Magic Kingdom opens at 8 am on days when the park closes early for particular occasions. We got down to decide what we may accomplish throughout 7:30 am Early Entry and share the step-by-step outcomes on this photograph report. (Updated February 14, 2023.)
There are various dates all year long when Magic Kingdom closes early and strikes ahead official park opening to eight am in consequence. The largest causes are for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which is able to run from mid-August 2023 by a number of days earlier than Christmas. Currently, there’s additionally After Hours at Magic Kingdom by March 2023, with a powerful chance of extra occasion nights being added in the course of the summer time season.
Although shifting from a 9 am opening time to eight am might sound important, it’s really enormous. For these of you haven’t adopted our posts about park hours and Early Entry on the different parks, every further hour within the morning is an enormous deal as a result of it shrinks the pool of potential friends who’re prepared and capable of stand up early on trip….
When park opening is at 9 am, there are a ton of individuals making the most of 8:30 am Early Entry as a result of it’s comparatively straightforward to be out the door and to Magic Kingdom by that point. It’s a distinct story totally when shifting that ahead by an hour–particularly for the households with young children to whom Magic Kingdom and its Fantasyland headliners most enchantment.
This isn’t simply conjecture or hypothesis. We’ve seen precisely this situation play out on the different 3 parks, the place Early Entry in all places else is a lot extra productive as a result of fewer friends can and can benefit from it. Once EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios moved their opening occasions as much as 8:30 am, that was a game-changer for Early Entry. Over at Animal Kingdom, the perk has at all times been nice because of that just about absurd begin time.
There’s additionally previous precedent at Magic Kingdom. The halcyon days of Extra, Extra Magic Hours beginning at 7 am in the course of the preliminary launch of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge have been gloriously uncrowded. Ditto the times round Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Easter, and different assorted peak season dates when Magic Kingdom used to open earlier than dawn to assist with crowds.
It’s the identical story repeatedly–early opening, decrease crowds. Most folks don’t stand up this early on what’s speculated to be a “vacation.” Simple as that.
Our regular suggestion is to reach not less than half-hour earlier than the beginning of Early Entry, which is often ok for Magic Kingdom. On this explicit day, I walked over from Grand Floridian and arrived on the turnstiles simply earlier than 7 am–they opened a couple of minutes later.
Upon reaching the top of Main Street, you’ll see Cast Members with indicators path friends to the best for Early Theme Park Entry. This works precisely the identical as morning Extra Magic Hours, in the event you keep in mind these. Anyone can proceed to Cinderella Castle or the common rope drop places exterior Liberty Square and Adventureland. I at all times prefer to go get an empty park shot of the Hub.
There’s a row of Cast Members stationed by the East Plaza Gardens to scan MagicBands, MagicCellular, resort room keys, or no matter identification you may need if staying at one of many collaborating third celebration accommodations.
You can’t entry Tomorrowland or Fantasyland till you’ve entered by right here. Once you’ve completed that, you’re good to go for the morning–in contrast to Extended Evening Hours, MagicBands or room keys should not scanned at every particular person attraction. From there, you proceed on to both the Tomorrowland Bridge or Fantasyland Bridge.
The crowd is at all times smaller for Tomorrowland. This is “less true” with the 7:30 am begin time for Early Entry–there’s a distinction, nevertheless it’s not almost as pronounced. We often “joke” that Fantasyland friends are revving up their double-wide strollers, making ready to do some critical harm to the ankles of anybody strolling too gingerly. The dash to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a excessive stakes, eat-or-be-eaten sport.
We did Early Entry at Magic Kingdom previous to this celebration day on a traditional weekend day. I ought to’ve performed “count the strollers” on the 2 days. Regardless, I can say with utmost certainty that there have been far fewer (whilst a proportionate measure of the smaller crowd) on the 7:30 am day. Again, that is probably a matter of households with young children having a more durable time attending to Magic Kingdom at this hour.
With quarter-hour till the beginning of Early Entry, I headed to huddled crowd gathered exterior Cheshire Cafe. It was right here that I had a number of moments to dig deep and replicate upon the sage knowledge of the celebrated thinker Connor4Real: by no means say by no means once more.
It was only some quick weeks in the past when I doubled-down on my recommendation imploring you to “skip the SDMT Shuffle,” calling it uncomfortable and ugly. I went on to claim my experience, saying we’ve completed Early Entry and cord drop dozens of occasions at Magic Kingdom within the final two years, and “you won’t convince me Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the best way to start the day.”
This morning, I used to be starting with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, satisfied it was one of the best ways to begin the day.
In my protection, the breathless “warnings” and imploring you to keep away from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train nonetheless apply on regular days when Magic Kingdom opens at 9 am, closes at 10 or 11 pm, and has common crowd ranges. Nothing has modified there–it’s best to save Seven Dwarfs Mine Train till the top of the night time for the shortest wait.
The key distinctions listed here are the sooner opening and closing occasions, plus the decrease crowd ranges all through the whole thing of the day. In quick, much less competitors and a scarcity of higher alternate options may make an outcome-determine distinction–that’s what I used to be right here on at the present time to check.
In any case, I shouldn’t have been so steadfast in my statements that it’s at all times a foul concept to be a part of the SDMT Shuffle. Usually isn’t at all times. There are exceptions to any rule, and it’s best to at all times contemplate your private circumstances, priorities, yada yada yada. The level is that I’m not infallible.
Anyway, with out Sarah right here to assist me take a look at optimum approaches, I used to be alone to seize photographs and do the ride-riding.
Just as some other day, the SDMT Shuffle passed off, nevertheless it was faster shifting and fewer aggressive.
Still chaotic with the road rapidly forming in a poorly-organized, amorphous trend exterior the attraction earlier than narrowing because it headed into the queue correct–very similar to the Haunted Mansion line popping out of the Stretching Room.
I used to be previous the marquee and into the correct line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at 7:34 am.
My precise wait time was 12 minutes, which most likely would’ve been 15-20 minutes if I took a leisurely tempo and was on the very again of the small crowd. Not dangerous, regardless of the way you slice issues. It additionally helps that the solar was nonetheless low within the sky, so the out of doors queue was bearable.
With the solar flittering by the bushes and superbly aspect lighting buildings in Fantasyland, I attempted to take photographs on the experience. That was largely a spectacular failure–dozens of photographs which might be both out of focus, have fingers prominently within the body, or each. Oh effectively, can’t win ’em all!
Next up was Peter Pan’s Flight, the place I entered the road at 7:53 am.
The folks within the photograph above have been debating aloud whether or not they need to do it, with the girl skeptical that the wait time was really 45 minutes.
She was appropriate.
The precise wait time for Peter Pan’s Flight was 10 minutes; I used to be on by 8:03 am and off at 8:07 am.
The posted wait time was nonetheless 45 minutes, which was very clearly nonetheless improper. I’m guessing I may’ve completed it once more with an precise wait time beneath quarter-hour.
I observed a number of friends balking at this persevering with on for “shorter” strains, which was probably additional exacerbating the discrepancy between the posted and precise wait time. When virtually every thing else is 5-10 minutes, folks aren’t going to go for the 45 minute lengthy attraction, even whether it is Peter Pan’s Flight. (And even when the signal is improper–most individuals wouldn’t know that this couldn’t presumably be proper.)
I’d usually go on Jungle Cruise and head straight to the mountains of the frontier.
Given the low crowds and early time, I made a decision to provide it a shot. The posted wait time was quarter-hour, and my precise wait time was nonetheless lengthy it took me to stroll by the mostly-empty queue. I used to be off earlier than 8:25 am.
Following that, I lower by Adventureland and headed again to the Wild West, which was a veritable ghost city. Fitting.
If I have been going for comfort or fewer steps, I might’ve knocked out Pirates of the Caribbean first. However, I didn’t have Genie+ at the present time, and wished to perform as many excessive profile points of interest as potential to keep away from slow-moving standby strains.
I’m unsure if Splash Mountain had a delayed opening and I acquired fortunate, or if it actually was nonetheless biking empty logs. Judging by crowds, my guess is definitely the latter. Posted wait time was quarter-hour; precise wait time was walk-on.
(As of 2023, Splash Mountain is now closed to be remodeled into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The reimagined experience is slated to reopen in Late 2024.)
Next up was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which was completely overwhelmed by the colossal crowd. Ghost friends, after all.
Posted wait time was 5 minutes; precise wait time was about that.
At this level, rope drop was kind of over and Magic Kingdom was transitioning to ‘normal morning on an uncrowded day.’
I’ll be again with every thing that encompassed through standby strains, together with repeating a number of of those points of interest (related for these of you who should not eligible for Early Entry).
All informed, right here’s what I achieved between 7:30 am and ~9 am through Early Entry and cord drop at Magic Kingdom:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Jungle Cruise
- Splash Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Going by posted wait time knowledge, these points of interest ought to’ve taken me 326 minutes in whole. That quantity might be really extra like 200 minutes. So, I’d say 120 minutes (including my arrival time to the whole) minus photograph time and having fun with dawn in Magic Kingdom was effectively value it.
Usually, I finish these Early Entry experiences with a comparability to Genie+ on the identical or a similarly-situated day. However, I just lately lined this in My Day at Magic Kingdom Using Genie+ on a Party Night.
While it’s true that I did accomplish greater than this through Genie+ throughout a celebration day at Magic Kingdom, the conclusion of that put up already “spoiled” the evaluation right here–that Genie+ isn’t vital at Magic Kingdom in the course of the daytime hours previous to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. The “why” of that can turn out to be crystal clear as soon as we get to the ‘normal day’ portion of this go to.
Ultimately, we extremely advocate making the most of Early Entry at Magic Kingdom on days when Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, or different occasions are being held. For one factor, that is going to be the one approach to effectively expertise Seven Dwarfs Mine Train on these days, since leaping in line on the finish of the night time isn’t a chance these dates.
For one other factor, the 7:30 am begin time coupled with the decrease crowd ranges at Magic Kingdom in the course of the daytime hours of celebration nights makes Early Entry and cord drop much more advantageous than regular. If you employ savvy technique for Fantasyland throughout Early Entry and pair that with conventional rope drop for Frontierland and Adventureland, you may have a strong begin to your morning at Magic Kingdom. Even with the 6 pm closing, it’s potential to perform a full day’s value of Magic Kingdom points of interest with out shopping for Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lane entry. Now that’s spectacular effectivity
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Thoughts on Early Entry at Magic Kingdom with the 7:30 am begin time? Have you skilled this 30 minute jumpstart to the day previous to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? What’s your most popular method to Early Entry and conventional park opening/rope drop at Magic Kingdom? How would you’ve gotten completed issues in another way? Any different suggestions on arriving early to the Walt Disney World theme parks? Agree or disagree with our recommendation or method? Any questions we will help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!