Which direction do you go in Magic Kingdom?

[steamboat willy]

How do YOU start your day at Magic Kingdom?
LEFT towards Jungle & Pirates
RIGHT towards BUZZ, TT and Space
Or
STRAIGHT towards Cindi's Castle, PP and New Fantasyland

We normally go LEFT toward Jungle and keep moving clockwise. We save Haunted Mansion for after dark. Since we don't usually make it all the way around before Pool Time we go RIGHT in the evening starting in Tomorrowland and move counter clock wise.

I guess with more to explore in New Fantasyland, we may have to break tradition!

Which Way Do YOU Go?

[Reedy Creek Buccaneer]

This year we started at Fantasyland, but we should have started with Tomorrowland.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

With my son we would probably go to Frontierland first so he could ride the two mountains but next trip we will definitely go straight to Fantasyland. I figure it will best to do new attractions as close to opening as possible.

[Strmchsr]

I figure it will best to do new attractions as close to opening as possible.

Oddly enough I'm not sure that is the best strategy. It seems now everyone is running for the new Fantasyland first and so it's a bonkers running of the bulls experience at opening but it calms down and isn't so bad later in the day.

[Poohbear88]

We always go left!! I read somewhere a long time ago to start left so kinda of a family tradition now!!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Oddly enough I'm not sure that is the best strategy. It seems now everyone is running for the new Fantasyland first and so it's a bonkers running of the bulls experience at opening but it calms down and isn't so bad later in the day.

That's interesting, in my experience the newer attractions like Soarin and Toy Story mania were impossible to get into later in the day. Maybe its because there are so many more things to do in MK?

[MargaretMessler]

Usually right, but now thinking about it, more of my faves are to the left, so I'm not sure how that came about. That settles it, in September we're going left!

[ANG]

Well since Enchanted Tales with Belle doesn't FP, we will do Fantasy land on this next trip (with kids).

Our last trip was Tomorrowland first (without kids)

[Pirate Granny]

I disagree about not starting at the new fantasyland....that darn Belle storybook can have waits over 90 minutes and there are no fast passes. We plan to hit early next June...now to be fair, this June it rained quite heavily, and when we got out of BOG for dinner around 7pm the line for Belle was only 20 minutes...I told my hubby, leave the stroller and RUN and get in line...I've never seen under 70 minutes after 3pm...that's in a September trip, November trip and now June trip... Not going to MK this Sep

[Strmchsr]

That's interesting, in my experience the newer attractions like Soarin and Toy Story mania were impossible to get into later in the day. Maybe its because there are so many more things to do in MK?

Maybe so. With Soarin and TSM you definitely do have to go first thing, but I've noticed a madhouse in the FLE area at opening, but you can walk over and get a Fastpass for LM then the lines for Storytime with Belle are lower later in the day. Maybe because kids are leaving.

[tiggerbuddy]

Always to the left for Pirates ...

[Giggy]

Somewhere in between!

Last vacation on our first day we walked up Main Street and went centre-left to Splash Mountain, followed by Big Thunder Mountain. My mother hadn't done them before as she doesn't like drops, however she said she wanted to try them and if we got there before the crowds were big she could go straight in without having to worry. Both of them had a wait of 10 minutes maximum (very lucky!) when we got there so she went on them with us.

On at least two occasions we have started by going backwards, taking the Walt Disney World Railroad to Mickey's Toontown Fair and starting our vacation there. It was how we started our first ever day in Magic Kingdom so was sort of a tradition. Obviously with Fantasyland swallowing Toontown we'll have to come up with a new tradition next time!

[BigB]

They have done many studies about the habits of consumers. They have found that since most people are right handed, they head to the right first.
I would assume that the new Fantasy land would be the busiest part of the park. My DG is a Pirates FANATIC!! So, we typically start and end our day at MK there.

[barnaby]

Haunted Mansion then Pirates.
After that, usually the left side

[IloveJack]

Left to Pirates.

However, we will be spending 2.5 days there on our next trip, so I plan to start one day in New FL, and then start the other full day wherever we didn't get to.

[The Horned King]

We have always gone to adventureland and then clockwise through the rest of the lands. No real reason. Just tradition I guess!

[MrPeetrie]

If we are at Magic Kingdom at opening, we usually start in Adventureland. In the past, we would ride Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Aladdin's Carpets, and Tiki room before rounding into Frontierland. Then, we'd check wait times to see if we needed to FastPass either Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain. (Obviously, with the new FastPass+ that will change.)

Then we would walk, shop, and snack our way up Frontierland and reach Fantasyland after noon. We'd grab a FastPass for Peter Pan and go eat. With the new expansion, we're excited to see the changes, but I think we'll let it unfold as we discover it. On our first time back after the construction, i think we'll still start on the left.

[Dulcee]

Pirates is always first, followed usually by Haunted Mansion.

And yes I am fully aware this is not the best way to do things but for some reason we can't break the tradition.

[AvonleaCF]

Always right to Tomorrowland with Space as the first ride. Then it's Buzz, and then off to Fantasyland. I like to hit all my favs the first time around the park without stopping for photos or anything else. Usually it's Space, Buzz, (new Little Mermaid, which I haven't done yet), Pooh, Peter Pan, Small World, Haunted Mansion, Thunder, Splash (if in the mood), Pirates, and Jungle Cruise.

After hitting all of those, will stop for lunch (or will have already done so, depending on time), and then do the loop a second time with "lesser" rides (like Carousel of Progress, PeopleMover, and anything with a short wait). That's also when I'll soak up the scenery, go to shops, have a snack, take photos, etc.

[tjstrike]

To the right, we hit Buzz 1st, then space mt., then Indy cars...Always