Exactly what to do at arrival?

[2minny]

Okay, I need help from "those in the know", we are planning to do Magic Kingdom on Sunday, I believe that's early entry. I need someone to tell me when I should arrive at the park (or when I should plan to leave POR). And exactly what to do upon arrival...we want to catch a few rides before there are long lines, we would love (if possible) to see some characters before lines are long. We've never gone during a busy time, this is our first time to not pull the kiddos from school, we're going over their spring break! I need a magic kingdom plan...HELP!

 

[tink2]

We generally head straight to Fantasyland. We try to do the Pooh ride first and get a fastpass for later. Then head to Dumbo- this line generally gets long early in the day. We sometimes send someone to get fastpasses for Space Mountain. Then we try to do Peter Pan. By then, Ariel's Grotto is usually opening and we get in line to meet Ariel- this line also gets very long quick. The grotto usually doesn't open until regular opening time I believe. Then we ride the rest of the rides in Fantasyland or hit Philarmagic. Once we've done what we need to do in Fantasyland, we hit the rest of the park or meet characters. The characters are usually out a lot at MK- there is a meet/greet in front of the castle after each castle show. Find out the times of these and try to get there a few minutes before the greet and you will be able to meet plenty.
Our plan is to do fantasyland first and get out of there- it is usually crowded later in the day. Last year, we did Goofy's Barnstormer after Fantasyland and what we wanted to in toontown.
There are tons of characters in MK. I suggest getting the most important rides to you done first and then meet the characters. You will be able to get a lot done during EMH. Then you can meet the characters as everyone else is entering the park and headed to the rides.
JMHO!

 

[dcmbshafe]

Do yourself a favor and get your hands on a copy of the Unofficial Guide. They have generic Magic Kingdom touring plans to fit several "typical" categories of people (i.e. with young kids, without kids, 1 day, 2 day, etc.). If you need a more customized touring plan, you can go to www.touringplans.com (brought to you by the same folks that put together the Unofficial Guide) and have one generated (for a fee) that meets criteria you specify.

According to the DIS, it typically takes 20-40 minutes to get from POR to MK using Disney transportation. Generally speaking, this would mean that if everything goes right (the bus is there when you walk out of the building, takes off right away, and hits mostly green lights) it will take you 20 minutes and if everything goes wrong it will take you 40 minutes. Of course, during the busier times it could take even longer. Based on this, you probably want to leave POR an hour to an hour and a half before the EE time so that you can get there, get through the gates, spend some time with the characters and then make your way up Main Street for the rope drop. It really depends on how much time you want to spend with the characters - there are normally a pretty decent number of them scattered around the entrance to Main Street, but each one of them usually has a queue (based on popularity). The downside to doing the characters before the rope drop is that you have to get there even earlier. The upside is that the queues for characters only will get longer as the morning progresses (particularly right after the "official" opening time) and this way you won't have to backtrack down Main Street.

Like tink2, we usually head to Fantasyland b/c we have two young kids. Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh & Peter Pan generally build lines in Fantasyland the quickest, but Winnie and Pan have Fastpass, so we try to get Dumbo out of the way first thing.

Have a great time!

 

[litlpixie]

Hi. We stay at POR and we get on the 7:15 bus for EMH at MK. That way we know we'll be there in time, Don't forget POFQ will be open again so the busses will be full, they usually pick up FQ first. That's at leat what our exp. was/ Have great trip!!

 

[brown eyed girl]

Can you plese tell me what EMH and the rope drop are?

 

[2minny]

brown eyed girl - emh is extra magic hour (early entry for those staying on disney property). Rope drop is when they rope off main street before actual park opening and then drop the rope for park opening, it's a "celebration" with characters.

 

[dcmbshafe]

EMH stands for "Extra Magic Hour" and is an early entry program for guests staying on the Disney property. Each day, a different park opens one hour early for Disney resort guests allowing them to enter the park and experience certain attractions before the park opens to the general public.

The "rope drop" refers to the time that people are actually allowed to move into the areas of the park where the attractions are located. For instance, in Magic Kingdom, you are normally permitted to enter the park and travel up Main Street USA before the "official" listed opening time. But there are ropes that prevent you from moving beyond Main Street into any of the other areas (i.e. Tomorrowland, etc.). So, a lot of folks wait by the ropes and rush to the most popular attractions when the ropes drop. It used to be a mad dash, but I understand Disney is controlling the "rope drop" now so there is a more orderly move into the various areas.