I have found two perfect spots in Magic kingdom to escape the crowd.
A restroom area never sounds like a great place to relax, but Disney World is a place where people openly eat on trash cans… The restrooms located outside of Gaston’s Tavern are not only in my top 2 restrooms in the park, but the area outside of them is one of my favorite places to relax and get away from it all.
You can find plenty of bench style seating and the air conditioning that is blasted in the restrooms does come out into this courtyard. If you are traveling with a young one that needs to run and explore this is a good spot to let them as it is pretty contained and rarely gets crowded.
Disney has started setting dining tables back here as well - they are located just outside of the courtyard that is outside the restrooms. I love to grab a cinnamon roll from Gaston’s Tavern, find a place to sit outside in the courtyard area, and people watch. Remember that you can get FREE ice water at most quick serve dining locations including Gaston’s Tavern. These cinnamon rolls are fantastic, and the break is always much needed.
This is a great area to be in for the fireworks as well. You will not be able to see the projection mapping, but you will have a great view of the back of Cinderella Castle with fireworks going on above. You will also be able to move around freely once the show is over and not get caught in the mess in front of the castle.
The second hidden spot we suggest is just behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. This area is shaded by tall buildings and trees. Guests usually have no need to come back here as it holds no attractions and is a secondary walkway connecting the outside of Adventure Land to Liberty Square. You can find a ton of seating here that includes benches around the planters. There are tables (not very many) with umbrellas. You can also find the area for service animals to go to the restroom back here.
Another perk of this spot is the Christmas smell from the shop! The smell is strong enough that it comes out into the courtyard. Most of the time the artist that decorates ornaments is working out of the back entrance to the shop so if you get a good seat, you are able to watch them work. I love grabbing a spring roll snack outside of adventure land, crossing the bridge, and enjoying it at one of the available tables.
The only downside to this second spot is that it is used for special meet and greets during after-hours events or parties. During the Christmas party for example this is where the Santa Clause can be found. During these times I would say to avoid this area and instead use area one.
What are your favorite spots to relax in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom?