Magic Kingdom first timers

[fuzzy1]

Hello, we are going to visit Magic Kingdom for the first time in 30 days, on April 9th. We will have just 1 day at the park. We have 3 kids (ages 12, 9 and 3). Set my alarm this morning and was able to get FP+ for Splash Mountain (12:20-1:20), Space Mountain (1:35-2:35), and Peter Pan (4:40-5:40). We also have dinner reservations at the Skipper for 6:40. From reading the boards, it looks like we should do the 7 Dwarfs first (at rope drop). Then we will probably do the Big Thunder mountain and the haunted mansion. Not sure about the rest. Does this sound sensible? How should we plan our day, and what are the must-do attractions that a family of first timers would love?

Would you say I did pretty well with the FPs? What is the strategy now, should I reschedule Peter Pan for a different attraction so we are able to book more FP later, or keep Peter Pan since it's a ride we all really don't want to miss? Is there a way to reschedule them for an earlier time at this point?

 

[M&E]

If it were me, I would try to move Peter Pan before noon. I think by 4:40 your 3 year old might be too tired to enjoy it. Plus then as soon as you scan into Space Mountain you start looking for more fast passes. At age 12 and 9 my kids could have done a whole day but not at age 3. Will he/she nap in a stroller? I know you only have one day to pack as much in as possible, but we never did full days when we had one that young.

 

[DWillowBay]

You did great with the FP's! Good choices. The only thing that caught my attention was...if you're going to be RD 7DMT, you don't want to use your time running back and forth across the park to Thunder Mtn. Do BTMRR when you're "in the neighborhood". It's right next to Splash Mountain. I'd suggest Dumbo...it's a classic...along with Winnie the Pooh and Ariel's UnderSea Adventure and Small World while you're up by the 7DMT in Fantasyland. I'd suggest at least Pirates of the Caribbean while you're over in Frontierland (Adventureland is just "up the street" from Frontierland). In Tomorrowland, in addition to Space Mountain maybe People mover and Buzz. Monster's Inc Laugh Floor is really fun and a great break from heat or rain or just to rest tired feet. You'll be able to do a lot more than you think you will. Try to stay in a particular area rather than criss-crossing the parks....it's a time eater. Don't forget to treat yourself to something like a Mickey Bar (ice cream) or a Mickey Pretzel or Popcorn (It's crazy good in the parks.) I hope your family has an amazing time. Pick up a Times Guide and Map on the way into the park. They can help you plan for shows or character meets. Wishing you lots of Magic!

 

[fuzzy1]

If it were me, I would try to move Peter Pan before noon. I think by 4:40 your 3 year old might be too tired to enjoy it. Plus then as soon as you scan into Space Mountain you start looking for more fast passes. At age 12 and 9 my kids could have done a whole day but not at age 3. Will he/she nap in a stroller? I know you only have one day to pack as much in as possible, but we never did full days when we had one that young.

Thank you! How can I move Peter pan at this time? The website and app both give me times for 6:30pm and later. Is there a strategy to moving a FP up? We are bringing a stroller for the 3 year old, so she can rest and even nap if she gets tired. It will sure be a long day.

 

[Afabena]

Definitely keep checking the app to see if you can move the PP FP to an earlier time. You can’t book a 4th or any additional after that until you scan into the 3rd FP.

Another option is to try and book a Be Our Guest PPO. You will be let back into Fantasyland before the crowds, and you will be in line for SDMT or PP before the rope drop crowd arrives. I just did this in Nov and was able to ride SDMT first with no wait and then PP with about a 15 min wait. Depending on the day you may be able to get into Pooh, Ariels ride, and the Carousel without much of a wait. Then I would head towards Frontierland.

 

[fuzzy1]

You did great with the FP's! Good choices. The only thing that caught my attention was...if you're going to be RD 7DMT, you don't want to use your time running back and forth across the park to Thunder Mtn. Do BTMRR when you're "in the neighborhood". It's right next to Splash Mountain. I'd suggest Dumbo...it's a classic...along with Winnie the Pooh and Ariel's UnderSea Adventure and Small World while you're up by the 7DMT in Fantasyland. I'd suggest at least Pirates of the Caribbean while you're over in Frontierland (Adventureland is just "up the street" from Frontierland). In Tomorrowland, in addition to Space Mountain maybe People mover and Buzz. Monster's Inc Laugh Floor is really fun and a great break from heat or rain or just to rest tired feet. You'll be able to do a lot more than you think you will. Try to stay in a particular area rather than criss-crossing the parks....it's a time eater. Don't forget to treat yourself to something like a Mickey Bar (ice cream) or a Mickey Pretzel or Popcorn (It's crazy good in the parks.) I hope your family has an amazing time. Pick up a Times Guide and Map on the way into the park. They can help you plan for shows or character meets. Wishing you lots of Magic!

Thank you so much! I'll be sure to take notes on all your suggestions. My older two are big on thrill rides, so we wanted to be sure to do the Big Thunder Mtn. Would the line get crazy by the time of our Splash Mtn fastpass at 12:20? Thanks for the snack tips too! Which shows are best for kids? We're planning to see the parade at 3 and of course the fireworks!

 

[M&E]

Thank you! How can I move Peter pan at this time? The website and app both give me times for 6:30pm and later. Is there a strategy to moving a FP up? We are bringing a stroller for the 3 year old, so she can rest and even nap if she gets tired. It will sure be a long day.

Someone can hopefully explain more. I haven't been in over a year. Our next trip is August so I haven't made our Fast Passes yet. I THINK there is a way that you can go online and modify them. Just keep checking. if I have been reading things correctly, you might not be able to move it until the day before your trip or even the day of your trip. But I think if you keep trying you should be able to change it. From what I hear people are always changing and cancelling their FP so things will pop up and you can grab them.

Good luck!

 

[Calee]

For moving stuff up just keep refreshing and checking. People cancel trips, move park days, etc. And sometimes you can inch those FP earlier and earlier.

And I second the idea of BOG PPO breakfast.

And yes I would think big thunder would have a long line by the time of your splash FP.

 

[OSUZorba]

I think you did well with your FPP. However, if you know you will rope drop and been at the rope ~30 minutes early, I'd hit Peter Pan right after 7DMT. I tried this for the first time on my last trip and it worked really well.

Touring Plans has a really good MK rope drop how to video.

If you aren't sure, keep the FP and switch after you hit Peter Pan.

 

[only hope]

I would change space to a time before Splash, drop Peter Pan, and schedule something different for before Splash as well. To spend the least time waiting in line, your first fp needs to start by 10 and they all need to be back to back. Having your 3rd fp so late in the day means you won't have much of the day left to use additional fp's and will end up in a lot of long stand by lines. The queue for Peter Pan is just as cute as the ride anyways, and you skip the entire thing if you use a fp.

Even if you end up waiting a bit for Peter Pan because you can't get a same day fp (a very real possibility), that is still less time waiting in lines than if you had to almost all standby lines from park open til 4:40. Learn the ins and outs of the fp system and use it! I can't stress that enough. Every time I go (I'm a local passholder), I hear people asking cm's about the fp system, if it's free, how to make reservations, etc. Personally, I wouldn't spend that much money to get into the park and not have researched time-saving strategies. There's a sticky in this forum that goes into detail. At MK, due to the sheer volume of things with fp and lack of tiers, it's pretty easy to use 10+ fp's in one day, if you know what you are doing.

I agree with trying not to criss-cross/back track in the park too much, it is time consuming. If money is tight, you should know that you can bring in as much food and drinks as you want, despite what the website says. Just don't try to bring glass in- security won't let you. Check the list of banned items on the WDW website so you don't have a hold up. At the very least, bringing in reusable water bottles is great because you won't spend time waiting in lines to buy disposable bottles many times throughout the day. There is a water refill station near Bay 2 inside Cosmic Rays in Tomorrowland, and sometimes Gaston's has a jug of water. There's also fountains everywhere.

 

[fuzzy1]

Definitely keep checking the app to see if you can move the PP FP to an earlier time. You can’t book a 4th or any additional after that until you scan into the 3rd FP.

Another option is to try and book a Be Our Guest PPO. You will be let back into Fantasyland before the crowds, and you will be in line for SDMT or PP before the rope drop crowd arrives. I just did this in Nov and was able to ride SDMT first with no wait and then PP with about a 15 min wait. Depending on the day you may be able to get into Pooh, Ariels ride, and the Carousel without much of a wait. Then I would head towards Frontierland.

I will keep checking - hopefully more early times open up soon. I searched, but there is no availability for Be Our Guest for our day. I do see something called Early Morning Magic - Fantasyland. It looks like it's 7:45-9AM before the doors open for everyone, and it is very pricey. Is it worth it?

 

[Afabena]

I will keep checking - hopefully more early times open up soon. I searched, but there is no availability for Be Our Guest for our day. I do see something called Early Morning Magic - Fantasyland. It looks like it's 7:45-9AM before the doors open for everyone, and it is very pricey. Is it worth it?

I have not done the early morning magic and then in that case a BOG PPO probably won’t be worth it. Not sure on that though but the whole idea of the BOG breakfast is that you are let in behind the castle before everyone else. If there is EMM the people who signed up for that are already in Fantasyland.

If nothing else definitely keep trying to modify your FPs. You can get a lot done in the first hour the park opens and with small kids you definitely don’t want to be zigzagging across the park. Also, wait times thin out for rides around parade and firework time. The parade starts I think in Frontierland which will give you an edge on rides from the people waiting over by the castle and Main Street to see it. You can also see the fireworks from certain rides.

 

[OSUZorba]

Every kid is different, but my DD has had no problem doing rope drop to fireworks since she was 11 months. She would nap in the carrier or stroller until around 2.5 when she'd just power through all day.

Just know your kid and pay attention to their cues. There are a few good shows you can go to for a long break too.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I will keep checking - hopefully more early times open up soon. I searched, but there is no availability for Be Our Guest for our day. I do see something called Early Morning Magic - Fantasyland. It looks like it's 7:45-9AM before the doors open for everyone, and it is very pricey. Is it worth it?

I personally love EMM and it can be an excellent way to cover a chunk of Fantasyland rides with no waits, freeing up your schedule and FPs for other things later. But upcharge events like that aren’t for everyone and they are pricey, so it’s not a one size fits all opinion.

There is a thread on the event here, lots of info on page 1: https://www.disboards.com/threads/mk-fantasyland-“early-morning-magic”-emm-faq-discussion.3713783/

I took some first timers to EMM over the summer and the low crowds and lower stress environment provided by EMM made for a great start to our MK day.

BTW, to the DIS!

 

[DWillowBay]

Thank you so much! I'll be sure to take notes on all your suggestions. My older two are big on thrill rides, so we wanted to be sure to do the Big Thunder Mtn. Would the line get crazy by the time of our Splash Mtn fastpass at 12:20? Thanks for the snack tips too! Which shows are best for kids? We're planning to see the parade at 3 and of course the fireworks!

The line for Thunder Mountain could be longer by that time, but that's how it goes. The FP for Splash offsets the time you'll wait in other lines. You won't be able to avoid lines. There is a castle show that starts the day if you you're doing Rope Drop. There's another castle show that plays periodically throughout the day (Check Times Guide) called something like Friendship Faire. There are some street shows like down by Country Bear Jamboree (Frontierland) where the Bears and dancers perform and a crowd gathers around them. The characters from Splash Mountain join in that one as well. The parade is amazing. No matter what you get to do or not do...you'll have a great time!

 

[Stigsmom]

Set my alarm this morning and was able to get FP+ for Splash Mountain (12:20-1:20), Space Mountain (1:35-2:35), and Peter Pan (4:40-5:40). We also have dinner reservations at the Skipper for 6:40. From reading the boards, it looks like we should do the 7 Dwarfs first (at rope drop). Then we will probably do the Big Thunder mountain and the haunted mansion.

I think you did well!!! I think you can definitely keep what you have and make it work. I hesitate to say change Peter Pan. On our first trip before FP days, I remember seeing the line at 90 minutes, and the kids wanted to ride it, but we needed to leave and it was too long a wait. I always regretted not staying even though since then we’ve had other chances to ride it. Went first thing last trip and it was still a long line (which passes faster with the new queue, but not a wait I’d want to do again).

Unless you see an earlier FP for it open up, you can keep your FP as is and do:
7D
Big thunder
Haunted mansion
Break for snack/restroom (Sleepy Hollow treats near Haunted Mansion has good options)
Fantasyland options like Little Mermaid, Dumbo, Small World, Philharmagic
Lunch/restroom somewhere like Pinocchio’s leaving Fantasyland or Pecos Bill going toward Splash Mountain. Can also catch Country Bears after lunch.
After Splash, go toward Space Mountain and enjoy Monsters, Peoplemover, Carousel of Progress around your Space Mountain ride.
Drinks at Lunching Pad (icees) or Joffrey (iced coffee) as a break if needed.
Ride teacups on way to 4:40 Peter Pan. As soon as you tap in, get FP for Winnie the Pooh, Pirates, Jungle Cruise or anything you like still available.
Don’t miss Pirates around your Skipper dinner time. Tiki room is also fun after dinner and you can grab a Dole Whip dessert.

This is how I’d do it with my 3 kids of similar age who enjoy everything at MK and also need frequent breaks to head off heat stroke and crankiness. Even with random FP times we still typically get through at least a dozen attractions a day with still time to linger and enjoy each land, by grouping them around like this.

Good luck and have fun!!!

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Never done early morning magic but it seems to be a really good way to ride 7 Dwarfs and Peter Pan without having to wait in line. Here's a recent review from EasyWDW that explains how it worked. https://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/r...-magic-at-magic-kingdom-with-character-bonus/. If you can swing the cost, I'd definitely do it.

I personally would not ride 7 Dwarfs at rope drop--it's an ok ride (but would end up about our 5th or 6th favorite at Magic Kingdom), but unless you are at the very front of the rope drop crowds then you are going to have a long wait in line (for a short ride) while you could be doing other rides with very little wait. With your fastpasses, I'd probably head to adventure land at rope drop and ride Big Thunder Mountain first, then Pirates of the Caribbean, then perhaps Splash Mountain (that's our favorite ride so I think it is well worth doing twice) or Haunted Mansion (but that might be too scary for your three year old--I've seen kids who are traumatized after riding). At that point you are going to have to make a call about where you want to wait in line. I'd probably try Jungle Cruise if the wait isn't too bad. Mickey's Philharmagic and Laugh Floor are fun shows that are worth doing middle of the day when the crowds build.

EasyWDW has some touring plans that might be worth a read too. Ultimately, you probably won't be able to do everything you want in 1 day (and it is tiring to try), but should be able to hit most of the headliners with a good plan. By the way, I personally would not worry about riding the following unless you have lots of extra time (or can do them during early morning magic): Dumbo, Small World (can't stand this ride and it is super-long), or Magic Carpets.

 

[Stigsmom]

I forgot to add to my post, we have only sat and waited for a parade once- on our first trip. For us it’s a time waster, as we end up catching parts of it as we walk by to other things, and the same for the castle shows. But it depends how much you would like to see the entertainment as to how much time you would like to sit and wait for them.

Hope that is helpful.

 

[alwayssmile]

Unless you're a huge PP fan, I'd honestly change that FP to another ride a lot earlier in the day. The ride is okay, but definitely not great enough to keep myself from grabbing extra fast passes for that many hours. Being able to grab FPs after our first three is what made MK fun and enjoyable for my family without any meltdowns. If you spend enough time fiddling with the app you can usually find most things other than 7DMT. A couple of times we got headliner FPs by splitting our party into two groups with overlapping FP times. We also had to physically split up our family at times since we had short people with us. Littles get cranky really fast when they're just being taken to a new area....to wait and do nothing in the heat. Rider swap with FP can take an hour for headliners for both groups to wait and ride. It'll be much longer with standby. The issue we had was thanks to crowds and wait times being 30+ minutes for my toddler's rides we still weren't often able to do a ride with her during a FP rider swap wait. Once I managed the peoplemover while group 1 rode space mountain. I did give up a ride on splash mountain to enjoy Tiki and have a dole whip with my toddler, but having a happier little made it well worth that sacrifice for me. It is impossible to do all of MK in a day and you have to decide what's more important and how long of a line you're willing to do. Are you willing to split up for hours so the 3yo is entertained while the older kids wait in standby?

My 5yo and 7yo loved 7DMT, but my 9yo did not. It's short and not as exciting as Big Thunder and Space.