*Earliest* way to Magic Kingdom Entrance?

[JibberJabberer]

I've run across quite a bit of information from different sources, including these message boards, indicating that Disney Transportation is the fastest way to get to the Magic Kingdom.

I'll be staying at Port Orleans French Quarter, and I will have a rental car. If one wanted to sacrifice a bit of extra sleep in order to get a jump start on everybody else, what would be the best way to get there early? I'm not necessarily interested in the *fastest* way to get there (sounds like that would be the buses), but rather the *earliest*.

The Unofficial Guide says that, if you want to be among the first in the MK, you can board the monorail at the Contemporary, the Polynesian, or the Grand Floridian, with the Contemporary being the one that starts boarding the earliest. Can an on-site guest from a different resort park at the Contemporary and take the Monorail from there? Or do I have to park at the TTC?

The Guide also suggests that you can park in TTC and walk to the Polynesian resort to board the monorail. If you can't just drive and park at the Contemporary, how far of a walk would this be, and what section would I want to park in to have the shortest walk?

 

[simzac]

Your "jumpstart" on everyone else will be about 10 feet on the person 5 deep behind you. They drop the rope at 9am sharp every day except for EMH mornings, when the only people allowed in are resort guests, and even then there are plenty of them there just like you looking for that "jumpstart". Being at the rope drop is great though, so I recommend getting there early if that's what you want to do. How you get there is up to you.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Especially at resorts adjacent to parks, you can get a three hour parking pass if you're having a meal there, or resort hopping, or shopping... but you can't park at, say, Contemporary or Polynesian all day if you're not staying there (the Guests paying for rooms in resorts need someplace to park).

If you drive to Magic Kingdom, you may WELL be held in line outside the toll booths until a certain time; you then need to drive, park, make your way to the TTC, board the monorail or ferry, travel over to the park...

The BEST way to get to the Magic Kingdom if you're a resort Guest is to take the bus from your Disney resort. Period. Buses start at least an hour before the park opens; get the first bus (check with Lobby Concierge for the approximate start time) and you'll be waiting at the turnstiles WELL before the park opens.

 

[JibberJabberer]

Ok, makes sense. Thanks for the quick responses.

 

[justplaingoofy]

The last time I was there they did not let us past the entrance. Years past they would let us in, and we were able to walk down mainstreet. At the main hub they had ropes up into each of the lands... You could get a great jump start that way.. but they didn't let us in the last few visits.

 

[GEM]

The best way to get a jumpstart on the Magic Kingdom is to book the first breakfast seating of the day at the Crystal Palace or Cinderellas. When the park opens at 9am, the first seating is usually at 8:05am. The busses are running in time to get you there for your early breakfast and you enter the park through a special line for breakfast guests. You have to have your confirmation number with you. Then, you can go and enjoy a great breakfast! Just make sure to finish up and get your check paid in time to be out of there a few minutes before park opening. You can head to the central hub area and wait for the rope drop into Tomorrowland or Fantasyland or wherever you want to start your day. That puts you way ahead of the hordes and masses entering though the gates at 9am. We do it every time and it always works like a charm! It definately beats waiting at the gates with the zillions and zillions of others and then stampeding like a herd of cattle.