My list of must-dos at the Magic Kingdom is incredibly long, and I’m sure that I’m not the only one. Perhaps more than any other park, the Magic Kingdom needs a solid plan, particularly if you only have one day (I would recommend more than one, if you can). Like the other parks, you have a huge advantage if you arrive by rope drop to accomplish busy rides in that first hour. Unlike the other parks, however, it’s less clear where you should head first-thing, because there are so many places you could start!
When we plan our Magic Kingdom days, we decide whether we want to start in Frontie
rland, Fantasyland, or Tomorrowland. Our most-used morning itinerary is to book it to Frontierland (we found that just walking is faster than taking the train), ride Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain, hit Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland, and then the Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square. After that we FastPass Peter Pan’s Flight and/or Space Mountain. This is probably our favorite because we accomplish so many of our favorite rides before lunch.
Another way to start the day is in Fantasyland. If you don’t have access to the FastPass+ testing, then the new Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction only has standby, so it’s best to go there first thing. After that, visit the other popular Fantasyland attractions like Princess Fairytale Hall, Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and the Barnstormer. Peter Pan’s Flight is another ride to visit, but after going to Enchanted Tales the line could already be long – use a FastPass if it is. If Enchanted Tales isn’t your priority, visit Peter Pan’s Flight first.
You could also head to Tomorrowland after rope drop. We tend to use this day-starter the least because more of our favorite rides are elsewhere, but Space Mountain is still a 
great place to start because of its popularity. After conquering the galaxy, head over to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, and then the Astro Orbiter and Tomorrowland Speedway. Once you’re done in Tomorrowland, make your way to the Fantasyland rides.
After all those rides, it’s probably time for lunch! I recommend heading to lunch before 11:30 to avoid the lunch crowds (unless you’re going to Be Our Guest, where the lines start forming around 10am). This only covers the first part of your day at the Magic Kingdom, but there’s so much to talk about that I’ll cover the rest next time!
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Elizabeth lives in Kansas City with her wonderful parents and sister. She enjoys long walks, happy thoughts, and Disney magic! Elizabeth first visited Disney as a child, and when she prepared to visit Walt Disney World as an adult, she foolishly thought she may have ‘outgrown’ Disney. Happily, Elizabeth was proven wrong. After planning a second trip to Walt Disney World, Elizabeth is now her family’s go-to resource for Disney. She even has her own blog, planningformagic.com, with advice on how to plan your next Disney trip. Someday, she even hopes to be an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. Elizabeth’s Disney wish list is a mile long, so she’s always ready to plan her next Disney adventure.
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