A day at Magic Kingdom

[DonaldDuckQuackers]

We've never spent an entire day in one park before yet I think that's what we are planning to do with Magic Kingdom this trip.

So what I'm asking is firstly is it s good idea and secondly advice please. I want to be there early as in when it opens as I'd quite like a photo of the castle & the Walt/Mickey statue with limited crowds.

We have some fast passes booked for the afternoon too so we just figured we'd spend the day there catch the parades and fireworks then we wouldn't have to go back later.

What time does the park open? Best places to eat? Could we go for breakfast first thing and still arrive for opening? Any advice how to pack out a day at MK would be amazing.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

I want to be there early as in when it opens as I'd quite like a photo of the castle & the Walt/Mickey statue with limited crowds.

Your best way to do this is to get a breakfast ADR at one of MKs restaurants BEFORE the park opens. You can walk up Main St with perhaps only a handful of people on it

What time does the park open?

Usually 8 or 9 depending on season and whether its an EMH day for Resort guests. Check WDWs park hours pages

Best places to eat?

Check the dining pages on here or on WDWs website

Could we go for breakfast first thing and still arrive for opening?

See previous answer

 

[DisneyFans4Life]

We've never spent an entire day in one park before yet I think that's what we are planning to do with Magic Kingdom this trip.

So what I'm asking is firstly is it s good idea and secondly advice please. I want to be there early as in when it opens as I'd quite like a photo of the castle & the Walt/Mickey statue with limited crowds.

We have some fast passes booked for the afternoon too so we just figured we'd spend the day there catch the parades and fireworks then we wouldn't have to go back later.

What time does the park open? Best places to eat? Could we go for breakfast first thing and still arrive for opening? Any advice how to pack out a day at MK would be amazing.

Like Hook said, your best bet is to schedule an ADR for breakfast; my vote is either Crystal Palace or Be Our Guest...just schedule it for a day that MK doesn't have early EMH.

 

[JillC LI]

We like to get to the MK at opening, do some stuff, then take the monorail to Kona Cafe for an 11am breakfast slot which we consider brunch, then head back to the MK. Cosmic Rays is our favorite CS spot for dinner at the MK - you can't beat the chicken and ribs combo plus entertainment by Sonny Eclipse.

 

[Cowboy Steve]

The MK is our favorite of the 4 parks, so we usually dedicate 2 days out of a week long trip. So I think a full day there is a great idea!

ADR for Breakfast is a great idea! If they are all booked up keep checking several times a day leading up to and including the day you are going to the MK. People's plans change and they cancel reservations - specially within a week of their reservation. So if you are vigilant you can probably still snag a breakfast ADR.

Any advice how to pack out a day at MK would be amazing.

How many in your party? Do you have children? What are their ages?
For a day with kids: Rent a locker. Throw some essentials in there (dry socks and underwear, rain ponchos, etc). If you have a stroller, keep snacks and cool drinks handy (maybe a small soft sided cooler?). Freeze some water bottles in the room and it will help keep the items in the cooler cold without wasting space with ice. And when it is mostly melted, you have water to drink lol! Again, totally depends on the age of the kids. If you don't have a stroller, use a backpack. Also throw in some ziplock bags. They come in handy for cell phones, cameras, wallets, etc. if you are caught in a steady down poor.

You sound like you are not new to spending time at Disney, so I apologize if some of the following are a little too basic lol. We take a small drawstring backpack with us in the park (adults, no kids) and keep some basics in it. Baggies, unscented wipes, hand sanitizer, bottled water, snack or two, etc. We always rent a locker as we typically only do one park a day. In the locker goes some dry clothes, sweatshirts, rain ponchos, etc. (we visit in December). Last couple of trips I took my tablet with me. When the wifi works, it is easier to use than my smart phone lol. And it takes pretty good video and pics!

 

[Raineman]

We've never spent an entire day in one park before yet I think that's what we are planning to do with Magic Kingdom this trip.

So what I'm asking is firstly is it s good idea and secondly advice please. I want to be there early as in when it opens as I'd quite like a photo of the castle & the Walt/Mickey statue with limited crowds.

We have some fast passes booked for the afternoon too so we just figured we'd spend the day there catch the parades and fireworks then we wouldn't have to go back later.

What time does the park open? Best places to eat? Could we go for breakfast first thing and still arrive for opening? Any advice how to pack out a day at MK would be amazing.

If you book an early breakfast ADR, the walk down Main Street and through the park is something you will never forget. Being able to go through the tunnel, into Town Square and down Main Street with almost no one around you, no crowd noise, just the music playing in the background-amazing. I felt my eyes getting a bit misty when I was able to do it in March with my DW and DD.

 

[bethymouse]

IMHO it's quite difficult to get everything you want done in just one day at MK, but if you get there before opening ( as others have said... perhaps a breakfast at Crystal Palace) and stayed until after Wishes, it may be possible, but exhausting! Park opening at 9am and closing at 10 or 11pm seems like a lot of time, but it goes by way too fast, especially waiting in line. You have to plan time to eat, and if you have a table service meal, it takes a larger chunk of time out of your day. If you eat at quick service restaurants, then you'll have some extra time. Have fun, but don't get too upset if you can't see and do everything. Perhaps pick and choose your favorites, and make sure you don't miss those. Also, if you plan on meet and greets, that also takes up quite a bit of time. Use fast passes, and make sure you make advanced dining reservations ( it does all depend on the time of year you're going and how many people are in your party as @Cowboy Steve said).

 

[Matt_Black]

My advice- start in Adventureland and go clockwise around MK. Many guests head for Fantasyland or Tomorrowland first, so Jungle Cruise and Pirates will be walk on, most likely.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

So what I'm asking is firstly is it s good idea and secondly advice please. I want to be there early as in when it opens as I'd quite like a photo of the castle & the Walt/Mickey statue with limited crowds.

Right when the park opens is one of the worst times to get a picture with "limited crowds." With the exception of parade time and fireworks time, that's the busiest part of the day on Main Street.

 

[HurricaneHanna]

Good advice has already been given but I want to point out one thing. We've done the prepark opening breakfast ADRs several times and even with the early entry, don't expect to get photos of Main Street and the Castle with no one in them. I just don't want you to be disappointed if that's your hope. Maybe if you arrive at o'dark:30 and you're first in line, but otherwise you will be shocked at how many people are already inside ahead of you even an hour before opening.

 

[KikoKea]

If you and your family can last that long, don't leave immediately after the fireworks. Give the crowd about 20 min, and the place will be almost deserted- great for night pics of the park. We shop, find a place to sit, maybe with an ice cream or hot dog and watch the castle change colors, or maybe walk up close to the castle. Usually, there's a "Kiss Goodnight" about 30 min after closing, which is a short music/light show on the castle.

In addition to the advice you've been given, I would suggest you bring a small battery backup and short usb for your phone. I use a lipstick sized one that easily fits in my pocket, even when charging my phone. The camera and apps suck the life from a phone, and for less than $20, even less than $10 on Amazon, you can pick up a battery that will keep it going all day.

We usually eat QS at MK, with Columbia Harbor House our favorite for lunch and Cosmic Ray's as our favorite for dinner.
Have a nice trip!

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

I've done full park days at both MK and Epcot. I like it because it is nice to know that "hey..today I'm at (such and such park)" and I can take my time exploring all there is to offer. Usually, I'd hit the park (MK or EPCOT) at rope drop. Try for some of the popular rides upon entry...and spend up until about 1 or 2 hitting some additional rides and soaking in the ambiance and grabbing a QS lunch right before heading back to the resort. A few hours of pool time (accompanied by a nice refreshing alcoholic beverage) and I am back at 5:30pm taking advantage of FP+ and another FP ride or two ( thanks for the app upgrade) and another QS dining option (or possibly an ADR if Epcot is my park of choice).

I can usually hit about 11-12 rides, do some some shopping, take some time at the pool to relax, ..and get some decent QS/ADR food for lunch and dinner and get back to the resort at about 11pm....I'll sit back with a nice Gin and Tonic at the lounge of said resort while the wife orders a Pizza from the food court to go (that we'll take back to the room, mainly for the kids)....and think to myself..."This was a complete day"

 

[graphite1326]

This is what we have done and it works well for us. Assuming that it is not an EMH early entry day. We have breakfast in our hotel room, usually cereal and coffee, to save time and money. We arrive at rope drop and go directly to Splash & BTMR. One is usually a walk on and the other is probably a 20 to 30 minute wait. Then to HM. After that it's to Fantasyland were the lines are starting get long but still manageable. We don't do Small World due to the song getting stuck in your head for the day. We always do Philharmagic and maybe one more in that area. If you want to ride 7DMT at that point you will need a FP. Frankly I have rode 7DMT once and to me it isn't worth a FP. (We only ride it if it's a EMH early entry and go there first.) Somewhere in here it's usually lunch time and grab it at a counter service place. We make FP for places in the front of the park like Space Mt. and JC. We don't use FP for Pirates because we don't mind standing in line there. Air conditioning and the queue is interesting. We have the attractions that are must do and others we try to work in as the day goes on and where we are at the time. Attractions we work in are HoP (a quick nap), Carousel of Progress, Laugh Floor, etc.

Well this gives you a general idea of what we do. I hope this is what you are looking for and I hope this helps.