Early Entry at Magic Kingdom is an effective approach for on-site company of Walt Disney World accommodations to get a head-start, engaging in a number of sights with low waits. This picture report gives a run-through of my morning, together with: 1) the park’s new-ish protocol for the bonus time; 2) risks of the dreaded delayed opening and the tough dilemma it creates for company; 3) why you need to skip MK’s hottest attraction throughout EE.

As at all times, Early Entry at Magic Kingdom is a blended bag. We’re typically large followers of the on-site perk, which supplies resort company a head-start to do headliner sights with shorter traces and decrease wait instances to beat the crowds. Early Entry at Magic Kingdom has truly improved lots recently, a minimum of if you already know what you’re doing and don’t make any errors (simpler stated than performed).

Although Early Entry is an underrated perk as an entire, it’s arguably overrated at Magic Kingdom. I’ve performed Early Entry at Magic Kingdom dozens of instances in the previous few years. It’s my least favourite park for Early Entry, however I preserve returning for the sake of analysis. I additionally love mornings within the parks, so there’s that.

I strongly suspect others share my perspective of Early Entry at Magic Kingdom. Because it’s the preferred park at Walt Disney World and the one company are inclined to do in the beginning of their journey on Mondays, many conclude Early Entry is “not price it” on the primary day of their holidays, name an audible, and skip Early Entry at each different park. That is my working idea, and it could clarify lots about Early Entry at Walt Disney World, from perceptions to crowds.

Earlier than we even get began, I can let you know that the optimum method is to zig after they zag in a number of regards there. First, don’t do Magic Kingdom on a Monday. Second, begin elsewhere the place crowds are decrease at the start of the week, do Early Entry there, and reap the rewards. By the point you get round to your Magic Kingdom day, Early Entry nonetheless gained’t be pretty much as good on the fortress park as the opposite 3, however a minimum of it gained’t bitter you on the entire further half-hour expertise. However I digress.

This specific Early Entry runthrough at Magic Kingdom was performed on a Monday (don’t chuckle…most of my Early Entry at Magic Kingdom testing is finished on Mondays for the sake of getting the worst crowd experiences so I’m not always showcasing sunshine and rainbows). The park opened to most of the people at 9 am, which means Early Entry started at 8:30 am.

I used to be out the door of our room on the Polynesian by 7:15 am, which is important because of the lengthy commute and unpredictability of transportation. The boat to Magic Kingdom arrived at 7:33 am and dropped me off at 7:47 am. After slight hiccups at bag verify (the fun of carrying a digicam), I used to be on Essential Road by 7:54 am. This was a bit later than I might’ve preferred.

When it comes to Early Entry fundamentals, 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 Prepare, you wish to arrive 30+ minutes upfront. Much less time is okay for Peter Pan’s Flight, House Mountain, or secondary choices.

Arriving earlier additionally provides you time for enjoyable images on Essential Road with empty backgrounds. As soon as performed with that, head to the precise 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 Essential Road, taking images or ready for rope drop over on the Frontierland and Adventureland facet of the Central Plaza. However you possibly can’t entry Tomorrowland or Fantasyland with out scanning right here. When you’ve performed that, you’re good to go for the morning.

From there, you proceed on to both the Tomorrowland Bridge or Fantasyland Bridge.

It was the case that company had been held on this bridge till roughly the beginning of Early Entry (normally a couple of minutes early, however not at all times, and by no means a constant period of time). In consequence, a big crowd would kind that was mainly a big, amorphous blob of humanity.

There was no line. It was a “fill in all obtainable area” state of affairs. That means you’d typically be higher off by arriving earlier, however not undoubtedly. Individuals leaving further area within the blob would imply that obtained filled-in by later arrivals–you get the thought, we’ve all been there. It additionally meant that there was a power-walking race to the primary vacation spot, as company jockeyed for place even additional.

That’s why we way back coined the time period the ‘Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare Shuffle.’ Friends are revving up their double-wide strollers, making ready to do some severe harm to the ankles of anybody strolling too gingerly. The slow-sprint-slash-shuffle to Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare is a excessive stakes, eat-or-be-eaten recreation.

I’ve made no secret of my hatred for the SDMT Shuffle over time. Not solely is the expertise itself disagreeable (and it truly is!), however it gives little upside. On regular mornings, the one individuals breezing on and off Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare stress-free had been these on the entrance of the pack. And the one method to get on the entrance of the pack was to reach actually early…and wait.

Actually, the time period SDMT Shuffle actually undersold it; I similar to alliterations. SDMT Demise March can be hyperbolic, and Excruciating and Unnecessarily Hectic SDMT Gradual-Stroll can be a bit too verbose. No sense in workshopping it now, a number of years too late, because the SDMT Shuffle is lifeless.

New Early Entry Protocol at Magic Kingdom

The brand new process for Early Entry nonetheless includes a rope drop on the bridges to Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, however it happens far earlier.

My expertise is pretty restricted up to now, however at round 7:45 to 7:50 am, these bridges open and company are allowed to proceed to their first vacation spot. There isn’t actually a crowd to talk of at the moment, as Early Entry remains to be 45 minutes away.

A part of the explanation my expertise is restricted is as a result of I’ve performed this 5 days because the new protocol began and have missed the rope drop on 3 of them. That means it’s occurred earlier than 7:55 am each single day I’ve performed Early Entry.

This new Early Entry process began again in the course of the peak of spring break, and I used to be advised on the time that it was a take a look at. I’ve requested once more extra not too long ago, and a number of Solid Members on the bottom have confirmed that it’s the brand new regular. I’d cease in need of calling it “everlasting” (a phrase multiple used) as a result of few issues are actually everlasting relating to Walt Disney World protocol.

I may see the Early Entry method altering once more as soon as Get together Season begins, someday in 2026, or 5 years from now. In any case, it’s been the method for the previous few months and the intention is to proceed indefinitely. It’s not a take a look at or momentary measure to higher take up spring break crowds.

As soon as the bridges open and company are allowed to proceed to their first vacation spot, meaning they will line up for an attraction. In fact, you may simply wander round Tomorrowland or Fantasyland having fun with the environment, however on this specific day, that meant 90-degree temperatures. Most individuals would most likely desire a shaded or indoor queue.

From what I’ve seen, nothing else has modified with regard to Early Entry.

Bag verify, turnstiles and Essential Road nonetheless open at roughly the identical time. My anecdotal observations are that company nonetheless arrive at roughly the identical time, so this hasn’t actually pulled ahead demand.

Most significantly, the beginning time of Early Entry can be unchanged. Points of interest nonetheless start working at 8:30 am, which means company are allowed to “pre-load” into queues for 35-45 minutes. Hurry up and wait, as they are saying.

This new method to Early Entry is a lot better than the choice!

In the event you’re in a queue, you aren’t in an amorphous blob. You aren’t standing in a sea of humanity, anxiously watching as later arrivals squeeze into area round you. Arrivals are pulsed organically, which means there isn’t any jockeying for place on the stroll from the bridges to the sights.

It additionally saves a little bit of time, each as a result of the stroll to the primary vacation spot started earlier than Early Entry and since typically an attraction or two would possibly begin working earlier than the remainder. In nearly each conceivable approach, that is the extra guest-friendly method to Early Entry. Take it from somebody who has performed this dozens of instances: that is by far one of the best method to Early Entry, on steadiness.

New Pitfalls of Dreaded Delayed Openings Throughout Early Entry

Nevertheless, it’s not excellent. And that’s as a result of there isn’t any such factor as excellent relating to Walt Disney World touring. It’s all a collection of tradeoffs and balancing of pursuits. Some company would possibly favor ready on the bridge for no matter motive and doing the SDMT Shuffle. Perhaps it’s nostalgia speaking, or maybe they’re merely psychotic. Who is aware of.

One goal disadvantage of this method is the dreaded delayed opening.

Beforehand, if there was an attraction that wouldn’t open on time for Early Entry, you’d discover out as you arrived on the attraction or shortly after entering into line. The mud hadn’t settled, so to talk, and you may shortly pivot to a unique attraction. There would nonetheless be quick traces elsewhere, since everybody can be scrambling across the identical time. We’ve plenty of firsthand expertise right here, bouncing from Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare to Peter Pan’s Flight on extra events than I can depend.

The issue now could be that traces construct slowly over the course of 30+ minutes, and delayed openings sometimes aren’t identified upfront. That means that Solid Members aren’t conveying the chance or chance of a delayed opening at ~8 am, as a result of they’re not but conscious of it. Or they do, however they’re hoping upkeep can get all the things up and working on time. Regardless, it’s not communicated to company.

In the meantime, traces begin ‘locking’ themselves into place. Later arriving company see a protracted overflow queue for TRON Lightcycle Run or Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare. As a substitute of panicking and leaping into it in the course of the chaos of that rope drop rush, they now have extra time to deliberate and make a rational determination. That call is commonly pivoting to House Mountain or Peter Pan’s Flight.

The results of that is that, by the point 8:30 am rolls round and it turns into apparent {that a} delayed opening goes to happen, traces are lengthy all over the place as company have distributed themselves in a logical method. As soon as a delayed opening is communicated to company, they’re introduced with a tough dilemma: bail on their attraction, sunk prices and all, and pivot to the again of the pack at a unique journey or wait it out.

As I’ve shared elsewhere, I at all times instantly pivot when a delayed opening is introduced. Typically earlier than it’s even introduced if it turns into clear to me that one is on the horizon (simple to inform with out of doors coasters if trains aren’t biking).

I’ve gotten burned earlier than with a journey opening a couple of minutes later, however I’ve come out forward with this method over an extended time horizon. I additionally don’t have the endurance for it. I’d be nervously watching the clock, wired about getting on an attraction I’ve performed dozens of instances earlier than. I simply don’t have it in me.

At the least, that’s what I’ve at all times performed earlier than. I’m actually unsure what I’d do with this new system if I’d already been in line for 45 minutes and knew the road was already lengthy on the next-best various. I most likely wouldn’t bail instantly, and with every passing minute, it’d be tougher to justify leaving. It’s a tough dilemma!

As you’re most likely guessing by this level, the dreaded delayed opening is exactly what occurred with Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare on this specific morning.

Fortunately, I wasn’t a part of this line so the tough dilemma was not mine. However I checked in all through the morning and only a few company had been making the choice to bail. That, or as company did resolve to pivot, they had been changed by new arrivals, as the road didn’t get materially shorter over the course of Early Entry.

Typically, the choice to attend it out can be vindicated. This was not a kind of days. Above are screenshots from all through the day, exhibiting simply how lengthy Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare was down. I’m unsure when it lastly did open for the day, as I finished checking.

By the point these company would’ve been capable of make an knowledgeable determination to pivot, the traces just about all over the place would’ve been discouragingly lengthy. I can’t think about getting up at 6 am, arriving to Magic Kingdom at 7:30 am, being on the entrance of each holding level, then in line at SDMT for ~45 minutes…solely to finish up ready in a ~20 minute line on the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. One thing they might’ve simply as simply performed by arriving at 8:45 am!

As you possibly can see from the screenshots above, Peter Pan’s Flight opened with a 40 minute wait.

That was earlier than company knew that SDMT had a delayed opening, so the road would solely worsen over the course of Early Entry. Had company pivoted instantly, I’m guessing their precise wait would’ve been lower than 40 minutes, however the queue spilling out this far is seldom an excellent signal.

By 8:45 am, a shocking variety of company had merely thrown within the towel on Early Entry in Fantasyland and had been prepared for normal rope drop.

There’s at all times a small crowd that gathers right here, however it obtained bigger, quicker on this specific day. Presumably because of the SDMT downtime. At the least they’re within the shade! And on one other optimistic notice, there truly are extra free roaming characters out throughout Early Entry, which is enjoyable!

Regardless of the day as an entire solely having reasonable crowds at Magic Kingdom, Early Entry was busy. Wait instances solely inform a part of the story as they’re considerably arbitrary at this hour. I’ve seen sufficient Early Entry traces to know this can be a busy begin.

That is the everyday summer season dynamic when warmth is excessive. Extra company arrive early, go away for a noon break, and return later with the intention to beat the warmth. All else being equal, you’re going to come across worse Early Entry crowds this time of 12 months than a comparable day in December or January.

As I shared in our final Early Entry report, my go-to transfer for morning at Magic Kingdom has been beginning at House Mountain, looping that, after which bouncing over to TRON Lightcycle Run.

The 45 minute posted wait time (though my anticipate journey #1 would’ve been extra like 10 minutes had I truly obtained in line very first thing) discouraged me from doing that. House Mountain would go on to have a 20 minute wait later within the afternoon.

Why You Ought to Nonetheless Skip Magic Kingdom’s #1 Journey

Talking of TRON Lightcycle Run, right here’s a have a look at the road for that journey, beginning at 8:10 am.

Word the signal indicating that TRON Lightcycle Run opens at 9:00 am. That means that there’s already a protracted line for TRON Lightcycle Run, which makes a point of sense on condition that it’s the #1 worst wait time in Magic Kingdom, on common.

TRON’s standing throughout Early Entry has been a supply of confusion, and Walt Disney World is partially guilty for that. For one factor, it’s nonetheless not formally open throughout Early Entry regardless of being in Tomorrowland. That’s counterintuitive, as Magic Kingdom is the lone park to solely open two of its lands–however then ‘withhold’ the largest headliners in these.

For an additional factor, there have been scattered stories that, truly, TRON Lightcycle Run does open throughout Early Entry.

It’s not at all times proper at 8:30 am, however it’s usually (normally?) earlier than 9 am.

I’ve performed Early Entry a number of instances since TRON switched to standby and I don’t recall ever seeing it cycle with company earlier than 8:45 am. That’s the operative half–biking with company. I’ve seen it cycle. I’ve seen the queue open. So the road is transferring and it sounds just like the journey is working…however nobody is on it. Perhaps this can be a supply of confusion? Friends really feel like they’re making progress and listen to the coaster roaring overhead, even when nobody is on it?

In any case, I’ve additionally seen this enroll extra not too long ago and Solid Members repeatedly making bulletins to company in line that TRON Lightcycle Run isn’t a part of Early Entry and can start working at 9 am.

I take that as a fairly robust signal that, truly, TRON Lightcycle Run will not be a part of Early Entry.

Listed below are a number of extra seems at TRON Lightcycle Run from all through the morning:

This final one was taken at 9:02 am, and was the primary prepare I noticed cycle with company on this specific morning.

A method or one other, these company had been ready for TRON Lightcycle Run. In the event that they rolled up in mid-afternoon and located a 60-90 minute wait time, their time dedication was extra simple: it was no matter they really waited in line.

As is the case with all sights, Early Entry is deceiving. It’s not simply the posted wait. It’s on a regular basis earlier than that, standing round ready for Early Entry to start, too. The distinctive wrinkle with TRON is that there’s one other half-hour because it’s not even working throughout Early Entry! Consequently, the “all-in” complete for company in direction of the entrance of the pack would possibly’ve been ~120 minutes. That’s an above-average wait on this specific day.

There’s additionally the chance price.

As a substitute of standing round ready for TRON to open and having an above-average wait, they might’ve knocked out Peter Pan’s Flight or House Mountain with below-average waits. SDMT can be on that listing usually, however not in the present day. Additionally they may’ve gone for a ‘singles and doubles’ method and performed 2-3 secondary sights in Tomorrowland or Fantasyland.

Since TRON isn’t formally opening at 9 am, there’s additionally the chance price of rope dropping Adventureland or Frontierland after Early Entry. It’s not simply the company arriving in the beginning of Early Entry; this additionally applies to company racing right here at rope drop to be in the back of the pack.

That’s why we strongly suggest skipping TRON Lightcycle Run throughout Early Entry and in the beginning of normal rope drop. You could possibly actually decide a time at random to do it later within the day and obtain higher outcomes.

Talking of which, after taking these images of TRON Lightcycle Run, I bounced to the opposite facet of the park to take a look at the traces in Frontierland and Adventureland.

The above picture was taken at 9:13 am (I may’ve gotten right here quicker however obtained distracted by taking images of the morning gentle on the Rivers of America promenade). Word the empty go surfing the left.

In any case that racing round Magic Kingdom to doc Early Entry, I used to be already a pool of sweat and at last prepared for my first journey of the day. The posted wait time for Tiana’s Bayou Journey was 10 minutes, and my precise wait was nevertheless lengthy it took me to stroll by the empty queue.

Tiana’s Bayou Journey would go on to have the second longest wait time in Magic Kingdom on at the present time, behind solely TRON Lightcycle Run. That’s one benefit of rope dropping it. The opposite is that, though it’s improved tremendously, the journey nonetheless does have an above-average variety of breakdowns. Doing it when the road is brief decreases the chance of downtime when you’re ready.

The very first company in line for TRON Lightcycle Run may’ve made it to Tiana’s Bayou Journey and knocked it out whereas the wait time was nonetheless low. The identical can be true for Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare + TBA on a traditional morning.

For a lot of company, this will probably be seen as a savvy technique. They are going to argue that the time spent ready earlier than the park opens “doesn’t depend,” or extra precisely, isn’t as invaluable because the working day. And should you’re a commando vacationer going laborious from rope drop till park closing, that’s true!

For company arriving at or after common rope drop, or anybody who can’t do the complete day, that isn’t true. It’s all about tradeoffs, and burning a lot of the clock on hour(s) when the park isn’t even working would possibly find yourself being counterproductive.

As for my morning after Tiana’s Bayou Journey, I subsequently bounced to Pirates of the Caribbean (additionally no wait). There was nothing strategic about this; I used to be simply overheating and a darkish air-conditioned queue actually hit the spot.

By the point I obtained off that, the road for Jungle Cruise was prohibitively lengthy. If I knew what the “angle” of this publish would find yourself being, I might’ve raced to Jungle Cruise at 9 am, adopted by TBA and PotC, as an alternative of goofing round taking footage.

From there, I bounced again over to Tomorrowland and knocked out the TTA PeopleMover. Whereas on that, I noticed that the road for House Mountain was now nonexistent, and the ~15 minute posted wait time corroborated this. So I did that, and ended up ready 16 minutes.

Finally, if we skip over all of the working round to doc Early Entry (with out doing something), fake that I merely arrived for normal rope drop and picked up this morning at Magic Kingdom from there…it was truly fairly good! And the purpose of this isn’t that Early Entry is unhealthy, as a result of that’s not essentially true, both. Had I began with Peter Pan’s Flight, I may’ve pretty simply performed that and one other Fantasyland traditional earlier than heading to Frontierland.

My concern with Early Entry is sinking an excessive amount of time into one attraction and pretending that point doesn’t depend as a result of it’s earlier than the park opens. It could be decrease worth time, however it’s definitely not no-value time. This run-through exaggerates the pitfalls of that method with Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare having a delayed opening till afternoon and TRON Lightcycle Run not biking company till ~9 am, however they exist regardless.

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YOUR THOUGHTS

Do you skip Early Entry at Magic Kingdom or benefit from the perk? What’s your technique? Begin with Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare or one thing else? Would you pivot within the case of the dreaded delayed opening, or be reluctant given the sunk price and wait instances all over the place else? Would you go for the ‘hurry up and wait’ method of beginning at TRON Lightcycle Run, or is the chance price of ready for a journey that isn’t open too excessive for you? How would you do issues in another way to begin the day at MK? Agree or disagree with our recommendation or method? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!