A Two Day Plan for Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is the park that most think of when they dream about their vacation to Walt Disney World.  They imagine the castle, main street, Mickey Mouse and magic.  If you have two days to experience Magic Kingdom, how should you spend them?  What rides should you ride?  What food should you enjoy?  Here is a two day break down of Magic Kingdom.

DAY ONE: Fantasyland and More

1. Arrive Early: The key to Magic Kingdom is to get there early. If you are arriving by Disney transportation, you will want to arrive around 60 minutes ahead of park opening. If arriving by car, you will want to arrive to the parking lot around 60-90 minutes ahead of park opening. This allows you to get through security and the touch points prior to the official park opening.
2. Get Ready for Fantasyland: Typically, guests are allowed onto Main Street before the park is officially open.  Use this time to take those iconic pictures in front of the castle. After you have captured those magical moments, head over towards to side of the castle to get ready to head to Fantasyland. When the park opens, this is the direction you will want to head.
3. Classics in Fantasyland: Assuming that you have fastpasses to Seven Dwarf Mine Train, when the park opens you are going to want to hit up the classics in Fantasyland.  Ride Peter Pan’s Flight, Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, it’s a Small World and Under the Sea- Voyage of the Little Mermaid.  This will typically take around an hour to two hours if moving quickly through the park.
4. Stop by Gaston’s Tavern: Once you have ridden these, you will want to stop for a snack at Gaston’s Tavern.  The cinnamon roll is a delicious treat to share after a magical start to the day.
5. FastPass Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: We would recommend having a fastpass for Seven Dwarf Mine between 9:30 and 11.  This will allow you to ride following your snack.
6. More Fantasyland Attractions: After experiencing Seven Dwarf Mine Train, you will want to sneak in some more experiences in Fantasyland such as Dumbo, Barnstormer, or Prince Charming Regal Carrousel or Mickey’s Philharmagic. These are typically shorter waits and move quickly.
7. Lunch Break: Moving towards Tomorrowland around lunch time will be the next step. You will need to determine where you would prefer to eat lunch prior to moving to Tomorrowland. In Fantasyland, you can enjoy food at Pinocchio Village House or get a reservation at Be Our Guest. In Tomorrowland, food can be enjoyed at Comic Rays.
8. Tomorrowland FastPasses: We would recommend having fastpasses for rides such as Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland. Making these reservations for times between 11 and 1 will be a great use and allow you to avoid the building crowds.
9. Snag More FastPasses! Once you have used all three of your fastpasses, we HIGHLY recommend getting on My Disney Experience and trying to book an additional fastpass. As our focus on day one is Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, to avoid crisscrossing around the park, search for rides in these two lands if possible. Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor, Under the Seas- Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and sometimes Buzz Lightyear all have options for fastpasses later in the day.
10. Tomorrowland Classics: Following lunch and using your original fastpasses, check out some rides in Tomorrowland.  Carousel of Progress, PeopleMover and Monsters Inc Laugh Floor are all great options for the afternoon.  These attractions hold a lot of people and often have shorter lines.
11. Supper Time: As evening gets closer, start processing your food options for supper.  If Tomorrowland Terrace is opened, this is a great, low key option for food.  Think about heading to Casey’s Corner for corn dog nuggets as well.
12. Get Ready for Happily Ever After: We are going to recommend experiencing Happily Ever After, the evening firework show, on this first night.  This is a great way to wrap up a magical day at Magic Kingdom.  We have learned it is a good idea to catch the evening shows when you can in case weather cancels the show later on in your vacation.
13. Happily Ever After (with a treat!): Grab some ice cream from Main Street, find a comfy spot around the plaza and get ready for a magical, tear jerking experience from Happily Ever After.  Once the show is over, avoid the instinct to rush out of the park.  Instead, take some time to enjoy the sights and sounds of Magic Kingdom.  If you stick around for 30-45 minutes after the fireworks show, your wait at the buses will be less and you won’t be fighting the crowds of people leaving.

Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Happily Ever After make up our first magical day in Magic Kingdom.

DAY TWO: Adventureland and Frontierland

1. Arrive Early: Once again, we highly recommend getting to the Magic Kingdom prior to park opening.  This will allow you to get head of the crowds and move through Main Street towards your destination.  On day two, we are going to recommend you head to Adventureland to start your day.
2. Adventureland Awaits: Begin your day by taking on adventure with Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean and Magic Carpets of Aladdin.
3. FastPasses Recommendations: On this day, we recommend getting fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion. Try to get these for 9,10,11 or noon.  If this is possible, after you complete the rides in Adventureland, it will be time to head to Frontierland for the wettest and wildest rides in the park.  We typically try to hit our fastpasses for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain back to back.  This helps keep our wait time down and prevents us from standing around waiting for the next ride.  If you do have some down time, grab a snack at one of the many kiosks around Frontierland.
4. Frontierland and Liberty Square: After taking on the mountains of Frontierland, head over for your Haunted Mansion fastpass in Liberty Square. If it isn’t time for your fastpass, consider checking out Country Bear Jamboree or Hall of Presidents on your way.  If you haven’t gotten a snack yet, you could stop at Sleepy Hollow for delicious treats like funnel cake and waffles.
5. Lunch Break: If lunch time is approaching, think about a sit-down meal at Liberty Tree Tavern. This Thanksgiving style meal all year long is a guest favorite.  Another option is Columbia Harbour House. A quick service location with lots of seats is a great escape from the heat and crowds.
6. Check Out the Entertainment: Following the use of all your fastpasses and lunch, hopefully you are able to snag some rolling fastpasses for rides that you either haven’t been on yet or would like to ride again. As you wait for these fastpasses, try to take time to catch some of the street performances on Main Street and at the castle.  Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire is performed around five times throughout the day. Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party is an upbeat performance that takes place down Main Street and around the castle hub each day.  It is a fun way for kids, and grown up kids, to interact with favorite characters.
7. Supper Time: For supper, Tony’s Town Square is a pasta place that would provide a sit-down meal.  For some character interaction there is Crystal Palace.  For a fancier, more relaxed meal you could try Cinderella’s Royal Table or Be Our Guest both which are two credits on the dining plan and are signature restaurants. If you are looking for a faster meal, try Casey’s Corner or Sleepy Hollow for some comfort food items.
8. Attractions During Fireworks: If you were able to catch the Happily Ever After show on day one, you can either catch it again because it is so good or ride those favorite rides with lower wait times. Again, either plan to head out before the firework show to avoid the crowds or stay after for around 30 minutes to allow the crowds to thin out.

Magic Kingdom offers so many magical rides, attractions and shows that breaking it down into two days is a great way to help experience the magic.