MK- 1st in or Last Out?

[PirateLover]

Saw this question on the Walt Disney World Facebook Page:
"WOULD YOU RATHER ... be the first one to enter the Magic Kingdom in the morning or the last one to leave at night?"

We have never been the VERY first or the VERY last but we have been among both. Nighttime was awesome. With the park practically empty at 1am, we had some great character interaction. The gate to the stage in front of the castle was open with no CM around to tell us to stay off, and we had a fun time horsing around. That being said, nothing beats a sunny morning at the MK! Everything is bright and new, super clean and you have the whole day in front of you. :mickey:

[exvagirl]

1st in-absolutely...my family (other than my brother :)) have always been early risers, but crash around 10 or 11 pm...we're usually those people against the rope when it drops :D

[MrPeetrie]

First in. No question. I love getting there as early as possible.

[Kairi_7378]

I was the first person in Epcot one day (for about 30 seconds!) and it was a really cool feeling. No perks like what you had at MK at night but still really exciting!

[I LoveJack]

DD and I was first at the turnstyles one morning so that she could be the one of the first ones in.

[LovinWDW]

I know we have been the first in once. Had an 8am breakfast reservation in the castle and we were first in line at the train station where they check your reservation time. Very coll walking down Main St toward the Castle with NO ONE in front of you. Have a great picture of my wife and one DD standing on Main St with the castle behind them. Looks like the park was all ours.

We have also been one of the last to leave. It was a extra magic night that ended at 3am. Another great picture of the Castle from the train station with NO ONE on Main St.

AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! 16 more days:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[sixshot19]

I would like to be last out, don't think anyone else in the family would last though. I guess I'm destined for first in....

[syndrome]

I have done both and they each are pretty awesome for different reasons. Being first in the park is such a "free" feeling--you can choose any ride and know that you will walk right on! Being the last to leave is pretty cool b/c you know you have helped to close such a special place--even though it will be opening back up in just a few hours!

[JasonH]

There's been a few times in which I and my family when I was younger that we got to be amongst the first ones in at Epcot and DHS (ahh, such memories of seeing Future Corps perform and of walking briskly to get line bracelets for autographs of the Star Wars stars), but never for MK. In all actuality, I would prefer being the last one out (or at least towards being the last one). Nighttime at MK is great and with hardly any people, I can take a little extra time to get just the right night shots that I need to take.

[JPL]

I've done both in the same day! Arrived at opening and left at closing minus a small break at the Poly for Dinner.

[DVC2004]

I would be last out. We don't go to the parks right at opening any more. LOL, I wonder how early you have to get there to be the first in???

[mechanic]

last out. my reg work shift is 3pm to midnight. im never up before 9. really love the 2am late nights.

[magicalmom]

Ummmmmmm . . . can I do both?

[snowflakegirl]

Ummmmmmm . . . can I do both?

Right there with you!! Although on our last trip we got there around 9:30 (opened at 9:00) because we were taking it easy. We did go back for a late evening, though and stayed til 2:00.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

First of course

[BraddyB]

Last out, I dont want to leave !!!!!

[mgmnut]

I've been there at opening, never first, but I do like to be there at rope drop, DW, not so much. If I had to choose, I would still prefer last out. We usually go at a time of year when the parks close pretty early and I love Disney at night. This year we are going in July,.... 16 more Days :thumbsup: I can't wait to spend late nights at MK, EMH til 2 am 2 nights we are there. Staying at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge so MK is just a quick boat ride away!

[chefmickey3]

Although we have closed the parks (esp MK) I don't think anything beats the magic of being one of the first in. Especially now with kids it is our best option. We have so much fun doing Fantasyland on an early EMH day - so efficient but more importantly FUN!

[dizneydeb22]

We've been pretty close to first one in, but never last one out. We are going to try that on our next trip...42 more days!!! MK is open til 2am and we are going to do our best to be there until then!:mickey:

[Dragongirlx]

i'd love to be first in. I am an early riser anyway so I find it easier to get there at rope drop. I would love to get picked to be part of the opening ceremony at the magic kingdom but since I don't have kids and always go with my twin I don't think it's every going to happen

[darthmacho]

I'm in the morning camp. There is really nothing like arriving at a WDW theme park, especially MK first thing in the morning, when the air still has that little bit of cool moisture in the air that you can literally smell, and of course you have the entire day ahead of you too! :mickey:

[EJS-Houston]

Although in my day-to-day I get up early and go to bed at a reasonable hour (6:30 a and 11:30 p, respectively)...when I'm at DisneyWorld I revert to my natural night-owl tendencies...so it'd definitely be "last to leave."

[BrerSchultzy]

Before I had a child, I was always one of the last ones out...though, to be fair, I was also amongst the throngs of people arriving at 10 or 11, and wondering why all the lines were so long.
Now, we're always amongst the first ones in, and we get more done by 11 than I used to get done the entire day. This last trip, we had ridden everything in Fantasyland, Buzz, PeopleMover and POTc, and had stockpiled FPs for Buzz, Jungle Cruise, WTP and Peter Pan...all by lunchtime (which, of course, was upstairs at Columbia Harbour House, pretty much all to ourselves.)
Getting there early really takes the crowd issues out of the picture.

[Cara121078]

First in! I am a total morning person.:mickey:

[biodtl]

That's a hard one. I have never made it for rope drop & it would be nice to be able to walk on whatever ride we wanted.

But I have been the last out and there is something magical about being almost completely alone in a park at night.

Both!

[DNS]

This is difficult for me because the parks take on such an interesting look at night, but entering first thing, you feel fresh with your whole day ahead of you. I guess I would have to say first in.

[indytraveler]

Prefer to be first in, but have been last out EVERY time we are there. These are on the same days as well. Nothing like the sound of the sweepers moving down Main St. after the parade. Its like pushing all the parade watchers out of the park. :D

[Fastpasssteve]

We have never been the first ones into the park on any morning. My friends and I have no children, so we have been almost the last ones out of the park. Late Extra Magic Hours are our friends.

[spoiledraf]

I can reverse your title. We tend to get there late due to being late risers on vacation and then doing breakfast. So last in. We are not big on the rides and typically hit a show or two, get a snack and seldom stay long in the parks. First out to hit the pool and allow plenty of time to propare for dinner, usually at a signature restaurant. But we do usually hit a park for fireworks later.

[lovinmesomedisney]

Well, I would have to say both, because that is pretty much what we do every trip. We have breakfast before the park opens at Crystal Palace, and we are there until park close, so I can only say BOTH!!! :mickey:

[joonyer]

Can't say I was ever the first guest to enter MK in the morning, but we have had early ADRs at Crystal Palace and then been the first guests to board Splash Mountain at park opening. We had to stop after the first ride, to take on additional passengers, but didn't have to get out, still very few people in line, and then the next time through, we didn't even stop at the boarding station. That was lot of fun. By then there were a few more guests wandering back to Frontierland, but we still go to ride BTMRR several times with no wait whatsoever.

[r4kids]

First, it's so peaceful !!!! Last the are cleaning up and moving to close, when your first everything is ready and clean. Love it!!

[jenperich]

Most definitely last out. We love the fireworks, the parades, and the MK lit up at night. With this being said, our time spent in MK on days we get there early for breakfast at Crystal Palace is wonderful.

I guess all time spent in MK is great to me!

[kemps@wdw]

We are the "1st family" type. Want to be 1st in line @ the gate when it opens! Love seeing everything clean and "fresh". And since we park hop, we do all we want at one park in the AM, have some mid-day relaxation, and then hop to our afternoon/evening park of choice.

[waymickey]

We have been the last the leave. We were stuck on a ride until well after closing. It was kind of weird to be honest, the park was almost erie. The ride broke down just before closing, they tried to get it running again and about after an hour they decided to get everyone off the ride. We were on the TTA and they had to unlock each door and walk people through the ride to the nearest stairway. We were the last car they opened so we were the last ones out. They called a bus for us since the park had been closed for a while. It was weird walking down main street with the castle dark behind us.

We have been first too and much prefer that. Magic waiting just in front of you.

[DisneyorBust]

I would like to try both! We have been in the MK early for Crystal Palace ADR's but never the very first ones in. Either way it a great way to take in the Magic Kingdom.

[Mickey91]

Both!! The park is so magical when no one else is around! :mickey:

[Kathy Jetson]

We were last to leave MK last Oct. Emh was till 3:00am when we got to the front of the park to turn our locker key in it was 4:00am the cms said "Oh there you are" when we got on the tram to go back to our car we were the only ones on it. The driver told us he knew where we were parked because we were the last car in the parking lot.:mickey: