1 day at Magic Kingdom - tips and must-dos?

[jordylee]

I will preface my saying that I KNOW 1 day at Disney is not enough time, but that is the amount of time we have and want to make a great day of it. I have never been to Disney as an adult, and will be traveling with DH and DD (will be just turning 6). We are staying off-site (but nearby). Our park day will be March 31, 2023. I am feeling overwhelmed!

What tips do you have for someone like me? I’m under no illusions that we will see everything, and I would rather enjoy our day seeing and doing the best things vs trying to cram in as much as humanly possible. DD is not into princesses (but likes Disney movies in general), and we would like to do 1 sit down restaurant as a “recharge” for an early-ish dinner. We are not interested in park hopping and will only be spending the day at Magic Kingdom.

Thanks in advance!

[purplepenguin7]

this is probably overly simple but I also just did MK for one day and it was all the time we had this trip. For me, we wanted to be super relaxed and kind of wing it. I did NOT want Genie+ because I didn't want to be running back and forth around the park and did not want to be on my phone the entire time. I'm sure others will disagree. I am not anti-Genie+ and was considering buying it day of if lines were long but we went in August on a pretty slow day.

ANyway, I guess my strategy is just to not have one. I downloaded the app, checked wait times and got on rides as we walked past them. We didn't do everything by far but like you that wasn't our intent anway. We didn't do the "bigger" rides like Space, Thunder and Splash Mountain, or the Mine Train because my daughter was just 3 at time and too small/too scared for most of them. Even with a good portion of our day getting rained out we hit the majors Small World, Peter Pan, Pirates, Little Mermaid, dumbo, barnstormer, carousel, probably a few others. Plus a few character meets. The longest wait we had was 45 min for Peter Pan. This was all between 9a-4p when we got soaked. All this to say with patience and low expectations a lot of planning and scheduling isn't really neccasary.

[ny96]

Oct 10, 2022 10:24:36 GMT -5 purplepenguin7 said:

this is probably overly simple but I also just did MK for one day and it was all the time we had this trip. For me, we wanted to be super relaxed and kind of wing it. I did NOT want Genie+ because I didn't want to be running back and forth around the park and did not want to be on my phone the entire time. I'm sure others will disagree. I am not anti-Genie+ and was considering buying it day of if lines were long but we went in August on a pretty slow day.

ANyway, I guess my strategy is just to not have one. I downloaded the app, checked wait times and got on rides as we walked past them. We didn't do everything by far but like you that wasn't our intent anway. We didn't do the "bigger" rides like Space, Thunder and Splash Mountain, or the Mine Train because my daughter was just 3 at time and too small/too scared for most of them. Even with a good portion of our day getting rained out we hit the majors Small World, Peter Pan, Pirates, Little Mermaid, dumbo, barnstormer, carousel, probably a few others. Plus a few character meets. The longest wait we had was 45 min for Peter Pan. This was all between 9a-4p when we got soaked. All this to say with patience and low expectations a lot of planning and scheduling isn't really neccasary.

We’ve never been to Disney World, but go to Disneyland once or twice a year, and this is also the way we do Disney. We always get on lots of rides, including the major ones, just by checking the app and hopping on in a ride line when we pass by and notice that it doesn’t look that long. We have wondered a few times about getting Genie +, but at the end of the day we’ve been glad we didn’t spend the extra money.

[mrsslocombe]

I'm not a huge fan of any of the sit down restaurants at MK, but just seeing the interior of Be Our Guest is pretty cool, even if she isn't into princesses.

My favorite counter service is Columbia Harbor House-the second floor is REALLY quiet, it's my favorite place to rest and just take a break and reset.

There are high quality videos of every ride on Youtube-I would watch some with her and see which ones she absolutely wants to do and prioritize those. I would come up with a list of like, 3-5 must dos, so that way you feel like you accomplished what you wanted to do but you aren't going through an insane list.

Mobile order is available for nearly everything, including Dole Whips and ice cream, so use it! It saves a lot of time. We would always order while on line for a ride, then head there after to grab our stuff.

The one thing I would plan out is where you are going to watch the fireworks. You will need to grab a spot 45-60 minutes ahead of time (sometimes even 90, it sucks).

The best characters to meet are Gaston (he's by his tavern) and Cinderella's step sisters (ask a cast member in Fantasyland where and when they are appearing). Ask the stepsisters to sing. Bring something for the characters to sign-we like to bring a small photo matte because it's easy to carry and holds its shape-after you can print a photo from the trip and frame it. Or you can grab a map at the front of the park and have them sign that.

Go to Guest Services when you arrive and get 1st Visit buttons-all the cast members and face characters will wish your dd a happy first visit with her name and kids love it.

[nicolewi]

Does she like rides, or not much?

This would be hard for ME b/c I would have a strong urge to pack the itinerary in a stressful way, but if you can resist that impulse, your DD will have a wonderful time even if you only do limited activities.

When we went a couple years ago, my two youngest had just turned 4 and just turned 6. We did the sit-down princess meal a the castle but it's expensive and time consuming and I don't know if they are even doing it at this time. Honestly, I get what you mean re: sit-down meal and re-charge, but I don't know if I would waste the time & money if you are only there for a day, b/c I don't really think any of the sit-downs are great options there unless you really want to do a character meal (if they are even still doing them). If they ARE doing any character meals, you could look into doing one the day before or after your park day, if your schedule permits, at a place where you don't need a park ticket.
mouseearmemories.com/character-dining-disney-without-ticket/

My kids really liked all the rides and experiences. I think I would try to stick with Peter Pan, Small World, the Donald Duck 3d movie thing, Belle experience thingy (not currently happening?), Little Mermaid, Buzz Lightyear!, flying carpets of Aladdin (this was my 4 year old's favorite ride in all of Disney! Just flies up and down), Mine Train if you can do it without a huge wait. Carousel. Definitely watch the parade (my kids loved it!) and do the fireworks. WE love the frozen orange treats at Sunshine Tree Terrace near the Swiss Robinson Treehouse even more than Dole Whip, but Dole Whip is good, too!

Bigger rides your kid may or may not like: Splash Man (whatever it is now), Thunder Mtn. Space Mtn is the "scariest".

Lesser hits for us if you are thinking of what to skip (I'm sure plenty will disagree!): Pirates (kind of scary and they didn't understand a lot of the humor in the scenes and have no idea who Jack Sparrow is), Jungle Cruise (a little boring, actually!), Winnie the Pooh (I know it's a classic but it's really weird and my kids aren't into Pooh), we skipped Haunted Mansion b/c they are scaredy cats (bigger kids went). Hall of presidents is amazing but not so much for a 6 year old.

[edwardo123]

We like to schedule Tony’s around parade time. It’s a great place to view the parade. We like food. It’s comparable to most chain Italian restaurants which my kids love.

[jordylee]

Thank you all for the advice so far! I am going to try and “go with the flow” as
much as possible, but will research a few “hopefully will do” rides so we aren’t just wandering around with no idea what to do. Kiddo likes rides in general, but has zero patience for waiting in long lines.

[eddy]

I would also suggest researching each of the "lands" at the park and pick 2-3 you want to hit. Like we don't care much for Tomorrowland so we skip. We really like Adventure and Frontier. With the age of your child Fantasyland might be a bit hit.

[kittycatlove]

I would look into getting Genie+ so you can skip the lines by booking lightening lanes.

[Patsy Baloney]

Go to the tiki room and mobile order dole whips at Aloha isle right as you walk into the show, tell them that you’re arriving when the show is wrapping up, pick them up right outside of the exit!

[redheadk]

One day will be great at that age! Just go with the flow and do what she Iikes. At that age, DD made us ride dumbo so many times. She just loved it so much but I never would have anticipated that so being flexible was key. She also enjoyed meeting the characters much more than I thought she would.

Besides the attractions, DD loved the things like the parade, the dance party in front of Cinderella's castle, and the little show they do at the castle a few times a day. These were easy enough to walk up to and participate in.

You don't have to cram in everything to have the perfect day. DD thought Haunted Mansion was terrifying (we didn't make it on to the ride) and flatly refused to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and it was fine! We still had a great trip. At that age, she was all about the rides in FantasyLand like the tea cups and the Ariel ride, watching Mickey's Philharmonic, etc. She had a big smile the whole time and she thought it was the best day ever.

Hopefully Enchanted Tales with Belle will reopen because that is a fun one at that age. They get to help act out the story of Beauty and the Beast.

[ksun]

I would defintely get G+ so that you can at least get on the classics like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, Dumbo, etc. It'll be during Spring Break time so lines will be longer and G+ is the way to go.

We had a really good meal at Liberty Tree Tavern last month. It's essentially a Thanksgiving type family style meal. Another option would be the Crystal Palace Winnie the Pooh buffet dinner with characters.

[Doggy Mommy]

I was there on a girls trip a few days ago. We got genie+ and I would definitely recommend it. It doesn't mean you're on your phone all day. You just book one ride at a time, then after you do that ride or after 2 hours has passed, you book another one. If I was going with a 6 year old I'd probably get the first one for Peter Pan because the waits there are terrible all day. We bought lightning lane for Mine Train (it was $11 each the day we went).

Here's what we did and it worked great for us. I don't really remember which were genie and which we just waited for. We went left and did Big Thunder Mtn, Splash Mtn, and Pirates. Then went over to fantasyland and did Small World and Winnie the Pooh (the line for that one was SLOW), then our first genie for Space Mountain. After that it was time for a Starbucks break. Then we did another loop - Swiss family Robinson treehouse, Haunted Mansion (I think that was the next genie), some shopping, and stopped for lunch at Columbia Harbor House. That was a relaxing low-key lunch. Then back to Tomorrowland and it was super crowded by then, so we did things with low waits - Carousel of Progress and the Peoplemover, then it was time for Mine Train. After that, we went wherever waits were good or wherever we could get a good genie+ time. Took a dinner break at Pecos Bill's (again, easy, low-key). We watched the fireworks from a bridge by the river because none of us wanted to deal with the crowds in front of the castle. We had a great view of the fireworks, they just weren't over the castle and we couldn't see the projections. We were totally fine with that.

I think people often try to figure out exactly which rides they'll go to in which order, but it works out better to be flexible and go where it makes sense to go depending on wait times and Genie availability.

[maudefindlay]

Monsters Inc Laugh Factory is a fun show
Tomorrowland Speedway
Mickey's Philharmagic show
Peter Pan's Flight
It's A Small World
Haunted Mansion
If Splash Mountain is open (set for remodeling to Princess and the Frog, but no set date yet)
Pirates of the Carribean
Jungle Cruise

Second the Dole Whips
We like to eat at The Plaza for sit down due to the milkshakes and sundaes. Very kid friendly.

[picksthemusic]

I'd look up DFB Guide videos on YouTube. They're really comprehensive and have videos for this exact scenario. Good luck!

[Aquatica]

I just went to Disney World for the first time and hope I can add some helpful insight. It was me, DD, and my brother. We arrived on Friday morning and got to Magic Kingdom by about 9:30am. Our plan was to wing it, let DD choose where to go. I used to map on the Disney app since it shows you real time wait times. We avoided rides that were 40+.

Mostly we stayed in the princess area since DD loves them. The rides we liked and did before 4pm was Haunted Mansion, Ariel one, tea cups, dumbo, carousel, met princesses, took pictures, ate at a quick grab place, and planned for a sit down dinner. We decided on Cinderella's castle since that was her favorite princess to meet and the dining was great.

We did stay a second day but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't park hop and would have spent all day at Magic Kingdom. DD loved the rides. On the second day we climbed the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, did the Pirates ride, and DD liked the magic carpet ride. Overall, I enjoyed not feeling rushed and the app was very helpful for ride times/navigating.

I did carry a backpack with water bottles and just refilled them as we went.

[midwestmama]

My caution with Genie+ is that if you stay off-site, most passes will be gone by the time you get there. (We had that experience when we went to Epcot one day last year, and it made it so G+ wasn't worth the money.)

The Buzz Lightyear ride is always a favorite in our family. Of course, we like Pirates, Mine Train, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain as other must-dos.

For a sit-down meal, we like the meal at Liberty Tree Tavern. They will provide chicken tenders and fries if you child doesn't like the advertised meal. The sticky toffee cake is amazing.

[huskymom]

Nov 2, 2022 11:34:18 GMT -5 midwestmama said:

My caution with Genie+ is that if you stay off-site, most passes will be gone by the time you get there. (We had that experience when we went to Epcot one day last year, and it made it so G+ wasn't worth the money.)

The Buzz Lightyear ride is always a favorite in our family. Of course, we like Pirates, Mine Train, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain as other must-dos.

For a sit-down meal, we like the meal at Liberty Tree Tavern. They will provide chicken tenders and fries if you child doesn't like the advertised meal. The sticky toffee cake is amazing.

There is no difference in using G+ for offsite vs on-site guests. It opens for both at 7 am. Only for booking ILL do offsite guests have to wait until 9 am. While I hated having to pay for it, I did find it saved us an immense amount of time during spring break last year, but my kids love all the big rides. We ate at Skipper’s Canteen for the first time and really enjoyed it as well.

[midwestmama]

Nov 16, 2022 6:40:13 GMT -5 huskymom said:

Nov 2, 2022 11:34:18 GMT -5 midwestmama said:

My caution with Genie+ is that if you stay off-site, most passes will be gone by the time you get there. (We had that experience when we went to Epcot one day last year, and it made it so G+ wasn't worth the money.)

The Buzz Lightyear ride is always a favorite in our family. Of course, we like Pirates, Mine Train, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain as other must-dos.

For a sit-down meal, we like the meal at Liberty Tree Tavern. They will provide chicken tenders and fries if you child doesn't like the advertised meal. The sticky toffee cake is amazing.

There is no difference in using G+ for offsite vs on-site guests. It opens for both at 7 am. Only for booking ILL do offsite guests have to wait until 9 am. While I hated having to pay for it, I did find it saved us an immense amount of time during spring break last year, but my kids love all the big rides. We ate at Skipper’s Canteen for the first time and really enjoyed it as well.

Thank you for clarifying!  It sounds like we did this wrong last year, then.  I thought we had purchased G+, but maybe had done ILL instead.

[jordylee]

Reporting back! We had a great MK day and used lots of the tips from this thread. We ended up doing Genie+ and it worked out great for getting to ride a lot without much of a wait. It was way easier to use in the morning before lunch. 7am booked Peter pan’s flight for 9:20am, and after that we just booked things sequentially based on where we were. So we rode a ton in a short amount of time without walking all over. In the afternoon, the return times were farther out so we just used it a few times to avoid walking back and forth a million times.

We did lunch at Be Our Guest at 12:30 and that was perfect. We were ready for some chill out time and it forced a good length break. If we had done a fast/casual lunch, DD would have fizzled out early for sure.

For characters, we met Ariel and Merida, and saw Rapunzel by the bathrooms. We also caught the Adventure parade and saw a lot of DD’s favs (Raya, The Incredibles, Woody/Jessie, Judy/Nick, etc). I was pleasantly surprised with the parade because I assumed we would see more princesses and classics, and DD isn’t very into those.

We stuck to Tomorrowland and Fantasyland and it was enough to fill the whole day without being stressed out. One Disney day was perfect for our family.