Early Entry at Magic Kingdom is a combined bag. In principle, the on-site perk offers lodge friends a head-start to do headliner sights with shorter strains and decrease wait instances to beat the crowds. As we’ve lined repeatedly, it doesn’t all the time work this fashion. However the factor is, Early Entry at Magic Kingdom has really improved loads recently, at the very least if you recognize what you’re doing and don’t make a simple mistake.
We’re large followers of Early Entry, and enthusiastically advocate it in dozens of planning posts. It’s an underrated perk, with many friends dismissing it as “solely” Half-hour and inferior to the hour-long Additional Magic Hours. Whereas I’d clearly reasonably have double the time, Early Entry is loads much less busy than EMH was.
Having the perk in any respect 4 parks each single day makes an enormous distinction, to the purpose I’d argue EE is best than EMH at 3 of the 4 parks. The exception, as common readers are little doubt conscious, has been Magic Kingdom for a handful of causes we’ll contact upon right here. Truthfully, after current experiences doing Early Entry at Magic Kingdom, I’m now able to say that it’s additionally superior to Additional Magic Hours at MK.
I’ve carried out Early Entry at Magic Kingdom effectively over a dozen instances in the previous couple of years. It’s far and away my least favourite park for Early Entry, however I hold returning for the sake of analysis. Paradoxically, I’ve most likely come near doing Early Entry at Magic Kingdom greater than the opposite 3 parks mixed, because it appears to be essentially the most “fascinating” to readers. (I additionally do EE usually at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for related causes, however that one can also be numerous enjoyable for me, personally.)
There are a few causes for my change of coronary heart this vacation season. For one factor, it’s the time of the yr. As we’ve mentioned numerous instances, Early Entry at Magic Kingdom throughout Celebration Season is nice. That is the one time of yr once I actually get pleasure from Early Entry and have carried out it for enjoyable.
Early Entry is nice throughout Celebration Season from August by means of December (plus just a few different dates) as a result of Magic Kingdom opens to most of the people at 8 am and is often much less busy. See this submit about why 7:30 am Early Entry at Magic Kingdom is a sport changer. We extremely advocate it on Halloween or Christmas Celebration dates.
All of it comes right down to timing. Few friends have the required want and willpower to be out their lodge room door by ~6:30 am, which is just about what’s essential to arrive at Magic Kingdom in time for the beginning of seven:30 am Early Entry. In contrast, tons of individuals could make it for 8:30 am Early Entry, which is the principle cause why Magic Kingdom is often the worst park for Early Entry.
Whereas I’ve lamented the shortage of midnight closings at Magic Kingdom, the flip facet is that the park has been excellent about 8 am openings–together with on many days that aren’t get together shortened. In reality, since September, I’ve not carried out a 9 am opening at Magic Kingdom–it’s all been 8 am openings. A part of that is luck and timing of my visits, as they positively have occurred.
In any case, this isn’t a brand new factor. It’s additionally not a everlasting factor. As quickly because the calendar rolls over into 2025, it’s secure to anticipate extra frequent 9 am opening instances, which means 8:30 am Early Entry at Magic Kingdom. So this isn’t the rationale for my change of coronary heart this vacation season on the subject of Early Entry at Magic Kingdom.
The true cause, as you may’ve guessed, is TRON Lightcycle Run.
In case you missed it, Walt Disney World launched a standby queue at TRON Lightcycle Run, retiring the digital queue throughout the early fall low season. It’s now been over just a few months for the reason that standby line debuted and we’ve got been capable of conduct in depth on-the-ground subject testing. Early Entry has been a giant a part of this.
I plan on doing a full submit on the when to do and keep away from TRON Lightcycle Run, however needed to start out with Early Entry as a standalone entry due to the way it defied expectations in just a few ways in which struck me as value masking on their very own. And since it’s value masking the influence on the alternate options throughout Early Entry and cord drop, which isn’t fairly as relevant to different instances of day.
Additionally as a result of I’ve spent dozens of hours “working” on this (and truthfully, I don’t even like TRON that a lot), so I needed to get multiple submit out of it. For now, it’s value consulting How TRON Lightcycle Run’s Standby Line is a Gamechanger for Magic Kingdom Touring Technique. Simply be suggested that isn’t 100% correct–and even 85% correct.
By way of 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 Practice, you wish to arrive 30+ minutes prematurely. Much less time is okay for Peter Pan’s Flight, House Mountain, or the opposite choices.
Arriving earlier additionally offers you time for enjoyable pictures on Principal Road with empty backgrounds. As soon as carried out with that, head to the precise of the East Plaza Backyard for Early Theme Park Entry. There’s a row of Forged 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 Principal Road, taking pictures or ready for rope drop over on the Frontierland and Adventureland facet of the Central Plaza. However you’ll be able to’t entry Tomorrowland or Fantasyland with out scanning right here. When you’ve carried out that, you’re good to go for the morning.
From there, you proceed on to both the Tomorrowland Bridge or Fantasyland Bridge.
My first “prediction” that was improper within the aforementioned ‘TRON Gamechanger’ submit is that Early Entry could be a couple of 50/50 break up between these two bridges. From what I’ve seen to date, it’s extra like 60/40 in favor of Tomorrowland. Perhaps even two-thirds to 75% of friends on the Tomorrowland Bridge.
It’s actually powerful to eyeball these items, however the backside line is that there’s a enormous distinction as contrasted with earlier than, when most friends went to the Fantasyland facet. One factor to bear in mind right here, although, is that I’ve solely carried out Early Entry within the final couple of months on 8 am park opening days. I strongly suspect events with youthful youngsters who skew in direction of Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice are much less doubtless than TRON-skewing friends to make it to the park in time for 7:30 am Early Entry. Issues may look very totally different on 8:30 am days.
Previously, the group on the Fantasyland facet has been exponentially bigger, with about ten instances as many individuals.
Of that a lot bigger quantity, roughly 90% of these friends are planning on doing Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice. That’s why we way back coined the time period the Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice Shuffle. Company are revving up their double-wide strollers, getting ready to do some severe injury to the ankles of anybody strolling too gingerly. The slow-sprint-slash-shuffle to Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice is a excessive stakes, eat-or-be-eaten sport.
I’ve made no secret of my hatred for the SDMT Shuffle through the years. Not solely is the expertise itself disagreeable (and it truly is!), nevertheless it provides little upside. On regular mornings, the one folks breezing on and off Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice stress-free have been these on the entrance of the pack. And the one solution to get on the entrance of the pack was to reach actually early…and wait.
A technique or one other, friends have been ready for Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice.
In the event that they rolled up in mid-afternoon and located a 60-90 minut wait time, their time dedication was extra simple: it was no matter they really waited in line. Early Entry is deceiving, although, as a result of it’s not simply the posted wait (or extra precisely, precise wait as soon as in line). It’s on a regular basis earlier than that, standing round ready for Early Entry to start, too. Consequently, the “all-in” whole for friends on the entrance of the pack may’ve been ~75 minutes.
Not solely that, however there’s the chance value. As a substitute of an disagreeable shuffle to an above-average await Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice, they may’ve pleasantly breezed by means of Tomorrowland and knocked out 2-3 rides with below-average waits. Or they may’ve slept in and easily carried out SDMT on the finish of the evening (when it’s extra nice). You get the concept.
Effectively, I hope you get the concept. As a result of I’ve been harping on this for some time, and the title of this was nonetheless virtually “Magic Kingdom Early Entry Report: It’s All About Alternative Prices.” However Google has advised I begin making extra “catchy” titles, and I suppose folks don’t know what ‘alternative value’ means, so right here we’re.
Anyway, as you’ve most likely additionally guessed by now, the titular attraction shouldn’t be Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice. There wouldn’t be a lot of a degree if it have been, as we’ve carried out that matter to dying over the previous couple of years.
Additionally, there’s a cause why the above is generally previous tense–that Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice was a poor choice throughout Early Entry and the SDMT Shuffle was disagreeable. As a result of a brand new journey has taken its place. Spoiler alert: it’s not the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover.
It’s TRON Lightcycle Run. A journey that’s not even open throughout Early Entry!
My expectation earlier than doing any field-testing was that Tomorrowland’s Early Entry crowd would improve, and together with that, so too would the road for House Mountain. It’s because it’s doable to be out and in of House Mountain in underneath Half-hour throughout Early Entry (our common is about quarter-hour–it takes a bit to stroll the queue), which places you on the entrance to TRON forward of the rope drop crowd.
We additionally anticipated that “loads” of friends wouldn’t do something throughout Early Entry. Paradoxically, they’d race to Tomorrowland to do nothing however rope drop TRON Lightcycle Run. (“Hurry up and wait” as my military-man father likes to say.) I’m quoting my very own “loads” there as a result of I didn’t supply a exact prediction, however I’ll admit this now: the variety of friends doing that is manner increased than I ever anticipated.
In contrast, the variety of friends doing House Mountain–or actually anything in Tomorrowland–is manner, manner decrease than I anticipated. (Above is the whole crowd for House Mountain at the beginning of EE earlier than the road had opened. That is nothing in comparison with what it was.)
If I had to return and elaborate on my prior prediction, it will’ve been that TRON Lightcycle Run would’ve made Tomorrowland an even bigger draw for the sake of proximity to the attraction. Certain, many friends would ‘hurry up and wait,’ however simply as many others–if no more–would reap the benefits of Early Entry in Tomorrowland by doing one other attraction or two, after which lining up for TRON Lightcycle Run.
This was my expectation based mostly on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland, Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Journey, and to a a lot lesser extent, Massive Thunder Mountain Railroad and Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom. For essentially the most half, friends do issues after which attempt to be entrance of the pack and beat the rope drop crowd to these sights.
Not so with TRON Lightcycle Run.
I might estimate that on the a number of mornings I’ve carried out Early Entry at Magic Kingdom, 95% of the friends beginning on the Tomorrowland facet are instantly racing to TRON Lightcycle Run. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been, however I used to be shocked by this.
Take into account, this makes their whole time dedication their precise wait time as soon as the park formally opens + Half-hour + nevertheless lengthy they stood round earlier than Early Entry even started. Given the wait instances we’ve been seeing for TRON Lightcycle Run, it is a very questionable use of time (to place it charitably).
The massive winner right here is individuals who wish to loop House Mountain.
Opposite to my expectations, the true final result is that strains for House Mountain have turn into non-existent. On each single morning of my testing to date, House Mountain has been a digital walk-on. It begins with a little bit of a backup, however that’s much less about excessive demand and extra it taking a little bit of time for friends to make their manner by means of the lengthy queue.
Even with that prolonged queue (and exit), I’ve been capable of do House Mountain roughly 3 instances throughout Early Entry this Celebration Season. To be sincere, I by no means tried looping House Mountain earlier than, so I can’t communicate to what was doable up to now, however I’m fairly assured that this was not. As a giant fan of House Mountain, I view this as an enormous win. It’s additionally nice for anybody attempting to maximise their effectivity.
Had I needed, I may’ve carried out House Mountain 2-3x on these mornings and nonetheless overwhelmed the rope drop crowd to TRON Lightcycle Run.
I didn’t need this, because it nonetheless would’ve put me behind the complete Early Entry pack that had simply been standing there, rising barely in dimension (albeit extra slowly) since 7:30 am. That occurred, I would remind you, because the attraction didn’t course of a single visitor…because it was not operational.
Listed below are some pictures exhibiting the rising line at TRON Lightcycle Run throughout this half-hour:
The second two pictures have been taken because the rope drop crowd arrived at TRON Lightcycle Run.
At this level, we’ve been seeing TRON Lightcycle Run submit a wait time of fifty to 75 minutes instantly upon opening for the day. No less than, on the mornings we’ve carried out testing, all of which have been 8 am park openings. I’d anticipate that to be increased on 9 am mornings, assuming at the very least reasonable crowd ranges.
Suffice to say, TRON Lightcycle Run can also be a nasty choice at rope drop. It’s barely much less unhealthy, although, as a result of at the very least the journey turns into operational. However there’s nonetheless that line in entrance of you and, equally as necessary, the chance value of not with the ability to rope drop Adventureland or Frontierland.
So what is choice throughout Early Entry at Magic Kingdom–apart from House Mountain?
I’m cautiously optimistic about Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice.
This was a improbable different on the mornings I did Early Entry, however once more, these have been all 7:30 am dates. Even up to now, I’ve had good luck with SDMT on these mornings as long as I used to be close to the entrance of the pack.
As a result of I used to be making an attempt to simulate outcomes for future Early Entry dates when the schedule would shift to eight:30 am (and likewise as a result of I wanted to race round getting pictures), I made a degree of doing Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice after the preliminary rush.
Though the posted wait time was 35 minutes once I did it, my precise wait was underneath 20 minutes.
The road moved easily the complete time, and chunk of the wait was simply strolling by means of the prolonged queue.
One other extra apparent choice is Peter Pan’s Flight.
I used to be ready to do that after Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice when the posted wait was Half-hour. My precise wait was lower than 10 minutes. I wasn’t carried out by common rope drop, however that didn’t actually matter. Massive Thunder, Jungle Cruise, and so forth., all nonetheless have quick strains at 8:10 or 8:20 am. Arguably shorter ones, for the reason that preliminary rush is over. (This solely applies to eight am park opening–not 9 am.)
Peter Pan’s Flight has all the time been a improbable choice throughout Early Entry–particularly as contrasted with later within the day when the road can transfer slowly–nevertheless it’s even higher now. My guess is that TRON is pulling folks from SDMT, which in flip is pulling folks from PPF. Trickle down wait instances, or one thing to that impact.
So what about TRON Lightcycle Run?
To not spoil my very own future article about greatest & worst instances to journey TRON, however what I discovered constantly throughout my subject testing is that there’s a morning lull about an hour after common rope drop. This was true even on reasonably busy days (a few of my testing occurred over a vacation weekend).
Intuitively, this is smart. TRON’s wait time would spike to round 60-90 minutes shortly after rope drop (~8:15 am) because the Early Entry crowd (none of which was ‘processed’ till common rope drop, keep in mind) plus the rope drop crowd all converged onto the attraction and created a backlog of friends ready. Plus the paid Lightning Lane friends who opted to point out up straight away, for no matter cause.
The results of that is that TRON Lightcycle Run’s wait time would typically be virtually double the following highest wait time (Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice). It will be a lot, a lot increased than the opposite ‘grownup’ thrill rides, House Mountain and Massive Thunder Mountain Railroad.
This doubtless ends in late-arrivers pulling up the My Disney Expertise app (or taking a look at a tip board), seeing how for much longer of a line TRON has than anything, and opting to go elsewhere. I used to be truthfully shocked that the ‘elsewhere’ seemingly doesn’t embrace House Mountain. I believed certainly it will see a spike as friends noticed a too-long line for TRON and did that as an alternative. Nope.
Mainly, anybody who positioned a excessive precedence on TRON Lightcycle Run is doing it ASAP–both lining up at the beginning of Early Entry or begin of normal rope drop. Everybody else is balking on the longer line, and choosing alternate options.
Zig once they zag.
In case you’re going to do TRON Lightcycle Run within the morning, one of the best time to line up is in direction of the finish of Early Entry, after you’ve already carried out 2-3 Tomorrowland sights however earlier than the common rope drop rush. I don’t love this feature (and even prefer it), however for those who’re dead-set on doing TRON early for no matter cause, it certain beats the ‘hurry up and wait’ method of being on the entrance of the pack.
Higher but, give it an hour and let the preliminary two waves of individuals get processed by the attraction, and slip into line for TRON Lightcycle Run an hour after rope drop. This was my method, and my most wait was 27 minutes.
Early Entry friends may boast that their wait was lower than that–that after the clock struck 8 am (or 7:55, since TRON does typically begin working barely earlier), they breezed by means of the road and walked onto the attraction.
Nevertheless, there isn’t a conceivable manner they waited lower than 27 minutes…as a result of in addition they stood round for nevertheless lengthy earlier than Early Entry began, plus that 25-Half-hour of time throughout which they did nothing previous to common rope drop.
I don’t know what, precisely, their minimal ‘all-in’ time was since I didn’t put myself of their sneakers, however I’m guessing it’d be 60 minutes for a lot of of them. That isn’t all that spectacular–we’ve seen instances all through the day when TRON has an hour-long wait!
Extra importantly, it fails to account for the chance value! House Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice, Peter Pan’s Flight–and actually each different attraction in Magic Kingdom (besides the Joffrey’s Revive espresso stand and doubtless the Principal Road Starbucks)–have far below-average wait instances throughout Early Entry.
Whereas standing in line for an attraction that was not open, friends may’ve been doing any of these rides. That’s why we strongly advocate skipping TRON Lightcycle Run throughout Early Entry and at the beginning of normal rope drop. You might actually decide a time at random to do it later within the day and obtain higher outcomes.
We’ll proceed this testing in 2025 as soon as Early Entry returns to its common 8:30 am begin time and (possibly, hopefully) TRON Lightcycle Run is definitely included within the journey roster for the on-site perk. No matter what adjustments, we’re way more optimistic about Early Entry at Magic Kingdom.
TRON Lightcycle Run has displaced Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice because the #1 attraction, and although it pains me to retire the oh-so-clever SDMT Shuffle moniker, I’m very happy with how a lot of a game-changer this has been for morning technique. Talking of which, if you need technique for the opposite three parks, try our Information to Early Theme Park Entry at Walt Disney World.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you skip Early Entry at Magic Kingdom or reap the benefits of the perk? In case you did skip it beforehand, will you are taking benefit now that TRON has shifted to standby and eradicated (or mitigated) the SDMT Shuffle? Would you go for the ‘hurry up and wait’ method of beginning at TRON Lightcycle Run, or is the chance value of ready for a journey that isn’t open too excessive for you? How would you do issues in a different way to start out the day at MK? Every other suggestions on arriving early to the Walt Disney World theme parks? Agree or disagree with our recommendation or method? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
