How to Plan an Itinerary for the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World
No matter what time of year you’re planning to visit Walt Disney World, I always recommend having at least a loose itinerary planned for your day. This will help you experience more attractions with shorter waits, so you can make the most of your time in the parks. Possibly the most difficult park to plan for is the Magic Kingdom, because it has such a large number of popular rides. If possible, devote two days to visiting the Magic Kingdom, because this will give you a much better chance at experiencing most of what this classic park has to offer.
Before jumping into daily planning, guests should become familiar with Disney’s FastPass+ system. With a FastPass, guests enter a separate line from the regular queue, with a much shorter wait. Before arriving at Walt Disney World, guests can pick 3 FastPasses per day. These 3 FastPasses must each be for different attractions. After guests have used their first 3 FastPasses, they can reserve a new FastPass at an in-park kiosk.
With such a high concentration of popular rides, the Magic Kingdom has lots of attractions where FastPass is useful. Since the number of FastPasses guests can reserve is limited, I always recommend arriving early to experience some attractions before the lines grow long, and then use FastPass for other attractions later in the day.
My top recommendations for FastPass reservations are meeting Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall (make this FastPass as soon as possible) and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Visiting these attractions right after the park opens may still result in a long wait, so FastPass is the most convenient option. Other excellent considerations for FastPass (or visiting first thing in the morning) include: Space Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Splash Mountain.
My family has found it useful to divide and conquer by “land”. One of our favorite ways to start the day is by going to Frontierland first to ride Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We then visit Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland, and then the Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square. By this time the lines are starting to get long, so we redeem FastPass reservations for popular rides in Fantasyland or Tomorrowland later in the day. You can also start your day in Fantasyland, visiting Peter Pan’s Flight, Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and using FastPass for other high-demand Fantasyland attractions.
The Magic Kingdom is also known for its parades and nightly fireworks. FastPass is offered for these, but if you are willing to find a spot early you may want to use your FastPasses elsewhere. The daily Festival of Fantasy Parade and the almost-nightly Main Street Electrical Parade are favorites of ours. We often find that the parade route is less crowded in Frontierland than on Main Street or in front of Cinderella Castle. In any case, plan on finding a spot at least 30 minutes before show time. The same is true for Wishes, the nightly firework show, which has great viewing on Main Street and along the Hub – just don’t get too close to the castle or you won’t be able to see everything.
Even with two full days, trying to see every single attraction in the Magic Kingdom can be unrealistic. Narrow your itinerary down to the attractions you really want to visit and focus on those, especially if you will be visiting during a busy time of year. A well-planned itinerary will help you accomplish your must-dos and have a fun visit to the Magic Kingdom.
