Guests of on-site Walt Disney World resorts and different inns have entry to Early Entry. This technique information covers all the pieces it is advisable to know: eligibility, experience rosters, how the perk works, and suggestions for finest utilizing the additional morning time in Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. (Updated April 16, 2023.)
In phrases of fundamentals, Early Theme Park Entry replaces morning Extra Magic Hours. With that mentioned, there are some key variations between the on-site visitor advantages, and execs & cons of every. Whereas morning Extra Magic Hours had been provided on choose days and at choose parks, Early Entry is obtainable in any respect 4 theme parks each single day. That is a particular plus for Early Entry, because it means the crowds are diluted.
Another distinction is that Extra Magic Hours lasted for an hour on every morning it was held. By distinction, Early Entry is day by day 30-minute (or so) entry to Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. At Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, it is a particular adverse. It’s extra sophisticated at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, for causes referring to park hours that we’ll clarify within the technique part…
Speaking of park hours, these can range relying upon the season and attendance projections. Walt Disney World continues to increase park hours, with opening instances moved ahead. Typically, Animal Kingdom opens at 8 am, with Hollywood Studios and Epcot following at 8:30 am or 9 am. This is critical, as these earlier official opening instances transfer ahead Early Entry, and make that even much less busy.
Magic Kingdom’s opening time varies as a consequence of occasion season–or August by December when the park is internet hosting Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party adopted by Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. On days when the park closes early for these occasions, Magic Kingdom opens at 8 am.
Even outdoors of Party Season, Magic Kingdom opens at 8 am on sure dates. Most continuously, this happens throughout the peak season or on days of Magic Kingdom After Hours. As we’ll talk about, there’s a big distinction between Early Entry on 8 am v. 9 am opening days at Magic Kingdom.
Let’s beginning by looking on the eligible inns for Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World:
Early Entry Eligible Disney Owned Hotels
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort & Gran Destino Tower
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Early Entry Eligible Third Party Hotels
- Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando
- B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista
- DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
- Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando
- Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
- Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
- Holiday Inn Orlando
- Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
- Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
- Four Seasons Resort Orlando
- Shades of Green
- Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
- Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
- Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
Next, the sights lineup for Early Theme Park Entry at every of the 4 theme parks…
Early Theme Park Entry Rides – Magic Kingdom
- “it’s a small world”
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Mad Tea Party
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Space Mountain
- The Barnstormer
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
Early Theme Park Entry Rides – Epcot
- Frozen Ever After
- Impressions de France
- Mission: SPACE
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Spaceship Earth
- Test Track
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Early Theme Park Entry Rides – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (presently closed for refurbishment)
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours — The Adventures Continue
- Star Wars – Rise of the Resistance
- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania!
Early Theme Park Entry Rides – Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- DINOSAUR
- Expedition Everest — Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
- It’s Tough to be a Bug!
- Na’vi River Journey
- TriceraTop Spin
As you possibly can see, not all Walt Disney World sights can be found throughout Early Theme Park Entry. With minor exceptions, these lists are similar to morning Extra Magic Hours with solely sure lands in every park being open to start out the morning.
Moreover, the Early Theme Park Entry schedule and out there sights are topic to vary with out discover. Applicable theme park, days and instances of operation, attraction and repair availability might range and are topic to vary with out discover. Subject to capability and cancellation. [Insert other boring boilerplate caveats.]
Valid theme park admission and MagicBand, Key to the World Card, or Disney MagicCellular move is required. Guests with out the Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option should spend the day on the similar park the place they’d wish to benefit from the Early Theme Park Entry profit.
This too works the identical means as morning Extra Magic Hours, with eligible visitors having their MagicBands or park ticket media scanned to achieve entry both on the turnstiles themselves, or at a sure ‘checkpoint’ throughout the park to deeper areas whereas off-site visitors await conventional rope drop.
Early Theme Park Entry Strategy
Our advice is arriving at the least half-hour earlier than Early Theme Park Entry begins. In different phrases, an hour earlier than official park opening time. This is nothing new–we provide this similar recommendation for regular days and can proceed to advise off-site visitors to get to the parks at the least half-hour early. In actuality, you must err on the aspect of arriving earlier, particularly in case you’re on the mercy of Walt Disney World’s highly-variable transportation.
Thirty minutes flies by, and also you’ll need to be as near the entrance of the pack as potential when Early Theme Park Entry begins so as to (hopefully) expertise multiple attraction. It’s additionally fairly frequent for parks–particularly Disney’s Hollywood Studios–to quietly begin Early Entry earlier than its official time.
Note that a few of our suggestions rely on whether or not you’ll be buying Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes for every park. See our Guide to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes FAQ for all the pieces it is advisable to know.
In common, we advocate Genie+ for Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios for most individuals, most days. Usually, we don’t advocate shopping for Genie+ at Epcot or Animal Kingdom. Personally, we’re towards paying additional for Individual Lightning Lanes, with the attitude that savvy technique can beat lengthy wait instances at these sights.
Let’s begin with Magic Kingdom technique, the place Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON Lightcycle Run supply paid Individual Lightning Lane entry. As you would possibly’ve seen from the experience roster above, TRON Lightcycle Run just isn’t but open for Early Entry as of Spring 2023. This isn’t an oversight–it’s as a result of that experience makes use of a digital queue. See our Virtual Queue Strategy Guide for TRON Lightcycle Run for the way to expertise the attraction at no cost.
With that mentioned, there are extra technique choices for Magic Kingdom than another park collaborating in Early Entry. Our greatest recommendation is normally to skip Seven Dwarfs Mine Train–zig when others zag–as a result of it’s so standard very first thing within the morning and in addition vulnerable to delayed openings. Knocking out shorter rides is the higher approach to go.
To that finish, seek the advice of our Best Early Entry Morning at Magic Kingdom Plan and Genie+ Lightning Lane Comparison for the optimum approaches to each Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. That takes a step-by-step have a look at the primary 2 hours of the day at Magic Kingdom, with Sarah beginning in Fantasyland whereas I began in Tomorrowland. It exhibits exactly what we achieved, different approaches, and a comparability to a median day utilizing Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.
Again, the perfect strategy to Early Entry at Magic Kingdom does NOT embrace Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (SDMT) on days when the park opens at 9 am. The causes for which can be mentioned deeper on this put up, and we’d strongly encourage you to learn that recommendation and heed our warnings. If you’re lifeless set on doing the SDMT Shuffle, confer with our Magic Kingdom Early Entry Strategy Starting at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as an alternative.
However, when the park opens at 8 am, the technique modifications and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as soon as once more turns into a sensible first experience. Suffice to say, the 7:30 am Early Entry at Magic Kingdom is a sport changer (see that hyperlink for technique), and we extremely advocate it on Halloween or Christmas Party dates. Very few visitors have the will 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.
Next up, Disney’s Hollywood Studios. At this park, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is the Individual Lightning Lane attraction. Rise of the Resistance can also be the most well-liked experience at Walt Disney World and now has standby entry. It is the plain selection for Early Theme Park Entry at DHS.
If it’s the plain selection, you’ll not be alone in heading that path. Popularity coupled with a protracted attraction length casts some doubt on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as being the optimum decide. Additionally, it usually has downtime very first thing within the morning–or opens late–making it a little bit of a bet.
On a number of events doing Early Entry at DHS, we’ve managed to perform each Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash. Knocking out some or all of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and/or Toy Story Land is big, and a significantly better approach to begin the day than Sunset Boulevard or Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
For complete DHS recommendation, see Early Entry at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Strategy & Park Opening Plan. In reality, in case you solely learn one standalone step-by-step technique information, make it that one. There are a variety of quirks for doing Early Entry and cord drop at DHS, and that may assist you immensely. You can actually save 4+ hours by following the plan there!
Next up, Epcot. This park is house to 2 of the three latest rides at Walt Disney World–Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. However, solely the latter is presently out there throughout Early Theme Park Entry, and it’s situated behind World Showcase and will not be a sensible first selection until you’re arriving through International Gateway.
If you’re coming from the Crescent Lake or Skyliner Resorts and thus getting into by International Gateway, you must completely begin with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. (As with DHS, arrive greater than half-hour earlier than the beginning of Early Entry.) See our EPCOT Early Entry Itinerary: International Gateway with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure for a full run-through of a morning ranging from the again of the park.
Those getting into through the entrance of Epcot ought to prioritize Frozen Ever After or Test Track. It actually relies upon upon your priorities, and whether or not you’re shopping for Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes. Just bear in mind that in case you do Frozen Ever After, you most likely received’t have time for a second attraction.
If you do Test Track, head to Mission: Space as soon as completed. Not precisely revolutionary technique, however Epcot is hard. As with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, it’s additionally essential to notice that Test Track continuously has delayed openings. Our EPCOT Early Entry & Park Opening Strategy shares a complete plan from the park’s entrance entrance.
At Animal Kingdom, there’s just one good strategy to Early Entry: beginning with Avatar Flight of Passage. No matter what your plans are with Genie+ or Lightning Lanes, that’s the savviest technique.
All Animal Kingdom sights which can be standard are both lengthy in length or spaced far other than each other (or each!), that means it’ll be just about inconceivable to do 2 headliners throughout Early Theme Park Entry. Just race to Avatar Flight of Passage and comply with up with Na’vi River Journey because the park opens to off-site visitors if the posted wait time isn’t prohibitive.
With that mentioned, our Early Entry & Park Opening at Animal Kingdom: Speed Running Ride Strategy covers the way to knock out each single experience in Animal Kingdom earlier than 10:30 am. This is nice for these with Park Hopper tickets or just need to get pleasure from a leisurely afternoon at Animal Kingdom.
Ultimately, that’s all the pieces it is advisable to find out about Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World. We will undoubtedly be updating this technique information a number of instances within the coming months.
Expect one other replace after TRON Lightcycle Run switches to standby (doubtless in Fall 2023), or as crowd dynamics and park hours proceed to vary, impacting Early Entry technique within the course of. Stay tuned–we’ll proceed to cowl the entire essential planning particulars and in addition share Early Entry picture stories from our experiences with this new on-site lodge profit!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about inns on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To lower your expenses on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips put up takes a singular have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for all the pieces it is advisable to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World? Excited to benefit from the brand new on-site visitor perk or suppose it’s too brief to be helpful? Disappointed in regards to the eligibility guidelines or attraction lineups? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we might help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!