How To Sleep In and Have a Great Time at Magic Kingdom

Our tips and tricks when visiting Walt Disney World Resort revolves around getting to the Disney Parks early. Although this is the best way to manage crowds, what if you want to sleep in during your Disney vacation?

If you have teenagers who want to sleep in or have a lazy morning during your Walt Disney World vacation, you can still have a magical time visiting Disney Parks.

We will share how you can sleep in and still have a great time at Magic Kingdom. Let’s take a look!

7:00 am Genie+

The one catch to this sleeping-in plan is that someone does have to be up to book Genie+. Genie+ is the paid option that Guests can add to their Park Ticket on the day they are going to be in a Disney Park. The cost of Genie+ is fluid, starting at $15 and going up depending on Park crowds. By purchasing Genie+, Guests are given access to the Lightning Lanes, allowing them to skip the lines.

At 7:00 am, we recommend someone in the party book your first Genie+ selection for Magic Kingdom. Two rides typically book up the fastest: Jungle Cruise and Peter Pan’s Flight. If either of these two rides is a must-do during your visit to Magic Kingdom, you will want to make them your first Genie+ selection.

Remember that Disney has updated Genie+ and doesn’t show return times right at 7:00 am. Because of this, you might need to wait until closer to 7:30 am to book your first attraction. This will allow you to see the given wait time and ensure that you receive a time in the afternoon when you plan to enter the Park.

Now that you have booked your first Genie+ selection, you can go back to sleep, enjoy the swimming pool, have a great breakfast, and be lazy. Yes, that is possible in Disney.

11:00 am Genie+ and 1:00 pm Genie+

The next step for setting yourself up for a great afternoon in Magic Kingdom is to keep up with your Genie+ bookings. Guests that have purchased Genie+ can book additional selections after 1. They use the Genie+ section 2. The time has expired for their Genie+ choice, or 3, after 120 minutes. As this 120-minute rule doesn’t kick in until AFTER the Park opens, your next Genie+ can be booked at 11:00 am when visiting the Magic Kingdom.

For your second Genie+ selection, you will want to look at rides such as Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. These top experiences will see longer lines throughout the day, making Genie+ a great option.

Just like you can book at 11:00 am because of the 120-minute rule, you will be able to book a different experience at 1:00 pm because of the 120-minute rule. Set those alarms, so you don’t miss out on these windows. Once again, at 1:00 pm, book those mountains to ensure you can experience them with lower waits.

Arriving at the Park

If you plan to head into Magic Kingdom for the afternoon, remember when the parade happens. The Festival of Fantasy Parade typically occurs around 3:00 pm. This is important to know if you want to see the parades or if you want to avoid the parade crowds. As Main Street, U.S.A., gets exceptionally crowded, navigating your way around parade time can be challenging. Plan for this.

Thanks to Genie+, when you arrive at Magic Kingdom in the afternoon, you will already have three Genie+ selections booked and ready to go. This will allow you to navigate the rides you picked with shorter wait times and fill in with experiences that typically have no to low wait times.

Filler Attractions

As you move between your Genie+ selections, take time to experience what we consider “filler” attractions. These rides or shows typically have little to no wait throughout the day. They are easy to hop into as you wait for your Genie+ selections.

Some top filler attractions that we like in the Magic Kingdom are Mickey’s Philharmagic, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, The Enchanted Tiki Room, Country Bear Jamboree, Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor, and Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. These experiences are full of Disney magic but low on waits. Guests can easily experience them as they move around Magic Kingdom.

Mobile Order

Another big tip for experiencing Magic Kingdom after sleeping is to make sure you use mobile ordering for meals. If you are arriving in the afternoon at the Magic Kingdom and plan to have your lunch or afternoon meal there, you will want to use mobile ordering.

Mobile ordering allows Guests to place orders through the My Disney Experience app and bypass the longer ordering lines built during the day.

Catch the Entertainment

Enjoying the entertainment is a great way to have a fantastic time at Magic Kingdom after sleeping. Enjoy the many cavalcades that travel down Main Street, U.S.A., and feature so many of our favorite Disney characters.

The castle stage show of Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is also full of fun and magic. Don’t skip past these fun shows and experiences when you arrive later at Magic Kingdom. They are still available and a great way to spend the afternoon.

Keep Using Genie+

Finally, as you travel around Magic Kingdom, ensure you continue using Genie+. Remember you can book new experiences after you have used your original ones or after 120-minutes. Remember and book those rides and attractions so you can bypass long lines.

You can still have a magical time at Magic Kingdom even with sleeping in. We hope walking you through these tips will help you consider sleeping in during your Walt Disney World vacation.