Early Morning Magic Review and Tips

Our Early Morning Magic review covers the cost-benefit of Walt Disney World’s add-on morning ticket.

Cinderella Castle in the morning
Cinderella Castle in the morning before 9AM

If you’ve visited the Magic Kingdom on a crowded day, you know that the attractions are a bit difficult to experience without waiting in long lines. FastPass+ selections for rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train often run out well before guests get a chance to book. Even late evenings and Extra Magic Hours still have very long waits. For families with with young kids, this feels especially frustrating.

To fix this problem, Disney invented Early Morning Magic, a ticket that allow guests exclusive access to Fantasyland. Of course, this ticket costs an additional $89 per adult and $79 per child ages 3-9 (plus tax). The event runs on select mornings from 7:30AM until about 9:00AM, when the rest of the guests get entry into the park. The ticket also comes with a small breakfast including eggs, bacon, pancakes, yogurt, fruit, pastries, cereals, and more. Characters from classic animated Disney films also make appearances for photo opportunities.

Early Morning Magic Review
Mostly empty spaces and ride queues before 9AM

Disney promises to limit the number of guests to this event, but is it worth it? We’d say that if getting to a theme park by 7:30AM isn’t an issue, you don’t want or can’t wait in line for an hour each ride, and you have the budget, then get the ticket. Guests have reported riding popular rides like Peter Pan several times during this event due to the very, very short waits.

Early Morning Magic is typically at the Magic Kingdom and exclusive to Fantasyland attractions. However, Toy Story Land also hosts this event at times. We’ve listed some Early Morning Magic review tips that work with all of the events.

Peter Pan's Flight Magic Kingdom
Peter Pan’s Flight Magic Kingdom

Tips for Early Morning Magic:

  1. Buy Ahead – This event is limited, so tickets could sell out. However, we rarely see tickets sell out more than a few days before the event.
  2. Get There Early –  You’re paying for just over an hour of the park to yourself, so be sure to take advantage! Guests who come early have been able to experience the most popular attractions more frequently in the first 15 minutes.
  3. Wait to Eat – If you’re hungry, eat a snack on the way, and then ride the attractions before getting food at Hollywood Studios. Your included breakfast is served until 10AM, so there’s no reason to eat during the time you have exclusive access to the rides.
  4. Don’t Rush – If you’re still unsure of whether to buy tickets, you can chance it. See if you can experience the attractions during normal park hours, and if the lines are too much, then buy a ticket for a later date.

You can purchase tickets to Early Morning Magic here.

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