Rise and shine! Are you ready for an awesome park day at Magic Kingdom? Having a great morning strategy for the Magic Kingdom will set the tone and guarantee yourself a magical day at the park! Let’s dive in and learn the best strategy tips for your next visit.
Visiting Magic Kingdom is more than just Castle photos and themed treats. If you really want to get the best bang for your buck (Disney is expensive these days!), you are going to need to invest a little bit of effort to build a solid plan for maximizing your time in order to get to everything on your wish list.
Overview
Magic Kingdom is a busy park – probably the busiest of all four of them. But it also has the most attractions, shows and entertainment. You will absolutely have plenty to do from park opening to park closing, and you can undoubtedly accomplish everything you want to do with some basic park knowledge and a few simple park strategies in your back pocket.
That said, the best advice I can give up front is to not plan every single step of your day. As a matter of fact, you just simply shouldn’t. You will miss out on the joy and the magic right in front of you if you do. BUT, having a few priorities in place and a general plan will keep you on track to ensure you ride the popular attractions, eat some great snacks, rest when you need to, all while making the most of your time at the park.
Mornings at Magic Kingdom
The early mornings at Magic Kingdom are my absolute favorite time of the day. The air is crisp, the crowds are lighter and there is a magical vibe and excitement in the air. Castle photos are also incredibly beautiful first thing in the morning with the sun’s glare reflecting off of the water below and the clear blue skies above.
But mornings are also a great time to knock out a few of your favorite and more popular attractions at the park before the crowds get heavy and the lines grow. It’s beneficial to take advantage of the quieter morning hours to get the big stuff out of the way, allowing for a more leisurely afternoon while everyone else is standing in long lines in the hot sun.
Rise and Shine – Morning Strategy Tips
Here are my top six tips for planning the very best morning at Magic Kingdom:
1. Choose Transportation Wisely
When traveling to Magic Kingdom, there are several transportation options to get you there: Monorail, Bus, your own transportation, or ride share/Uber.
Magic Kingdom is by far the most challenging park to get to. Because it sits across Bay Lake, it requires a Monorail or Ferry to get you there. And depending on where you stay, may depend on what type of transportation you choose.
No matter which transportation you choose, plan for ample time to get you to the park. NEVER underestimate how long it might take, especially during busier times of the year. Whatever you might think it will take, double it! And don’t forget, once at the entrance, you will have others doing the same thing so you need more time to scan your ticket to get into the park.
If you are going to rope drop or take advantage of early entry (tips 2 and 3), you need to buffer travel time so you get there in plenty of time to take advantage of either of those two early morning options.
Resort Monorail
The resort monorail stops at three of the deluxe resorts to pick up or drop off Guests:
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Resort
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Staying at one of these resorts and taking the monorail to Magic Kingdom is the quickest and most efficient way.
Hotel Buses
Hotel buses are available at every resort on property, including the three deluxe resorts mentioned above. These can get crowded and busy. You often have to wait quite some time for the buses to get to and from your resort. During busy times, they usually have many in operation to keep the crowds moving, but there are still hefty wait times.
Parking at the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC)
This is the slowest way to get to Magic Kingdom. If you are driving your car to the park, please give yourself ample time to pay, park, walk or take the tram to the main ticketing area and then choose the ferry or monorail to get you to the entrance to the park.
This is a viable option and one I honestly recommend first thing in the morning. Because it’s usually not super busy, an Uber driver usually arrives pretty quickly and can get you to the Magic Kingdom. Ubers/Ride shares do drop you off where the bus terminal is, so you will also be right at the entrance.
While this does cost some money, versus the free Disney transportation (bus, monorail or ferry), it is a very effective way to get you to Magic Kingdom quicker and could be worth the time and value.
Minnie Vans
Similar to ride shares or Ubers, the Minnie Vans are run by Lyft and driven by Walt Disney World Cast Members. Each Minnie Vans fit 6-8 guests, has up to 2 car seats available, and can now accommodate wheelchairs and EVCs, if necessary. Be sure to download the Lyft app and create an account prior to your visit. Minnie Vans can get pricey, but you are guaranteed great service and who wouldn’t love to ride in a red polka dot “Minnie” van to their final destination?
2. Best Rise and Shine Strategy Tip – Use Early Entry
Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel or partner hotel have “early entry” to the parks every day at every park.
Walt Disney World partner hotels include:
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
- Shades of Green® on Walt Disney World® Resort
- B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista
- DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
- Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
- Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
- Holiday Inn Orlando
- Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
- Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
- Four Seasons Resort Orlando
- Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando
Early entry will allow WDW/partner hotel Guests access to the parks 30 minutes before the general crowds. This is a huge advantage when trying to fit some of the big attractions first thing in the morning.
Keep in mind that not every area and attraction is open during early morning hours. Generally only the right side of the park is open – so you will have access to Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Storybook Circus.
Here is a list of attractions typically open during early morning hours (subject to change):
- “it’s a small world”
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Mad Tea Party
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Space Mountain
- The Barnstormer
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
If you are using early entry, prioritize these three attractions first thing in the morning:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Peter Pan
- Space Mountain
3. Arrive Early to Rope Drop
If you do not have early entry access, then you will want to use this method.
One of the keys to be able to tackle the big rides in Magic Kingdom is to get an early start. And that sometimes means arriving about 45 to an hour before park opening. This is called Rope Drop. Being there when the gates open is important to hitting the big rides first thing in the morning before the crowds build. These days, you will be allowed to scan into the park and wander down Main Street U.S.A., but you will not have access to any of the areas of the park until the official park opening. This allows you to take pictures, get some coffee and a light breakfast or even do some shopping. But if you want to be first in line, I do recommend that you line up with everyone else at the entrance to the land you want to visit first. For example, if you are looking to ride Space Mountain first thing, be one of the first in line at the rope into Tomorrowland. Cast Members guard the area, but once it’s officially park opening, those ropes drop and you can run to Space Mountain and be one of the first on the attraction.
If you are using Rope Drop, I recommend using the opposite entrance of those entering the parks earlier. Since those areas will already be full of people, start on the opposite side and prioritize these attractions first:
- Jungle Cruise
- Splash Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates
4. Learn How To Use My Disney Experience App
The My Disney Experience app changes all the time, and with the recent inclusion of Genie and Genie+, everything looks and feels different. Before your trip, you want to be sure the app is downloaded to your phone, you create an account, all park tickets, family and friends are linked appropriately, and you play around with the app to learn the features, what it has to offer, and where to find things. It can be a bit tricky to find what you need, especially if you need something quickly. Best to have a solid understanding before you get to the park.
5. PRO Rise and Shine Strategy Tip – Understand How Genie, Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes Function
Don’t forget, there is a version of Genie that you don’t have to pay for. The planning tool offers great options and advice when you need basic information like park hours, wait times, dining options, etc. It will also offer an itinerary and recommendations for the day once it learns your preferences. This can be a valuable and helpful tool as you navigate your day in the park.
Genie+ requires a bit of an education and I highly recommend you seek that out before your planned park day. If you choose to pay for Genie+ for you and your family, you want to get the most out of it.
The purchase of Individual Lightning Lanes requires less of an education and understanding because it’s typically a one-time thing, but knowing what is available to you and where to purchase it is key. These are all outlined in the guide linked above.
6. Set Expectations
Setting the bar high is never a bad thing, but setting yourself up for disappointment is. Be realistic about what you can accomplish and what you can’t. Know your traveling party and set expectations with them before heading to the park. Make sure everyone is on the same page and has the same goals. It will make life so much easier!
So now that we have that out of the way, let’s walk through what a Magic Kingdom morning strategy might look like. It may not be as hard as you think to get in what you most want to see and do first thing in the morning.
But first, let’s run through a quick Magic Kingdom overview.
Conclusion
Remember that the ultimate goal of visiting Magic Kingdom is to HAVE FUN!! You don’t want to plan your whole day down to the minute and miss out on that. What I offered here in this article is a guide, recommendations and experiences that work should you choose to follow them – even loosely.
Don’t forget to find time to eat, relax, watch a parade or cavalcade and take in the fireworks later in the day. You can accomplish a LOT in the morning if you plan it correctly, leaving tons of time in the afternoon to chill and enjoy the atmosphere.
