My preference is to always allocate 2 days to Magic Kingdom since there is so much to see and do in this Disney park. It also allows you to see almost everything without having to do full days. Staying from open to close is pretty tough, especially if you have kids with you. With a 2 day itinerary, you can break up the days and get everything done with a more manageable schedule.

 
**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.

 

Day 1:

 

I recommend that you begin your first 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.

 

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
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Pirates of the Caribbean

 
Early Morning Touring:

 

Depending on what fastpasses you have scheduled, you may need to change the order of this itinerary. If you were not able to get a fastpass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, then you will want to head there as your very first ride. 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. If you have a fastpass for this ride at a later time, then start with the next ride.
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Jungle Cruise

 

 

Mid-Morning Snack/Rest:

 

Aloha Isle is in the area and it serves the famous Dole Whip. It is a delicious cold treat and a must-try for every Disney World guest. You can also take some time to cool off at the misting stations right next to the Magic Carpets of Aladdin.

 

Late Morning Touring:

 

• Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• Haunted Mansion
• It’s a Small World
• Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid

 

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 Pinocchio Village Haus or Columbia Harbour House. Be Our Guest is an excellent quick-service option as well (very popular), but you will require advanced dining reservations for this restaurant.

 

If at this point you have used all of your fastpasses, I would highly recommend that you book another one through the My Disney Experience app. That will allow you to try and secure more rides on some of the popular coaster rides that you enjoyed earlier in the day. Every time you use a fastpass after your original three, you will be able to log on and select another one. This is how guests are able to get 4, 5 or even 6 fastpasses in a day.

 
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. It gives you a great opportunity to rest and cool off from the hot sun. The Festival of Fantasy parade starts at 3 pm, and if you want to catch it, it is best to start by choosing a spot to enjoy the parade. I find that spots in Frontierland and Liberty Square offer more opportunities for shaded spots. If you want to get a front seat view, then plan to get your spot at least 45 minutes before the start of the parade. Before and after the parade, this is what I would recommend to continue catching some shows and resting:

 

• Country Bear Jamboree
• Hall of Presidents
• Liberty Square Riverboat
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic

 

Afternoon Snack:

 

For an afternoon snack, you could head over to Sleepy Hollow. They offer delicious waffles, funnel cakes and ice cream sandwiches. If you would like to continue on to the Hub area, there are a few popcorn carts there where you could pick up a snack as well.

 

Late Afternoon Touring:

 

This is when you may want to start making your way out of the park seeing what you can still catch on your way out. If you are not already in the hub area, I recommend going to the hub to see if you still have time to catch the last “Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire” show in front of the castle. Shortly after, the “Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! Dance Party” parade should come through the hub. You can then head down Main Street and see if you want to visit Mickey and/or Tinker Bell in the Town Square Theatre. If that is something you think you might be interested in doing at the end of the day, I would recommend trying to book a fastpass for it on your My Disney Experience app right after you use your third fastpass of the day. If you can get a fourth fastpass for this character meet, then that will be a bonus 🙂

 

My preference at this point of the day is to usually head back to our resort for dinner and relax for the evening. Kick up my feet and get ready for the next day!

 

Day 2:

 

For your second day, I would recommend starting at or right after lunch. The reason I recommend doing a later start on your second day is so that you can have enough energy to stay until the park closes to view the fireworks show.

 

Fastpasses:

 

Since you have not been to Tomorrowland yet, I recommend choosing some fastpasses from that area and selecting your third fastpass as one of the other mountain rides that you think you may enjoy repeating a second time. Here are the rides I would recommend choosing from:

 

• Space Mountain
• Astro Orbiter
• Seven Dwarfs Min Train
• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Peter Pan’s Flight (slow ride, but a fastpass is required to avoid a long line)

 

Mid-Afternoon Touring:

 

I would recommend starting with some indoor shows as this will be a very hot time of the day. This is what I would recommend you start with:

 

• Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
• Carousel of Progess
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover
• Astro Orbiter
• Space Mountain
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

 

Afternoon Snack:

 

For a delicious cold treat in Tomorrowland, I highly recommend Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies. There you will find some tasty ice cream, smoothies and sundaes. Perfect for a snack on a hot day!

 
Late Afternoon Touring:

 

At this point I would recommend checking the Times Guide to see if you have enough time to catch the last performance of the day for “The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History”.

 

I would then recommend heading to the train station in Frontierland to catch a ride on the Walt Disney World Railroad. Get off at any station where you feel you may want to explore a bit more before dinner. If you get off at Fantasyland, you could catch a ride on both Dumbo and Barnstormer.

 

I would also highly recommend at this point to try and make a fourth fastpass selection on My Disney Experience for something after dinner.

 

Dinner Break:

 

Your options are wide open since the rest of the day will really depend on which rides you want to ride again. You’ll just need to decide in advance if you want to eat at a quick-service or table service. If you prefer a table service, then make sure that you make advanced dining reservations for the restaurant you select. My two favourite table service restaurants are Liberty Tree Tavern and Be Our Guest. Both offer a great menu and the food is deliciously good!

 

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. They are:

• Haunted Mansion
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Dumbo
• Astro Orbiter
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover
• 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. 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 🙂