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Five Attractions to Skip at Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is my absolute favorite of the four Walt Disney World parks. However, you may find yourself with limited time at Magic Kingdom. That is where this handy list comes into play!

Cinderella’s Castle gets me every time.  I love the ambiance, the Main Street USA atmosphere, and Festival of Fantasy Parade.  Magic Kingdom is also home to many of my favorite attractions .Dumbo, Splash Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and my list goes on and on.  We try to allow at least two days at Magic Kingdom during our Disney trips.  Today, I am going to share the Five Attractions to Skip at Magic Kingdom.  

Magic Kingdom Attractions to Skip

Which attractions should i skip at magic kingdom?

The AstroOrbiter~ You may remember from my Top Magic Kingdom Attractions to Visit at Night, that the Astro Orbiter was on my list.  And yes, that is one of those you should ride at night.  However, it is not on the top of my “must do” list for a day at Magic Kingdom.  Why?  First, the queue is very slow.  You have to take an elevator up to the loading area, and this wastes precious park time.  Also, the elevator ride can be unpleasant during the peak seasons when they pack guests onto the elevator.  If you are going to enjoy this attraction, consider doing it during Evening Extra Magic Hours.  

Country Bear Jamboree ~ I know, the country bears are a classic.  And I do love them!  I actually love seeing my husband sing along with the country bears even more! However, it is also a time suck.  If you have precious time to spend at Magic Kingdom, it is okay to skip the Country Bear Jamboree.  This is a great one if it is raining, or blasted hot outside and you need a break.  However, there are many other attractions that are more worth your time than the Country Bear Jamboree.

Tomorrowland Motor Speedway ~ This is one of those attractions that I have a love/hate relationship with  My kids LOVE it. I am not a fan. I feel as if the queue is very long, and often very hot. Also, there is no story, no theming to it really. Also, it is not a smooth ride. I don’t love the fact that I cannot control my car…it is on a track. So not a lot of steering involved.  This attraction is one of those I am okay with skipping, or hopping on during an After Hours event or Extra Magic Hours.  And if we don’t make it, we don’t make it.

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin ~ Magic Kingdom is home to three in the air, spinning attractions. AstroOrbiter, Dumbo, and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin are all favorites for various reasons.  However, if you have limited time at Magic Kingdom, it is okay to skip the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. This one is sort of lack luster.  It doesn’t have the cute queue or the theming that Dumbo does, and does not provide the views {particularly at night} that the AstroOrbiter does. Although, if you were traveling with my daughter, you’d ride the Magic Carpets of Aladdin over and over again! If you have limited time and need to skip one in the air, spinning attraction, skip this one.

Goofy’s Barnstormer ~ This attraction is found in Storybook Circus, and I think this is okay to skip for several reasons. First, the queue is boring and can be quite hot. There isn’t any amazing theming at this attraction, either. It is good for the littles who want a roller coaster experience. However, I find it last on our list, as it is not a “must do” in my opinion.

A few general tips when your time is limited at Magic Kingdom:

Arrive at the park 30-minutes before park opening.  Have your bag ready and open for bag check, and have a plan for where you are going first.  We typically start in Adventureland and work our way around Magic Kingdom.

Stop for photos on Main Street USA in the afternoon, or as you are leaving.  I know that taking pictures can be a time suck.  However, I have found the photographers less busy during the afternoon hours. 

Plan your Fastpasses for between 11AM and 2PM. This is when the park starts getting busy.  So you want to save your Fastpasses for this time of day. That gives you time to enjoy them at the peak time, as well as give you plenty of time to get more later as the day goes on.

Do not see any shows.  I LOVE Mickey’s Philharmagic, but if we only have one day at Magic Kingdom, it is not a priority. They can be a huge time suck. If you must see one, save it for the heat of the day to give yourself a break indoors.

Eat only Quick Service meals. Save your table service for another day, or perhaps a nice dinner after your day at Magic Kingdom. If you can get an early enough breakfast time at a Magic Kingdom resort and still make it to the park before it opens, that is another alternative to working in a table service meal.

Plan to spend the day at Magic Kingdom from open to close. That means parking your bag accordingly, planning a few breaks here and there IN the park, and not leaving to go back to the resort to rest or swim. Magic Kingdom has some nice places to take a break, yet sill enjoy the park. The Liberty Belle Riverboat, Tom Sawyer’s Island, and the play area outside of Splash Mountain all allow a short break while working on your game plan for the rest of the day.

Plan your meet and greets well. Try to see characters in Pete’s Silly Sideshow-you can see four characters in probably about 30 minutes depending on the lines. Visit two princesses in Princess Fairytale Hall, and avoid the meet and greets at the park entrance. This will help you hit the highlights, and still have time to enjoy the park. 

How would you spend one day at Magic Kingdom?  

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33 Comments

  1. I was prepared to write an angry comment about, “How dare you mention [insert attraction]!” But I pretty much agree with all of these ?
    Barnstormer is a small exception only because of personal memories, it is the first roller coaster my children ever rode on.
    Thanks for writing!

    1. Thanks! They are definitely attractions I have done and really enjoyed. But sometimes you have limited time! Thanks for stopping by.

    2. This is pretty much my consensus as well. After you have been a few times as well, these become lest “must do” than other attractions. Thanks for linking to #mousefanmondays this week Carrie!

  2. I’m with you on those four! Country Bear Jamboree is one we do when we need a sit down in an air conditioned area (I’m a teacher, so our trips are always in August). We always try to hit our favorites first, then go to the rides that are next on the list. And our biggest tip is to (if you’re not interested or coming back another day to see them) skip the fireworks and go on rides during the fireworks. We walked on to Pirates, and waited about 5 minutes for Jungle Cruise doing that!

    1. That is a great point! We have done rides during fireworks, and you are right! Sometimes you can even catch a glimpse of them on the ride. We saw Wishes from Big Thunder once. It was really cool!

  3. I agree with all of your choices. The Magic Kingdom has so many rides you have to pick and choose. These are all ones that I normally skip!

    1. Thanks, Becky! I know. It is definitely a 2-day park!

  4. Great post! Great tips! I never rode Stitch because my family was adamant that I was wasting my time it was awful. Seems this is what everyone says.

    1. Thank you! I think Stitch is so cute, but the ride is NOT one I love!

  5. I agree with all of these, except Barnstormer holds a special place as my kids’ first roller coaster. It is the least exciting of the coasters though. I really wanted to like Stitch’s Great Escape, but we went one time and never again. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Thanks for stopping by, Sarah! Barnstormer is a great “first” coaster!

  6. I definitely agree with this list. Dumbo is a classic but having 2 other rides that are the same format and in the same park is excessive. Time is very precious at Magic Kingdom because this park has the most to do!

    1. I know. That is where I was coming from, too. I like the others, but Dumbo is my favorite.

  7. Can’t stand Stitch’s Great Escape either! But I totally adore Country Bear Jamboree – soft place in my heart for that one from my childhood. đŸ˜‰

    1. Thanks for stopping by! My husband is sentimental about the Country Bears, too!

  8. If I just had one day at the Magic Kingdom, I would spend the day watching the castle show, the Movie It Shake It Play It Parade, the Festival of Fantasy Parade, character greetings, and Happily Ever After Fireworks!
    I am a big fan of the Barnstormer though, probably for more sentimental reasons, lol. I am so scared of coasters and the Barnstormer was the first one my husband could get me on.

    1. Oh, I am a huge fan of the shows, too! But they can be a time suck. Although, I am sad that I may miss Festival of Fantasy on my upcoming trip :(. Thanks so much for stopping by!

  9. Aw, I actually love Stitch’s Great Escape, but I have a few hacks on how to enjoy it more that others don’t seem to realize. I get that a lot of people don’t like it though. I totally agree with Astro Orbiter though. The wait for that one is totally not worth the amount of time you are actually on the ride.

    1. I should have read your hacks before I rode it. LOL! Thanks for stopping by!

  10. Interesting, thanks for sharing. some good info to have the next time we go and are pressed for time.

    1. Thank you! I love all of Magic Kingdom, but it is so hard to make time for everything!

  11. I have to agree with you that the shows are worth skipping if you’re running low on time. Unless you have kids that really enjoy shows, most people would rather get an extra ride or two in. Good read.

  12. I haven’t been to Magic Kingdom yet with my kiddos but I found these type of posts so helpful! It’s nice to have an idea of what you can miss if you don’t have the time!

    1. Thanks! It is always nice to have a different perspective on Magic Kingdom!

  13. I agree about Stitch – but we love the Barnstormer!

  14. Stich’s Great Escape was always one to miss! Even when it was the original ride of Alien the concept always just seemed too scary for Magic Kingdom. I actually like the Magic Carpets. One of the best times to ride is during the fireworks.

    1. Oh I totally don’t get Stitch’s Great Escape, either!! I do like the carpets, and I agree. Those types of rides are great at night.

  15. Our first Disney trip is almost here and I think I’m more excited than the kiddos, but what is the best time to see the princesses. My daughter is ok with only seeing them one tiime, but was just wondering when the best time of the day for that is?

    1. Oh how fun! The first trip is always so much fun!! I would try to see them around lunch time, or early evening. Or, if you can get a Fastpass for the ones at Magic Kingdom, even better!

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