The Ultimate One Day Plan For Magic Kingdom

I could live at Disney World.

I really could.

On each trip, I find more and more things to do and things I haven’t done before. No matter how long your stay, I think most people will agree, it’s never enough time. However, it is possible to get the most out of a one day visit with this one day plan for Magic Kingdom.

First and foremost

• Always, always, always arrive at least 30 minutes before the park opens. ALWAYS. I can’t stress this enough. This is imperative to get the most out of a one day plan of attack. Don’t worry. There will be plenty to keep you entertained. Being among the first to walk through the gates will be worth the wait.

The walking begins

• Once you pass through the gates, go under the train station and grab a map located in the plastic holders on the wall. Enjoy the sites down Main Street but keep walking. There will be plenty of time to savor this area on your way out. Note: at the end of Main Street, on the left, is an information board. You can check this throughout the day for updated information about queue length and wait times. Also, there are some handy WDW apps that you can check on your phone. My favorites are My Disney Experience and Undercover Tourist.

Turn left and continue clockwise

• Head left after Main Street toward Adventureland and Frontierland. You’ll be able to ride Pirates of the Caribbean, Aladdin’s Magic Carpets, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Haunted Mansion all before lunch.
• Continue to travel clockwise through the park. Be Our Guest (Beast’s Castle) is counter service during lunch. It is very popular for lunch. Plan on an early or late lunch to avoid the crowds. I’ve witnessed people lining up as early as 10 am for their 11 am open.

Start using your FastPasses

• Mickey’s PhilharMagic (Fantasyland) is a great way to cool off and enjoy a show. Also, It’s A Small World is in this area. The line may seem long but it moves fairly quickly. We use this attraction as a way to cool off on a hot day and quiz each other on the countries represented on the attraction based on the clothing.
• Use your FastPass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• At this point, you’ve seen about ½ the park. Other interests might be Hall of Presidents, Buzz Lightyear’s Spacer Ranger Spin (FastPass), Space Mountain (FastPasses) and Tomorrowland Speedway.
• Once you’ve used your final FastPass start checking My Disney Experience to add another. You can now add one at a time for the rest of the day.

Take a breather

• By early afternoon you should have accomplished quite a bit. And even a one day plan needs a breather. Now is the time to relax, enjoy the sights and entertainment, get Photopass pictures or do some shopping. Enjoy an attraction but only if the line is short or you can tolerate a more than 30min. wait.
• Dinner. Cosmic Ray’s Café has a varied menu. There are lines dedicated to chicken lovers, burger lovers, etc. People rave about the hot dogs at Casey’s on Main Street. Or you could grab a turkey leg from a food kiosk and grab a salad from Pecos Bill’s.

Ahhhh, time to enjoy the parades, shows, and fireworks

• If you can make it this late, there are different fireworks shows and parades throughout the day and evening. Check the information board or the app you downloaded for current information.

This plan does not take into account sit down dinner plans or individual FastPass selections. Adjust as needed for your visit.

And don’t forget to have a magical time!