Disney’s Magic Kingdom FastPass+ Strategy, Tiers & Tips for 2024

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the FastPass system at Disney’s Magic Kingdom has been suspended. We will be the first to let you know when it resumes. In the meantime, get discount Magic Kingdom and other Walt Disney World tickets at Undercover Tourist.

The Magic Kingdom is the original park at Walt Disney World, and it also has the most number of rides. For that reason, many people split the Magic Kingdom into two separate days since there is so much to see. While that is an option, a sound FastPass+ (FastPass Plus or FP+) strategy gives you the option to experience most, if not all, of the rides, attractions, and other activities in a single day.

This post will discuss Disney’s Magic Kingdom FastPass ride tiers, timing, strategy, rope drops, and other helpful guidelines. For our full FastPass+ series, see our guide on Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, Epcot, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

How Do I Book FastPasses at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park?

Use the My Disney Experience App or Disney’s website to book your Magic Kingdom FastPasses. Guests staying at eligible Disney hotels can begin booking 60 days in advance of the first night of their stay, while non-Disney hotel guests can begin booking 30 days in advance. Alternatively, you can also use one of the six kiosks located within the Magic Kingdom.

• Mickey’s Philharmagic (across from Prince Charming Regal Carrousel)
• Pete’s Silly Sideshow (in a nearby tent)
• The Diamond Horseshoe (across from Swiss Family Treehouse)
• Jungle Cruise (Adventureland)
• Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin (Tomorrowland)
• Tomorrowland Bridge (close to Stitch’s Great Escape)

We always recommend using the My Disney Experience App on your phone or Disney’s website to book your FastPass+ reservations in advance. Once inside the park, the app is also the best and quickest option to modify, cancel, and swap FastPasses. Use the kiosks only if you do not have cell phone service or do not own a smartphone. 

The Magic Kingdom Does Not Have a Tier System For Its FastPasses

Unlike Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Magic Kingdom does not have FastPass+ tiers. That means you have the option to book FastPasses for three of any of the 25 eligible rides, attractions, and character meets in advance. 

Magic Kingdom FastPass Rides

As of May 2020, the following 20 rides are eligible for FastPasses

Attraction	Land
The Barnstormer	Fantasyland
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad	Frontierland
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin	Tomorrowland
Dumbo the Flying Elephant	Fantasyland
Enchanted Tales with Belle	Fantasyland
The Haunted Mansion	Liberty Square
“it’s a small world”	Fantasyland
Jungle Cruise	Adventureland
Mad Tea Party	Fantasyland
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin	Adventureland
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh	Fantasyland
Mickey’s PhilharMagic	Fantasyland
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor	Tomorrowland
Peter Pan’s Flight	Fantasyland
Pirates of the Caribbean	Adventureland
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train	Fantasyland
Space Mountain	Tomorrowland
Splash Mountain	Frontierland
Tomorrowland Speedway	Tomorrowland
Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid	Fantasyland

Magic Kingdom FastPass Character Meets

As of May 2020, the following 5 character meets are eligible for FastPasses

Character Meet	Land
Ariel at Her Grotto	Fantasyland
Cinderella & Elena at Princess Fairytale Hall	Fantasyland
Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater	Main Street, U.S.A.
Rapunzel and Tiana at Princess Fairytale Hall	Fantasyland
Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater	Main Street, U.S.A.

Best Magic Kingdom FastPass Picks

1. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

2. Space Mountain

3. Peter Pan’s Flight

4. Splash Mountain

5. Big Thunder Mountain

6. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

7. Tomorrowland Speedway

8. Jungle Cruise

9. Everything else

Picking Your Top Three FastPasses

Ideally, you will have three FastPasses from the following five rides — Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain. Your priority will be Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which is one of the hardest FastPasses at Walt Disney World to get. Space Mountain is a close second, but your third FastPass is going to be a bit harder to pick. Here are the options.

Peter Pan’s Flight – This classic Disney attraction is among the Magic Kingdom’s most popular rides, and it regularly sees lines over two hours. Since you are probably not going to rope drop it, it may make sense to use it as your third FastPass. Otherwise, you should wait until the end of the night when crowds die down and the standby line is not as long to ride it.

Splash Mountain – While Orlando sees warm temperatures all year, it can get a bit chilly in the winter months. For that reason, Splash Mountain’s lines are generally shorter in early December through the end of February. If you are going during those months, you can probably skip the FastPass and enjoy a shorter standby line. If you are going during the summer months and other warm times of the year, Splash Mountain is a great pick for your third FastPass. In addition to seeing very long lines, the ride time is around 10 minutes, which is on the longer side. As you will be getting wet, we generally do not recommend rope dropping Splash Mountain during the cold months.

Big Thunder Mountain – Depending on your other FastPasses, Big Thunder Mountain is a great ride to rope drop. Frontierland is usually pretty empty in the very early morning compared to other areas of the park, so you should be able to get on within a few minutes. If you were unable to secure FastPasses for the rides listed above, Big Thunder Mountain is still a solid option for your third FastPass.

The Vacationer’s Ideal Magic Kingdom FastPass+ and Rope Drop Strategy

This strategy assumes you are booking three FastPasses in advance as well as arriving at rope drop. The Magic Kingdom does not have any single rider lines.

Rope Drop Attraction – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

FP 1 – Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

FP 2 – Space Mountain

FP 3 – Peter Pan’s Flight or Splash Mountain

After riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad first thing in the morning, you should then prioritize Splash Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean. 

You Should Rope Drop Adventureland and Frontierland

As discussed above, you should start your day in Adventureland and Frontierland. Many guests  go to Fantasyland (for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train) and Tomorrowland (for Space Mountain) first thing in the morning, so Adventureland and Frontierland are generally not as crowded. Depending on the weather, Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain are two great picks to rope drop and ride back-to-back.

After riding Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain, you should aim to hit The Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean are both in Adventureland, while The Haunted Mansion is in Liberty Square. Unfortunately, they are in opposite directions, so we recommend Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean first followed by The Haunted Mansion.

Tips for Getting a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train FastPass

Since opening in 2014, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has been one of the most popular rides in the Magic Kingdom. It is also one of the most highly sought after FastPasses in all of Disney World, which can make it a challenge to get one. As always, we recommend logging into the My Disney Experience App or Disney’s website 60 to 30 days in advance at 7 a.m. EST to begin selecting your FastPasses.

To even better your chances of scoring a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train FastPass, you can book more than 60 days in advance if you are staying at an eligible Disney hotel. The 60-day window is actually from the first night of your stay. For example, pretend you are staying at The Grand Floridian starting November 1. Your window to begin booking FastPasses starts on September 2. This window lets you book all of your FastPasses for the duration of your trip as opposed to just the park you will be visiting 60 days from that day.

That means you should plan to visit the Magic Kingdom towards the end of your trip if you want to almost guarantee to get a FastPass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. If you decide to visit the Magic Kingdom on November 7, you will be able to book 65 days in advance.

Getting More Than Three FastPasses at the Magic Kingdom

With 25 eligible FastPass+ rides and attractions, the Magic Kingdom easily has the most available options. Since time is limited for a one-day visit, you are going to have to get a fourth, fifth, and even sixth FastPass if you want to see all the Magic Kingdom has to offer.

You can accomplish this by using your FastPasses fairly early in the day. We recommend scheduling your first for two hours after the park opens. For example, if the park opens at 7 a.m., you should use your first FastPass at 9 a.m. The first two hours should be spent rope dropping a popular attraction followed by completing other rides that will have shorter lines than usual. 

After using your first three FastPasses, you can schedule a fourth one using the My Disney Experience App or one of the six kiosks located within the Magic Kingdom. If you are using the app, this should be done immediately after scanning your MagicBand or card at your third FastPass attraction.

Check Height Requirements Before Finalizing Your FastPass Plan

Before booking any FastPasses at the Magic Kingdom, you should be aware of the height requirements if children are in your party. This list is subject to change, but here is the current list as of April 2020.

Rides/Attractions With a Height Requirement

• The Barnstormer – At least 35 inches / 89 centimeters
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – At least 40 inches / 102 centimeters
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – At least 38 inches – 97 centimeters
• Space Mountain – At least 44 inches – 113 centimeters
• Splash Mountain – At least 40 inches – 102 centimeters
• Tomorrowland Speedway – At least 32 inches – 82 centimeters

Rides/Attractions With No Height Requirement

• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station
• Country Bear Jamboree
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Enchanted Tales with Belle
• Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade
• The Hall of Presidents
• Haunted Mansion
• “it’s a small world”
• Jungle Cruise
• Liberty Square Riverboat
• Mad Tea Party
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• A Pirate’s Adventure ~ Treasures of the Seven Seas
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Swiss Family Treehouse
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Tom Sawyer Island
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
• Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
• Walt Disney World Railroad

The Magic Kingdom Currently Has No Single Rider Lines

Unlike the other three Walt Disney World parks, there are currently no single rider lines at the Magic Kingdom. This may not affect parties with small children, but it is a disadvantage for groups who usually take advantage of the shorter single rider lines as a part of their FastPass strategy.

Consider Splitting The Magic Kingdom Into Two Days for More FastPass Flexibility

As previously discussed, it is more than possible to see most of the Magic Kingdom in a single day. The problem is you are going to have to get some key FastPasses (Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Space Mountain) as well as move quickly throughout the park. You will also have to arrive early and rope drop any attractions you do not have a FastPass for.

If you are looking for a more relaxed approach, it may make sense to do the Magic Kingdom in two days as opposed to one. This will give you a much better shot at getting all of the important FastPasses since you no longer have to cram everything into a single day. Here are two possible plans.

Day 1

FP 1 – Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

FP 2 – Space Mountain

FP 3 – Peter Pan’s Flight

Day 2

FP 1 – Splash Mountain

FP 2 – Big Thunder Mountain

FP 3 – Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Since you have FastPasses for the rides with the longest lines, rope dropping becomes less important. Either way, we still recommend arriving close to the Magic Kingdom’s opening time to take advantage of shorter lines.

Character Greets May Make Sense as FastPass+ Picks

Character Meet and Greets are popular with children of all ages as well as adults. Because of their popularity, lines can get surprisingly long. While we prefer and recommend using your FastPasses on the most popular rides, using your FastPass on any one of the five characters greets at the Magic Kingdom may be a good option for your group. This is especially true if you have small children who may not want to ride thrill rides such as Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and Splash Mountain.

The Vacationer’s Final Thoughts

With easily the most rides for a Walt Disney World park, the Magic Kingdom requires good planning. Ideally, you will get Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Space Mountain FastPasses. You also either get a Peter Pan’s Flight, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or Splash Mountain FastPass as your third. If you cannot get those FastPasses or just want to avoid the stress, split the Magic Kingdom into two days to see everything at your own pace.

Featured Image by betinasuarez via Pixabay