Who doesn't go to Magic Kingdom on their first day?

[redsbe]

We also do MK on first day, even if with travel it ends up as 1/2 day or evening as for us WDW starts and ends with the MK. We avoid "bad park days" (crowds) by planning travel dates around the park and make good regular use of RD and EMH as needed. In a four or five day trip we usually spend one day each in EPCOT, DS and AK, with rest of time at MK and do this without using park hoppers which we find more of a bother then help due to wasted travel times between parks, plus added costs. For us a day at any WDW park usually starts at RD and ends at closing (if needed with later afternoon and dinner break at resort)

 

[jjl181]

We choose depending on hours, where we are staying, and various other things. This trip we are doing epcot first since our first couple nights are at Beach Club. Also because TT is my sons fave ride and it was closed last trip. And it's my DH bday so wanted to eat in WS.
Second day will be HS so DD can see Sofia, then MK the third day after we switch to WL.

 

[ZehnJahren]

No, not always. This trip I am starting with HS then hopping to Epcot for day 1, and then doing EMH at AK the next morning, with FP+ scheduled in MK for that night.

 

[wiigirl]

We're not this upcoming trip. Starting out w/ Epcot and HS at night. We'll hit MK the second day. It just depends on crowds, where we want to eat, parades, fireworks, etc....

 

[Discrazymama]

We always end up at Epcot or HS first. AK is lucky to get 1/2 a day and MK is our filler park. If crowds are expected to be lower or its open really late or night EMH we go then. The kids enjoy MK however hate the crowds/lines there. Being west coasters we can easily knock out all of the rides late at night when the parks clear out. Most of the little kid rides are walk on.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I don't think we've ever done MK first, we've gone 9 times.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Have not even stepped foot in the Magic Kingdom on my last. 3 visits.

 

[hgeisler]

If Saturday is my first day, no way am I headed to the MK! Too crowded

 

[jazz0007]

We always do MK on our first and last days. Especially the first day, it wouldn't feel like Disney to me otherwise!

 

[myhouseofmouse]

we never do it the first day. You need at least a full day to do MK and using a travel day as part of it does not work for us

 

[LisaCM614]

On arrival day we have gone to MK just 1x! That day was because we were having dinner at CRT so we went to MK - let the kids take tons of pictures, went to TSI, rode IASW saw the parade and had dinner.
Every other trip we have gone to EP or HS. But we stay at Epcot area resorts and its nice to stretch our legs and walk to either of those two resorts. With FPP we were able to ride Soarin and TT on our arrival afternoon this past week! How fun was that!

 

[sb682]

We pick our parks based on crowd predictions. This year, we've had first (full) days at AK, MK and HS. On one trip, we got to Orlando several hours ahead of schedule and our room wasn't ready, so we spent a few hours at EP. We loved it, EP is our favorite park by far.

 

[PEC]

I think a lot of this is based on how your trip is planned. If you are going to a park day one late evening (say 6 or 7) MK is often the only one that will be open long enough for you to really do anything. Somebody that has gone multiple times or to Disneyland one of the other parks is a good pick. Crowd levels can be factors. Just see what best fits your itinerary. YEs I have gone there first each time I have gone but for the most part it fit my itinerary well.

 

[geniegirl]

we base it on levels - this next trip it is on park day 4 and 6. the kids dont seem to mind just as long as we hit them all

 

[MIGrandma]

I want to do Magic Kingdom first..but in a way, I don't want to do it first and then it be all over!!

If you do MK first, why does it have to be all over?

DD and I were just at Disney for a week last month, we went to MK 3 times during the week.

1) Arrival Day - we checked in around 4:00 and immediately dropped our carryons in the room and went to catch a bus to MK.

2) I think we went back again the third or fourth day, for most of the day.

3) Then our next-to-last day we decided to do Epcot a second time, but stop first at MK to do a couple things we'd missed the other two times.

I guess this wouldn't work though if you didn't have park hopper passes. We always get those so we can go wherever we want whenever we want to.

If we didn't have park hopper we probably wouldn't do MK the day we arrived, but probably would the second day.

 

[JoshuaShaw]

I try to follow crowd calendars and do what I can to save Magic Kingdom for the end of the trip.

 

[KeroKero]

We don't always. Depends on what time we arrive and how busy the park is that day. Usually we're DTD people on our first day, but this upcoming trip we're going to MK on our first day.

 

[RedStars]

I'm struggling with this for this trip. We arrive on a Sunday and are not going to a park. We have plans for Ohana and that's it (2 young kids and we'll be traveling all day).

I'm debating going to MK or HS on Monday (and the reverse on Tues) .

MK is NOT recommended and HS is. My kids like HSisney Jr, TSM, star wars, indy. It's a full day for us.

But there's something about walking down main street that signals "DISNEY" to me.

MK has late EMH and I'd like to do the park at night (I love MSEP). .. And since we're going during MNSSHP there are only 2 nights available. I have the dessert party booked for Wed so I was going to watch MSEP on Monday. But there's a 10 show now on Wed so I was thinking of swapping MK and HS days...

FTR we don't hop.

 

[jkl2000]

We're going to go by the crowd predictions to, for the most part. Here are my basic plans, which may change based on the need for rest breaks, how late DS4 is able to stay up, etc.:

Day 1: Arrival day - swim, explore resort, etc.
Day 2: MK morning, rest back at hotel - DTD for birthday celebration in afternoon/evening
Day 3: Epcot morning, rest break - either back to Epcot or to MK for evening EMH
Day 4: AK (could go to Epcot for evening, maybe not)
Day 5: DHS morning, rest break - then to MK for dinner, parade, Wishes.
Day 6: Resort Day - Kona breakfast (Poly); California Grill dinner, Electrical Water Pageant, fireworks (Contemporary)
Day 7: DHS morning, rest break; MK - MNSSHP
Day 8: AK EMH morning EMH
Day 9: Leave

Those return trips to DHS and AK could easily change based on what parks people want to return to most. Could even be replaced with a water park or miniature golf.

 

[2Tiggies]

We don't. We did it first full day last year but that was a first out of 5 trips.

The first time I deliberately avoided it on advice that my then 6 year old might be underwhelmed and not really get the other parks if we did MK first. Since then the crowd calendar and EMH have always ended up with MK being a park to avoid on our first day except last year when it was recommended so we did it first.

So yes, it seems we do leave MK for later in the trip, but not on purpose. It just worked out that ways so far. Park hours should be out for June in a month and then we shall see where it falls on our list of parks for next year