Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando is where childhood dreams come alive, where you can dine in Cinderella’s castle, fly on Dumbo’s back, and take a ride to outer space. And the place within the Disney World where all of this magic happens is the (aptly named) Magic Kingdom.
With all that it offers, Magic Kingdom is the busiest theme park in Orlando’s Disney World. Therefore, it’s important to be well-prepared when visiting this land of dreams, magic, and adventure. How, you may ask? Let’s talk about it!
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Know The Lands and Layout
First, you must know how the Magic Kingdom is designed and what it includes, so you can easily navigate it.
Orlando’s Magic Kingdom is set up using a design method called the hub and spoke. It has a hub (center) – the area in front of Cinderella’s castle – and six lands connected to it in a spoke-like manner. The lands include Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square Riverboat, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland Speedway. Check out the map of Magic Kindome HERE
Fantasyland is the largest land of the Magic Kingdom and has most of Disney’s classic attractions and rides, so keep plenty of time for here.
Reserve Your Spot
When the Disney World Resort reopened after a complete shutdown for about four months during the pandemic, the management introduced a new reservation system as a crowd-control measure. The policy has been extended until the first week of January 2024 for all types of tickets. So, make sure to also reserve your spot when you buy the ticket (check spot availability before getting the tickets). It’s required for all visitors aged three and older.
The only ones exempted from the Disney reservation rule are the people who have the 4-Park Magic Ticket.
The reservation is automatically made for those with the 1-day ticket for a specific theme park and a specific date.
Choose Your Rides
There are a lot of rides in the Magic Kingdom. You can’t possibly do them all, so choose your rides beforehand to save time in decision-making. The newest and the most popular ride is TRON Lightcycle Power Run.
Some of the other popular Magic Kingdom rides include Peter Pan’s Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dumbo, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
The last one typically has the longest wait time.
Tips to Make the Most of Your Time at Magic Kingdom
Since there’s a lot to explore in this land of magic, here are some useful tips to make the most of your time here
- Arrive early to complete a few rides before the lines get crazy long. For Magic Kingdom, arrive at the parking toll at least an hour before the theme park opens.
-You can also book a table for breakfast at a Magic Kingdom restaurant to get into the theme before it opens.
-Start your Magical Kingdom journey with the rides at the top of your list. Magic Kingdom offers two extra evening hours to the guests staying at Deluxe and Swan hotels once every week. Check the day before planning your visit to avail this offer (if you’re staying at any of the eligible hotels, that is).
- Keep time for activities other than rides. You can’t miss the Festival of Fantasy Parade, fireworks over Cinderella’s castle, and, if you have kids along, character sightings. Check the schedule for cavalcades, too.
- Grab your parade viewing spot at least 30 minutes before it begins. During peak seasons, it’s best to reach the spot an hour earlier for the best view. The hub and Main Street are the most popular parade viewing spots have a comparatively smaller crowd.
- Disney Genie+ - a paid feature in the My Disneyland Experience application – can give you priority access to various rides bypassing the queues. The selections are made one by one on the same day, so you can use the service on the spot for attractions with the biggest lines. You may even get special spots for parades through this. Charges can vary across different parks and by date but typically start from$15 per person. Interestingly, Magic Kingdom has the most rides with priority access via Genie+ pass, including the Seven Dwarf Mine Train, making it worth paying for.
- If using Genie+, wake up early (around 7a m) to book your pass for the first ride. Booking early will allow you to make the most of the service and book the most number of rides through the app.
- Explore the Magic Kingdom clockwise; most people choose to go around it counter-clockwise.
- Bring your own snacks to save time. It will also help you save money.
Magic Kingdom is the titan of the world of theme parks. It’s an experience worth having at least once in life. Use this post as your reference guide when planning your first visit to Magic Kingdom to make the most of this amazing place in Orlando.
Stay for the Fireworks at Orlando’s Magic Kingdom
This is where all the magic happens! You will need to arrive early to resere a prime spot in front of Cinderella’s Castle.
Before you book your next trip to Orlando, please check out our wonderful vacation homes at FunStay Homes near Disney World.