Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom, a place long associated with childlike splendor and wonder, can be a place of enchantment or a place of dread for a family. Long lines, screaming children, limited dining options and confusion may be the experience without planning.
Plan your trip to the Magic Kingdom early. If you haven't already booked a vacation package, shoot for dates during Disney's low season. Crowds will be smaller and prices lower. In order to get a feel for the best times, visit the website of a Walt Disney Resort for rates in the high and low seasons to assess the differences in crowds.
Book accommodations at the Walt Disney World Resort. Disney provides several perks for resort guests. The chief perks are free transportation between resort hotels and theme parks, and Extended Magic Hours, a benefit that allows hotel guests to visit the Magic Kingdom and other parks when they are normally closed. These Extended Magic Hours usually occur immediately before or after the regularly scheduled open times.
Visit the Walt Disney World website to review the rides and attractions available within the Magic Kingdom. Filter them by appropriate age and thrill level to determine the best places for your family to visit.
Print or order an interactive Walt Disney World theme park map based on the attractions your family is most interested in visiting.
Visit the interactive dining website to filter dining reservations by cuisine, dining experience and more. You can book your dining reservations up to 180 days in advance. Traditionally, Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom restaurant's, such as Cinderella's Castle, and other popular places throughout the resort, fill up early and require advanced planning. Book dining reservations within the Magic Kingdom by visiting the Walt Disney World Resort Disney Dining website and reserving online. Call the Resort hotline for help. Aim for dining times that coincide with the most popular theme-park attendance. Generally, early afternoon through early evening, are best spent away from the ride and attraction queues.
Plan your itinerary by using your specialized map for Walt Disney World. Plan to start at the back of the park and work your way forward to the exit/entrance to streamline the experience and get to the most popular attractions more quickly.
Get FastPasses for the most popular attractions, once at the park. FASTPASSes allow anyone with an admission ticket to reserve a place in line and move on to other rides and experiences. Simply slip your ticket into the FASTPASS kiosk associated with your designated ride and receive a printed ticket indicating a time of return. Since theme park goers are limited to one FASTPASS per hour, it's best to use these on the Magic Kingdom's most popular rides, such as Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter Pan's Flight, Tomorrowland Speedway and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Use a cellphone app or mobile Internet to access the mobile Disney World website and receive up-to-the minute wait times at most attractions. Use this to alter plans and activities as necessary.
