If you had just one day in Disney

Hypothetically, landing in Orlando around 9 PM. Spending 2 nights on property, getting to MK around 10 AM the next day, and staying all day then watching the fireworks. We would be up and out of the hotel by 9 am the next morning to head to our main destination.
5 kids age range 2-7, 3 of the kids are girls very into Disney princesses. I believe my almost 8 year old will be tall enough to ride everything, and my other son will have just turned 6 and will probably be able to ride most things. Given this info, how would you do the day? Meaning, what fast passes would you get, and where would you go for lunch & dinner? TIA!

Message edited 8/7/2018 1:53:31 PM.

If you had just one day in Disney

For the girls that are into the princesses definitely go to the princess fairytale hall and meet the four princess (2 princesses on each side). One side is Elena and Cinderella and the other side is Tiana and Rapunzel.

I would fast pass Enchanted Tales with Belle for them, it is great and even my nephew who is 7 loved it! I would also fast pass the 7 dwarfs mine train and one of the mountains (space, thunder or splash). My preference is splash. Once you are done with the first three fast passes you can add more so try and get those three earlier and keep adding more after.

Re: If you had just one day in Disney

I would definitely start your day earlier if you only have one day. You can get so much done in the hour or two after the park opens. Then the crowds just escalate from there. I would also not waste your time at a sit down restaurant for both lunch and dinner on the same day. Do one counter service, and one sit down. Disney sit down meals take forever, and that's cutting into your park time.

Also, book your fastpasses for the earliest times you can get them, because you can't get another until you use up the 3. So if you have a fastpass at 4pm, you will have a lot of time in between to stand in line on other rides, when you could have potentially fast pass'd them.

Re: If you had just one day in Disney

I did this once! Not a single sit down meal.

One day in Magic Kingdom. It was still magical and so cheap!!!

We got there right at park opening, we were able to get on every single fantasyland ride within the first 1-2 hours withOUT fast passes. I then saved my fast passes for splash mountain, space mountain and big thunder mountain. worth it!!

We saw most of the parades too, the main festival of fantasy, the fireworks and one other....

We waited in line for ariel, mickey, tinkerbelle, snow white and pooh but we didn't see any other princesses. The princesses are in the festival of fantasy parade if that does the trick. Or you can go in the Belle show and meet her while doing that as an activity of its own.

Good luck! have fun! enjoy.

Re: If you had just one day in Disney

We do this (and did it just a week ago).
As everyone says, go when park opens.
Our schedule:
Park opens 8:00 AM.
We got a picture with Mickey
Did all of Adventureland with no wait
Saw Jasmine and Aladdin

Had Ice cream
9:00 FP to Belle tales (got there 9:45)
Peter Pan FP at 10
Small world FP at 11
More Fantasy land stuff (Movie, Winnie Pooh)

Lunch (from carts)

Then we went to hotel and relaxed. Went to pool, set up Fast pass for afternoon.

We came back in time for dinner (did the place in Adventureland which was honestly the best food I had in Disney so far). You could do Cinderella tale or Be our Guest if you want the experience. Experience is good at those 2 but food was almost inedible.

Then we we did Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy (all in that circus), did Barn stormer roller coaster and did Future land.

Watched fireworks and went home.

If you have older kids, you could do roller coaster first thing instead of Adventureland. My youngest was too short and I was traveling solo w 3 kids.

Re: If you had just one day in Disney

I have to agree with everyone else. The park volume bloats by 11 am, and if you want to hit an assortment of things, you should be there by rope drop (park opening).

You should try to get fast passes for as early in the day as possible bc once you’re done with them you can use your phone to book more (if available). I’d fast pass Peter Pan, 7 dwarfs mine train, and belle or one of the other mountain rides (or belle for thr girls, a mountain ride for the boys). You can get in line for the princesses at fairytale hall as soon as you get into the park. You can then do the rest of thr fantasyland things (working around FP Times), make your way to Adventureland and do pirates of the Caribbean, haunted mansion, splash mountain and big thunder mountain railroad.

I loved Harbour House (quick serve) for lunch or dinner

you can walk around to the right side of the park for evening.

Have fun!

If you had just one day in Disney

Thanks everyone! I have thought about everyone's advice, and we will probably try to get to the park at rope drop. Just worried that if we don't land until like 9 pm the night before, by the time we get checked into the hotel and settled in our room it will be 11, and it will be tough to get everyone up and out by 7:30 the following morning.
We have decided our must dos for the boys are all 3 mountains, the mine train, peter pan. For the girls- Enchanted Tales, Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Mine Train.
Still deciding on what to do about the lunch & dinner. Also, if we plan on being at the park for 8 am, we would probably have to fit in breakfast there too. I can live with a skipped breakfast or lunch, but I know my kids can't.

If you had just one day in Disney

I would pack stuff for breakfast. We usually bring cereal cups, oatmeal bars, etc. They sell milk in the hotel shop. Or you can get quick breakfast at your hotel.

Re: If you had just one day in Disney

You can definitely pack things for breakfast, or many hotels have places where you can grab things like muffins on the go.

Re: If you had just one day in Disney

Go with advice above, eat breakfast on your own before entering park and have a early dinner at the Crystal Palace in MK. Character meal buffet.