How To Ride EVERYTHING in Magic Kingdom – From an Actually Reliable Disney World Expert

Magic Kingdom is Disney World’s biggest park in terms of the number of attractions, and that means if you’re setting out to do it all in one day, there are some serious tips you’ve got to implement.

I’ve done tons of ride challenges in Magic Kingdom over the past few years, but most recently, I completed two ride challenges that really solidified these tips for me. During both challenges, I DID complete all the rides in Magic Kingdom and then some, so you can trust that these tips are coming from a verified source — plus, I ran them by the rest of the team, too, and we’re all in agreement. Let’s get into it!

Rope Drop

Rope dropping is essential if you’re trying to do everything in Magic Kingdom, but that doesn’t mean getting to the parks when the gates open. No, it means walking UP to the gates 30 MINUTES before the park gates open for you.

If the park opens at 9AM, you should be standing in line at 8:30AM waiting to get in. If you’re a hotel guest and have early entry, even better! The gates open for you at 8:30AM in this scenario, so that means you’ll want to be in line at 8AM. I know it’s early, but it’s necessary!

Consider Your Lightning Lane Options

There are now three Lightning Lane options for Magic Kingdom. Lightning Lane Premier Pass, now available to all Disney World hotel guests, will get you through everything with no problem, but it’ll cost you HUNDREDS of dollars per person.

Meanwhile, Lightning Lane Multi Pass will allow you to skip the lines at many attractions, and you can book your first three 7 days in advance if you’re staying at a hotel (3 days in advance otherwise), but you’ll need to be on your phone all day trying to get the best times. Lightning Lane Single Pass will be necessary if you don’t want to mess with a Virtual Queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, but that’s ANOTHER cost to add on. However, you don’t NEED to purchase a skip-the-line option — you can get a LOT done with good strategizing and with only a few long waits. Check out some of my strategies in the video below!

A Burner Ride is Necessary

If you’re using Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you’ll want to book Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Haunted Mansion, and a “burner ride” like Mad Tea Party for as early in the park day as possible.

Scan into your burner ride as soon as you can and immediately book a Tier 1 (most popular) attraction like Peter Pan’s Flight. This way, you get return times for two of the most popular rides in the park right off the bat before they run out, and then you can grab another Tier 1 before they run out later in the day.

Don’t Be Afraid to WAIT For Those Lightning Lane Return Times

Once you’ve booked that third Tier 1 or more popular attraction, don’t panic if it’s for later in the day. The truth is that you can get through most smaller rides in Magic Kingdom with relatively short waits WITHOUT a Lightning Lane.

However, having those Lightning Lane reservations for a little later in the day when those attractions are up to 45 or 60+ minute waits proves you’re saving loads of time. Of course, if you can refresh for an earlier time, that’s great, but don’t stress too much about them!

Ideal Times

There are FOUR main opportunities for short waits in Magic Kingdom — rope drop (first 1-2 hours of the park day), during the parade (if there’s more than one, especially the first one), during the fireworks, and after the fireworks (if applicable).

These times are when you want to ride the most difficult rides in the park. During these times, posted wait times may not drop, but actual wait times may be MUCH lower than posted. I highly recommend giving it a shot if you are willing to skip the parade and fireworks.

Problem Rides

Whether you have Lightning Lane or not, there are some problem rides you need to look out for in either case. If you DON’T HAVE Lightning Lane Multi Pass, this is what you’ll want to watch out for:

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
TRON Lightcycle / Run
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Virtual Queue system)
Peter Pan’s Flight
Jungle Cruise
Space Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railway (depends on the level of crowds that day)

If you DO have Lightning Lane Multi Pass, these are the rides that may give you trouble:

Astro Orbiter (long lines and no Lightning Lane option offered)
Main Street Vehicles (limited hours in morning and after the parade to about 4PM)
Liberty Square Riverboat (closes early)
Any rides listed in the above section that you can’t find Lightning Lanes for/they’ve already sold out

Avoid Crossing The Park

If you can help it, I strongly avoid criss-crossing the park at any time. It may not seem like it because you’re moving and grooving, but this eats up a LOT of park time.

Sometimes, waiting in line for something can save you more time than crossing the park to get to a sudden short wait. However, there IS an exception to this with Lightning Lane Multi Pass!

Eat Lunch Strategically

Lastly, something I found to work extremely well for me was eating lunch on the Liberty Square Riverboat! You can bring full trays of food on the boat and dine on board. It’s a great way to knock out a ride and eat at the same time.

Using these tips, you should be able to achieve all you’re looking to do in Magic Kingdom in one day, but it may not be the most relaxing day in the park! Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Disney World tips and tricks!