What is the best time to get to Magic Kingdom?

The following tips will help you make the most of Rope Drop at Magic Kingdom. Arriving at the Magic Kingdom 30–60 minutes before official opening ensures the shortest possible waits for rides. Off-site guests, who aren't eligible for Early Theme Park Entry, should arrive 30 minutes before official opening on all days.



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As you can guess if Monday is the busiest, Tuesday tends to be the best day of the week to go to Magic Kingdom. We also find Thursday to be one of the least busy days of the week at Magic Kingdom, with Sunday being a great weekend option.

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On most days, you can expect Magic Kingdom to officially open up between 8 and 9 am. On the busiest days of the year (like over the holidays) that opening may even be pushed to 7 am. Early Theme Park Entry for onsite guests typically will begin 30 minutes before the official park opening time. What is this?

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However, most people can also go and take a nap and then come back and enjoy the extra magic hours at night. So you're more likely to have more people during the nighttime extended hours than daytime. However, it is still less crowded at night, and the weather is better once the sun goes down.

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The Top 9 Ways to Avoid Crowds At Walt Disney World
  1. Be choosy (if you can) about what time of year you go. ...
  2. Plan to Arrive Early to the Parks. ...
  3. Take a Break in the Afternoon. ...
  4. Take Some Time to Visit Resorts. ...
  5. Stay Late in the Parks. ...
  6. Leave Do Not Linger at the End of the Nighttime Show. ...
  7. Take Advantage of the Weather.


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A surge of early birds arrive before or around opening time but are quickly dispersed throughout the empty park. After the initial wave is absorbed, there's a lull lasting about an hour after opening. Then the park is inundated for about 2 hours, peaking between 10 a.m. and noon.

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Walt Disney World is still using Theme Park Reservations, which means you have to reserve the park you would like to visit in advance. If you see that the park you're wanting is not available, you can make a reservation for another park and, if available, park hop after 2:00 PM.

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There's too much in the park to easily do in a single day. It's probably more of a one-and-a-half or two-day park. That said, this is a one day itinerary post, and there are a few approaches you can take to have one very good nearly perfect day at Magic Kingdom.

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Between the rides, stage shows and other entertainment, there is a ton to see and do at Magic Kingdom and the pressure to experience everything can be anxiety-inducing, to say the least. Admittedly, to truly see and do it all at Magic Kingdom, you do need to spend at least two days.

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About This Post and Our Recommendations Putting together a single, perfect, do-everything day at Magic Kingdom is… probably impossible. It's at least very challenging. There's too much in the park to easily do in a single day.

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Magic Kingdom Fireworks are at 9pm on most nights.

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Magic Kingdom has fireworks every night of the year. Most of the time they are free with your park admission. However, there are a few nights in the fall and winter where you'll need a special ticket.

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Disney After Hours is a specially ticketed event (meaning it's a ticket that is purchased separate from regular park tickets) that allows people to enter Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom at 7 p.m. and stay until midnight or 1 a.m. (ending time varies by date).

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Magic Kingdom. At Magic Kingdom, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train unsurprisingly led the list with an average wait of 67 minutes.

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Genie Plus is definitely worth it for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and if you don't like early starts, you might consider it for Epcot and Animal Kingdom. If you are park hopping, Genie+ is even better value as it maximises the number of rides you have access to.

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Even though Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party doesn't officially start until 7 pm, you can enter the park as early as 4 pm with your event ticket. You will not need a park reservation since it is a special event. Just a heads up–this event sells out pretty quickly and last year, we saw a huge demand.

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How much spending money will you need? Around $50 per day per person is a good start. A bit of extra cash is great for buying snacks, souvenirs, and alcohol. Disney prices are higher than regular stores, but they offer unique items and services you can't find anywhere else.

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Add in different eating habits & food, less rest, and more time spent on your feet, and many will quickly notice the hours and steps logged daily. According to friends, family, and personal experience, we walk at least 10-12 miles on an average day visiting the parks. This is a lot more than many of us walk normally!

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Between the rides, stage shows and other entertainment, there is a ton to see and do at Magic Kingdom and the pressure to experience everything can be anxiety-inducing, to say the least. Admittedly, to truly see and do it all at Magic Kingdom, you do need to spend at least two days.

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If you have Early Entry, you'll probably want to start with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan's Flight, or Space Mountain. We discuss the details of these rope drops in more detail in our dedicated Magic Kingdom Early Entry and Rope Drop post.

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Not-to-Miss Magic Kingdom Rides for Older Kids and Adults
  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. ...
  • Haunted Mansion. ...
  • Space Mountain. ...
  • Pirates of the Caribbean. ...
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. ...
  • TRON Lightcycle / Run. ...
  • Dumbo. ...
  • The Barnstormer.


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You now can only park hop AFTER 2PM. So you'll have to wait until well after lunchtime if you're planning on visiting another park. However, this rule is different for Annual Passholders.

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Guests are allowed to bring outside food and nonalcoholic beverage items into the park for self-consumption, provided they are not in glass containers and do not require heating, reheating, processing, refrigeration or temperature control and do not have pungent odors.

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Disney has extended the park reservation system into 2024, though starting Jan. 9, 2024, theme park reservations will no longer be required for date-based tickets. If you wish to visit the parks before Jan. 9, 2024, you will need valid admission AND a Disney Park Pass reservation for the same park on the same day.

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