The Best 1 Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary

I have created a 1 day Magic Kingdom Itinerary to help to see as much as possible. Maybe you only have 1 day Magic Kingdom tickets, then you’ll definitely want to maximise your time in the park.

Everyone always wants to get the most out of their Disney World trip and day at Magic Kingdom. It’s such a vast park and with poor planning you can find yourself walking backwards and forwards across the park.

For us, Magic Kingdom is the park we visit on our first day at Disney. We do this because we’re up early due to excitement and jet lag. Arriving at the park before official opening gives us plenty of time to get ahead before our energy runs out.

Battling the heat and the crowds, I realised that it’s very achievable to experience plenty of Magic Kingdom in one day with some planning beforehand.

The best Magic Kingdom Itinerary takes into account checking the My Disney Experience app for wait times as they update after the park opens, and also arriving at Magic Kingdom for the opening of the park without utilising extra magic hours.

If you have limited time, then one must do at Magic Kingdom is to watch Mickey Mouse open the park. Stand to the left of Cinderella castle at the top of Main Street and be ready when the rope drops to walk around and through the castle into Fantasyland.

view of the Magic Kingdom clock on Main Street

Fantasyland

We begin the day using the standby line for Peter Pan’s flight. This is one of the Magic Kingdom attractions to ride early in the day. When we walked through and joined the line, the queue time was showing twenty minutes.

In actual fact this was more like ten minutes and it’s a great way to see the interactive queue that this ride has to offer without waiting for upwards of forty minutes.

Any itinerary for Magic Kingdom has to include It’s A Small World. After we have flown over London with Peter, it’s time to walk across the path. Try not to get the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day as you join the short queue.

The queue for It’s a Small World is often shorter than others even in busy periods so it’s a good chance to pop in whilst you’re near.

Cinderella's Castle from Hub grass

Adventureland

Walk through to Adventureland to ride Magic Carpets With Aladdin. This ride doesn’t command high queues however the queue isn’t very shaded so riding earlier in the day is always a good idea. We found waiting in line in the afternoon sun isn’t very pleasant.

Time to ride one of the popular Magic Kingdom rides, Pirates of the Caribbean. I don’t mind the standby queue for this ride but you can wait for thirty minutes on a busy day, and it’s a cool but dark standby line to be in.

The Haunted Mansion is a ride to keep your eye on for wait times as you exit Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s also a good idea to check for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad right now as you are close.

view of Haunted Mansion from Liberty Belle Boat

Fantasyland

Depending on the queues and how many rides you manage, it’s probably time for a rest right now. Walk back towards Fantasyland now and maybe grab a snack from Pinnochio Village Haus. Rest those legs and have a sit down in the Philarmagic Theatre.

If you’ve never watched the 4D show then you’re missing out. It’s a great attraction to watch, funny and also perfect to avoid any rain showers or take a quick break from the heat.

Onwards to the Dumbo ride. This isn’t just for kids and it’s a great way to keep the kids entertained in the standby queue as there is a huge play area inside the tent. There are two Dumbo rides running which makes the queues short.

Pirates of the Caribbean Sign

Staying in Fantasyland, make your way over to the Barnstormer ride. A fun introduction to a roller coaster for smaller people, but also a fun, if a little jerky ride for everyone else.

Why not try this Magic Kingdom scavenger hunt with FREE printable

We cannot pass the carousel without popping on to see if we are lucky enough to ride Cinderella’s horse (the one with the golden bow in his tail).

We have managed this once when we were at the front of the queue. It was only thanks to meeting Mary Poppins in Epcot that we learnt about this little nugget of information.

seven dwarfs mine train

A popular roller coaster in Magic Kingdom is Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. This ride often attracts long wait times, and it may be a ride you choose to add on with Disney Genie+. If not I suggest queuing during parade times, typical meal times or during any castle shows or fireworks.

By now it’s definitely time to refuel. With the heat of Florida in the middle of the day being quite unforgiving, I suggest pre booking a table service restaurant. One of our favourite character restaurants, isĀ Crystal Palace for lunch.

If you don’t have the time or budget for a table service restaurant, then check out these great quick service restaurants in Magic Kingdom.

Tomorrowland

The main areas of Magic Kingdom that haven’t been explore yet is Tomorrowland. You’ll find popular rides such as Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, and Space Mountain. Why not relax for a while on the People Mover and see some different sights in Magic Kingdom.

If you’re staying in a Disney World resort, I highly recommend leaving the park after lunch time and having a swim or relax by your resort pool.

Rested up, return to Magic Kingdom for the evening and experience some rides in the dark before watching the fireworks at the end of the night.

Don’t forget to pick up your Magic Kingdom map on the way in if you’re not familiar with the park layout.

Check out our Walt Disney World resource page for plenty more tips and tricks

Written By Angela Spicer

Angela Spicer has been enjoying family travel for over ten years. She has been on multiple trips to Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris, and also exploring various locations in the UK.

2 thoughts on “The Best 1 Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary”

  1. This is a great plan and I agree you need to be organised, especially when visiting the Magic Kingdom. I didn’t know that about Cinderella’s horse with the golden bow. Ah this is making me want to go back SO much x

    Reply
  2. This is really helpful, thanks. I have a daughter who hates big rides and scary things, so I think we’d avoid the haunted house. How fast and bumpy is the 7 dwarfs rollercoaster?

    Reply

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