Magic Kingdom Strategy for a Young Family

When people think about Walt Disney World, they will usually think of Magic Kingdom, first and foremost. The castle, the rides, the parade and fireworks - all iconic Disney. If you're taking your family to Walt Disney World, there's no way you can skip out on a day at Magic Kingdom. However, out of all the parks, Magic Kingdom is by far the most hectic. There is simply way too much to see and do, it is impossible to cover everything in one day. This is even more apparent when you're visiting with young kids, where you will likely be limited by moods, energy levels, and the dreaded height requirements.

During our first family Disney World vacation my two kids were 4 years old and 20 months old. During our last trip (as of this writing) during the 2025 Marathon Weekend my three kids were 9, 6, and 20 months. While some things in Magic Kingdom change, from the attractions to the kids' tastes in rides, we've found a few consistent rhythms to help us get the most out of our day while still making it to the Happily Ever After.

For the sake of this strategy/rough itinerary, I'll assume you have at least one kid who is tall enough (and interested enough) to ride everything at Magic Kingdom, and at least one kid who is too small or even just not into the thrill rides with taller height requirements. Personally, our family has never been to Disney World when everyone was tall enough to ride everything. And even if they were, there is a mix where my older one loves rollercoasters and my middle one typically avoids the faster rides (although she loved the drop on Tiana's Bayou Adventure). Kids are totally unpredictable in what they'll respond to, and I always tell people you will only have as much fun as the least happy person in your party. If your kid has a rough time on their first rollercoaster or similar thrill ride, take that as a cue to avoid other similar attractions or use the Rider Switch feature.

Below you'll find a rough itinerary that has always worked great for my family. This itinerary focuses on a few basic strategies:

• Minimizing wait times: This is always a given for any itinerary, but obviously with little kids you don't want to wait in line with everyone for more than 30-40 minutes. This tends to be the limits for my kids, especially in the toddler stage. Younger kids (think 3-4yo and below) are like ticking time bombs, and if they're extra wiggly or tend to want to wander around a 45 minute wait can seem like an eternity.

• Methodical movement around the park: At least early in the day you'll want to limit how much back and forth you're doing around Magic Kingdom. Whether you're having your kids walk (why do they move so slow!) or they're in a stroller (renting a Double Bob is clutch with multiple kids under 6 or 7), rushing from Tomorrowland to Adventureland to Fantasyland in a short amount of time is going to wear everyone out early. Keep it simple early and adjust later in the day when you're playing with house money.

• Focus on family rides: If you have older kids (or maybe just the parents) who want to ride the bigger thrill rides then you can certainly use the Rider Switch option, but early on it's probably best for everyone to stay together and enjoy the attractions suited for everyone early on. Rushing to Early Entry only to separate immediately is a good way to inspire envy (and a meltdown) from the younger rider(s).

• Stick to the rides-shows-rides schedule: Magic Kingdom is always busiest in the middle of the day, and you can get the best bang for your buck by hitting several rides from Early Entry on through late morning, coasting into some lunch and shows in the middle of the day, and then take advantage of lower wait times in the evening before the fireworks.

• Quick Service dining can save plenty of time (and likely be less stressful): I used to love going to restaurants or diners with my kids when they were little. But then they hit a point where sitting down for a meal means spending extra money to tell your kids to stop messing with each other and just eat their food! Now I hold character dining in high regard and love a good character breakfast, so I won't fault anyone if they want to get an experience at Crystal Palace, Cinderella's Royal Table, or even Be Our Guest (hopefully you get to see the Beast). However, I have two picky eaters and a very active toddler, so sitting down for a Table Service meal at a "normal" restaurant sounds more frustrating than relaxing. Give me a quick chicken tenders or hot dog for the kids while my wife and I get what we want (Columbia Harbor House or the sweet and spicy chicken and waffle from Sleepy Hollow).

• The Lightning Lane Multipass (LLMP) is almost a must at Magic Kingdom: I remember our first Disney World trip after the paid Genie+ (RIP) thinking that a flawless strategy would render a paid line-skipping service moot. Then we found ourselves at several standstills in lines watching the seemingly-always happy and laughing families stroll past us in the clear Lightning Lanes. I have a lot of thoughts on the paid Lightning Lane service as a whole, but with the right strategy and a bit of luck you can get through your day with very little waiting for you and (more importantly) your family.

• Piggy-backing off the LLMP, you may want to schedule your Magic Kingdom visit for later in your trip: I get it - if it's your first family Disney World trip or maybe the first visit for your youngest you'll probably want them to walk down Main Street and see the castle in the background right away. If you want that special moment right off the bat, go for it. However, you'll give yourself better Lightning Lane availability (i.e., better time slots) by pushing the Magic Kingdom visit later. Since you get 7 days in advance of your Disney World vacation (the day your check into resort, not first park day) to book Lightning Lane selections for the entirety of your park days, you'll have an advantage by pushing Magic Kingdom later in the visit. Getting at least one good early Lightning Lane selection (for us, a Fantasyland ride in the 9:00am hour) is paramount for riding Lightning Lanes for the rest of the day.

One more note on LLMP selections - the most conventional strategy amongst Disney World diehards calls for:

• Tier 1: Tiana's Bayou Adventure

• Tier 2: Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion

If your family all likes these rides, then go for these. Tiana's Bayou Adventure is far from the best ride at Magic Kingdom (as much as my kids love it, I still miss Splash Mountain from my last ride in 2023), but its newness, unpredictability, and long wait/ride time will always make the Lightning Lane worth it. You can certainly be lucky in scoring a Lightning Lane spot on the day of after you've used your first selection, but I would not count on this. However, you can almost always find day-of availability for Jungle Cruise, Space Mountain, and (if you're early) Peter Pan's Flight. However, if you've got younger kids who may not like Haunted Mansion or Pirates (mine didn't love either), then I'd suggest this alternative strategy:

• Tier 1: Tiana's Bayou Adventure in the early afternoon(unless you don't want to get wet or don't want to Rider Switch at all, then go for Peter Pan's Flight)

• Tier 2: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh as early as possible (almost always has a longer wait then it should) and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin shortly after (unless it's still in refurbishment, then go for another early Fantasyland attraction like Under the Sea or Dumbo the Flying Elephant)

It's crucial to try to get one of the Fantasyland rides in the first hour of park opening so you can tap in and book another Tier 1 attraction like Jungle Cruise.

Assuming you got the above Lightning Lane selections, here's how I would structure my day with a young family:

• Early Entry Rope Drop: Peter Pan's Flight - This wait time will quickly balloon to over an hour when the park officially opens and will stay on the longer side throughout the entire day. Knock it out early, as it is still a classic that holds up great (my almost-2yo gasped at the London scene).

• After Peter Pan's Flight, bump across to it's a small world. I know it's a longer ride and the wait time is typically low by early evening, but my kids always love this attraction and point out all the different cultures and characters (the hula dancers are the highlight).

• By this time, the park has likely opened and you are hopefully in your window for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Lightning Lane. If not, you can stray back to Gaston's Tavern for a giant cinnamon roll (enough for a family of 4 to share) and maybe head onto Under the Sea. If you are in your Lightning Lane window, go to Winnie the Pooh, book your next Lightning Lane for Jungle Cruise in the early afternoon (before or after Tiana's Bayou Adventure - just be mindful to not miss the afternoon parade). After you've done both The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Under the Sea, be sure to grab a coffee and a Cheshire Cat Tail from the Cheshire Cafe as you head into Tomorrowland.

• Hopefully around now you've hit your mid-morning window for your Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. Tap in and make your next selection. The majority of the kid-friendly Tier 2 selections will be available later in the day and availability for Peter Pan's Flight and Pirates of the Caribbean will be iffy, so you may want to think about using this one on Space Mountain (using Rider Switch for non-riders) or a later-in-the-day Dumbo the Flying Elephant or early afternoon Magic Carpets of Aladdin.

• After Buzz, you'll be in a sweet spot where you've already knocked out some great attractions and your kids are in good shape. While in Tomorrowland I'd definitely hop on the PeopleMover across the way, and possibly Carousel of Progress if you want a nice break filled with mild complaints from your kids (I love it, but the charm is lost on most kids).

• By mid-day, you're looking at show and parade territory. If you can get a good view, Mickey's Magical Friendship Faire is fun for any fans of Tangled, Princess and the Frog, and/or Frozen (hint, hint). There may be multiple rounds of the Festival of Fantasy Parade, and I would prioritize to be in a good vantage point for the parade. My favorite spot is along Liberty Square in front of the Country Bear Musical Jamboree area (look for the tape and park your kids right behind the line). Also around mid-day you'll want lunch (as I mentioned before, grab something the kids like and head over to Columbia Harbour House to sit upstairs in the climate-controlled space), as well as shows like The Country Bear Musical Jamboree (I'm proud to say my kids preferred the previous iteration, but still like the new show) as well as the Enchanted Tiki Room (definitely great classic/weird Disney).

• As you hit early afternoon, you'll go to your Tiana's Bayou Adventure Lightning Lane. Keep in mind - if you're using Rider Switch for this it could take over an hour for everyone to ride, even with the Lightning Lane. Also if you use Rider Switch, you won't be able to book everyone for the next Lightning Lane until both groups go through the queue. In terms of Lightning Lanes, availability starts to shrink in the mid- to late-afternoon so you'll want to select whatever you can that works for your family and timing.

• Hopefully as you all drip out of Tiana's, you'll be in your window for Jungle Cruise. Select your next Lightning Lane after tapping in, then relax and enjoy the ride. Also, it's okay to laugh with your skipper - I'm amazed at how many times we've gone on Jungle Cruise and nobody reacted in any way to the (albeit, cheesy and punny) jokes.

• Hopefully, upon leaving Jungle Cruise, you'll be in good timing (Lightning Lane or not) for the Magic Carpets of Aladdin. At this point it's probably mid-afternoon, which is perfect timing for a treat from Aloha Isle or Sunshine Tree Terrace. Our family loves to split an I Lava You Float from Sunshine Tree Terrace.

At this point, you've hit every area of Magic Kingdom, you've gotten on most of the attractions, and everyone is still in a good mood. If you've taken your time to enjoy everything, you're probably around dinner time where you can decide what sounds good for food. If you're still in Adventureland you can swing grab some of the cheeseburger eggrolls from the Eggroll Cart, head to Casey's Corner for corndog nuggets, and take a leisure stroll down Main Street. Or you can head back to Tomorrowland if you secured an early-evening Lightning Lane for Space Mountain. Or you head to wherever the wait times seem lowest (Mickey's Philharmagic or Dumbo the Flying Elephant are solid attractions). Really you're in good enough shape to see how the family is holding up and go where the wind takes you. As you get closer to the Happily Ever After fireworks show, you'll want to think about where you want to park yourself. Based on my experience, you may be better off trying to snag a late spot on the Tomorrowland bridge or even behind the castle, as most other areas will be jam-packed and difficult to navigate with kids and a stroller. Just don't put any kids on your shoulders, please.

Obviously if there's any other ride you have to go on (Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Tron Lightcycle Run) then work that in where you can - likely later in the day. As I said in the beginning, it's nearly impossible to hit every attraction and still have a functional family at the end of the day. Even if you splurge for the Lightning Lane Premier Pass (which will render any strategy as pointless if you can just go on what you want, when you want to), you'll need to make choices based on how your family is doing. But at least going in with a solid strategy should give you some breathing room to take in the characters, the ambience, and the iconography of Magic Kingdom.