Magic Kingdom – Touring Plans, Rope Drop, Wait Times, and FastPass+ Priority

5/6/18 Update: Minor updates to FastPass+ priority and touring plans.

The information below is available in an easily printable PDF here. Consider downloading it to your smart device for easy referencing.

Larger: Here.

General Touring Philosophy: With 60+ attractions, Magic Kingdom is best toured over two or more days. The best plans compartmentalize the park by visiting two or three Lands each day. Visit the character and attraction priorities in one Land before moving on to the next. Have lunch and then head back to the same Lands visiting the “anytime attractions.”  This minimizes both waiting and walking. One-day touring will require more walking. You can still accomplish a lot by touring intelligently, but some attractions will need to be skipped.

Characters: Home to about 40 characters at any given time, the princesses are typically high priorities, whether it means meeting them early in the morning or with FastPass+ to avoid long waits. Check the My Disney Experience app or https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/magic-kingdom/ for times and locations.

Rope Drop: With a 9am open, Disney lets guests enter the park around 7:45am. Most of Main Street is open, including Guest Relations, stroller/ECV rental, most stores, and Starbucks. Guests are held in the Hub area in front of Cinderella Castle with ropes blocking access to the other Lands. At 8:55am, a 4-minute opening show featuring Mickey Mouse welcomes guests and then the ropes are dropped and guests are free to visit the attraction of their choice. For Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, arrive no later than 8:15am and position yourself on the walkway to the right of Cinderella Castle heading towards Mad Tea Party. Get as close to the rope as possible. For Peter Pan’s Flight or Princess Fairytale Hall, position yourself in front of the Castle at the rope leading up through the Castle. For other attractions, there is much less of a rush and you can enjoy the Welcome Show front and center in the Hub. On morning extra magic hour days, the Welcome Show still starts five minutes before regular park open. For regular 8am opens, guests are allowed inside Magic Kingdom at 7:45am with the Welcome Show at 7:55am.

FastPass+ Priority:

1. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
2. Peter Pan’s Flight
3. Space Mountain
4. Splash Mountain (when high temperatures are 80+ degrees)
5. Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
6. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
7. Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess
8. Meet Rapunzel and a Visiting Princess
9. Enchanted Tales with Belle
10. Meet Ariel at Ariel’s Grotto
11. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
12. Tomorrowland Speedway
13. Jungle Cruise
14. Haunted Mansion
15. Pirates of the Caribbean
16. Splash Mountain (when high temperatures are less than 80 degrees)
17. Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater
18. it’s a small world
19. Barnstormer
20. Dumbo the Flying Elephant
21. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
22. Magic Carpets of Aladdin
23. Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
24. Mad Tea Party
25. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
26. Mickey’s PhilharMagic

There are far more FastPass+ opportunities at Magic Kingdom than any of the other theme parks, making the decision on which to pick difficult. Consider picking three high priority attractions in a Land that you don’t plan to visit until the afternoon or evening. For example, if you plan to start your day with Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain, and Splash Mountain, then you may want to use FastPass+ in the afternoon in Fantasyland at Peter Pan’s Flight, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and Mine Train or in Tomorrowland at Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Buzz Lightyear.

FastPass+ Kiosks:

1. Adventureland: Jungle Cruise’s old FASTPASS machines to the left of the entrance
2. Adventureland: Breezeway to the right of Diamond Horseshoe across from Swiss Treehouse
3. Fantasyland: To the right of Mickey’s PhilharMagic
4. Tomorrowland: To the left of the Stitch’s Great Escape entrance

Two-Day Morning Plan Day 1:

• Use FastPass+ at Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (9:30am-10:30am), Mine Train (11:45am-12:45pm), Enchanted Tales with Belle (12:45pm-1:45pm)

1. Ride Space Mountain: 9am – 9:20am
2. Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: 9:25am – 9:35am
3. Ride Tomorrowland Speedway (if desired): 9:40am – 10am
4. Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh with FastPass+: 10:05am – 10:20am
5. Ride The Barnstormer: 10:25am – 10:40am
6. Ride Dumbo: 10:42am – 11:05am
7. Ride Journey of the Little Mermaid: 11:10am – 11:30am
8. Ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with FP+: 11:35am – 11:50am
9. Have lunch: Be Our Guest and Pinocchio Village Haus are closest: 12pm – 12:45pm
10. Visit Enchanted Tales with Belle with FP+: 12:50pm – 1:30pm
11. Select a nearby 4^th FastPass+ via the phone app or the kiosk near Mickey’s PhilharMagic.
12. Visit Mickey’s PhilharMagic or Prince Regal Carrousel: 1:35pm – 2:35pm
13. Find spots for Festival of Fantasy and watch parade: 2:40pm – 3:15pm
14. Use 4^thFastPass+, shop, grab snacks, or look around.

Afternoon and Evening: Consider an afternoon break or visit the anytime attractions in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland like Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Prince Regal Carrousel, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Tomorrowland PeopleMover, Carousel of Progress, and Stitch’s Great Escape. Blend these with additional FastPass+ selections as they become available. Visit priority attractions in the two hours prior to park close when standby wait times are shorter than the afternoon, ending with a high priority ride like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Peter Pan’s Flight right before close.

Additional Afternoon FastPass+ Availability: Unlike the other parks, Magic Kingdom has plenty of FP+ enabled attractions and ten or more will still have availability around 2pm. Schedule a priority attraction with limited availability for after a break or schedule several lower priority experiences back to back if you plan to stay in the park. Continue refreshing the app checking for other people’s canceled FastPass+ selections as they will become available for anyone else to book.

Two-Day Morning Plan Day 2:

• Use FastPass+ at Peter Pan’s Flight (10am-11am), Jungle Cruise (11am-12pm), and Pirates of the Caribbean (12pm-1pm)

1. Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: 9am – 9:15am
2. Ride Splash Mountain: 9:18am – 9:45am
3. Ride Haunted Mansion: 9:55am – 10:15am
4. Ride it’s a small world: 10:17am – 10:40am
5. Ride Peter Pan’s Flight with FastPass+: 10:42am – 11am
6. Ride Jungle Cruise with FastPass+: 11:10am – 11:30am
7. Have lunch. Tortuga Tavern, Pecos Bill, and Skipper Canteen are closest. Columbia Harbour House, Liberty Tree Tavern, and Casey’s Corner are relatively close: 11:30am – 12:30pm
8. Ride Pirates of the Caribbean with FastPass+: 12:30pm – 12:50pm
9. Check app or Jungle Cruise kiosk for additional FastPass+ selections.

Afternoon and Evening: Consider an afternoon break or visit the anytime attractions like Tom Sawyer Island, Hall of Presidents, Liberty Square Riverboat, Country Bear Jamboree, Enchanted Tiki Room, and Swiss Family Treehouse. Schedule nearby FastPass+ experiences as they become available.

Two-Day Character-Centric Morning Plan Day 1:

• Use FastPass+ at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (11:15am-12:15pm) Enchanted Tales with Belle (1pm-2pm), Rapunzel at Fairytale Hall (2pm-3pm)

1. Ride Peter Pan’s Flight: 9am – 9:15am
2. Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: 9:20am – 9:30am
3. Meet Ariel at Ariel’s Grotto: 9:35am – 9:50am
4. Meet Gaston outside Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland: 9:55am – 10:10am
5. Meet Daisy and Minnie at Pete’s Silly Sideshow: 10:15am – 10:30am
6. Meet Donald and Goofy at Pete’s Silly Sideshow: 10:31am – 10:45am
7. Ride The Barnstormer: 10:47am – 11am
8. Ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant: 11:03am – 11:30am
9. Ride Journey of the Little Mermaid: 11:35am – 12pm
10. Ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with FastPass+: 12:05pm – 12:20pm
11. Have lunch. Pinocchio Village Haus and Be Our Guest are closest: 12:30pm – 1:20pm
12. Visit Enchanted Tales with Belle with FastPass+: 1:25pm – 2pm
13. Meet Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall with FastPass+: 2:05pm – 2:20pm
14. Check the app or Mickey’s PhilharMagic FastPass+ kiosk for a 4^th FastPass+
15. Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square: 2:30pm – 2:50pm
16. Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square: 2:50pm – 3:20pm

Afternoon and Evening: Consider a lengthy afternoon break in preparation of returning for dinner, some late night rides when waits drop, and the nighttime spectaculars. Alternatively, continue scheduling available FastPass+ experiences and work in anytime attractions while waiting for the return windows to open.

Two-Day Character-Centric Morning Plan Day 2:

• Use FastPass+ for Cinderella at Fairytale Hall (11am-12pm), Jungle Cruise (1pm-2pm), and Pirates of the Caribbean (2pm-3pm)

1. Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: 9am – 9:10am
2. Ride Space Mountain or Astro Orbiter: 9:15am – 9:35am
3. Ride Tomorrowland Speedway: 9:40am – 10am
4. Meet Buzz Lightyear: 10:05am – 10:20am
5. Meet Stitch: 10:25am – 10:40am
6. See Move It! Shake It! Parade in front of the Castle: 10:45am – 11:30am
7. Meet Cinderella at Princess Fairytale Hall with FastPass+: 11:35am -11:55am
8. Be Our Guest/Pinocchio Village/Columbia Harbour are nearby: 12pm – 12:50pm
9. See the 1pm Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire show in front of the Castle: 1pm – 1:30pm
10. Ride Jungle Cruise with FastPass+: 1:40pm – 2pm
11. Ride Pirates of the Caribbean with FastPass+: 2:05pm – 2:30pm
12. See Festival of Fantasy Parade in Frontierland or Liberty Square: 2:40pm – 3:20pm
13. Meet Merida, Aladdin/Jasmine, or other skipped characters.

4^th FastPass+ selection: Haunted Mansion or it’s a small world would be best.

Afternoon and Evening: Consider an afternoon break or visit the anytime attractions like Tom Sawyer Island, Hall of Presidents, Liberty Square Riverboat, Country Bear Jamboree, Enchanted Tiki Room, and Swiss Family Treehouse. Visit it’s a small world, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, and any other skipped attractions as late in the evening as possible or with FP+. Check the Times Guide or app for missed characters and visit them in the last hour they’re scheduled to appear.

1-Day Plan

• Use FastPass+ at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (11am-12pm), Big Thunder Mountain (12:15pm-1:15pm), Splash Mountain (1:15pm-2:15pm)

1. Ride Peter Pan’s Flight: 9am – 9:10am
2. Ride The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: 9:15am – 9:25am
3. Ride Space Mountain: 9:35am – 9:55am
4. Ride Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: 10am – 10:15am
5. Ride The Barnstormer: 10:20am – 10:35am
6. Ride Dumbo: 10:37am – 11am
7. Ride Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid: 11:05am – 11:30am
8. Ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with FastPass+: 11:35am – 11:55am
9. Have lunch. Be Our Guest and Pinocchio Village Haus are close: 12pm – 12:45pm
10. Ride Big Thunder Mountain with FastPass+: 1pm – 1:20pm
11. Ride Splash Mountain with FastPass+: 1:22pm – 2pm

Afternoon and Evening: Continually check the phone app for FastPass+ availability for the best Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and it’s a small world return times throughout the day, in addition to whatever other FastPass+ enabled attractions that you would like to experience. Mix in nearby anytime attractions in between FastPass+ windows.

Late Arrival and Nighttime Crowds: Crowds only diminish most nights after 9pm as families invariably leave early with small children. The later it gets, the lower wait times will be, particularly if close is 11pm or later. Use FastPass+ when you arrive when wait times are longest. Visit the green anytime attractions until two to three hours before close. Then move on to the yellow attractions like Buzz Lightyear and Big Thunder Mountain and finish the night with the highest priority attractions like Peter Pan’s Flight, Mine Train, and Space Mountain.

The Festival of Fantasy Parade is usually scheduled at 3pm and runs from Frontierland to the left of Splash Mountain, through Liberty Square, and then through Main Street, exiting in between the Firehouse and Emporium. The best/lowest crowd viewing locations are in Frontierland in the Pecos Bill area through Liberty Square in front of Hall of Presidents. For Main Street viewing, see the show in front of The Confectionery or Town Square Theater where crowds are thinner. The Parade may be scheduled at 2pm during the fall months. If that happens, modify the touring plans above by finding spots for Festival of Fantasy one hour earlier and move the attractions visited between 2pm and 3pm to between 3pm and 4pm.

The Move It, Shake, It, Dance and Play It Parade is usually scheduled three times daily and runs from Main Street in between the Firehouse and Emporium up to Cinderella Castle, where it stops for about 20 minutes, before returning the same way that it came. Arriving more than five minutes before it steps off is not necessary. Meet the parade on Main Street and follow it to Cinderella Castle or wait at the Castle for it to arrive.

Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire is usually scheduled five times per day at the stage in front of Cinderella Castle. Try to arrive ten to fifteen minutes before one of the shows. Earlier shows are typically less crowded. Consider watching from the very back of the area near the statue of Walt and Mickey as it’s elevated and easier to see over the heads of people standing closer to the stage.

Main Street Electrical Parade: As of October 10, 2016, the Electrical Parade is no longer performed.

Happily Ever After: This fireworks and projection show replaced Wishes on May 12, 2017. Fortunately, it actually increases the amount of pyro, in addition to adding impactful projections on Cinderella Castle. The best place to see it is on Main Street between Casey’s Corner and the Partners statue in the center of the Hub. Arrive 30-45 minutes before the show begins.

Once Upon A Time: This is a projection show visible on the front of Cinderella Castle that usually begins 45 minutes after the fireworks. See it either from the same spot as the fireworks or a little closer to the Castle for the best views.

Late Minute Rides and Exit: Consider getting in line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, or another high priority attraction with a few minutes until close. Disney will let guests ride any operating attraction as long as they get in line at least a minute before close, even if the posted wait is long. Main Street stores will remain open for about an hour after park close. Linger a bit while others exit in front of you. The Express Monorail is the fastest way to the Transportation and Ticket Center (parking lot) unless the line is significantly backed up. The ferry is often a more comfortable ride with more room to spread out, particularly up the stairs on the second level.

Wait Times By Crowd Level

Mickey’s Party Day:

Low Crowds:

Moderate Crowds:

Heavy Crowds: