"Good Morning!" Magic Kingdom!

Okay. If you know me, you know how much I love the opening ceremony at the Magic Kingdom. Like, it is, in my opinion, one of the most magical experiences you can do in Disney -- maybe even more so than the fireworks at night.

Okay. That might be pushing it a bit, but fireworks can be crowded, which tends to dampen the magic for me just a bit.

But the Opening Ceremony? Part of the reason why it's so magical is because it happens about 10-15 minutes before the park opens, and it's just not that crowded. I mean, by normal standards, yes, it will be crowded. But compared to the crowds around 11 a.m.? So. Much. Space.

Okay. Let's take a short trip down memory lane: October 2015. Since Food & Wine is on, it's basically "peak" travel time, or close to it, so Magic Kingdom opens at 8. I had everybody out front of the hotel, waiting for the buses at 7. (You never know when they're going to arrive!) So we're there in plenty of time, 7:25 a.m. to be exact:

Look at that beautiful dawn-light!

At 7:42, the Mayor of Main Street arrives. I love this part. Why? Because it's such a rose-tinted-nostalgic look at the past, at small-town-USA. Yes, I know that not everything was hunky dory during the 1930s, but gosh-darn it, I'm on vacation. It's also very democratic (more on that in a minute) -- an elected official, of a small-town, coming out to meet everyone?

The Mayor isn't alone though -- he brings out the Main Street Singers and they all "sing" a magical medley, including "Good Morning" from Singing' In The Rain. 

It all seems very quaint and wholesome and magical -- without being hokey. Which is hard to believe, I know. I feel rather hokey just writing it. But it's one of those things that you have to experience to believe, I think -- or else be really familiar with Disney magic. 

But the most magical part? That's at the end. The Disney World Steam Engine pulls into the station and all your favorite characters arrive -- as well as the Family of the Day. (Disney: It is my goal to *BE* Family of the Day one day.) Then, together, everyone counts down from 10 to officially "open" the park -- it's not as hokey as it sounds, I promise!!! And then fireworks go off and...it's a mass stampede to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (or whatever ride just opened). 

It's not something I remember seeing as a child -- maybe they didn't do it back then? maybe we just had the "old-fashioned" rope drop -- and I'm not even sure they do it at Disneyland. But my husband and I did it on our first trip, and we make it a priority to do it every time we go. 

Well, we did make it a priority. There's a new opening in town, it does not quite have my seal of approval. 😒 Read more about the new ceremony in Part II, and check out a video of the "old" opening ceremony below: