Here’s How You Should Plan Your Day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom With Limited Capacity

Magic Kingdom officially reopened to guests on July 11th. Upon reopening, all of the Disney World Parks have implemented a number of new procedures for the health and safety of both guests and Cast Members.

And one of those new measures is reduced capacity in the Parks.

So with the capacity at Magic Kingdom limited, how should you plan your day inside the Park? Let’s take a look!

Consider NOT Rope Dropping

For those unfamiliar with the term, “rope dropping” is when guests get to the Park before it opens so they can be among the first people inside the gates. By getting there early, rope droppers can then head straight to the most popular attractions before the majority of the crowd has arrived for the day.

But from our experience in the reopened Parks, this strategy doesn’t have the same benefit as it has in the past. Since reopening, the first few hours of the day have been the busiest, with the crowds starting to disperse by the afternoon. Between the lack of park-hopping and the temporary suspension of Happily Ever After, it seems that there isn’t as much of a draw for many guests to head to Magic Kingdom later in the day. So you’ll likely be able to accomplish more (and deal with less of a crowd along the way) if you get to the Park a few hours after it opens and stay until close!

Keep a Close Eye on the Wait Times

For the most part, the attraction wait times have been pretty low since Magic Kingdom reopened. But we have noticed some fluctuations, with some wait times spiking throughout the day. For most rides, this hasn’t lasted too long, with the wait often dropping back down within an hour or so.

So, for example, if you see that there’s a 50-minute wait for a ride like Pirates of the Caribbean, try doing something else like heading to another attraction or grabbing a snack and heading back to ride Pirates later when the wait it much lower.

Get a Reservation for Table Service Restaurants You Want to Experience

Just because capacity in the parks is reduced doesn’t mean you can walk right in and snag a table at Be Our Guest. Capacity at the restaurants has also been reduced to allow for physical distancing, so the number of available reservations are limited.

Guests are now able to make Advance Dining Reservations up to 60 days in advance, so be sure to snag one if you plan to eat at one of the Table Service restaurants in the park.

Take Advantage of Unique Photo Opportunities

One of our favorite additions to the park has been the character cavalcades that pop up randomly throughout the day! It’s super fun to see some spontaneous character appearances, and we’ve managed to snap some really cool photos of the characters as they pass by.

Plus, with the often incredibly light crowds, we’ve also had the chance to see something even rarer than Gaston riding his horse down Main Street, U.S.A. — practically empty sections of Magic Kingdom! Here’s what it was like inside New Fantasyland in the middle of the afternoon on reopening day!

Between the socially distanced character appearances and the light crowds, there are definitely plenty of cool photo ops. Just remember, if you and your family want to be in the pictures, you still have to keep your masks on!

End Your Day with a Ride on a Popular Attraction

As we’ve mentioned, the wait times for most of the attractions have been pretty low throughout the day. But, some of the most popular rides have had slightly longer waits. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has regularly had a wait time between 30 and 50 minutes, and the lines for other popular rides like Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad have also typically been higher than other attractions around the Parks.

So since the crowds tend to get lighter as the day goes on, try ending your day with one of these popular attractions when the lines are likely to be shorter. One important caveat here — remember that outdoor attractions can close due to weather, so don’t hold off on a must-do ride if the forecast shows thunderstorms at the end of the day!

Navigating Magic Kingdom with limited capacity is definitely a unique experience. And some of our strategies are pretty different than we would have expected at this time last year. We hope these tips help you get the most out of your next visit to Magic Kingdom!

Have you been to Magic Kingdom since the park reopened? What tips do you have for visiting with limited capacity? Let us know in the comments!

 

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