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10 Tips for Doing the Magic Kingdom Like a Disney Insider

Cinderella's Castle

As a Disney Insider, there are some tips that I always follow when visiting the Magic Kingdom. The flagship park is the busiest, and with so much to do in one visit, itโ€™s important to plan the day efficiently without wearing yourself out.

1. Arrive early

As the most popular of the four Walt Disney World theme parks, I always suggest getting to the Magic Kingdom early. The lines for attractions will only get longer as the day goes on, so even with Fastpasses, youโ€™re better off having a couple of hours in the morning before the park opens to experience some of the most popular attractions. The early morning hours can also be a great time to take some pictures without crowds in them. Some of my favorite pictures of myself with family and friends in front of the castle have been taken by Disney PhotoPass photographers on Main Street right after the park opens.

2. Get Fastpasses, and use them wisely

In any of the parks, you should be taking advantage of Disneyโ€™s Fastpass+ service. Itโ€™s included in your park admission, so why not use it? Once youโ€™ve decided to go on the My Disney Experience app and make some Fastpass selections, make sure you know which attractions would be a good use of those Fastpasses. For instance, I would never use a Fastpass for a show because they start at set times anyway, and you more than likely would not have a problem getting a seat without a Fastpass. Instead, I save Fastpasses for rides, so that my wait time can be shorter. I also avoid booking Fastpasses for early in the morning, as the park is not usually crowded enough to need one for the first couple of hours anyway.

3. Stay for Wishes, but do not leave right away after

At least one time per trip, you should definitely be staying for Wishes. Itโ€™s the best fireworks show around, and youโ€™d probably be kicking yourself on the way home if you missed it. While you should definitely see the fireworks, make sure you do not head out of the park immediately after theyโ€™re over. Most guests will have the same idea as you, which means youโ€™ll be spending some time in a cattle herd or in line waiting for the bus or monorail. If you really want to leave then, I suggest wandering through Main Street, and slowly making your way to the exit, so you can check out the shops or sit down and relax instead of waiting in the long lines to leave the park.

4. Take advantage of package delivery services

Some insiders suggest shopping on the way out of the park, however I prefer to wellโ€ฆ shop all day. If youโ€™re like me, and you canโ€™t help just shop continuously throughout your trip, make sure you take advantage of the package delivery services that Disney offers. You can have whatever you buy shipped to the front of the park, or your Disney resort (assuming youโ€™re not checking out the next day) for free, simply ask to have it shipped while youโ€™re paying for the items.

5. Meet the characters

No trip to the Magic Kingdom is complete without meeting at least a couple of characters. Whether you meet Mickey at the Town Square Theater, or one of the princesses at Princess Fairytale Hall, make an effort to meet a character or two during your next trip to the park. Even if youโ€™re an adult without children, meeting the characters is really a fun, classic experience that you shouldnโ€™t let yourself miss out on.

6. Save shows for the busiest times

To be more efficient while youโ€™re touring the park, I generally try to save shows for the middle of the day when the park is the busiest. Shows like the Country Bear Jamboree, and the Hall of Presidents are great attractions to visit while the lines for the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain are longer than youโ€™d like to wait in the afternoon.

7. Take a break

Whether you go back to your resort for a couple of hours, sit down on a bench, or my personal favoriteโ€”hop on the monorail and explore those resorts, giving yourself a break from the park will help you retain energy and be ready for a night out. You may be excited to rush around to all the attractions and go non-stop, but even just sitting down on a bench with some cold water for twenty minutes or so can go a long way in you making it the rest of the night.

8. Strike a balance in picture-taking

There are three kinds of picture-takers in Walt Disney World. The ones that donโ€™t photograph enough, meaning they come home from a ten day trip with less than 100 pictures and are therefore disappointed with themselves, the ones who take too many, meaning they never experience anything with their own eyes, only through the lens of a camera, and unless theyโ€™re professional photographers chances are the pictures arenโ€™t even good, and the middle ground. You want to be on the middle groundโ€”you want to come home with enough photos to remember your trip by, but you donโ€™t want to photograph every little thing so much so that you hardly remember being in the present and experiencing things as they happen.

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9. Make dining reservations

If you plan on dining at any of the in-park restaurants, or at one of the monorail resorts, itโ€™s important that you make reservations in advance. Tables fill up quickly, and if you have your heart set on eating somewhere specific, itโ€™s better to be safe than sorry and to make sure ahead of time that youโ€™ll be able to get a table.

10. Stay out late

If youโ€™re willing to stay much later after the fireworks are over, try staying in the park until it closes, or at least late into the evening, especially on an Extra Magic Hours night. Since many guests do leave right after Wishes, the lines for attractions will be shorter, and the park as a whole will be quieter, giving it a whole different feel than it has during the day. If youโ€™re not a fan of the hot, Florida weather, evenings tend to be a more comfortable time for visiting the parks as well.

BONUS TIP: Consider planning and booking your next Disney trip with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner you can trust like Mickey Travels. They’ll help you get the best Walt Disney World deal, share expert advice and their services are totally FREE! It’s genius!

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About Brittany DiCologero

Brittany is a New England-based writer focused on the history of the Walt Disney World Resort. She is the author of "Red, White, and Disney: The Myths and Reality of American History at the Walt Disney World Resort," and "Brittany Earns Her Ears."

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