Magic Kingdom’s 24-hour party is perfect way for this family to make memories

While many families will focus on traditions of backyard barbecues and swimming for Memorial Day weekend, my family will usher in summer with our own tradition of staying up all night in the Magic Kingdom.

As Walt Disney World annual passholders, we are fortunate to be able to spend plenty of time in the theme parks on a regular basis. Some might wonder why would we want to brave the crowds and deprive ourselves of sleep when we go could back to the Magic Kingdom any day. After all, our children go to school all day before we head to the Magic Kingdom.

Sure, my husband and I enjoy the party atmosphere and some of the special entertainment, but what really drives us is our kids’ desire to stay up all night in The Most Magical Place on Earth. They are old enough at 10 and 12 to actually make it until dawn, and their excitement is the stuff of family memories that we will recount for years to come. For them, the thrill isn’t necessarily to stay in the park for 24 hours straight but to stay up all night in the park. Remember when you were younger and staying up on New Year’s Eve was a big deal? Well, multiply that by 1,000!

Of course we will check out the special entertainment that will be offered at the Coolest Summer Ever kickoff event and the short middle-of-the-night queues for favorite attractions, but we also have a few must-do’s of our own:

** Although guests are invited to dress up in costumes, we usually save that for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Instead, my daughter loves to wear Disney-themed pajamas for the event, and I may or may not be joining her this year. She’s too old to wear her pajamas in public otherwise, but my daughter used to love changing into her PJ’s in the park as a little girl.

** Our first stop on Main Street, U.S.A., is The Emporium to shop for event merchandise. Because we all have plenty of Disney T-shirts and don’t purchase souvenirs on each visit like vacationers, this is a treat. We each add one of the all-nighter T-shirts to our collections.

** My favorite souvenirs are photos of my family at locations you can’t snap on any other day. Last year, there were clever clock backdrops that guests could pose in front of with their arms forming the clock’s hands to tell the time. We also stop in front of a clock on Main Street, U.S.A., right before we leave the park to show how late we were able to stay up.

** Sweets! More hours in the Magic Kingdom means more opportunities to sample the specialty food items, right? It’s been hot weather at the last two 24-hour parties, so we have gravitated to the Eye Scream Sundaes and Mickey’s Kitchen Sink Sundaes at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. This is one night where I don’t limit the kids’ sugar intake.

** Our last stop is breakfast in the Magic Kingdom. My husband and I are night owls, so our kids very rarely have the opportunity to eat breakfast in the theme parks, which qualifies it as special in their minds. This year, I will be leading the crew to breakfast because it’s the first time Mickey waffles – my favorite — will be served at the event.

Of course, then, we have another tradition, in which we drive home and go to bed and sleep into the afternoon.

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