Best Magic Kingdom FastPasses for Parents with Small Children
Our entire society deems a Walt Disney World vacation as a time-honored tradition and imperative for families with young children. Even now, I have friends and family members asking me for tips about future trips. They’re already planning trips they’ll take in a couple of years when their children are old enough to enjoy Disney.
The reality about parentings is that Disney’s a different experience when you take your children…and a more magical one at that. A few aspects are different from an adults-only visit, though.
You must plan your park strategy based on potentially chaotic circumstances, and it’s imperative that you pick the best possible FastPass selections. These are the guaranteed rides before impulse drives the rest of your park day. Here are the best FastPasses for Parents to choose at Magic Kingdom.
General Thoughts
As a quick reminder, you may select up to three FastPasses before your Walt Disney World vacation. When you’re staying at an official Disney resort, something MickeyBlog strongly recommends, you may book your FastPasses 60 days in advance. Otherwise, you may only schedule them 30 days ahead of time, by which point many of the best options are unavailable.
Once you’re at the park, you may select additional Fastpasses once you’ve used the first three attractions. However, availability becomes an issue. So, you really should prioritize the three pre-visit FastPasses. They’re crucial to your overall vacation enjoyment.
At Magic Kingdom, you’ll have a multitude of choices. This park features the most attractions at Walt Disney World. Something I should stress is that the age of your children plays a significant role in picking your FastPasses. Obviously, a two-year-old wouldn’t have the same interests as an eight-year-old, and height requirements are a factor, too.
I’ve kept these suggestions as general as possible to cover a wide range of age groups. Feel free to adapt the ideas to fit your family’s needs better. For example, your children may hate standing in line for character interactions. If they’re prone to misbehave, you should book FastPasses for these attractions. I realize this sounds counterintuitive. However, unless you’re skipping these rides altogether, you want to skip as much of the lines as possible.
Also, many of the slowest rides at Walt Disney World don’t have long waits. So, you don’t have to grab a FastPass for them. Just as long as you understand that It’s a Small World, Living with the Land, and the PeopleMover are great options when you need to get off your feet, you’re fine.
Evaluating Magic Kingdom
First of all, let’s go through the list of attractions that don’t really require a FastPass. You shouldn’t suffer through long lines at:
- The Barnstormer
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- It’s a Small World
- Mad Tea Party
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Mickey’s PhilHarmagic
- Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
- Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
These rides are ones that you should FastPass if possible. However, you can usually get them during your park visit:
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
- Meet Rapunzel and Princess Tiana at Fairytale Hall
- Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater
- Tomorrowland Speedway
In my opinion, your pre-visit FastPass choices should come down to these options:
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Jungle Cruise
- Meet Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse at Town Square Theater
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Splash Mountain
Which FastPasses Are Best?
I have a few caveats here. The first is that I don’t recommend roller coasters for small children, save for The Barnstormer. The next is that the family experience is vital.
I’ve listed a Mickey Mouse/Minnie Mouse character meeting and Enchanted Tales with Belle for this reason. Each one should provide an unforgettable experience. Plus, parents can seem like heroes to their children during the retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
I actually wouldn’t recommend Pirates of the Caribbean since it can be scary to some children. I know that I’m in the minority on that, though. So, I included it. You’ll make the best decision for your children, I’m sure, and only you know what that is.
Ultimately, I view Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan’s Flight as essential FastPasses. The lines are simply too long for most children to wait patiently. However, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has a height requirement of 38 inches. An average-sized child can’t ride it until they’re at least four, possibly five. So, you may not have a choice on that one.
Let’s say that you chose one of Enchanted Tales with Belle or Town Square Theater and one of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Peter Pan’s Flight. You have two selections booked and a choice for your final FastPass.
First of all, do you mind whether your children (and you) get wet? If you do, that rules out Splash Mountain immediately. If not, I’d suggest that one. I say this because some kids find Jungle Cruise boring. Plus, Splash Mountain is as good as it gets at Disney theme parks.
Final Thoughts
Please remember that these suggestions are exactly that, suggestions. Your family undoubtedly has favorite attractions that make a Magic Kingdom visit feel complete. When that’s the case, you should book FastPasses for those attractions, presuming that they don’t have short lines as a rule.
Let’s say that your family loves to visit Hundred Acre Wood. I don’t believe that a pre-visit FastPass is necessary. However, if your kids love pirates or Princess character greetings, ignore my advice and book a FastPass for one of those attractions instead. You don’t want to risk their availability during your park visit.
Your first three FastPasses are the only ones that you’re sure that you will get. It’s your responsibility to make the most of them. So, carefully review the attractions listed here and decide which ones have the best combination of entertainment value and wait-time savings.
Finally, to avoid any potential issues, also please remember to check height restrictions before you book FastPasses. You don’t want to get caught by surprise when you’re at the park.