How to be Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Family of the Day - Part 1

A few years back, our family was at the entrance gates of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, slathering ourselves with sunscreen, when a Disney employee asked if we’d like to be the Magic Kingdom Family of the Day.

Um …. “yes, please!”

Before the park opened, we were taken on a private tour of the entire park on the 
Disney World Trolley. 

Eventually we landed in a completely deserted Toontown. It was quite deluxe for the girls to wander around without dodging a horde of sticky toddlers trying to serve Minnie Mouse tea with honey.

 After a while, our usher herded us outside and told us to cover our eyes. When she shouted “SURPRISE,” the entire cast of Disney characters began to file out of the Toontown houses.
Every character from Snow White to Goofy came and hugged the girls and told them we were all in store for a great time.
Then the whole bunch of us clambered onto the Walt Disney World Railroad for a private ride to the ultimate destination: the Opening Ceremony at Cinderella’s Castle.

Mickey Mouse tried to make polite conversation during the ride, which was amusing because Mickey Mouse doesn’t have a functioning mouth. There was lots of gesturing and nodding, and when Mickey discovered my husband had just completed a race in which he swam 1.2 miles, biked 56 and ran 13.1, he made the international sign for “you’re nuts!” I spent the remainder of the trip asking my husband what it felt like being called crazy by a giant cartoon character with massive ears, a yellow bow-tie, and no ability to speak.  

Once we arrived at Cinderella’s Castle, we joined the characters in throwing confetti to the crowd, took some more pictures, then bid farewell to the characters. My then six-year-old was shocked other families had to stand in line to ask the characters for their autographs. A Disney Snob was born.

Since our extraordinary experience, I’ve been asked approximately one zillion times “How were you chosen as Family of the Day?” My response is always “dumb luck,” but I do think there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of being Family of the Day at Disney World. 


Come back this Thursday for my tips on how to be chosen Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom's Family of the Day! (In the meantime, I'll be ill regarding how much my children have grown. How does this happen so fast?)

My Secret Disney Weapon: Call Jane. She knows all the Disney tricks: how to save a bundle, where to stay, what days to hit which parks … basically, how to have a delightful Disney vacation without taking out a second mortgage. AND HER SERVICE IS FREE. Jane’s an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, which means she has the inside track on helping people like us make the most of our Disney trip. Contact her at Jane@crazyaboutthemouse.com. PS—I promise to always give you a heads-up if I am being paid for a review or endorsement, and THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE TIMES!