In this Main Street Disney World guide, I’m going to tell you what, when and how my boyfriend and I experience possibly our favorite place in the park without getting overwhelmed by kiddos flocking to toys, parades and Disney characters. These tips are useful whether you’re having a regular Disney day or a romantic Disney date night.

We’ll talk about the Main Street Disney World shops, restaurants, attractions and entertainment perfect for adult, kid-free couples, walking you from the Walt Disney World railroad down Main Street until Cinderella Castle is right in front of you.

Of all the Disney parks, the Magic Kingdom is a true standout. And Main Street, U.S.A. is our favorite section in all of Walt Disney World (and beyond). Modeled after the streets from Walt Disney’s childhood, it has the charm and romance you’re looking for on a Disney World for couples trip.

Let’s go!

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Is there a Main Street Disney World?

Disneyland may be the original Disney theme park, but it’s not the only place with a Main Street, U.S.A. 🥳 Yes, Walt Disney World has its very own Main Street, too, and it’s very similar to — though not exactly like — Disneyland’s.

What park is Main Street, U.S.A. in?

You’ll find Main Street, U.S.A. as soon as you enter the Magic Kingdom. You can’t get anywhere without strolling through Town Square, past buildings like City Hall, and down Main Street first.

Do you need tickets for Main Street Disney World?

You can’t access Main Street, U.S.A. without a ticket for the Magic Kingdom. Since Main Street is part of the Magic Kingdom, you can only get there by entering the park.

What is on Main Street in Disney World?

Main Street has a lot of Disney couples ideas if you’re not so into rides — or even if you are but like to stroll, window shop and take regular breaks in AC throughout the day.

Main Street, U.S.A. looks a lot more packed with shops than it really is. Some storefronts that look different from the outside span single stores (example: the Emporium spans almost an entire block).

The main area at the start of Main Street is called Town Square. It’s a triangular-ish section with an American flag in the center — one of the only few real American flags in all of Walt Disney World. 🇺🇸

(Flag protocols are a big undertaking, so many of the WDW flags are almost perfect. For example, they may have the wrong number of stars or stripes.)

P.S. Walt Disney World holds a daily flag retreat ceremony in Town Square. Check the Disney World app for showtimes.

Town Square is typically decorated for whatever Disney World is celebrating, like Halloween or the holidays.

This is also where we stand on our first Disney World for couples park day and have a moment of silence for the not-yet-started, everything-is-coming, we-have-our-whole-trip-ahead-of-us commemoration. 🥹

Town Square leads into Main Street, which has the loveliest view of Cinderella Castle as you walk toward it. You can also watch the fireworks show from Town Square, Main Street, or the larger opening in front of Cinderella Castle (if you can snag a spot, that is — we usually skip the fireworks and hop on shorter-than-average ride lines).

What are in the buildings on Main Street in Disney World?

After going through the turnstiles for the Magic Kingdom, you’ll pass underneath the Walt Disney World Railroad station.

(Do you kick off every Disney World for couples trip at the Magic Kingdom? We do!)

As you face Magic Kingdom’s Main Street, this is the order of the buildings and shops on the left:

• Main Street Chamber of Commerce
• City Hall
• Main Street Vehicles
• Fire Station
• Harmony Barber Shop
• Emporium
• Disney Clothiers
• Casey’s Corner

 

As you face Main Street, this is the order of the buildings and shops on the right:

• Box Office Gifts
• Curtain Call Collectibles
• Town Square Theater
• Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
• Main Street Confectionery
• Main Street Cinema
• Uptown Jewelers
• Crystal Arts
• Main Street Bakery
• Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
• The Plaza Restaurant

At the end of Main Street, you’ll have The Crystal Palace on your left and the Partners statue in front of you — and Cinderella Castle beyond it. 😍

But this is an article about Disney World for couples, so what’s there to do specifically for YOU on Main Street?

Pop into the Main Street firehouse to check out the vintage Fire Engine. No. 71, with “71” being a reference to October 1, 1971, the date Disney World opened. (The firehouse has an appropriate 101 Dalmatians theme.)

The Harmony Barber Shop isn’t just for little ones getting their first haircut. It’s also for grownups who want a trim at the most magical barber shop on earth. 💈 Guys can get their facial hair spruced up, too.

These are possibly the least expensive services you’ll find anywhere in Walt Disney World. A cut starts at $21, and a beard trim starts at a measly $8. 🤯

✨ You can walk up and take your chances, but do yourself a favor and make a reservation ahead of time.

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The Emporium is one of the best and biggest shops in Disney World, right up there with World of Disney in Disney Springs and Creations in Epcot.

You’re probably not going to have a Magic Kingdom day without at least one stop into the Main Street Emporium, whether that’s to grab a bottle of water from the cooler, buy ears at the beginning of your trip, get a sweatshirt when it becomes unexpectedly chilly one evening … whatever.

✨ To avoid crowds, go to the Emporium (and any other Main Street Disney World shops) when it’s on the empty side. So, not right after the park opens or as it’s closing, not when there’s a parade going down Main Street or the Dapper Dans are performing, etc.

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We’re late-starters, so we usually head to Casey’s Corner first to get lunch (🌭) so that we don’t have to stop once we’re in the thick of the park, at least not for a while.

Listen to our Disney park strategy for late risers here!

✨ Magic Kingdom’s quick-service food is fine, but it’s nothing like Epcot’s. If you’re hungry, passing on Casey’s isn’t going to open up possibilities for phenomenal food options.

The exception is if you have your mind set on something specific, like the Spring Rolls cart in Adventureland or New England clam chowder from the Columbia Harbor House.

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The Main Street Confectionery is a literal candy land, and it’s one of the places we miss most when we’re back in New York. The scent alone is heavenly. We usually stop here on our way out of the park to take sweets back to the hotel with us. 🍭

Also, on our first day in the Magic Kingdom, we’ll pick up a bag of flavored coffee to make at the hotel in the mornings — plus a few bags to take back home for ourselves and as souvenirs for the fam.

☕️ You can’t get Mickey’s Coffee anywhere but in the park, but you can order the next best thing: Disney coffee from Joffrey’s on Amazon. Sip as you daydream about your next trip.

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The Main Street Cinema — not to be confused with the Town Square Theater, which is where kiddos meet characters — is for Disney diehards and collectors. The space always features a collection that’s on the rare side, meaning you’re not going to see these items in too many other places in Walt Disney World.

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Uptown Jewelers is one of my favorite shops in all of WDW, and it’s perfect for adults because it has bags, clothes, jewelry and watches that are nicer than what you’ll find anywhere else in the Magic Kingdom. Plus, since it’s not a toy store, it’s usually emptier than the other Main Street Disney World shops.

Want to buy a Loungefly before your Disney World for couples trip? There are always seasonal options like the one below, but I don’t think it gets cuter or more classic than this one with Steamboat Willie. Swoon.

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Next is Crystal Arts, where you’ll find Walt Disney World’s finer (and so, so delicate) souvenirs and keepsakes.

Beware of visiting this store when you’ve got a stuffed backpack or a handful of shop bags — it’s far too easy to knock something over in the tight space. For us, this is mostly a window-shopping stop, but we have picked up Christmas ornaments and other items at times.

We particularly love the etched glasses. For under $20, you can get a pretty glass featuring a character of your choice and personalize it with a message. Add them to your Disney couples ideas list.

✨ Ask a Cast Member to hold onto the glass(es) for you and pick up your order later during your return time window.

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The Main Street Bakery is a Starbucks, and on those days when we make it to Magic Kingdom early (like, before 11 a.m.), this is our first stop instead of Casey’s.

The line’s usually long, but you get to see the latest Walt Disney World-themed Starbucks cups as you wait, and you then get to change your mind three times about which one to buy, and then boom, you’ve spent your first $20 of the day on something you probably don’t need.

Isn’t it great?

We also like to pop into the Main Street Bakery on our way out of the park so we have coffee to go with whatever treat we pick up at the Confectionery, plus enough caffeinated energy to get us out of the gates, to the ferry, to the car, to the hotel… 🥱

Main Street Disney World During the Holidays

Looking for Disney couples ideas for the holiday season? Main Street in Walt Disney World is a magically festive treat.

Aside from the holiday collections in the Main Street Disney World shops, here’s what you can look forward to:

• An enormous Christmas tree in the middle of Town Square, complete with ornaments, lights and packages underneath.
• Garlands, wreaths and lights everywhere.
• Fake snow at night as the park’s closing! (Be careful, it’s slippery.)

While Hollywood Studios is our favorite Christmastime park, Main Street in Walt Disney World is a very close second. Even though the weather will be hot, it’ll feel like the most wonderful time of the year from the second you spot the train station.

What type of Main Street Disney World entertainment is there?

There’s a good amount of entertainment that takes place on Magic Kingdom’s Main Street throughout the day. Some of it will make Main Street a destination if you’re dying to experience a specific event. The rest will be fun to catch if you happen to be in the area — or it will give you a reason to scoot right by Main Street and come back later when the crowds have thinned.

• Casey’s Corner Pianist
• Dapper Dans
• Disney Enchantment
• Horses (yes, horses!)
• Main Street Philharmonic
• Main Street Vehicles
• Meet Mickey and Minnie at Town Square Theater
• Parades and cavalcades

Since Main Street entertainment happens at set times, you’re not going to be able to avoid crowds the way you would during non-entertainment times.

💡 We like to pick and choose what’s important to us and hightail it out of there when we don’t mind missing what’s happening.

For example, we try to always catch at least one Dapper Dans show during a trip, but we don’t mind passing on a cavalcade or parade. If we happen to see one go by, we’ll stop and appreciate it for a few, but otherwise, we take that time to run around and get on shorter lines, especially if we’re trying to get by without buying Genie+ that day.

Here are a couple more ways to save time at Walt Disney World, too.

How do you get the day’s Main Street, U.S.A. entertainment schedule?

Note that these directions are for iOS, but we can’t imagine that Android functions so differently you won’t be able to figure it out 😊

To see what’s on the schedule for the day, open the My Disney Experience app and click the Home icon on the bottom-left (if it didn’t default to that page on its own). Scroll down just a bit, and you should see Magic Kingdom Park with a button that says Today’s Showtimes below it — click that.

You’ll be brought to a screen with all of the shows left for the day (and a few that are coming in the future), but that’s at every park, not just the Magic Kingdom. To filter the results, click the funnel-shaped Filter icon on the bottom-right.

Select Magic Kingdom Park, which should be at the top, under the Location heading. Then, click Apply.

Now you’ll see the times for any Magic Kingdom entertainment left for the day. You can scroll through to find Main Street Disney World events.

So, what do we like best when it comes to entertainment on Main Street?

A few times a day, the Casey’s Corner Pianist will put on a 20-minute show right outside the eatery. You can make requests, too!

The Dapper Dans are a Main Street staple. We try our best to show up for at least one show during a trip. Bonus points if you book a Barbershop service and the Dans visit while you’re there. JEALOUS.

Remember when we mentioned the Disney horses? According to Disney’s website, “Get to know the magnificent equines who live and work at Walt Disney World Resort.” The attraction’s on Main Street, of course, and seems to take place around 9 a.m. Since we’re not sure of the days, definitely check that schedule ahead of time.

Full disclosure: We’ve never actually experienced this. It occurs slightly before we usually make it to the park. It’s on our bucket list!

Crowds or no crowds, we wouldn’t want to miss a performance by the Main Street Philharmonic, a marching band that plays ragtime, swing and Disney songs.

Main Street, U.S.A. opening and closing times

The Magic Kingdom’s and Main Street’s opening and closing times vary by day of the week, time of year, and whether or not you can take advantage of extended hours for certain Disney World hotel guests. You can refer to the Walt Disney World monthly calendar to see the exact hours for specific days.

Main Street closes when the Magic Kingdom does — kind of

As you (and everyone else) slowly shuffle down Main Street Disney World, you’ll notice that a lot of the stores are still open and happily welcoming guests. On our way out of the park, when the rides are closed down and Cast Members are pointing toward the exit, we’ve always been able to stop at the Bakery, Confectionery and Emporium to pick up last-minute treats and souvenirs.

The crowds are going to be teeming, and lines will be long. But if you can’t return to your hotel without a caramel apple or a Mickey t-shirt you want to wear the next day, this is your chance.

What’s nice is that while you’ll be standing around for a while to pick up your order or even get through the doors of the Emporium, Main Street itself is practically deserted, at least by Disney standards. This is our favorite time to stop in the middle of the street and snap a photo, appreciate the sounds and scents of Main Street, and point out all the decor we missed when we zipped into the park earlier that day.

5 Quiet Spots on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom

Want to appreciate the adorable vibes without getting elbowed out of the way? These five spots are on the more chill side of Disney couples ideas, or at least as calm as Main Street can realistically get.

1. Main Street cul-de-sac

Right outside Crystal Arts, about halfway down Main Street, there’s a short cul-de-sac. There aren’t any Main Street Disney World shops to actually walk into back here, which is why it’s so quiet. It’s cutely themed like the rest of Main Street, too.

2. Town Square benches

In Town Square, there are benches outside the storefronts that face the flagpole. If you can snag an empty bench, it is a nice place to sit and people-watch. You’ll have views of some of Main Street’s nicest structures, like City Hall and the Main Street station. You may even catch a performance or parade!

3. Far-back of the Emporium, right before Casey’s Corner

As you walk through the Main Street Emporium, you’ll pass through different “rooms.” Each one has a loose theme (the current year’s Disney collection, home goods, clothing…).

Keep walking back as far as you can. You’ll come to a section of the store that seems a bit darker lighting-wise. This is where there are a few men’s shirts and hoodies, socks, pajamas…

You’ll notice that the theme suddenly becomes baseball. That makes sense because this is the end of the Emporium that leads into Casey’s Corney, the baseball-themed fast-service eatery. ⚾️

This part of the store is usually the least busy. If you’re doing some shopping in the Emporium and need a quick breather because there are too many people shoving, trying on clothes, and, you know, just being there, this is where to make a beeline for.

(You can also duck outside to see if the Casey’s Corner pianist is performing.)

4. Main Street Cinema

For whatever reason, the Main Street Cinema is always light on crowds. We never understand that because we think this is where the best souvenirs are. Fine with us! Browse vintage items inspired by the Disney vault, or check out the newest and most unique items in relative peace.

5. Crystal Arts

As pretty as the items are here, this shop doesn’t cater to the masses like the other Main Street Disney World shops do. Whenever we’ve been there, we only have to contend with a handful of shoppers.

Going on a Disney World for couples trip soon?

Remember to back essentials for your park days. If you want a Disney backpack checklist that’s void of kiddie items, download this free one. 🎒

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