When should you get to Magic Kingdom for early entry?
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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Unlike the old Extra Magic Hours perk (which was only at 1-2 parks per day), Early Entry happens every day, at every park, including at Magic Kingdom. Because of the sheer number of extremely popular attractions, we highly recommend you plan to use Early Entry at Magic Kingdom if you are eligible.
If you drive, the Magic Kingdom Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) parking lot opens about 2 hours before the park's official opening. After paying a fee, you're directed to a parking space, then transported by tram to the TTC, where you catch either a monorail or a ferry to the park's entrance.
It is a good idea to get to the Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning before the park opens. If you arrive at the theme park before the rope drop, you are more likely to avoid long queues of people waiting to get into the park.
All guests are allowed to tap into the Magic Kingdom when it opens. Guests planning to rope drop Early Entry will want to hustle down the right side of Main Street to be closer to EE tap in. Tap in begins 45 minutes before EE on 8:30am days and 30 before EE on 7:30am days. Main Street is open to all guests who enter.
At Magic Kingdom, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train unsurprisingly led the list with an average wait of 67 minutes. Jingle Cruise was just behind at 61 minutes, and Peter Pan's Flight was at 57 minutes.
We find that the days closest to the weekends (Friday and Monday), as well as the weekends themselves, are the busiest days at Walt Disney World. Because Magic Kingdom is often the number one park on visitors' lists, they'll hit it first on their trip. If they arrive on a weekend, that makes it a Sunday or Monday!
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.
Go EarlyIf you want to avoid long lines there's no simpler way than to wake up early and get to the park before it opens. Whether you have access to early entry or not, being at the park entrance before it opens will save you lots of time. Usually, you can get in 2-3 rides during the first hour of park operation.
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.
Overnight bags, camping-style backpacks, suitcases, and the like are best left back at your hotel, in your car, or in a park locker. (Disney World prohibits guests from bringing bags larger than 24? x 18? x 15? with them into the parks.)
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.
Is Genie+ available during Early Theme Park Entry, Extended Evening Hours or After Hours events? No, Genie+ and the individual Lightning Lane selections are only available during normal park hours.
Sometimes, Fridays are even busier than Saturdays! But if you want that lower-crowd experience, just swap your Magic Kingdom park day to a Tuesday. Since it's toward the middle of the week, it tends to be less busy and you might be able to hop on your favorite rides with shorter wait times.
The typical hours for Magic Kingdom's are 8AM or 9AM to 10PM or 11PM, but hours vary even beyond that. On nights where Magic Kingdom hosts an After Hours or holiday party event, the park may close earlier than other days. You can view the official Disney hours for Magic Kingdom by clicking this link.
First-timers without personal guides tend to be more orderly in their touring, but they also tend to be drawn to Cinderella Castle upon entering the park, and thus they begin their rotation from Fantasyland. Repeat visitors usually head straight to their favorite attractions.
Tip #2 – Don't Try To Do Everything at Magic KingdomUnless you're visiting Magic Kingdom on a rare slow day or you pay for a V.I.P. tour, it is very unlikely that you'll be able to do every attraction at the park. Focus on hitting the best attractions and not stressing about the wait times.
This Magic Kingdom itinerary does include a midday break, and it is best suited for families with older children and young teens. We recommend at least two days at the Magic Kingdom to truly take advantage of everything the park has to offer.
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.