Let me tell you something. I like to sleep in. I like soft beds, dark rooms, and warm drinks. Do you know what I don’t like? Alarm clocks. Crowds. Rushing around. General chaos. ESPECIALLY on vacation. But when you’re spending all that money on Magic Kingdom park tickets, is it really right to snooze through valuable park time?
I’m not a morning person
If you hate chaotic mornings in Magic Kingdom but still want to make the most of your time in Disney World, you’re not alone. Sure, lots of people love to rope-drop the parks at the crack of dawn, but not everyone enjoys a busy morning. What can you do instead? Plenty! (And none of it requires a 6AM alarm!)
When you’re in a frantic rush to get to the bus stop in time to rope-drop Magic Kingdom, you might not have time to stop for breakfast. But take it from us. That is a CRIME! Disney has some really good breakfast options you might miss if you run out the door.
1900 Park Fare breakfast is elite
Tonga Toast from Captain Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, for example? Well worth your time! And good news — Capt. Cook’s serves breakfast until 11AM, so you have plenty of time to sleep in.
Kona Cafe’s Tonga Toast with Strawberry Sauce
But there are plenty of other spots we recommend for breakfast, too! Steakhouse 71 has an excellent breakfast, and after your meal, you can take a leisurely walk right over to the Magic Kingdom entrance. Yep, you read that right. WALK. It doesn’t get any easier than this, people. Why race to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train first thing in the morning when you can enjoy all this warm, savory food instead? This is vacationing in style.
Just look at that spread!
If you’re looking for food recommendations, we love Steakhouse 71’s Walt’s Prime Rib Hash, which is seared prime rib, fried potatoes, carmelized onions and peppers, and topped with a fried egg. This is the way to start your morning!
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OK, so maybe you’re not a breakfast person, either. Fair enough. You could always sleep in, hit the pool, and then travel to Magic Kingdom in the late afternoon. The good news about this plan is that the line for the bus to Magic Kingdom is typically SUPER short after the initial rush of rope-drop crowds passes through.
Hippy Dippy Pool at Pop Century
Plus, the pool is typically less crowded in the morning, so if you’re looking for some quiet time at the pool, go in the morning. Hey, we love those enthusiastic Cast Members in charge of pool activities, but sometimes, we just want to read our book by the pool in peace and quiet.
Uzima Pool
Speaking of peace and quiet, there’s another hangout spot we frequent during our mornings in Disney World. If you, like us, love a cozy cafe, look no further than Le Petit Cafe at Disney’s Riviera Resort. This place is the best!
Le Petit Cafe
Not only do they serve some great coffee and chai lattes, but there’s also a little lounge right next door with plenty of seating. Admittedly, we’re a little nervous about giving up this information (this is our go-to hangout spot!), but we can’t gatekeep it. Enjoy it, and thank us later!
Pumpkin Napoleon
Seriously, though, the Voyageurs’ Lounge next door is a great place to visit before you head off to the Magic Kingdom for a busy day at the park. It’s dark, quiet, and packed with vintage Disney details we could admire all day.
Voyageurs’ Lounge
OK, so we should probably talk about actually getting to Magic Kingdom, since you did pay for those park tickets. In our experience, the calmest, breeziest way to get to Magic Kingdom is via boat. We like the ferry boat since it is big, slow, and holds a lot of people.
So pretty
Unlike the monorail, which packs a lot of people in a small space, the ferry is open-air and gives you plenty of space to move about as you like. Remember, we like it niiiice and easy around here. This is a calm, relaxing way to start your morning. Trust us.
Behold!
Ideally, we recommend avoiding the Transportation and Ticket Center early in the morning altogether if you can. The crowds can be pretty intense around park opening, and being stuck in a long, cranky crowd of people at 7AM is NOT a very magical start to your day.
Oh no!
Will you miss out on super short Magic Kingdom wait times if you sleep in? Yes, probably. But is waking up early worth it? That’s up to you! Ultimately, we like to protect our peace with an easy morning. Those rides will still be there in a few hours, right? In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.
8 Places You Should NEVER Propose in Disney World
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Oh thank you,thank you that was a GREAT article. I have said it so many time don’t rush your vacation at Disney.I though I was the only one that hated the mass of crowds at rope drop. Getting up in the beautiful hotel room having a cup for tea on the balcony. Getting on the first bus,the ferry or walking to the entrance of what ever park you want. Then enjoying the park maybe picking a ride then watch a show do all the sampling you care to enjoy. By mid day still have more energy to keep going or stop for a nice lunch, To take in all the magic that is around you. Watch the fireworks still ready for a night cap at quite lounge.Then back to the beautifully themed room for quite night sleep before doing it all over again.Then going home ready and rested for the work that lie ahead.Till you can come back to the wonder world of quite magic.
I agree! We are not cut out for rope dropping in my crew. When it works, we love a late breakfast (preferably a character breakfast, but we do change it up), which sets us up nicely for a late lunch or an early dinner, and that helps us to avoid some of the worst crowds until fireworks time. When a park closes early, we’ll plan on a later dinner outside the park, so that we can get in that must-do ride before closing if we need to. When many other people are having their meals, or heading back to the hotel to rest, or leaving because they are exhausted, we’re ready to go!
Our mornings are totally as described in this article. We love Ale and Compass best for breakfast, but Steakhouse 71 is also a must do for breakfast for us! We don’t hit the parks until we have had a leisurely breakfast and there are so many great hotel restaurants to choose from!