Tag: Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is the star of Disney World. It is the most popular park and sees the most guests each year. Magic Kingdom is very busy to say the least, but with these Magic Kingdom tips, visiting the park is a breeze!

Knowing these 10 Magic Kingdom tips will help you maximize your time in Magic Kingdom, avoid the longest lines, get the best views, and keep you safe. It is so important to have a Magic Kingdom strategy before arriving at the park. You will end up wasting a lot of time and wandering around aimlessly without one!

Get your pen and paper out. This post is packed full of pixie dust you won’t want to miss!

PS- You can check out all my Disney World posts here if you want to explore more!

1. Rope Drop is Worth Getting Up Early For

Rope drop is what us Disney nerd call park opening. Essentially, rope drop means you’re at Magic Kingdom ready for some magic the second it opens.

I love rope drop, and I Magic Kingdom is my favourite park to rope drop. It is amazing how much you can done first thing in the morning when there are no lines!

This is one of my top Magic Kingdom tips.

It is 100% worth waking up early and getting to Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning. You can ride the most popular attractions with little to no wait!

The only attraction that has any substantial wait is Seven Dwarves Mine Train. The line at rope drop is still the lowest it will be all day.

If you managed to snag a Fastpass+ for Seven Dwarves Mine Train later in the day, you can skip the line and hop on the rest of the rides with little to no wait time!

For example, when I rope drop Magic Kingdom, I can normally ride two or three popular attractions (like Peter Pan’s Flight) and meet a handful of characters (including the princesses) before I have to wait in a line longer than 5 minutes!

This is one of my Magic Kingdom tips that isn’t for everybody.

Lots of people don’t enjoy waking up early and want to relax a bit on their Disney vacation.

But, if you’re like me and are a morning person, being at Magic Kingdom for rope drop is the best way to get a lot done at Magic Kingdom without paying for premium access to the park.

2. If You’re Not a Morning Person, Consider an After Hours Event

Carrying on from the last sentence of tip one, if you’re not a morning person, it is well worth the money to pay for an After Hours ticket.

After Hours is a three-hour event put on by Disney where you purchase a ticket and get access to the park with very few people in the parks.

Literally so few people that you never have to wait longer than 5 minutes to get on any attractions other than Seven Dwarves Mine Train. That line is normally 10 to 15 minutes long, which is still a super short line!

The hours for the even vary depending on what time of year it is. Sometimes the event starts at 8pm and sometimes it starts at 10pm.

Tickets cost $129, so they are not cheap.

It is expensive, but what you get out of the event is well worth the price of admission!

You get so much done in those three hours. Way more than you get done in an entire day in the park.

I will acknowledge that me as a single person visiting the parks is much more likely to be able to afford a ticket than a family of four or more. A lot of families don’t have an extra $500 to shell out for three hours in the park.

You definitely have to look at your finances and see whether or not the event is worth it for you.

Oh! And did I mention that as part of the event you get unlimited complimentary popcorn, ice cream, and pop?!

That’s a nice addition to the event!

PS- if you want to learn even more about Magic Kingdom After Hours, I have a full post on it you should read.

3. Everything You Need to Know About Wifi

This may seem like an odd thing to talk about in a post about Magic Kingdom tips but hear my out!

There is a lot you need to know about wifi in Magic Kingdom, and it can have a major impact on your day at Magic Kingdom.

There is complimentary wifi

Disney World provides guests with complimentary wifi in all four parks!

This is amazing and so helpful since the Disney World app is an essential part of any Magic Kingdom visit.

You use the app to check wait times, as a map, to check show and parade times, and order food.

So connecting to wifi is essential.

The downside

There are thousands of people connected to the wifi at Magic Kingdom at any given moment.

This means the wifi tends to be slow.

This can be a bit frustrating, but Disney is figuring out ways to speed up the internet all the time. It is getting better and better each time I visit Disney World!

Please be internet safe

The wifi at Disney World is public.

You don’t need a password to access it, and anybody who is within range of the signal can use it.

This makes it not the safest internet network to use.

You are exposed, and anybody who wants to can access your personal online data.

It is the same case no matter what public wifi network you are using. It isn’t just a Disney thing.

The only way to protect yourself when using a public wifi network is to install a VPN on your devices.

It essentially puts a forcefield around your phone, tablet, or laptop, so nobody can get in and steal your data.

A VPN makes using public wifi as safe as using your own personal wifi where only you know the password!

The best part is that the cost of protecting 6 devices with a VPN is less than the cost of a single latte a month!

I always say if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect your online information with a VPN!

Mickey would want your phone to be protected while you’re enjoying Magic Kingdom!

4. Mobile Order is Amazing

Disney World launched mobile order in 2017, and it changed the quick service game!

It allows guests to order and pay for their food on the Disney World app and collect their food at a dedicated window once it is prepared.

Taking advantage of mobile order is one of my top Magic Kingdom tips because it saves you a lot of time!

A lot of quick service restaurants and snack stands in Magic Kingdom have painfully long lines.

I’ve stood in food lines for well over 30 minutes before, and it can be a real time suck!

Mobile order completely eliminates those long lines and gets you your food way faster than standing in the normal line.

Most people haven’t caught on to mobile order yet, so not many people are using the service. This means there aren’t many orders in the queue, and you get your food lightening fast.

Just about as fast as Lightning McQueen!

Most, but not all, Magic Kingdom quick service restaurants and snack stands offer mobile order as an option.

Be sure to check the app before you hop into the regular line to see if that restaurant offers mobile order.

You can use your passholder discount on the app, so it works for annual passholders as well!

The major flaw in the mobile order process is that you have to pay with a credit card.

This means people who don’t live in the United States and don’t have a US dollar credit card have to pay their bank fees for using USD rather than their normal currency.

It also eliminates people who don’t have credit cards for one reason or another.

Hopefully in the future they add the ability to use a gift card for mobile order!

5. You Need a Parade Strategy

Magic Kingdom has the best parades in Disney World.

I said it, and I’m not taking it back!

Whether it is Festival of Fantasy parade or one of Magic Kingdom’s special parades for Halloween or Christmas, they are top notch and not to be missed!

They are also very popular, so you need a parade strategy.

This is one of those Magic Kingdom tips I don’t think enough people are talking about!

The first thing you need to decide when coming up with a parade strategy is deciding how important the parade is to you.

Form there, you can come up with a parade strategy.

If parades are very important to you, you should get a spot to watch Festival of Fantasy 30 or so minutes before the parade starts.

This will ensure you get a good view of the parade and don’t have anybody blocking your view.

For the Halloween or Christmas parades at the parties, you can purchase a special ticket that gives you a priority spot to watch the parade.

It is fairly expensive, and I don’t think it is completely necessary seeing as there are two parades a night, and the later parade is normally pretty quiet.

If you’re not super into parades, you can normally show up about 5 minutes before the parade starts and find a decent spot.

You might have to walk around and find the perfect spot, but it can normally be found.

No matter what your parade preferences are, you need a strategy, so you’re not disappointed.

PS- You can learn all about meeting Magic Kingdom characters here!

6. Special Event Tickets are Worth the Splurge

There are two special events at Magic Kingdom you can buy a ticket for (other than the After Hours event we already discussed).

Magic Kingdom hosts Mickey’s Not-So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

They are both hard ticket events.

This means you have to buy a separate ticket to attend the event. You cannot use your regular park ticket.

Tickets for these special events are normally under $100, and you get access to exclusive entertainment, snacks, and the characters wear special outfits.

They are super fun for children and adults alike!

At the Halloween Party, you get to go trick-or-treating, and you can collect as much candy as you want. You get holiday cookies and warm beverages at the Christmas Party.

This is all included in the price of admission!

The parties are quite busy, so I don’t recommend them if your goal is to ride a bunch of attractions with a shorter wait time.

But if you want to celebrate the season, try some exclusive snacks, and enjoy special theming and costumes, then the parties are for you!

I personally love them and go to them whenever I have the chance.

7. Leave Extra Time to Get to and from Magic Kingdom

A lot of people don’t realize that the entrance to Magic Kingdom is not right next to the parking lot.

It is wayyyy across a lagoon, and it takes a fair amount of time to get from the parking lot to the entrance of Magic Kingdom.

One of the best Magic Kingdom tips I can give you is to factor the time it takes to get from the Magic Kingdom parking lot to the entrance of the park.

Of course this tip doesn’t apply to use if you’re using Disney transportation from your hotel. You will be dropped off right at the front of Magic Kingdom, and you don’t have to factor any extra time into your day.

But if you’re driving your own car, you need to add an extra 15 to 20 minutes to your schedule to get from the parking lot to the park entrance.

It is a bit annoying- especially during busy times when everybody is either leaving or going to Magic Kingdom.

You can either take a ferry to Magic Kingdom or ride the monorail.

My preference is to take the monorail. It tends to be the quicker of the two.

8. Make Dining Reservations 180 Days in Advance

Magic Kingdom is home to some of the most popular restaurants in all of Disney World.

Restaurants like Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest are incredibly difficult to get reservations for.

You can make dining reservations through the Disney World app or Disney World website 180 days in advance.

I highly recommend you figure out when you can start making dining reservations and make Magic Kingdom dining reservations as early as possible to ensure you get the dining reservations you want.

You won’t be very successful if you try to try to make reservations at these restaurants a week or even a month in advance.

For other less popular (but still amazing Magic Kingdom restaurants) like Skipper Canteen, you can make reservations closer to your arrival date.

But if you only listen to one of my Magic Kingdom tips, let it be this one. Make your dining reservations for popular restaurants as soon as you can!

You don’t want to regret procrastinating and missing out on a restaurant you really wanted to try.

9. Your Fastpass+ Strategy will Make or Break You

Disney World is unlike any other Disney park in the world, and you get to make your Fastpass+ reservations between 30 and 60 days in advance.

You select three attractions and times per day in a particular park, and you get a Fastpass+ for those rides at that specific time.

It requires a lot of planning and some intense strategy to maximize your Fastpass+ options.

The good thing about Magic Kingdom is it is the only Disney World park that doesn’t have Fastpass+ tiers.

This means you can get a Fastpass+ for any three rides and don’t have to choose one popular ride and two less popular rides like the other parks.

You can read my Fastpass+ strategies for Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom if you want to learn more about those parks!

I’m not going to go too in depth about different Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ strategies in this post because I have an entire post you can read here that goes way more in depth than I can in this post.

The long and the short of it is you have to get your Fastpass+ selections in advance to have any shot of getting a Fastpass+ for the most popular attractions.

I suggest scheduling your Fastpass+ selections for the morning to early afternoon, so you can potentially get a fourth Fastpass+ after you use your first three.

Be sure to read my Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ post to learn what a bonus fourth Fastpass+ is!

Outside of booking your Fastpass+ selections for earlier int he day, be sure to get Fastpass+ for the most popular attractions.

You want to limit the amount of time you wait in line, and there are certain attractions that you simply don’t need a Fastpass+ for.

I’m looking at you Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor!

The biggest tip I can give you for making Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections is to figure out what is most important for you to ride and get a Fastpass+ for the most popular attractions on your list!

10. Have a Fireworks Strategy

Having a fireworks strategy is one of the most talked about Magic Kingdom tips and for good reason!

The firework shows are extremely popular, and a huge percentage of everybody in Magic Kingdom watch them every night.

Thanks to the projection shows on the castle during the fireworks, gone are the days where you can stand behind the castle and get a good view of the fireworks without being crowded.

Now to get the full experience of the show (and you should because they are awesome!) you have no choice but to stand at the front of the castle.

There is less room for people to spread out and watch the fireworks, so you are often crammed in like sardines.

You often leave very sweaty from the humidity and being so close to thousands of other people.

Viewing Options:

You can pay to attend a fireworks dessert party, and this is the best way to get a good view of the fireworks without staking out your spot in advance.

They are expensive, and they aren’t everybody’s cup of tea. You can find out more about dessert parties here.

If you’re not prepared to splurge on a dessert party, you need to decide how important the fireworks are to you.

People start claiming their spot on Main Street USA at least 30 minutes before the fireworks start. Some people are there even earlier to get the best spots!

If you’re like me and aren’t too keen on standing on Main Street USA for an extended period of time, I suggest showing up 10 minutes before the show starts and weaselling your way into a gap.

This strategy doesn’t work the best for larger families, but you can split up for the show and meet at a designated spot afterwords.

I must warn you though. You probably will have a slightly obstructed view if you show up just a few minutes before the show.

You might have a tall person standing in front of you or a lamp post blocking part of the castle.

It is a risk you have to be willing to take if you don’t claim your spot early!

I personally think either splurging for a dessert party or showing up a few minutes before the fireworks start is the best strategy.

It isn’t fun standing on Main Street USA for upwards of half an hour waiting for the show to start.

You often get in people’s way and feel awkward.

It can be a bit of hassle, and there are better things you can do with that half hour!

Conclusion

There you have it! My top Magic Kingdom tips for the best day ever!

Each and every Magic Kingdom tip on this list is essential an helps you have a better day in the parks.

You now know how to avoid lines, get food quicker, and have a strategy for fireworks, parades, and making your Fastpass+ reservations.

You’re all set for an epic day in Magic Kingdom!

The other bonus tip I’ll give you is to make time to meet a few characters!

It is so much fun, and you make life-long memories whether you’re there alone or with a group.

The only thing I ask of you is that you say hi to Mickey for me next time you’re at Magic Kingdom!

Magic Kingdom is the most popular Disney park in the world with a staggering 20.4 million visitors in 2017! It is always busy, so you need a Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ strategy to navigate (and survive) the park.

The 10 Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ tips discussed in this post will help you make the most out your Fastpass+ selections, save time in the parks, and avoid standing in long, hot lines for hours on end.

Nothing is worse than standing in an hour-long line and watching the people with a fastpass basically walk onto the ride. It makes me soooo jealous.

Of course, you’ll have to stand in some lines because fastpasses aren’t magic and take all the waiting away, but they can significantly reduce your wait time if you have the right Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ strategy.

It has been years since I waited in a line longer than 15 minutes at Magic Kingdom, and this is all thanks to knowing and implementing the fastpass tips and tricks discussed in this post.

I’m sharing my insider secrets with you, so you don’t have to waste away in a line in the hot Florida sun for nothing.

1. Book Your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ Choices at Strategic Times

Certain times during the days are better for booking a Fastpass+ than others. You don’t want to book it too early or too late.

There is a sweet middle spot that allows you to optimize your time.

You lose out on short queues if you book your fastpasses for too early in the day and don’t get the most value for them. Book them too late in the day, and you miss out on the opportunity to get additional fastpasses as the day goes on.

Thus a delicate balance between booking too early in the day and too late in the day exists.

I recommend booking your first Fastpass+ sometime after 10am and your last one before 3pm.

Booking all three of your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ options between 10am and 3pm gives you the best chance of optimizing your time in Magic Kingdom.

This time window, of course, may not work for you if you have children or are a late riser who doesn’t get to the parks before noon, but it should work for the average guest.

2. Book Your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ Selections as Soon as Your Booking Window Opens

You can either book your Fastpass+ selections 30 or 60 days in advance of your trip.

The difference in when you’re allowed to book your Fastpass+ choices comes down to where you’re staying.

If you’re staying on Disney property, you’re able to book your fastpasses 60 days in advance. If you’re staying off property, you can’t book your fastpasses until 30 days before your trip.

This means there is a huge advantage to staying on Disney property, and you’re more likely to get fastpasses for the most popular attractions.

It is possible that fastpasses for the most popular Magic Kingdom attractions like Seven Dwarves Mine Train will already be sold out when people staying off property can book their Fastpass+ selections 30 days in advance.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re staying on property or off property. The best practice is to book your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selection the second you’re able to. This gives you the best chance of booking a fastpass for the ride you want at the time you want.

You’re able to start booking your Fastpass+ selections for your entire trip either 60 or 30 days in advance of your trip at 7am EST. This means many people in different time zones will have to wake up super early to book their fastpasses (I certainly do), but it is 100% worth the effort.

You won’t miss that extra sleep when you’re riding all the best Magic Kingdom rides with no wait time because you scored the best Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ options a month or two earlier.

3. There Aren’t Tiers, but there are Good and Bad Choices

Every other Disney World park has a Fastpass+ tier system that allows you to only get one Fastpass+ for a ride that is very popular, and your other two fastpasses are selected from a group of less popular attractions.

The tier system makes it incredibly difficult to choose what Fastpass+ you want form the top tier, and the top tier fastpasses often sell out very quickly. Sometimes even people selecting their Fastpass+ options 60 days in advance can’t get a fastpass for their top choice in tier one.

Magic Kingdom is the only Walt Disney World park to not adhere to the tier system.

This means you’re able to choose three extremely popular rides and get a Fastpass+ for them all. It also means that it is easier to get a fastpass for some of the more popular attractions because there is a larger pool of attractions to choose from.

While there is no tier system when it comes to Magic Kingdom Fastpass+, you still have to choose what rides you want to get a fastpass for wisely.

There is no sense getting a Fastpass+ for an attraction that normally doesn’t have a very long wait time.

You want to use your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections on the rides with the longest wait times.

Good Fastpass+ Selections

Here is a list of rides that are good Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections. They normally have a long wait time, so you will save a lot of time by securing and using a fastpass:

• Seven Dwarves Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• The Jungle Cruise
• Haunted Mansion
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• The Barnstormer
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Meeting Rapunzel and Tiana
• Meeting Cinderella and Elena
• Meeting Mickey Mouse
• Meeting Tinker Bell
• Meeting Ariel

I consider these all to be a good use of a Fastpass+ selection because they often have the longest lines. It is nearly impossible to walk up to any of the rides on this list and not have at least a 30 minute wait.

You don’t want to needlessly waste 30 minutes if you can get a Fastpass+!

That is clearly a long list, and you can’t get a Fastpass+ for every single attraction on that list, but it is a good place to start.

There is also a lot of variation on that list in terms of how long a line can be and how difficult it is to get a Fastpass+ for a particular ride.

The three mountains and Mine Train are the most popular, and they run out of fastpasses the quickest. If you want to ride Seven Dwarves Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, or Big Thunder Mountain, get yourself a Fastpass+ as soon as your booking window opens.

The Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin are the easiest rides to get same-day fastpasses for.

You can sacrifice not getting a Fastpass+ for any of those rides in order to get a Fastpass+ for one of the big rides and feel confident that you can snag a last-minute fourth Fastpass+ on the day you visit.

Bad Fastpass+ Selections

Just as there are a number of good choices you can make when making your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections, there are a number of bad choices you can make.

Here is my list of worst choices for Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections:

• Mickey’s PhilarMagic
• Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor
• It’s a Small World
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Mad Tea Party
• Enchanted Tales with Belle
• Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid

Every ride on that list has one thing in common: it rarely has a wait time over 10-15 minutes.

You don’t want to waste a Fastpass+ selection on a ride that has such a short wait time when you can use it for a ride that has a wait time over an hour.

That simply isn’t optimizing your time.

I’m not saying any of the rides on this list are bad. I love a number of rides on this list, and, in fact, never go to Magic Kingdom without visiting Mickey’s PhilharMagic and Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid.

You just don’t need a Fastpass+ to enjoy the attractions on this list, which is great! The fact that these rides have such a short wait time is amazing for you and your family.

You get to experience some outstanding attractions without a long wait and without burning up a Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selection.

It doesn’t get any better than that!

4. Get Fourth Fastpass+ Selection after You’ve Used Your First Three

You may have noticed that in the last section when discussing good Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ options, I mentioned that you were able to get some of the good rides as a fourth fastpass on the same day quiet easily.

The exciting things about Fastpass+ at Disney World is that you’re able to make an unlimited number of additional fastpasses once you’ve used up your original three in a day.

This feature is another reason I recommend you booking all your Fastpass+ options by mid-afternoon.

You can only make one additional Fastpass+ at a time, and you must use it before you can book another one.

For example, if you use your third Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ at 2:30pm, you can get a fourth Fastpass+.

Let’s say your fourth Fastpass+ is for 5pm. You’ve used your 5pm Fastpass+, you can get a fifth Fastpass+. And so on and so forth until there are no more options left.

You normally can’t get more than one or two additional Fastpass+ selections in a day, so don’t base your entire Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ strategy on the expectation that you can get a ton of additional fastpasses.

But if you’re struggling to decide between four rides what you should get a Fastpass+ for, keep in mind that some rides are easier than others to get a same-day Fastpass+ for.

The key to optimizing the additional same-day Fastpass+ selections is selecting a ride you want to ride that has the earliest Fastpass+.

If you want to ride both Haunted Mansion and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, get a Fastpass+ for the ride that has the soonest Fastpass+ return time, use it, and then get a Fastpass+ for the other ride.

That is the best way to approach your additional same-day Fastpass+ selections.

5. Change You Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ Selection if You’re Going to Miss You Return Window

A lot of people lose their Fastpass+ selections because they don’t realize that they can alter their plans.

If you’re going to miss your Fastpass+ window for any reason, you can and should alter your Fastpass+ selections.

You can change the time and selection of your Fastpass+ directly through the My Disney Experience app.

You have to alter your plans before the end of your Fastpass+ window so be sure you don’t miss that deadline.

There is no guarantee that you will be able to change your Fastpass+ selection to the same attraction or exact time you want, but at least you won’t lave a Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selection on the table.

In fact, for the most popular attractions, you probably won’t be able to get a Fastpass+ for the same attraction.

You will probably have to select a different attraction.

That is why it is best if you can make the Fastpass+ return window for every ride you have one for, but things happens. Especially if you’re travelling with young children.

6. Use Rope Drop and Extra Morning Magic Hours to Your Advantage

Before I go any further in this section, I’m going to define what rope drop and extra morning magic hours are. Just in case you’re not a Disney nerd and long-time Walt Disney World goer like I am.

Rope Drop

Rope drop is basically Disney-speak for when a park opens. You queue up before the park opens, and you’re there for rope drop.

It is, in my opinion, the best way to get as much Disney in as possible with little to no crowds.

Walt Disney World parks normally open around 8am or 9am, so a lot of people are still tucked away in their beds sleeping. This means the people who are at the parks right when they open are treated to little to no crowds and can get a lot done in a short amount of time.

I’m an early bird. Like naturally wake up at 6:30am on a Saturday early bird, so taking advantage of rope drop is perfect for me.

It is honestly my favourite time to be in the parks!

But I can see how many people recoil at the thought of being at Magic Kingdom right when it opens. You have to be up and going far earlier than 8am to get to the parks for rope drop.

You have to leave time for getting to the parks, getting through security, and being at the parks 15-30 minutes before they open to ensure you’re on the first people in.

I get that rope drop isn’t for everybody, but if you’re a morning person, be sure to take advantage of it!

Early Morning Magic Hours

Early Morning Magic Hours is when a particular Walt Disney World park opens an hours early to people staying in a Disney hotel or on property at a select non-Disney hotel.

A basic rule of thumb to figure out whether you’re eligible for Early Morning Magic Hours is this:

• You’re eligible if you were able to book your Fastpass+ selections 60 days in advance
• You’re not eligible if you had to wait until 30 days in advance to book your Fastpass+ selections

Early Morning Magic Hours are similar to rope drop, but they are much quieter.

Not everybody is allowed into the park during Early Morning Magic Hours, so you’ll encounter even smaller crowds than at rope drop.

This is the perfect opportunity to ride the most popular attractions with little to no wait time. It is amazing how much you can get done in a single hour!

The last time I was at Magic Kingdom for Early Morning Magic Hours, I rode Peter Pan’s Flight, It’s a Small World, Space Mountain, and met all the princesses.

And it only took me 45 minutes to do all that!!

So while you have to get up quite early, it is well worth it if you have a limited amount of time in Disney World and want to get the most out of your time.

A word of warning though.

Only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open during Early Morning Magic Hours.

You will have to wait until the rest of the park opens to explore the rest of the park.

How to Take Advantage of Rope Drop and Early Morning Magic Hours

Everybody flocks to Seven Dwarves Mine Train as soon as the park opens. It is the most difficult ride to get a Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ for and is extremely popular with children and adults alike.

If you weren’t able to get a Fastpass+ for Seven Dwarves Mine Train, I recommend you flock to it with the rest of the guests. The queue will be the shortest first thing in the morning.

If you were able to get a Fastpass+ for Seven Dwarves Mine Train or don’t want to ride it, this is your opportunity to take advantage of a very quiet Magic Kingdom.

I suggest riding the most popular attractions you don’t have a Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ for or meeting any popular characters you want to meet.

Your strategy will depend on whether you’re there for rope drop or Early Morning Magic Hours.

Your options will be limited to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland if you’re there for Early Morning Magic Hours, but there are tons of popular things you can do in those two lands before you’re allowed into the other lands.

You should, of course, choose what you prioritize first thing in the morning based on your personal preference, but I recommend riding Peter Pan’s Flight, the three mountains, and meeting characters during rope drop and Early Morning Magic Hours.

You will only be able to ride Space Mountain during Early Morning Magic Hours so keep that in mind.

No matter what your personal preferences are, be sure to ride the most popular rides that you don’t have a Fastpass+ for first thing in the morning. It will save you a lot of time standing in line throughout the day, and you’ll be amazed at how much you’re able to do in a short amount of time.

7. There is a Short Grace Period

A lot of people don’t realize that there is a short grace period for using your Fastpass+.

You can typically use it 5 minutes before your return window starts and 10-15 minutes after your window ends.

If you show up outside of that grace window, you probably won’t be able to use your Fastpass+ selection unless you plead your case to the cast member at the fastpass queue, and they are kind enough to let you in.

Don’t rely on that strategy though!

I personally try to take advantage of the short 5 minute grace period before my Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selection. This is especially true if it is my third fastpass of the day.

The sooner I redeem my Fastpass+, the sooner I can book my fourth Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ for the day!

I’m also just naturally the type of person who thinks you’re late if you show up 5 minutes early. I’m normally hovering around the ride I have a Fastpass+ for about 10 minutes before my return time begins.

This short grace period is perfect for people who are rushing across Magic Kingdom to get to their next Fastpass+ and get bottlenecked because there is a parade or stage show. Or for people who are rushing to use their Fastpass+ after a meal or hopping over from a different park.

If you’re hungry and want to grab a bite to eat but are worried about being late and missing your Fastpass+ window, I suggest eating at a quick service restaurant rather than a table service restaurant.

It is a nice feature that Disney includes, and really helps to keep the parks running smoothly and guests happy.

8. Choose Rides that Make Sense for You

I’ve made a lot of statements about what rides you should try to get a Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ for and what rides aren’t worth getting a Fastpass+ for.

But it really comes down to what you value and want to experience.

My mom suffers from motion sickness, so she can’t ride any of the rollercoasters, so it doesn’t make sense to get a Fastpass+ for them.

If you really want to ride something on my list of bad fastpasses, then go ahead and get a Fastpass+ for it. I may not think it is a good use of a Fastpass+ selection, but you may.

Don’t let yourself get pressured into thinking you’re wasting your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections if you don’t get fastpasses for the most popular attractions and choose medium popular attractions instead.

It boils down to what you personally find value in.

That’s how you’re going to get the most out of your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections.

I personally despise Splash Mountain. I hate drops, and I hate water. So I never get a Fastpass+ for the ride. I have friends who think I’m stupid to get a Haunted Mansion fastpass over a Splash Mountain fastpass because Splash Mountain normally has a very long wait time.

But, to me, getting a Splash Mountain fastpass makes no sense. I get no joy out of it, and I get a lot of joy out of riding Haunted Mansion.

The Bottom Line

Try to think of it that way when trying to decide what Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections you’re going to make.

Decide what attractions you really want to ride and a list of attractions you definitely don’t want to ride.

From there, try to figure out how to get the biggest benefit from your Fastpass+ selections. once you know what you want to ride, try to get a fastpass for the most popular attractions within that group.

This way you’ll be maximizing your time and using your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections wisely.

There is no sense getting a Fastpass+ for something you don’t like just because it is a popular attraction, and you feel pressured into getting it!

9. Don’t Forget About Characters!

A lot of people neglect characters when deciding on their Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections.

There are a lot of different characters in Magic Kingdom that you can get a Fastpass+ for, and many of them have a long line to meet them.

You should definitely consider getting a Fastpass+ to meet a character if that is really important to you. It can be a huge timesaver in the long run.

Popular characters like Tinker Bell, Mickey Mouse, and the princesses can have wait times for over an hour. That is just as long as some of the popular rides!

Decide whether meeting characters in the Magic Kingdom is an essential activity for you. If it is, you may want to use a Fastpass+ selection to make sure you meet your favourite character.

10. You Can Use Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ when Attending the Halloween or Christmas Parties

This is a bit of a complicated Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ feature and needs to be done in a very specific way in order to work.

The short way of explaining this is that you’re able to make Fastpass+ selections from 4pm to 6pm on the day you have a ticket to either the Halloween Party or the Christmas party.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party starts in August and ends in October. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party runs in November and December. Parties are only held on certain nights so be sure to check the events calendar in advance!

The parties start at 7pm, but you’re able to enter Magic Kingdom at 4pm. Cast members start to clear the park of people who do not have a ticket to the party at 6pm when the Magic Kingdom officially closes for the day.

The process for booking a Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ before a hard-ticket event differs depending on whether you’re visiting another park that day or not. I’ll explain both methods seperately.

If You’re Visiting a Park Before Attending the Party

The process of booking a Fastpass+ before a party is pretty straightforward when you’re visiting another park the same day as the party.

Essentially, any fastpass you have for the party will be a bonus Fastpass+ selection you can make after your three original fastpasses are used up for the day.

You follow the same process as you would for booking any same-day Fastpass+.

You can book your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ through the app on your phone, but you’ll only be able to make one Fastpass+ selection at a time as you’ve already used your original three Fastpass+ selections for the day.

If You’re Only Attending the Party

Booking your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections becomes more complicated if you’re only attending that party for the day.

You’re able to book multiple Fastpass+ selections because you don’t have any selected for that day.

You probably will only be able to book two Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections before the party. This is because you’re only allowed one Fastpass+ per hour, and you can only book them from 4pm to 6pm before the party.

That may sound simple enough, but you have to book your Fastpass+ selections in a very specific way in order for it to work.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to book your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ before the party if you’re not visiting any other park that day:

• Be sure you have purchased your ticket
• Book your Fastpass+ selections for every day you have a park ticket. This means if you have four days’ worth of park tickets, you need to book all 12 Fastpass+ selections
• Select your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections for before the party

It is ESSENTIAL that you book all your Fastpass+ selections for regular park tickets BEFORE you book Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections on the day of the party.

The system gets very confused if you don’t book all your regular park ticket Fastpass+ selections before your party selections. It thinks you’re booking regular Fastpass+ selections rather than pre-party Fastpass+ selections.

The system will think you’ve made all your Fastpass+ selections and are out of Fastpass+ entitlements if you try to book a Fastpass+ for the day of the party when you haven’t selected your Fastpass+ options for every other day you have a park ticket.

You must also have your party ticket purchased before you’re able to make Fastpass+ selections on your party day. Your party ticket essentially signals to the system that you’re entitled to make those pre-party Fastpass+ selections.

Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should

The fact that you can get a few extra Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections before a Halloween or Christmas party is great! I love taking advantage of this little loophole and booking the extra fastpasses.

There are a few reasons why booking the extra Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections may not be the best option for you:

• You want to meet some of the popular characters in their party costumes. If you want to meet the most popular characters at the parties, you have to line up for it early. Like as soon as you get to the party early! It wouldn’t be worth your time to book the extra fastpasses in this instance.
• You don’t want to be rushed getting to the party. Many people have a relaxed resort day or spend time at Disney Springs before the party. Getting to Magic Kingdom for a 4:15pm Fastpass+ can really eat into your day, and you may not want that pressure.
• You’re travelling with a small child. The parties run late into the night. You may want to let your small child nap a little later into the afternoon the day of the party, so they can stay up a little later to enjoy the party.

Tips for Visiting Disney World Alone

Conclusion

Making your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ selections may seem easier than in the other three Disney World parks because there is no tier system, but that can actually make it more difficult.

You have to have a thorough plan about what you want to get a Fastpass+ for and what you’re willing to stand in line to ride.

You can’t get a Fastpass+ for everything you want to ride, so you have to make difficult choices.

I highly recommend you do some research on each of the attractions you can get a Fastpass+ for. Figure out what you want to ride and determine what Fastpass+ strategy will work best for you.

Be sure to take into account what you’re able to ride at rope drop and during Extra Morning Magic Hours. Try to create a Magic Kingdom plan that allows you to maximize quiet times in the parks and the Fastpass+ system.

You’ll be amazed at how much you can do and see in a single day in the Magic Kingdom if you have a solid strategy and maximize your Fastpass+ selections.

I hope this post has helped you plan your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ strategy. These tips should help you make the most of your day in Magic Kingdom and understand the Fastpass+ system a little better.

Please leave a comment below if you have any questions or if you have an amazing Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ tip you want to share!