If you only have 1 day to spend at Magic Kingdom, then you need to know that you will not be able to see everything that it has to offer. There is a lot to see and do in the Magic Kingdom, but with 1 day you can still hit up all of the attractions that are the most worthy of your time. This itinerary is for a full day at the park, however you can take a break in the middle or cut the day short if you feel it is too long for your family. Just note that if you do not plan to spend the full day in the park, you will have to cut out some of the attractions on the itinerary.

 

If you plan to only spend 1 day in the Magic Kingdom, I highly recommend that you start your day approximately half an hour before rope drop. Rope drop refers to the time that they officially open the park. For example, if the park is scheduled to open at 9 am, then it is recommended that you arrive at the Magic Kingdom gates for no later than 8:30 am. You will want to make your way down Main Street to the Castle Hub in time for the 8:55 am opening show in front of the castle.

 

**Make sure to check out my Magic Kingdom Rides Guide to help you pick out which rides you want to plan for at the park.

 
Fastpasses:

 

When scheduling your fastpasses, I would recommend trying to start them around 1 hour after park opening and getting them all in early in the day. That will then allow you to schedule more throughout the day after you have used your 3rd scheduled fastpass. For example, my preference for a 9 am park opening is to schedule them at 10-11, 11-12, and 12-1. You can only select 3 to begin with and these are the ones we would recommend choosing from:

 

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (only if you feel your child can handle this coaster, height requirement of 38 inches)
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Enchanted Tales with Belle
• Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Pirates of the Caribbean (schedule as the latest time slot)

 

Early Morning Touring:

 

Depending on what fastpasses you have scheduled, you may need to change the order of this itinerary. If you plan to do both Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan’s Flight, then our recommendation would be to only select Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for a fastpass and then ride Peter Pan’s Flight immediately as your first ride of the day. Otherwise, here is our recommendation of how to tour in the first hour and a half:

 

• Head immediately to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The line will appear long, but it should be no longer than a 15 minute actual wait as soon as the park opens.
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Enchanted Tales with Belle
• Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
• Ariel Meet & Greet
• It’s a Small World

 

Mid-Morning Snack/Rest:

 

Sleepy Hollow and Liberty Square Market are two areas that I would recommend for your mid-morning snack/rest. They both offer some great options for snacks and seating areas to rest your feet. If you really want to indulge in a delicious snack, then you will want to select Sleepy Hollow for their delicious waffles, funnel cakes and ice cream sandwiches.

 

 

Late Morning Touring:

 

• Liberty Square Riverboat
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Pirates of the Caribbean

 

Lunch Break:

 

There are some great quick-service options in this area of the park that you can choose from for lunch. We would recommend either Pecos Bill or Columbia Harbour House. If you prefer to eat at a table service restaurant, then you will need to make advanced dining reservations. In this area, we would recommend either Liberty Tree Tavern or The Crystal Palace (character meal).

 

Mid-Afternoon Touring:

 

This is usually the hottest time of the day, so this is the best time to slow it down a bit and try to catch some shows. Some of them are indoors, which gives you a great opportunity to rest and cool off from the hot sun. The Festival of Fantasy parade starts at 3 pm, so best to start by choosing a spot to enjoy the parade. The steps in front of the Liberty Tree Tavern are a good spot in Frontierland as it will give you better viewing to see above the crowds. If you have finished lunch before 2:15 pm, then you can try and stake out a spot along the parade route to get a front seat view. Before and after the parade, this is what I would recommend to continue catching some shows and resting:

 

• Country Bear Jamboree
• Enchanted Tiki Room

 

 

Afternoon Snack:

 

One of the most popular snacks in the Magic Kingdom is the famous Dole Whip. You can pick one up right next to the Enchanted Tiki Room at the Aloha Isle. Another popular snack location in this area is Sunshine Tree Terrace where you can pick up a delicious citrus swirl.

 

Late Afternoon Touring:

 

• Catch the Walt Disney World Railroad at the Frontierland train station and take it to the Fantasyland station
• Pete’s Silly Sideshow to meet some classic Disney characters
• Carousel of Progress
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor

 

Dinner Break:

 

If you are looking for a quick-service option, then Cosmic Ray’s is in this area and it is one that I recommend. Cosmic Ray’s has a good selection of food and is probably the most popular quick-service option in the Magic Kingdom. Another quick-service option in Tomorrowland is The Lunching Pad, but their menu is very limited.

 

If you prefer a table service option, then you will need to make reservations in advance. The most popular restaurant in the Magic Kingdom is Be Our Guest, but it is very difficult to get a reservation. You need to reserve it as early as you can, which is usually at the 180 day mark when reservations open up. Other good table service options are Liberty Tree Tavern or Skipper Canteen.

 
Evening Touring:

 

The end of the day is a good time to get in any rides in Fantasyland that you may have missed earlier in the day. This is the time we would recommend hitting up these rides:

 

• Dumbo
• Barnstormer (height requirement of 35 inches)
• Mad Tea Party
• Carousel

 

 

End of Day:

 

As the end of day nears, you will want to start to stake out a spot for the castle/fireworks show. If you have more than an hour to go before Happily Ever After starts, then you may want to get over to Town Square Theatre to meet Mickey Mouse and/or Tinker Bell. Once you are 45 minutes out from the fireworks, you will want to grab your spot. The best views are immediately in front of the castle, in the hub. You’ll want to try and stop in a spot that has an unobstructed view of the castle as most of the show is projected on to the front of the castle. Stick around after Happily Ever After to catch the second castle projection show called “Once Upon a Time”.

 

Once the park is closed, we recommend sticking around a bit to let the rush of people exit the park. Trying to exit right away will get you caught in large crowds. The shops on Main Street stay open for an hour after closing, so you can take the opportunity to peruse the shops while you wait to leave. Or you could just grab a seat on a bench and people watch as you reflect on the magical day you just had 🙂