A day in Magic Kingdom without rides.

[addacollier]

Every now and then, I read comments such as ‘You can enjoy the Magic Kingdom without doing any rides’. So here’s a challenge for everyone. Can you suggest itinerary for a day at MK with no rides? The best one gets two thumbs up.

 

[LUVofDIS]

I am not sure I could "do MK" without rides. I have done it with doing a few rides. A few years back around Dec 22 or so, it was so crowded and it was the end of our vacation we did our FP's and a few of the less crowed attractions. We ended up mostly walking around slowly and noticing more of the finer details through the park. We would grab an ice cream and sit and people watch, we stopped at the bridges and watched the birds and actually found one Easter egg we never noticed before. We would read all the various signs we always rushed past. That was also the time we "found" Sonny Eclipse. Had heard of him, but never watched a show. There were the parades and fireworks. It took our whole day and was a lot of fun and we probably rode five rides.

 

[John park hopper]

The way so many rides are down it may not be hard to do MK without rides

 

[bryanfze55]

Every now and then, I read comments such as ‘You can enjoy the Magic Kingdom without doing any rides’. So here’s a challenge for everyone. Can you suggest itinerary for a day at MK with no rides? The best one gets two thumbs up.

My family very nearly did this once. We did our 3 FPs then no other rides that day. It's actually easier in MK than Disneyland due to having more non-ride attractions. Granted, you probably need to maximize dining time. Also, having kids helps since meet and greets are then on the table.

9-10 AM: Breakfast @ The Crystal Palace
10-10:30 AM: Mickey's PhilharMagic
10:30-11:30 AM: Princess Fairytale Hall (both sets of princesses)
11:30-12:30 PM: Lunch @ Jungle Skipper Canteen
12:30-1:00 PM: Enchanted Tiki Room
1:00-1:30 PM: Grab a Dole Whip and walk around Swiss Family Treehouse
1:30-2:30 PM: Tom Sawyer Island
2:30-3:00 PM: Country Bear Jamboree
3:00-3:30 PM: The Muppets Present... Great Moments in American History
3:30-4:00 PM: The Hall of Presidents
4:00-5:00 PM: Town Square Theater (meet Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell)
5:00-6:00 PM: Dinner @ Cosmic Ray's (watch Sonny Eclipse for a bit)
6:00-6:30 PM: Carousel of Progress
6:30-7:00 PM: Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
7:00-7:30 PM: Enchanted Tales with Belle (better attraction if you have kids but if not the animatronics are still a treat)
7:30-8:00 PM: Casey Jr. Splash n' Soak (again, probably only w/children)
8:00-8:30 PM: Snack @ Gaston's Tavern
8:30 PM: Walk around Main Street, wait for HEA
9:00 PM: Happily Ever After

Not a bad day if you ask me.

 

[JIMINYCR]

We have friends who do just that. They are an older couple so rides no longer are as fun as they once were. And they have been to WDW so many times and done them so much that the rides unless its a new one, no longer excites them. They abhor standing in lines and they can enjoy a day just from everything else.

My itinerary:
Enter MK.
Linger by entrance watching all the people who cant figure out finger placement on the readers.
Enter onto Main Street, buy popcorn, autograph book and sunglasses.
Walk up onto top level of Train Station and people watch.
Go to City Hall. Load up on free buttons, get daily schedule & ask about favorite character M&G time.
Get hair cut at barber shop.
Enter into Sorcerers shop to sign up for Sorcerers of MK game, get pack of cards.
Move over to Town Square Theater to visit Mickey and Tink
Look for Lady & Tramp footprints in cement
Stroll through Emporium to see new merchandise. Buy postcard.
Enter Chapeau, buy new Mickey ears with name scrolled across. Find antique phone and listen to conversation.
Enter Confectionary and watch treats being made. Buy box of Mickey cookies.
Enter Crystal Arts. Watch glass blowing technique. Buy glass figurine.
Enter Art of Disney. Buy expensive piece of art and have it shipped home.
Enter alleyway. Listen to voice lessons being sung
Enter Uptown Jewelers, buy new Disney watch
Enter Bakery get coffee & muffin.
Be entertained by having conversation with Main Street characters. Listen to Dapper Dans, listen to Piano player outside of Caseys.
Move back down Main Street viewing all the Main Street windows, reading inscriptions.
Take Main Street vehicle ride to the Hub.

Stroll around hub viewing Disney character statues, watch ducks play, people watch.
Enter Castle. View tiled mural and all the intricate details
Stroll around to Cindys Wishing Well. Drop coins in and wish for good weather.
Walk to Tomorrowland, Watch speedway cars and bet on winner.
Talk to DVC attendant, get brochure.
Stroll to Fantasyland, Get wet under Caseys soaking station
Stop in at Gastons, get cinnamon bun with extra icing and souvenir mug of Lefous Brew
Stroll over to watch kids ride Carrousel
Try pulling sword from stone

Move onto Liberty square
View HM pet graveyard and horseless hearse.
Look for "the ring" in pavement
Walk through interactive queue playing with every station.
View tombstone inscriptions and watch Madame Leotas eyes open.
Walk out before attraction doors open. Go around to read inscriptions on tombs by attraction exit
Visit Liberty Tree, read inscriptions.
Look for Paul Reveres lanterns
Visit Christmas shop, buy ornament for this years Christmas tree
Watch patriotic Muppet shows
Spend time in the stocks

Move to Frontierland
Visit Trading post. Buy newest pin set. Pin trade from CM's & pin board.
Stop by SM and watch guests get soaked on the drop.
Sit on rocking chair and people watch.
Listen to country band
Ride raft to TSI. ( unless you count that as a ride) Wander paths, cross bridges, visit Fort Langhorn, wander through caves, vist olde Mill.

Move to Adventureland.
Have Dole Whip
Get spit on by Aladdins camel
Walk up Treehouse ( not considered a ride? )
Move back to Main Street.

Besides that you can fill in time with strolling through lots of other shops, visit snack carts, M&G's, watch parade, view Castle show, play Sorcerers game, Pirates Adventure, watch fireworks

So I think theres a full day at MK without taking a ride and enjoying the time in MK.

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

I’ve gone with my husband and done just one ride the People Mover but we were only there a couple hours. Watched the Bears and Laugh Place, had lunch and did a lot of shopping.

 

[KCheatle]

My son could easily go into MK for an entire day and be completely satisfied just playing Sorcerors. For me to go into MK and not ride anything would be like living one of my stress dreams where I'm at MK but I can't get to anything because I don't know where things are or I can't get my family to hurry up to make our fast pass. (I tend to have those dreams from time to time ...)

 

[FettFan]

Every now and then, I read comments such as ‘You can enjoy the Magic Kingdom without doing any rides’. So here’s a challenge for everyone. Can you suggest itinerary for a day at MK with no rides? The best one gets two thumbs up.

It’s happenibg right now.

And it’s epcot too. Some power surge knocked out most of everything including the Epcot and Express monorails.

 

[Kamikaze]

Every now and then, I read comments such as ‘You can enjoy the Magic Kingdom without doing any rides’. So here’s a challenge for everyone. Can you suggest itinerary for a day at MK with no rides? The best one gets two thumbs up.

It depends on how often you go and how easy it is for you to get there. And if you've done everything you want to do. And its much easier if you have an AP. Then you won't feel like you're 'missing' anything. Just the thought you want an itinerary for such a day means you're missing the point of attending the park without going on rides. The point is to relax, take it easy, and just enjoy the park and the people. This is something that locals do quite a bit at DLR. Go in, walk around, eat, watch a nighttime show, and call it a day. They might not be there for 10 hours, but certainly its something that happens often. It also doesn't mean that they go in planning to not go on any rides, but they don't need to do so to enjoy the park.

 

[act2306]

I could easily spend a day loitering around the parks without going on rides. Mostly I am finding and photographing park details, but there is also lots of time for food, people watching (especially around fountains and splash areas), shopping, and some character greeting - if the the lines aren't long. Plus of course the shows, parades and fireworks. It's actually not hard to fill at day at the parks with no rides.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

It would be nice to just loiter the parks all day. Epcot especially is that sort of place where you can just soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the scenery. I could stand and watch that model train section in Germany all day, I think it is epic.

But in Magic Kingdom, yeah, that is harder because there are more enticing rides. Not to mention most everything is a tame ride too. But yeah, it can be done. Watch the parade, the fireworks, see the shows, does going on Liberty Belle Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island count as a ride? If not, then that too. Lots of time to just linger down Main Street too. It would be tempting, but I think I could do it if I had some extra day passes.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

I could LIVE in Disneyworld and be okay with my life, I imagine it wouldn't be hard to avoid the rides / lines.