Early Entry at Magic Kingdom offers on-site company of Walt Disney World accommodations a head-start to do rides with shorter traces and decrease wait occasions. Properly, no less than that’s the thought. This picture report shares my expertise on a comparatively sluggish day (crowd degree 3/10) that felt far busier very first thing within the morning and asks whether or not it’s time to skip Early Entry at MK.
We’re huge followers of Early Entry, and have enthusiastically beneficial it in dozens of planning posts. It’s an underrated perk, with many company dismissing it as “solely” half-hour and inferior to the now-defunct, hour-long morning Further Magic Hours. Whereas I’d clearly somewhat have 60 minutes versus half-hour, Early Entry is rather a lot much less busy than EMH was. Having the perk in any respect 4 parks each single day makes an enormous distinction, to the purpose I’d argue EE is healthier than EMH at 3 of the 4 parks.
As defined in several Further Hours Area Studies, Early Entry may be a good way to knock out Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Canine Sprint, Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, Frozen Ever After, Avatar Flight of Passage, and different headliners with minimal waits by way of the standby traces earlier than Lightning Lanes clog up queues. You would possibly discover one conspicuous omission from our reward for Early Entry: Magic Kingdom.
I’ve accomplished Early Entry at Magic Kingdom over a dozen occasions in the previous few years. It’s far and away my least favourite park for Early Entry, however I maintain returning for the sake of analysis. Properly, and photographs. I nonetheless do Early Entry on the different three parks “for enjoyable,” whereas Magic Kingdom is strictly for the sake of bloggability. If I had been a mean vacationer, my reply to the titular query could be sure–and would’ve been for some time now.
With that mentioned, Early Entry at Magic Kingdom throughout Get together Season is nice. I might do–and have accomplished–that for enjoyable with out writing something in regards to the expertise or testing technique. Early Entry is nice throughout Get together Season from August by way of December (plus just a few different dates) as a result of Magic Kingdom opens to most of the people at 8 am and is usually much less busy.
With Get together Season proper across the nook, a lot of you planning Walt Disney World journeys can have exactly this chance. See this publish about why 7:30 am Early Entry at Magic Kingdom is a recreation changer. We extremely suggest it on Halloween or Christmas Get together dates.
Only a few company have the need and dedication to be out their lodge room door by ~6:30 am, which is just about what’s essential to arrive at Magic Kingdom in time for the beginning of Early Entry. In contrast, tons of individuals could make it for 8:30 am Early Entry, which is the primary motive why Magic Kingdom is the worst park for Early Entry.
For this Early Entry at Magic Kingdom trial run, we stayed the Up to date. Far and away the simplest resort for Early Entry–or simply Magic Kingdom generally–due to the quick stroll to the park.
I didn’t take note of once I left the room, bought by way of safety, or the turnstiles. It was all a clean and seamless course of, taking nonetheless lengthy it might take you to stroll from wherever your room is on the resort to the park. I stroll pretty quick, so it was seemingly underneath quarter-hour room door-to-Primary Avenue for me. YMMV.
There’s the clock displaying once I arrived…ish. I had spent a few minutes monkeying round taking photographs by the Sharing the Magic statue, ready for a transparent shot of Primary Avenue till it grew to become abundantly clear that wasn’t going to occur. Can’t win ’em all.
By this time, Magic Kingdom’s turnstiles had been open for in all probability no less than half-hour. Our regular suggestion is to be there roughly half-hour earlier than the beginning of Early Theme Park Entry. In case your plan is to do Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice, you wish to arrive 30+ minutes upfront. Much less time is okay for Peter Pan’s Flight, Area Mountain, or the opposite choices.
After snapping some photographs across the Central Plaza and Cinderella Citadel, I headed to the fitting of the East Plaza Backyard for Early Theme Park Entry. There’s a row of Solid Members stationed to scan MagicBands or room keys to confirm Early Entry eligibility.
Everyone seems to be allowed to enter Magic Kingdom and hang around on Primary Avenue, taking photographs or ready for rope drop over on the Frontierland and Adventureland aspect of the Central Plaza. However you may’t entry Tomorrowland or Fantasyland with out scanning right here. When you’ve accomplished that, you’re good to go for the morning.
From there, you proceed on to both the Tomorrowland Bridge or Fantasyland Bridge.
As all the time, the group is considerably smaller for Tomorrowland. That is the whole lot of it as of 8:05:06 am–the rope is between the rocks and the archway, and there’s respectable respiratory room amongst events.
Had I joined this crowd, I might’ve accomplished Area Mountain as a close to walk-on, assuming I walked briskly to it and didn’t get distracted alongside the way in which taking photographs…which I might’ve!
In contrast, right here’s the group for Fantasyland as of 8:06:58 am.
There have been in all probability 10-15 occasions as many company ready right here. Roughly 90% of these persons are planning on doing Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice.
Truthfully, this isn’t that dangerous. The individuals on the very entrance had in all probability been ready for some time, however even when I joined the mass at 8:06:58 am, I in all probability would’ve had a 25 minute or much less watch for Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice. All relies upon upon how properly I navigated the SDMT Shuffle in getting from right here to the precise line. However I didn’t be part of the herd.
Every time potential, we each attempt to do Early Entry and take a divide and conquer strategy with Sarah getting caught doing the SDMT Shuffle whereas I run round taking photos and assessing traces all through Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. I used to be alone for this area take a look at, so I needed to resolve which path to take: sensible plan testing or analysis. I selected the latter.
The thought of doing the SDMT Shuffle is all the time unappealing to me, however doubly so once I’m behind the pack and elbow-to-elbow with a bunch of drained and fellow under-caffeinated company. Plus, I wished to take extra photographs within the Hub. The flowers are wanting beautiful and it was a beautiful morning.
With out even doing it, I can let you know that the SDMT Shuffle would’ve been annoying, as everybody shuffled (therefore the title) from the bridge to the attraction entrance and a line fashioned in probably the most awkward method potential. Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice alone would’ve been the whole lot of my Early Entry time at Magic Kingdom. With luck, I might’ve been accomplished by 8:30 am, simply in time for normal rope drop.
After taking photographs of the flowers within the Hub, I checked again on the group as of 8:19:11 am.
All of those individuals selected poorly. They both ought to’ve arrived ~quarter-hour earlier or gone to the Tomorrowland Bridge. You can’t each arrive late and do the Fantasyland Bridge. That’s not how this works.
Anybody past the bridge itself is taking the perk and turning it right into a worse final result–a mean (or worse) wait time for Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice at a time when different points of interest have beneath common waits. Horrible alternative price!
Right here’s the group on the Tomorrowland Bridge as of 8:20:31 am.
This would possibly look dangerous, however it’s actually not. I might say it’s about common, and the group is rather more chill. Maybe slightly too chill, as there’s lots of respiratory room between events, and folks from the again stored chopping forward and filling that house. (I wasn’t about to try this because it looks like poor type, however I additionally wouldn’t have left a lot out there house for precisely that motive.) However no matter. I used to be simply alongside for the journey.
One factor I’ll add right here is that the again of the pack right here is objectively higher for attending to Fantasyland than the Fantasyland Bridge. It’s an extended stroll, however should you’re speedy, you may really transfer freely right here–no shuffle. I’ve “beat” the again of the pack from this location on a number of events. (I’ve accomplished it to get to Peter Pan’s Flight, since SDMT is a misplaced trigger from again right here–simply because it’s a misplaced trigger from the again of the opposite pack.)
As is all the time the case, the expertise stepping into Tomorrowland is downright blissful as in comparison with Fantasyland. Simply take a look at all that out there house between the events strolling into the land. Nobody is shuffling!
A line fashioned instantly at Area Mountain ready to enter the attraction.
Company had been stacked outdoors the queue, and funnel down from a little bit of an amorphous blob into an precise line nearer to the doorway. This would possibly look dangerous, however understand that there’s nobody contained in the constructing but and is solely standby at this hour.
Even from the again of this line, it seemingly would’ve been a couple of 10-15 minute wait, with most of that being a matter of strolling by way of the inside queue. That will’ve made Area Mountain a powerful beginning choice for Early Entry, similar to most mornings in Magic Kingdom.
You could possibly’ve in all probability hit that after which Buzz Lightyear’s Area Ranger Spin and Astro Orbiter earlier than crowds began to construct. Nevertheless, I used to be right here for analysis–not enjoyable–so I stored on going with out blasting off into house.
I used to be shocked to see a little bit of a line at Buzz, because it’s typically a walk-on throughout Early Entry.
This nonetheless wouldn’t have been remotely dangerous–in all probability a 5 minute precise wait as the road can be stacked outdoors right here and always transferring as soon as contained in the constructing.
Shocked that extra individuals didn’t wish to begin their break day with the candy, candy scent of auto exhaust.
It boggles my thoughts that that is how anybody needs to spend Early Entry. I might actually somewhat sit outdoors the Tangled Bogs™️ and benefit from the serene sounds of the venue. Significantly better ambiance. I even have a voice inside my head saying, “shut up you idiot, that is going to return again to chunk you in just a few years when Tomorrowland Speedway is Megatron’s favourite journey.”
Arriving in Fantasyland, the road for Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice already wrapped across the mountain and was again by the Little Mermaid darkish journey.
This isn’t in any respect irregular for Early Entry. It may be barely higher or worse, however I’d say that is about common.
The difficult factor about stepping into this line is that it’s a always transferring goal. So many company race in direction of the doorway of Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice, and discover themselves chasing the road backwards, seeing their wait time balloon due to that one, not-so-little misstep.
That is additionally why the Tomorrowland Bridge place to begin may be superior. Take the ‘good distance’ across the teacups and you’ve got a better time assembly the again of the road because it varieties. (This additionally works from the Fantasyland Bridge, however the herd mentality makes individuals reticent to do it.)
The posted wait time for Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice was 75 minutes. That may’ve been inflated a bit, however it might’ve been lengthy regardless. Definitely worse than I had seen it throughout different Early Entry mornings, together with many that may find yourself having greater crowd ranges.
The vital factor this specific day, although, was that 75 minutes was the height wait time for SDMT. It by no means bought any worse than this! You could possibly’ve actually rolled up in mid-afternoon and located a 60 minute posted wait time. However for lots of people, 75 minutes was not the full dedication…additionally they waited round for Early Entry to begin, so their “all in” whole would possibly’ve been ~85 minutes. (Certainly nobody who arrived earlier than 8:15 am waited 75 minutes, no less than.)
Not solely that, however there’s the aforementioned alternative price. As an alternative of an disagreeable shuffle to an above-average watch for Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice, they might’ve pleasantly breezed by way of Tomorrowland and knocked out 2-3 rides with below-average waits. Actually makes you assume.
Seeing that lengthy line, an honest variety of company had the nice sense to balk and bounce to Peter Pan’s Flight. This occurs each morning as a number of the again half of the SDMT Shuffle individuals understand they’re in for a protracted wait.
That will usually be the good play and so they’d encounter a wait time of 20 minutes or much less. However on this specific day, the wait time was already 45 minutes and the queue stretched again to the Tangled Bogs™️. Oof.
That is roughly 10 minutes earlier than common rope drop.
A few of these company in all probability had been entrance of the pack at Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice or Peter Pan’s Flight, however my guess is that about half didn’t do something main throughout Early Entry. They balked twice, lower their losses, hit the loos, and bought prepared for rope drop. That is my “guess” as a result of I overheard a pair completely different events counsel that’s what occurred–that they ‘bought up early for no motive’ or ‘didn’t do something.’
I moved rapidly to make my method over to Jungle Cruise, however velocity didn’t matter. The space is longer from this level than it’s from the hub, and I used to be behind the rope drop crowd.
The road was already 45 minutes lengthy. Granted, it might largely be always transferring as Lightning Lane returns could be sporadic at first, but when the precise wait was something over half-hour at this level, it might balloon on the finish as extra Genie+ customers started returning in direction of the tip of their window.
It’s additionally price noting that I did Jungle Cruise later within the day with a 30 minute posted wait time and ~20 minute precise wait.
Large Thunder Mountain Railroad nonetheless had a 5 minute wait once I bought again there, however with the queue spilling out the doorway, this in all probability was not correct. 5 minutes is about how lengthy it takes to stroll the queue at a average velocity.
With Tiana’s Bayou Journey nonetheless over a month away from opening, Large Thunder Mountain is absorbing all the rope drop crowds again in Frontierland. We really haven’t observed these worsen–it looks like fewer company are heading again right here on account of having the opposite mountain (can we nonetheless name it that?) down.
In the end, the large “situation” for me that prompted the title to this publish is that Early Entry and twine drop had been nonetheless somewhat busy regardless of it being a comparatively sluggish day at Magic Kingdom. Each of the Fantasyland headliners had longer waits throughout Early Entry than later within the day, which was additionally true of Jungle Cruise at rope drop. All of this regardless of no rides having downtime, which is often what causes inflated wait occasions elsewhere. On prime of that, you’re usually arriving previous to the beginning of Early Entry and ready for that to start.
This isn’t to say I couldn’t have achieved points of interest with shorter waits throughout Early Entry and twine drop. Zigging after they zag and becoming a member of the smaller, extra carefree crowd ready on the Tomorrowland Bridge would’ve been the objectively greatest technique. It might’ve allowed later arrival–rolling up as late as 8:25 am and nonetheless having a comparatively affordable wait time for Area Mountain.
Beginning in Tomorrowland additionally would’ve saved extra time as in comparison with Fantasyland. Bouncing from there to Large Thunder for rope drop–or sticking with second-tier Fantasyland rides to attenuate strolling–nonetheless would’ve yielded favorable outcomes.
However for a lot of company, there’s the sensible query of arriving early or staying late–it’s not potential to do each. On this specific day, Peter Pan’s Flight had a ~10 minute precise wait within the final half-hour of the night time and Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice was 18 minutes when lining up with 1 minute left earlier than park closing. The latter was additionally not within the solar, because it was at 9:59 pm. I can’t be in two locations without delay, however the rides in Tomorrowland in all probability had precise wait occasions equal to Early Entry. So for these company pressured to decide on between Early Entry and late nights, the reply to the titular query is sure.
In fact, many company can arrive early and keep late…particularly when Magic Kingdom park hours are a paltry 9 am to 10 pm, which in all probability helps clarify why Early Entry was so busy on this 3/10 crowd degree day. In case you’re a theme park commando who can go from open to shut with out situation, it clearly is sensible to do Early Entry (however you in all probability already knew that). It additionally is sensible to tempo your self and go the relaxed route, knocking out Tomorrowland first versus preventing Fantasyland crowds. The reply for these company is no…however you in all probability already knew that with out studying should you’re all the time going opening to closing, anyway!
Even on a great day, Early Entry at Magic Kingdom requires a comparatively respectable time dedication, bigger crowds, and much much less payoff than the opposite parks at Walt Disney World. As we’ve cautioned earlier than, don’t let Magic Kingdom be your first Early Entry expertise, because it’ll unduly prejudice you towards the opposite parks, regardless of Early Entry being far superior in EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. Talking of which, if you need technique for the opposite three parks, take a look at our Information to Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you skip Early Entry at Magic Kingdom or benefit from the perk? Partake within the SDMT Shuffle or go for the extra tranquil Tomorrowland begin? How would you do issues otherwise to begin the day at MK? Another suggestions on arriving early to the Walt Disney World theme parks? Agree or disagree with our recommendation or strategy? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
