One of the most frightening moments in Disney World occurs right after the Magic Kingdom fireworks end, and you find yourself carried along in a veritable sea of humans all trying to exit the park at the same time. But what if we told you we could make that experience much less terrifying?
Crowds
We just discovered an excellent Magic Kingdom hack that can make your end-of-the-night experience a delightful time instead of a stressful nightmare. And here’s a bonus — it involves eating a tasty snack!
One of our top Disney World dining tips is to learn to use Mobile Order, which is how you can avoid waiting in line for food at some counter service locations in the parks and at Disney hotels. You can use your phone to order food and choose a return time, and when that time arrives, you’ll head straight up to the counter to pick it up.
Mobile Order sign at the Confectionery
We often recommend making these orders right when you get to the park so that you’re not stuck with a hangry group at lunchtime while you’re frantically trying to find a close pick-up time.
Mobile Order sign in EPCOT
Usually, Mobile Order is available only during park hours (or during the restaurant’s specific hours, if that spot isn’t open all day), but we just saw that some Magic Kingdom restaurants have Mobile Order available past the park’s closing time!
Casey’s Corner
A few spots on Main Street, U.S.A., have the option to pick up food using Mobile Order past 9PM today (Magic Kingdom’s closing time). The Main Street Confectionery and Casey’s Corner both have windows that extend past closing time. You can grab treats from the Confectionery all the way up until 10PM…
©Disney
…and Casey’s Corner has Mobile Order windows available until 9:30PM.
©Disney
In addition, the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (which does not have Mobile Order right now) is open until 9:30PM.
©Disney
So if you find yourself caught in the huge crowds of people exiting Magic Kingdom right at the end of the fireworks show, you might be better off stepping out of the crowds and ordering some popcorn, a hot dog, or candy from a nearby restaurant.
Grab a treat instead!
Or, better yet, order the food earlier in the day and set the pickup time for later on at night so that you’re all set to just head into the restaurant once the last firework goes off above Cinderella Castle. That way you won’t run out of time to make the order before the windows fill up.
©Disney | Make your mobile orders early!
With this new hack, you can be merrily snacking on a Confectionery caramel apple or Casey’s corn dog nuggets (don’t forget the plastic cheese!) while you take a break in the Hub and allow the crowds to disperse behind you.
Corn dog nuggets and plastic cheese
Once the initial wave of people has exited the park, you’ll likely have a much less stressful trip home.
Let the crowds disperse first!
We checked the Mobile Order times for the other three Disney World parks, but right now Magic Kingdom is the only park with Mobile Order windows available after park closing time. We’ll keep an eye out for any changes there. Keep following DFB for more tips as you plan your upcoming Disney trip!
See 10 tips for watching Disney World fireworks WITHOUT crowds!
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
What’s your favorite fireworks-watching snack in Disney World? Let us know in the comments.
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
This is such a great tip! I’m not a huge fan of trying to navigate out of the park with huge crowds. Great way to step to the side, have a snack, and once it’s calmed down then exit the park. Thanks DFB!
Our first trip is coming up since the changes. Do you have to use mobile ordering for Main Street Bakery or can you still check out the displays at the counter before ordering in person?
Hi Heather! You can still check out the displays before ordering at the counter.
When we were there last month, we tried to get ice cream at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, but they had closed early. This happened three times. So, don’t bank on that one being available.
We used to always stop for a snack on Main Street USA at night, and we just relaxed as everyone else ran out. They went nowhere fast, and just were stuck in huge lines. By the time we left, we were able to board our resort bus w/o any trouble.
Plastic cheese?????
I’ve tried that approach but unfortunately it takes at least an hour- hour and a half after park closing for the crowds to leave, if even then. This is due to MK trapping everyone and leaving us at the mercy of a ferry or tram that bottlenecks people into packed lines forever. It is truly a nightmare and takes us 1.5-2hrs to get out of the park, even if we leave 30 min past closing.