Strategy for Magic Kingdom

[Mike320]

Hi, we have 3 children, boys 9/8 and girl 5.

Are there any already written strategies to get around the park and see all the highlights in one day?

We will be there mid-week in January (Thurs 1/20) so it shouldn't be so bad with lines, etc.

Thanks, Mike

 

[Glennwood]

Have you tried "the unofficial guide" book yet?

 

[marypops!]

i dont know about going in 1 day we usually finish what we want to do in 2 days
i think catching the train when the park opens and go to frontierland bcause splash and big thunder mountain usually fill up pretty fast and from there go to adventureland or go to fantasyland
thats what i think anyway we usually go round to tommorrowland because its somethimes less crowded there in the morning

 

[debbiedoo]

I have been going to the Mk since I was 5 years old and have been countless times. We always walk down main street start at adventure land and go around in a circle. Use our advantage of fast passpass. for ecample when we are doing magiuc carpet ride and poc one of us take everyones tickets and get fp for either sm or btm, then by the time we do carpet ride, poc, one ride then the fp, time to move on. Get a fp for peter pan, then do hall of presients, tom sawyers, and Haunted mansion snd so forth. . . .Never have a problem unless it is mikd-june/july/august

 

[tjkraz]

If your kids want to go on Dumbo or Cindarella's Carousel, just go and do Fantasyland as early as possible. Those are slow-loading rides and the lines will only get longer as the day goes on. If you get there at opening, you can get through all of Fantasyland in a couple hours.

Other than that, I suggest starting in Frontierland (after 10am) and working your way around the park clockwise. Instinctively, most people will tend to veer toward the right when given a choice, which puts the early morning crowds in Tomorrowland and then Toontown.

When all else fails, go left!

 

[sPaRkLeSpAz]

We usually start in Tommorow Land and work our way around.

 

[Rafikifan]

When our kids were small we headed straight for Fantasyland because it gets crowded so quickly there. Now we head to Frontierland because we love BTMRR and Splash Mountain.

 

[Pig Pen]

It really depends on what you want to see.

If your kids want to do Fantasyland (Dumbo, Teacups, etc.) you should go there first as these are slow-loaders and are crowded. I would recommend being at the gates right at opening and book over to Fantasyland first.

I would definitely try to get fast passes for Peter Pan, Philharmagic (this is a must see) and Pooh. We usually get a fast pass for one then go wait in line for the other.

Then, if your kids are brave, go to Haunted Mansion, Splash and Thunder Mountains (again, we usually fast pass one while waiting in line for the other), then Pirates of the Carribean and Flying Carpets. If you must, do the Jungle Cruise (it's not one of my favorites...).

Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland is a must-see. They will probably also want to do the racecars and maybe visit Mickey's Toontown Fair.

I would eat lunch at either Pecos Bill or Ray's Starlight Cafe...unless you are planning a sit-down...then I would recommend either Liberty Tree Tavern or the character buffet at the Crystal Palace. If you want a complete change of pace, take the boat over to the Ft. Wilderness campground. They have a great buffet that should appeal to all.

The 20th is a Spectro night, so MK will get very crowded in the evening. If you are going to try and catch Spectro, you will need to start scouting a spot about an hour before (parade is scheduled for 7:00, fireworks at 8:00). If you are not going to watch the parade, you may find the ride lines shorter during this time.

Doing MK in one day is a challenge! I just notice you have been to Disney many times, so you are probably going to be fine.

Good luck...I will be at Animal Kingdom on the 20th!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

There are plans in the Unofficial Guide and Birnbaum's Official Guide. you may also order custom plans. I looked at the order form on www.touringplans.com and thought it was neat - you mark just the attractions your family wants to see, add in the times you want to arrive and exit the park, and put down any meal plans you have. They will generate a personal plan for you. You can also leave off anything that will be closed (Dumbo, Astro Orbiter, Small World are all closed next week so check to see what will be closed for your visit) if you order the personal plans. Have fun! We come back home on the 16th so I will try to post anything useful that we learn!

 

[debloco]

I'll third the Unofficial Guide recommendation. Not only does it have touring plans, it has invaluable information on just about everything else in the "World" from Priority Seatings (PS's) to restaurant reviews, hotel info to making the most of your time and money. Personally, I think it should be required reading for anyone going to WDW- but hey, if everyone read it the strategies probably wouldn't work so well!

CLC Tiger Pom Mom

 

[ladyarcher]

Doesn't Passporter have different touring plans? Isn't that one the one with Dumbo in a Day or die trying?

 

[MomofKatie]

Passporter has a general "With kids" and "Without kids" touring plan. Unofficial Guide is the one with the "Dumbo or Die" tour, among others. IMO, UG is better as far as touring plans- they have more to choose from, and they have been scientifically tested to save time.

 

[Mike320]

Passporter has a general "With kids" and "Without kids" touring plan. Unofficial Guide is the one with the "Dumbo or Die" tour, among others. IMO, UG is better as far as touring plans- they have more to choose from, and they have been scientifically tested to save time.

Absolutely, the last time we were in town we used the Dumbo or Die strategy. My wife was 7 mos pregnant, we had 7 and a 5 yr old boys and it was August. My daughter Lynne was a surprise so the money I put away to take my wife to St. John, we used on a last minute Disney Trip! I figured with a new born, we weren't going away by ourselves! It wasn't DUMBO my wife wantedt to kill!

Sadly, both Dumbo and Small World are closed that week so FantasyLand holds less of its charm for us.

Thanks for all the good advise.