With all that has changed at Disney World especially without the convenience of the FastPass system, a visit to one of the parks can seem very intimidating. The truth is, you can still visit and do as much as you used to, but you have to make sure you have a good plan. Even when we did have FastPasses, seeing all of Magic Kingdom in one day was impossible; therefore, I still recommend setting aside two days for this park, but if you only have one day I’m here to help you see as much as possible!
My touring plan works to move you around the park in a timely manner while also not having you dart back and forth between the lands. You will easily put in 10,000 steps a day at Magic Kingdom and eliminating any unnecessary walking is crucial to park survival!
A couple of key points to keep in mind are:
- A park reservation is required to enter the park and can be made on your My Disney Experience app after you’ve purchased a valid park ticket.
- Try to visit Magic Kingdom during the week. Weekends are considerably busier which increases your wait times.
- Be sure to check the park hours in advance and double-check again the night before you plan to visit as they often vary between days and can change. You can find current park hours on your My Disney Experience app.
- Wait times are often shown longer than they actually are (which is good news!)
In order to get started, you will need to prioritize which attractions are the most important to you and then strategically go about seeing them. If I haven’t listed an attraction you MUST SEE while here, swap out the one you’re less interested in. The idea is to cover as much as possible but still stay flexible if there’s something you really want to do or a shorter than expected wait time pops up.
Arrival at Magic Kingdom
On your Magic Kingdom day, you’ll want to arrive 30 minutes to 45 minutes prior to park opening time.
Remember there are several new steps in the arrival process:
If you are parking at Magic Kingdom:
- Trams start running in the parking lots about 45 prior to park opening
- Second is security with metal detectors
- Then you can choose the monorail or the boat to get to the Magic Kingdom entrance. If there is a long monorail line I highly suggest the boat as it can hold many more people
- And finally, the Ticket entrance!
If you are staying at a Disney Resort:
- By Monorail from Contemporary, Polynesian, or Grand Floridian: – you will go through security at the resort, board the monorail and then head directly to the entrance at Magic Kingdom upon arrival.
- By Bus: You will be dropped off at the bus loop in front of Magic Kingdom. Security with metal detectors will take place in front of Magic Kingdom before entering the park.
- By Boat: You will be dropped off at the front of Magic Kingdom. Security with metal detectors will take place in front of Magic Kingdom before entering the park.
You can view all park rules and prohibited items here.
We will use the early morning hours to cover a few attractions prior to the park becoming crowded. But you must be in place and ready to go when the park officially opens.
- Cast members often admit guests into Magic Kingdom prior to the listed park opening time. This is why it’s so important you be at the park 30 to 45 minutes prior to park opening.
Currently, not all of the Main Street shops and dining locations will be open, but many are. However, I highly suggest you resist temptation and move on towards your first ride destination, the lines form fast!
Starting Point:
- Below is the order I would ride the attractions in.
- This takes into account which lines are often the longest throughout the day.
- If there is something you aren’t interested in doing, simply skip that one and move to the next.
- The four rides in red are by far the most popular in the park with consistently long lines as the day progresses.
- If you are visiting for two days, make it through as many of the four as you can until the line length is more than you’re willing to wait, then make them your first priority on day 2.
Note: Haunted Mansion is on the way from one set of rides to the next and easy to knock off the list and reduce walking unless you’d rather postpone it to later due to rapidly increasing wait times.
Day 1
- Tron- Virtual Queue is currently required to ride
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Peter Pan
- Haunted Mansion
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Jungle Cruise
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
- People Mover
- Space Mountain
- It’s a Small World
- Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
Day 2
If you’re visiting Magic Kingdom for a second day repeat your favorites from day one or ride the ones you missed. Then follow the day 2 touring plan.
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- The Barnstormer
- Mad Tea Party
- The Many Adventures of Winne the Pooh
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Swiss Family Treehouse
- Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Liberty Square Riverboat
- Tom Sawyer Island
*This plan is not inclusive of all attractions. Please add in attractions you’d like to experience as you see fit.
Attraction Height Requirements:
- Space Moutain – 44″
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – 40″
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – 38″
- The Barnstormer – 35″
- Tomorrowland Speedway – 32″
Rider swap
Rider swap is available at the following Magic Kingdom attractions:
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Space Mountain
- Goofy’s Barnstormer
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Tomorrowland Speedway
How rider swap works
Rider Swap is a great way to get all willing and tall enough guests on the attractions together when one member of the party is either too short to ride or does not want to ride.
When you approach the Standby entrance simply let the Cast Member know that you’d like to rider swap.
The Cast Member will instruct you on how to ride the attraction allowing the second part of your group to skip to the front of the line when the first group returns.
The first group will ride while one adult and unwilling/too small participants stay behind. After the first party returns the adult that stayed behind will be able to use the Lightning Lane entrance to ride the attraction along with the other members who just rode.
This system is a fantastic way for everyone to get to experience the attraction together even when some aren’t able too. It’s also a great way for the kids to be able to experience many of the attractions twice!
Single rider lines
Unlike Disneyland and a select few attractions at Disney World, Magic Kingdom does not have any single rider lines.
Dining
Park touring is exhausting and makes you hungry! Pack snacks in your bag to eat throughout the day. Bring a water bottle too. You can purchase water in the parks but it can be quite expensive. Quick Service restaurants will provide free water in a paper cup. They are unable to fill your water bottle but you can pour the water from the cup into your own water bottle.
Table Service Dining:
I’d recommend at least one table service (think wait staff) dining reservation per day so that you can relax in the AC.
You can make dining reservations 60 days prior to arrival on your My Disney Experience app. Day of reservations can be found in the app if available. I recommend you make your reservations prior to arrival to ensure the most availability.
Quick Service Dining:
There are many quick-service options available. Mobile order your food through the My Disney Experience app. It saves time!
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