Magic Kingdom morning touring strategy

[DWeav]

Could someone please critique my Magic Kingdom morning? It would be for a Sunday Morning on June 3. We would be rope dropping early. It will be myself, my wife, my 6 year old daughter and my 14 month old son. We are pretty motivated and mobile though . I realize the biggest thing will be to be flexible with children, and we are taking a midday break to resort. Trying to plan the mornings the best that we can so that we can preserve that break and come back during the late afternoon, early evening time. I'll probably more plan the evening on the fly with trying for extra fastpasses for kiddie type rides. And yes, I have no idea how the little one will react to the darker rides, but only one way to find out. With all of that said:

9:00 AM Rope Drop: Jungle Cruise (8 min duration)
9:20 AM Pirates of the Caribbean (8:30 min duration)
9:45 AM Haunted Mansion (7:30 min duration)
10:10 AM It's a Small World (14 min duration) This one would depend on wait time because...
10:40 AM Peter Pan's Flight Fastpass window is 9:45-10:45 (3 min duration)
11:00 AM Enchanted Tales with Belle Fastpass window is 10:50-11:50 (20 minute duration)
***Hopefully son passes out at some point here so that he has a little nap before his first ever haircut at the barber shop at the front of the park, scheduled for 1 o'clock.***
11:40 AM Under the Sea
12:25 PM Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for me and daughter (Fastpass 12:25 PM-1:25 PM), rider switch for mom for later in the day with daughter.
1:00 PM Haircut for son
Lunch/Leave Park or Leave Park/Lunch at resort

We'll either have snacks with us to get us to lunch or may even subtract out "Under the Sea" and do lunch during that time block quick, depending on how we go. Again, being as flexible as can be.

Thanks for any advice. Am I being too ambitious? I'm guessing as long as I realize I may need to change on the fly, we should be okay....or your thoughts?


Thanks!

 

[mastermind307]

We'll be rope dropping the MK on June 3 too! In fact our first ride I have schedule is Jungle Cruise, maybe we'll see you there!
I think your plan it totally doable especially since you know the best strategy is to be flexible.

Here's my plan for comparison, 3 adults and 2 kids (ages 11 and 12)

9:16 - Jungle Cruise- will be at rope drop but have to add in the walking time to get there
9:38 - Magic Carpets
9:48 - Pirates
10:05 - Tiki Room
10:30 - BTMRR FP+
10:51 - Haunted Mansion FP+
11:08 - Small World
11:45 - 7DMT FP+
12:03 - Mickey's Philharmagic
12:30 - break for lunch at Whispering Canyon
We'll return after lunch with really no plan, see what we can get a FP+ for or what attractions don't have long waits.

 

[eeyoresmom]

Although your ride durations may be correct you are underestimating times to get to attractions and getting through the lines. You will not be off JC before 9:30 and that's at best. You SHOULD be able to do JC and Pirates by 10 with no surprises and be in line for HM shortly after 10. By now thete will be some sort of wait on a Sunday so I would estimate your exit time from HM to be around 10:45. I would skip HM if you're not going to make your PP fp or at least check wait times . Your kids may freak out at HM anyway....... Try for Small World after PP. I do think you're going to have to skip a few things. Even a bathroom break will set you back 5 minutes or so and you don't have that much leeway in your plan. Small World and Under the Sea can be done when you return in the afternoon but there will be waits.

 

[DWeav]

We'll be rope dropping the MK on June 3 too! In fact our first ride I have schedule is Jungle Cruise, maybe we'll see you there!
I think your plan it totally doable especially since you know the best strategy is to be flexible.

Here's my plan for comparison, 3 adults and 2 kids (ages 11 and 12)

9:16 - Jungle Cruise- will be at rope drop but have to add in the walking time to get there
9:38 - Magic Carpets
9:48 - Pirates
10:05 - Tiki Room
10:30 - BTMRR FP+
10:51 - Haunted Mansion FP+
11:08 - Small World
11:45 - 7DMT FP+
12:03 - Mickey's Philharmagic
12:30 - break for lunch at Whispering Canyon
We'll return after lunch with really no plan, see what we can get a FP+ for or what attractions don't have long waits.

Awesome! See you on the cruise!

 

[DWeav]

Although your ride durations may be correct you are underestimating times to get to attractions and getting through the lines. You will not be off JC before 9:30 and that's at best. You SHOULD be able to do JC and Pirates by 10 with no surprises and be in line for HM shortly after 10. By now thete will be some sort of wait on a Sunday so I would estimate your exit time from HM to be around 10:45. I would skip HM if you're not going to make your PP fp or at least check wait times . Your kids may freak out at HM anyway....... Try for Small World after PP. I do think you're going to have to skip a few things. Even a bathroom break will set you back 5 minutes or so and you don't have that much leeway in your plan. Small World and Under the Sea can be done when you return in the afternoon but there will be waits.

Thanks, appreciate the advice! I know our daughter is okay with Haunted Mansion, as she did it a year and a half ago and enjoyed it and remembers it, but you're right, I have zero idea how our little boy will do on either Pirates or HM. Right now he's just at a stage where he's staring at everything....so hopefully he stays in that stage a few more months!

But I understand I'm more than likely cramming too much in and will probably skip HM like you said, especially if there's a substantial wait. Appreciate the critique, I'll take it all into consideration!

 

[whirlthepearl]

Ha, also doing MK on that Sunday! But rope dropping Space Mountain and then Buzz Lightyear before heading to Fantasy Land. We have FPs around 10:30, 11:30, and 12:30 for Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and 7 Dwarfs...also trying to leave the park around 1 or 2. I currently have a res at Crystal Palace around 1pm but am not sure if I can keep my 2.5 year old up until lunch is over and we head back to the resort!

 

[DWeav]

Ha, also doing MK on that Sunday! But rope dropping Space Mountain and then Buzz Lightyear before heading to Fantasy Land. We have FPs around 10:30, 11:30, and 12:30 for Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and 7 Dwarfs...also trying to leave the park around 1 or 2. I currently have a res at Crystal Palace around 1pm but am not sure if I can keep my 2.5 year old up until lunch is over and we head back to the resort!

Cool!

I know right? Trying to plan midday things for real young ones is brutal. Are they going to be awake? Are they going to be cranky? Having to plan so far ahead too, makes it difficult.

You coming back after a break or staying at the resort? Which resort, may I ask?

Have a great time!

 

[whirlthepearl]

Cool!

I know right? Trying to plan midday things for real young ones is brutal. Are they going to be awake? Are they going to be cranky? Having to plan so far ahead too, makes it difficult.

You coming back after a break or staying at the resort? Which resort, may I ask?

Have a great time!

We went a few months ago and the 2 year old fell asleep in the stroller at some point and we took turns pushing him while the other rode rides with our 6 year old. But I couldn't have timed his nap. The 6 year old made it til we left the park around 6 but was really tired, so this time we're hoping to go back to the resort (POP Century!) for some mandated rest time and then head back to the park for a little longer after dinner--we're taking my parents, so I made them a dessert party res for HEA and figured they could take the older kid and the younger one (since he'll be free) or we can take the younger one back to the resort while they're there. Last time he ran circles around us in the hotel room at 9pm, so I think he can make it, but it'll be day 2 of a 3 day trip and the first day we'll be doing Fantasmic (which is at least a little earlier?) and the third day we'll be rope dropping at Epcot, so it might be too much for him.

TLDR: As long as the youngest gets a nap (stroller/on us/in the bus/at the resort) he'll be fine. But my 6 year old won't nap but will need to rest if we have any hope of going back to the park in the evening!! Fortunately your 14th month old is at a nice age where they can still be dragged around/sleep on the go/they're not going to remember the trip anyway--it was nice to use our younger son for ride swaps and let our 6 year old ride everything twice!

 

[jmangum100]

Ha, also doing MK on that Sunday! But rope dropping Space Mountain and then Buzz Lightyear before heading to Fantasy Land. We have FPs around 10:30, 11:30, and 12:30 for Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and 7 Dwarfs...also trying to leave the park around 1 or 2. I currently have a res at Crystal Palace around 1pm but am not sure if I can keep my 2.5 year old up until lunch is over and we head back to the resort!

This is the time period I am planning on going next year! At least we have quite a bit of time to start making reservations I want this to be a nice big family trip. I just got back from a couple's trip to WDW in March and that was awesome! My FP are always BTMMR, Mine Train and Splash We went on Splash 3 times and the others twice the morning we first went to MK this last time. Super excited!

 

[piratepride]

When our two were little we used to start in Fantasy Land, do as much as we could and work the rest of the park around our Fast Passes. That can set you up for your afternoon nap which can be vital with kids that age! You can probably pick up additional FP's for the evening when you return for anything you missed earlier. Have a fun time!