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 as early as you can. If you are a Disney Resort guest, then you will have access to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland for 30 minutes before official park opening. With that in mind, aim to arrive at the park an hour before official park opening and be ready to head to your first ride of the day so you can maximize that extra 30 minutes.

 

If you are not staying on-site, then I recommend you arrive 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.

 

Lightning Lane Suggestions:

 

Genie+ comes in very handy at Magic Kingdom. Because this park has so many rides, I highly recommend purchasing Genie+ for your Magic Kingdom park days.

 

When scheduling your initial Lightning Lane selections, I would recommend trying to start them around 1 hour after park opening. That will give you a chance to ride other attractions on stand-by while they still have short lines during that first hour. After the first hour, lines start to get longer and that is when your lightning lane selections will come in handy. For your first Lightning Lane selection of the day, these are the ones that fill up the fastest:

 

• Jungle Cruise
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Big Thunder Mountain

 

I also highly suggest purchasing the extra Lightning Lane access for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (only if you feel your child can handle this coaster, height requirement of 38 inches). This ride experiences the longest lines in the park, so this Lightning Lane purchase is highly worth it!

 

**You will want to make sure you know how to use Genie+ and how to purchase those extra Lightning Lanes for the premium rides. You can take a look at my tutorial at How to Use Genie+ at Disney World.

 

Early Morning Touring:

 

Depending on what you scheduled for your first lightning lane, you may need to change the order of this itinerary. Also, as you go throughout the day, the order may change depending on when you are able to grab additional Lightning Lane rides. Make sure you read my tutorial (linked above) and know EXACTLY when you can schedule your next Lightning Lane. The more Lightning Lanes you can schedule in the day, the less time you will spend waiting in lines. 

 

If you are not using Genie+ and are a Disney Resort guest with access to early entry hours, this is the order of rides I recommend:

 

• Head immediately to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (unless you have purchased the Lightning Lane access, which I highly recommend)
• Space Mountain (head immediately to this ride, if you purchased lightning lane access for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train)
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Splash Mountain
• Pirates of the Caribbean

 
Mid-Morning Snack/Rest:

 

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. Make sure to use the mobile ordering function in the My Disney Experience app!

 

 

Late Morning Touring:

 

• Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Jungle Cruise (hopefully with a booked Lightning Lane time)
• Haunted Mansion
• Liberty Square Riverboat

 

Lunch Break:

 

There are some great quick-service options in this area of the park that you can choose from for lunch. For quick service, I would recommend either Columbia Harbour House or Pinocchio Village Haus. If you prefer to eat at a table service restaurant, then you will need to make advanced dining reservations. Some popular table-service selections in this area are Liberty Tree Tavern, Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table.

 

**If you are eating quick-service, make sure to place your order in advance using the Mobile Order feature in the My Disney Experience app.

 

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 stick to some indoor attractions. Some of them are indoors, which gives you a great opportunity to rest and cool off from the hot sun. When the Festival of Fantasy parade returns, you will want to check the start time of 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. Before and after the parade, this is what I would recommend to continue catching some shows and resting:

 

• Country Bear Jamboree
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Carousel of Progress
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

 

 

Afternoon Snack:

 

For an afternoon snack, you can hit up Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies if you are in the mood for some ice cream, smoothies or sundaes. If you want something a bit more filling, you may want to head over to the Cheshire Cafe and give the Cheshire Cat Tail a try. It is a delicious pastry filled with yummy chocolate.

 

Late Afternoon Touring:

 

• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Tomorrowland Speedway

 

This is also a good time to do a little shopping in the park. There are several gift shops throughout the park, but the Emporium on Main Street USA has the most selection. Take some time to browse the merchandise and see if anything looks interesting to bring home as a souvenir. Once you are done your shopping, head over to Town Square Theatre and pop in for a meet & greet with Mickey Mouse!

 

Dinner Break:

 

If you are looking for a quick-service option, then Cosmic Ray’s 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.

 

If you prefer a table service option, then you will need to make reservations in advance. One of my favourite table service restaurants in the Magic Kingdom is Liberty Tree Tavern. It’s not that difficult to get a reservation here and I’ve even had luck sometimes just walking up and asking for a table without a reservation.

 

Evening Touring:

 

If the sun has gone down, there are some rides that are fun to do at night, of course it will all depend on the length of the lines and if you can get a lightning lane booking. They are

 

• Dumbo
• Astro Orbiter
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

 

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 Disney Enchantment starts, and you have not had a chance to meet Mickey Mouse yet, now might be a good time to do that. 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. 

 

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 🙂