It’s one of these silly questions that can have a big reaction. Have you ever had an experience where you enter Magic Kingdom with friends and instinctively turn to start in different directions? Awkward! You’ve always started with Fantasyland first, not able to picture doing it any other way, and they feel the same way about Tomorrowland. I’ve been interested in this topic for a long time, often taking note of the different answers people have, and from what I have gathered, there seem to be four main approaches. I’ll detail them for you below, and you can let me know if your Magic Kingdom movements mimic any of those listed.
The Clockwise Adventurer
The Clockwise Adventurer likes things to be in order, starting, of course, in Adventureland and working their way around the park in a suitable manner. It’s often not about each attraction for this person but more about covering as much ground as possible, seeing, smelling, and experiencing everything along the way. This is a great approach to take if you have never visited the parks before and want to feel each land blend into the next organically as each transition passes you by.
The Anti-Clockwise Tomorrowland Starter
You’re a rebel, aren’t you? Always have to do things in the opposite order to the crowd, or so people think. The Anti-Clockwise Tomorrowland Starter is an excellent tactic for those who love Space Mountain and TRON Lightcycle / Run since, as the day wears on, this area will only get more crowded and might be better riding on an empty stomach, pre-Dole Whip. It turns out you aren’t all that different from your Clockwise counterpart above, circling the park in an orderly fashion, just prefer a more intense start to your Disney day than the Jungle Cruise can offer.
The Fantasyland Fan-Out
If you make a beeline through the castle as your first move, you are likely part of the Fantasyland Fan-Out club. Heading straight for Fantasyland allows you to get a few fun rides under your belt before tackling which way to go from there. There won’t always be a plan after the starting point, but at least you will have enjoyed some of those smaller attractions that can get very busy later on, like Peter Pan’s Flight and Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train; look out for the Anti-Clockwise Tomorrowland thrill seekers above, they will be hitting this attraction next!
The E-Ticket Zig-Zag
Eyes on the prize; you’ve got your mental list in hand and aim to tick off as many of those big-hitting attractions as fast as possible. It won’t be pretty, but you will be zig-zagging your way across Magic Kingdom in whatever order required to get the job done. Efficiency is in the wind with this one, though you are probably going to reach your goal of every E-ticket attraction in the park, maybe even a few times over. This method comes at a cost, missing the rest of the park; however, for the experienced Magic Kingdom guest, that might be worth the payoff.
Do you have a different approach to tackling Magic Kingdom that isn’t listed above? Let me know your method of madness, and I might try it on my next visit to see if it is superior.
