Walt Disney World With Kids (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [54]
Guests at Disney hotels that aren’t Magic Kingdom resorts will take shuttle buses that deliver them directly to the Magic Kingdom gates, bypassing the TTC. Sometimes families who stay on-site but have a car prefer to drive to the parks, which can save time at every park except the Magic Kingdom. If you’re headed for the Magic Kingdom, take Disney transportation even if you have your own car just so you can avoid the TTC.
Helpful Hint
Driving? The Magic Kingdom parking lot is the most confusing of the four parks. Even if you come early enough to park near the gate, still take the tram just to make sure you wind up at the right place.
Through the Turnstiles
If you’re staying off-site, each of your park tickets will be a different color and have a different scene or character on the front. When you get your tickets, assign each one to a different family member and have everyone write their name on the back of their ticket. If you’re staying on-site with a package, your plastic room key will also be your theme-park ticket. Either way, copy and carry with you the identifying numbers on your tickets in case they’re lost—a problem that has become more pressing in the last few years because using the Fastpass system requires people to take out their tickets several times during the day, increasing the risk of dropping one. Plus, in the heat of the moment it’s all too easy to forget to retrieve one or more of your theme-park tickets from the Fastpass machine.
You can designate one person (i.e., Mom) to hold on to all the tickets, but when you get to the turnstiles, everyone will need to hold their own ticket. Disney’s security system, called Ticket Tag, requires each ticket holder to place their second finger into an electronic reader as they slide their ticket through a machine at the turnstiles. Disney makes a quick electronic measurement of your finger, allowing the system to link your park ticket to you and you alone.
Getting Around the Magic Kingdom
The Disney World Railroad leaves from Main Street with a stop near Splash Mountain in Frontierland. A lap around the park takes 20 minutes; trains depart from Main Street every four minutes at busy times and 10 minutes at slower times. Even so, this isn’t your fastest way to get around the park. In the morning, when crowds are heaviest, you may have to wait for a second or even third train; by that time, you could have walked.
Walking, in fact, is the fastest means of transport in the Magic Kingdom. The train, vintage cars, and horse-drawn carriages are cute, but think of them as rides, not as a serious means of getting around the park.
Tips for Your First Hour in the Magic Kingdom
Be through the gates 30 minutes earlier than the stated opening time. Get strollers and pick up a map and entertainment schedule as you enter. The entertainment schedule is crucial because it gives you showtimes and character meeting times for that day.
Early morning is a great time to visit Guest Relations (a.k.a. Guest Services) inside of Town Hall. If anyone in your party has something to brag about—a birthday, an anniversary, or just being a first-time visitor—you can pick up a pin announcing the news. This also guarantees you a little extra attention from cast members.
There are usually characters waiting to interact with you in the Town Square section of Main Street. If the park hasn’t officially opened and the ropes haven’t dropped, let the kids stop by and say “hi.” But if the park is open, you need to move ahead to the rides, which will draw long lines later in the day. You can always return to Main Street in mid-afternoon to meet the characters. Since Toontown has been closed down, the Mickey meet and greet has been moved into the Town Square Exposition Hall. You’ll also find separate queues leading you to princesses like Aurora and Belle and the Pooh gang. The Mickey and princess meet-and-greet lines will have Fastpasses.
Helpful Hint
Be prepared to