Why You'll Always Find Me in Tomorrowland at 3PM in Magic Kingdom

If you’ve been to Magic Kingdom in the afternoon, you know it can be a BEAST.

People everywhere. Mobile Order times FULL. Wait times astronomically high. That’s part of the Disney World experience! However, if you prioritize and plan out your day accordingly, you can still have plenty of fun during this afternoon rush. That’s why I’m sharing my top secret hiding place that I swear by in Magic Kingdom!

My ideal day in Magic Kingdom starts with rope dropping, AKA showing up before the park opens and knocking out as many rides as possible. By about noon, you’ll probably feel super accomplished with how many things you’ve done. So when the crowds come flooding in, it’s time to relax!

As I’ve mentioned on the site before, I’m a Gen Z Disney adult, but I’m a grandma at heart. That’s why my afternoon Magic Kingdom pick is…*drum roll please*…Carousel of Progress! Not what you were expecting? Let me explain.

Depending on who you are and how invested you are in Disney history, your reaction to Carousel of Progress will vary. The show originally debuted at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair alongside another iconic attraction (“it’s a small world”). It then moved to Disneyland and opened there in 1967.

On January 15th, 1975, the attraction officially opened in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. Yes, it’s celebrating its 50th anniversary at Disney World in 2025! All of the park’s visitors can still experience the 21-minute show that follows a family and how technology changed their lives through the 20th century. It’s all tied together with the theme song “There’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” composed by the iconic Sherman Brothers!

If you’re like me and love the show, then you get to enjoy the show without much of a wait. Typically the longest you’ll wait is a few minutes for the theater to rotate to the next scene. If you’re with others who really don’t care about the show, they can take a quick, air-conditioned nap in the dark. And let’s face it — it’s well deserved after getting up so early for rope drop!

So if you ever find yourself stuck and don’t know what to do when the wait times have skyrocketed and you need a break, head over to Tomorrowland. Trust me, it’s a great place to unwind and take a breather from the chaos.