We go to Disney World every single day, and that means we’ve gotten pretty good at navigating the parks!
Cinderella Castle
We know the less-crowded walkways, the best bathrooms, and of course, all the shortcuts. If you’re heading to Magic Kingdom soon and you want to use some of our secrets, then we’ve rounded up a list of the BEST shortcuts in the park…with maps!
Kicking off this shortcut list in Frontierland, we’ve got a pathway you’ve probably trodden if you’ve been to the park a couple of times — the Rivers of America Boardwalk. This raised wooden sidewalk cuts away from the main thoroughfare and is a great way to get around the crowds during parades or busy times of the day. Plus, it’s beautiful and scenic!
The boardwalk pathway!
Walking all the way around from Frontierland to Adventureland can be a pain, and that’s why Disney has two small shortcuts between the lands! The first is next to Aloha Isle and Frontier Trading Post, and the second is between The Diamond Horseshoe and Skipper Canteen. The second one gets a little crowded because it’s also home to a bathroom, but these can be major time-savers when you’re trying to get somewhere quickly.
Cuts from Adventureland to Frontierland
One of my personal favorite shortcuts is the small bridge that cuts from the front of Adventureland to the backside of Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. This is another great one to take when avoiding the parade crowds, and it leads to a nice, secluded seating area in Liberty Square.
To Liberty Square!
One of the first shortcuts any Disney fan learns about is cutting through The Emporium! Mind you, this only works well when the gift shop is empty-ish, but it’s a nice time-saver when Main Street, U.S.A. is busy. All the shops on the left side of the street are connected, and then you just exit through Casey’s Corner at the end.
Through The Emporium!
If you’re trying to get to Tomorrowland from Main Street, U.S.A., you don’t need to go all the way through the hub! The fastest way to get there is to cut through Tomorrowland Terrace, a restaurant that’s only open to host fireworks dessert parties. There’s a pathway that takes you through the restaurant and then past Tomorrowland’s iconic purple wall, dumping you out right at the land’s entrance.
Through Tomorrowland Terrace
One of the best shortcuts in the park is the one that travels between Storybook Circus and Tomorrowland. You can enter either by The Barnstormer or by TRON Lightcycle / Run and walk all the way between the two lands. The path is usually pretty quiet and has some nice views — it’s also the easiest way to get to Tomorrowland from the Fantasyland Train Station.
From Tomorrowland to Storybook Circus
So there you go, some of our favorite shortcuts in Magic Kingdom! Hopefully, these will help you save some time during your next trip to the park. Stay tuned to DFB for more tips and tricks!
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I love these! Thank you, DFB!! I have used all of the outside ones, but not the one through the Emporium or Tomorrowland Terrace.
This was very helpful! Do you have this for Epcot too? I feel like that park could benefit from short cuts. The last time I was there, I logged 31k steps.
I kept this as I’m going there in a couple of months and will plan to use them. I was also wondering if there are shortcuts in the other parks as well.