharing five that actually work at Magic Kingdom.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
We go to Disney World as part of our job, so we want to share some first-hand experiences we use daily to get on Magic Kingdom’s attractions. There is a lot to do at this park, and you might feel overwhelmed at first. But we’re here to help! Below are five ride hacks we use that work, and you can use them on your next trip, too.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is reopening at Magic Kingdom soon, but when will be the best time for you to ride it?
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
This coaster has been closed for a lengthy refurbishment, and it will reopen on May 3rd. Disney has announced that when the “Wildest Ride in the Wilderness” reopens, it will not be available during Early Theme Park Entry for Disney resort guests. That leaves many guests wondering, when will be the best time to ride?
It’s officially time to go to infinity and beyond, because Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin has finally reopened at Magic Kingdom!
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin soft opening
After Cast Member previews and a surprise soft opening, this popular Tomorrowland ride is welcoming Space Cadets once again. We stopped by Magic Kingdom to check out the crowds and wait times, and we certainly weren’t the only ones!
You guys, I’ve been waiting on my favorite Disney World ride to reopen for what feels like AGES.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
That’s right, I’m a die-hard Big Thunder Mountain Railroad fan, and it has been closed since January 2025 (I miss it so much!). It’s set to reopen in early May 2026, but we don’t have a specific date yet. The good news? Ride testing is underway!
It’s HAPPENING! The newly refurbished Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin has soft opened at Magic Kingdom.
It’s OPEN!
We got the chance to check out this new ride as part of a media event and Cast Member previews, but now it looks like Disney has decided to open the ride a bit earlier than the official April 8th reopening date! Here’s everything we know about this soft opening.
A fan-favorite ride is coming BACK to Magic Kingdom, and we couldn’t be more excited!
©Disney
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin has been closed in Magic Kingdom since 2025 to get a major refurbishment. It’s reopening on April 8th with new blasters, new interactive targets, a new ride scene…AND a new ride photo!
Recently, Disney has announced new lands, attractions, and entertainment headed to the theme parks, new ships coming to the Disney Cruise Line, and so much more.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
One of the major projects going on in Magic Kingdom is the lengthy refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This iconic ride is getting a bit of a refresh in the form of a new track, in what Disney is calling a “mountain-top to cavern-deep refurbishment.” Needless to say, there’s a LOT of work being done here. Originally, Disney shared that the ride would reopen sometime this spring, but a new permit amendment has us thinking the refurbishment might be taking longer than originally anticipated.
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin has been closed for refurbishment for a long time, and we’re finally getting close to experiencing this ride with all new features!
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
In August of 2025, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin in Magic Kingdom closed to have a large refurbishment done. Disney has confirmed some of the changes that guests will see when the ride reopens this spring. Let’s go through all of the changes that are underway!
If you’re looking to get on as many rides as possible during a day at Magic Kingdom, you’ll want to know this FREE trick.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Of course, if you want to get on as many rides as possible, the simplest solution is to add on Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Single Pass, or Premier Pass to your park tickets. However, Lightning Lane is NOT a free skip-the-line service, and those prices add up fast (some faster than others — looking at you, Premier Pass). While you may be resigned to limiting yourself to just a handful of Magic Kingdom rides per day, it’s important to understand one major truth: getting on Magic Kingdom rides in a reasonable amount of time doesn’t require a ton of extra money spent or a boatload of luck — it requires fantastic time management.
Magic Kingdom is packed full of attractions, and while it can feel overwhelming to do them all, you actually might not need to use a Lightning Lane selection on a few of them.
Magic Kingdom Crowds
With Disney’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass system, guests can now skip the standby lines on many attractions, but at Magic Kingdom, this perk comes at a premium. The park has the highest price point for Lightning Lane, but it also boasts the largest selection of attractions eligible for the system. That said, not every ride is worth burning your Lightning Lane selection on, and we’re breaking down which ones are and aren’t.
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