When I ask people about their favorite spots in Walt Disney World, I get a lot of different answers with Cinderella Castle, World Showcase, and the Contemporary being among the top responses. One place that I get an awful lot just so happens to be my favorite place in all of Walt Disney World, and that is Main Street, USA. Maybe it’s the nostalgia that I associate with it, maybe it’s because for me it represents kind of the start to every WDW vacation, or maybe because I just love popcorn and the bakery, but I know that when I think of taking a trip to Walt Disney World while I’m sitting and having a cup of coffee in the morning, Main Street is where I want to be! Let’s take a look at my Top 5 Main Street, USA Experiences.
5. Haircut at the Harmony Barber Shop – Okay, so if you’ve seen pictures of me on Facebook or on the World of Walt Website or my own site, you probably know that I haven’t needed a haircut in a long, long time. But, back in the days when I wasn’t so, um, follicly-challenged, I used to go there for my own haircuts all the time. There’s something really cool about sitting in an old-fashioned barber shop on Main Street, USA and getting a haircut, even if the Dapper Dans weren’t right outside. And for those of you with little ones, the Harmony Barber Shop offers an awesome first haircut (or any haircut) experience for kids!
4. Main Street Vehicles – If you want to experience Main Street, USA in a way you probably haven’t ever experienced it before, you’ll need to get there bright and early. They say the early bird gets the worm; well, the early Magic Kingdom guest gets to experience the Main Street vehicles, and they are totally worth setting the alarm for! You’ll have the chance to ride a turn of the century jitney, the omnibus, a horse-drawn trolley car, or the fire engine and feel like WDW royalty for just a few minutes. My favorite, by far, is the omnibus. Try to grab a seat on the second story of this bus and you’ll see Main Street in a totally different light.
3. Casey’s Corner for Lunch – Okay, I know hot dogs are not the healthiest things to eat on the planet. I never buy them at home and there are only two places where I will ever eat one: a baseball game or Casey’s Corner. To me, Casey’s is the epitome of the Main Street, USA experience. I love everything about the place, even waiting in line to order my food! And the food is, in my opinion, awesome! We’re talking foot long hot dogs, chili cheese dogs, barbecue slaw dogs, and my favorite, the corn dog nuggets! Oh, and of course with Casey’s being baseball-themed, there’s Cracker Jack for dessert! One of my favorite things to do anywhere in WDW is to grab my food from the counter at Casey’s and then sit outside, listen to the piano player and watch all of the excited guests headed down Main Street toward Cinderella Castle and their favorite Magic Kingdom attractions!
2. Wishes! from Main Street – There are several great spots all around the Magic Kingdom where you’ll have a great view of the Wishes! fireworks show, but in my opinion the best spot is smack dab in the middle of Main Street, USA. Yes, it will be very crowded, no matter the time of year. Yes, you will have a difficult time leaving the park or getting anywhere else in the minutes after the show is over. No, you won’t regret it! There’s just something incredibly magical about watching Wishes! from the street on Main Street. I’m not one of the very patient guests that grab their spot hours before the show; I’m more of a “I’ll squeeze my way into the middle of the street one way or another with two strollers and three kids” kind of guy! But I’ve honestly never regretted standing in the middle of it all to watch Wishes! and I think that is without a doubt the way is was meant to be watched!
1. Meeting Mickey Mouse – Meeting The Big Cheese at the Town Square Theater is the ultimate character meet & greet in all of Walt Disney World, in my opinion. Yes, as a father to young girls, I love the princess meet & greets, especially meeting Anna & Elsa. And yes, there are quite a few other locations where you can meet Mickey Mouse. But, there is nowhere else (at least at the time that I’m writing this) where you can interact with Mickey to this extent. At this location Mickey Mouse will (almost always) talk to you and your group! I know this isn’t a brand new experience anymore but I can not put into words how amazing of an experience this truly is! Having Mickey interact with my kids, saying their names and answering their questions, continues to be one of my all time favorite moments of my life, not just my vacations to Walt Disney World. There is nothing quite like watching your child’s face light up and squeal with excitement when one of their heroes talks to them, and this is one experience that I’d say is a “can’t miss” on every trip to the Magic Kingdom!
There you go, my reasons why Main Street, USA is my favorite place in all of Walt Disney World. On your next trip to the Magic Kingdom, please don’t run down Main Street! Slow down, look around, and experience all there is that Main Street, USA has to offer. I promise you’ll never regret a second of it and even if Seven Dwarfs Mine Train’s wait is 90 minutes when you get to it, that slower stroll down Main Street will have been worth it!
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