Magic Kingdom, rope drop to close.

The route

The order that beats Frontierland's wall before it locks in

1. 8:30a

   Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

   Seven Dwarfs is on Disney's Early Entry list for Magic Kingdom, so it's the priority the moment the gate opens. It already posts around 45 minutes by 8am on weekends and holds near a 50-minute plateau for most of the day, easing only in the final two hours, so this is close to the cheapest it gets without waiting until night.

2. 9:30a

   Peter Pan's Flight

   Also on the Early Entry list and right next door in Fantasyland. It's running around 35 minutes here with no real midday break ahead, building to a 45-minute peak by early afternoon, so take it now rather than come back for it.

3. 10:20a

   TRON Lightcycle / Run

   TRON isn't part of Early Entry, so it opened to everyone at the 9am official start. By the time Fantasyland is done it's around 50 to 55 minutes, and it only climbs from here, to a median of 80 by 10pm, so there's no version of the day where it gets much cheaper than right now. Lightning Lane Single Pass is the paid way around this line if you'd rather buy back the time.

4. 11:25a

   Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

   Also outside the Early Entry lineup, so it has been open to everyone since 9am. It's around 35 minutes here with no real dip during the day, though it does ease back in the final two hours before close if you'd rather wait for night instead.

5. 12:15p

   Space Mountain

   Space Mountain is on the Early Entry list, but the walk back to Tomorrowland puts you here closer to its 40-minute midday peak, which is also what it holds most of the afternoon until the final hour, so there's nothing to gain by putting it off further.

6. 1:10p

   Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

   Also on the Early Entry list, same land, last stop of the sweep. It's building toward a 42-minute evening peak, and by now it's already in the mid-30s, so the real discount was earlier in the morning, but it's still under where it tops out tonight.

1. 9:00a

   TRON Lightcycle / Run

   The single biggest time cost in the park, and it isn't part of Early Entry, so 9am is the earliest anyone gets on it. TRON posts around a 50-minute median in the first hour and climbs to 80 by 10pm, so ride it before you do anything else. Lightning Lane Single Pass is the paid alternative if you'd rather not stand in it.

2. 10:05a

   Tiana's Bayou Adventure

   Head to Frontierland once you're off TRON. It's already climbing by the time standby guests get here, but still well under the 45-minute peak it holds by lunch and the rest of the afternoon.

3. 10:45a

   Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

   Next door, and worth taking now. It has no real dip during the day, climbing to 40 by midafternoon, though it does ease back to 20 and then 15 in the final two hours if you'd rather catch it at the end of the night instead.

4. 11:35a

   Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

   The walk to Fantasyland costs you some of the morning, so expect closer to 45 minutes. It's headed for a 50-minute plateau that holds until the final two hours regardless, so this still beats fighting the midday line.

5. 12:35p

   Space Mountain

   Tomorrowland is the last stop before the park settles into its afternoon wall. You're arriving at its 40-minute midday peak, but that's also what it holds most of the afternoon, so there's nothing to gain by putting it off further.

6. 8:15p

   Pirates of the Caribbean

   Leave this one for the evening instead of standing in it at rope drop. It holds in the teens and 20s most of the day, then falls all the way to 5 minutes once evening sets in, one of the most reliable dips in the park. This finish only works on nights with regular hours past 8pm. On Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party dates the park closes to day guests at 6pm, so ride Pirates around 5pm instead, when it's typically still in the teens or 20s, and make Space Mountain your last ride.

This plan will break. That's the point. Between July 27 and August 25, 2026, at least one of Magic Kingdom's six tracked headliners was down or closed for 30 minutes or more in the middle of the day on 23 of 30 operating days, about three days in four. When it happens, check the My Disney Experience app for the current status before you commit to a line, and have a backup ride from this list ready to swap in. Get Skip free →

Built from 500,000+ measured waits.

Two different mornings. Disney's Early Entry list for Magic Kingdom covers family and Fantasyland attractions, not TRON Lightcycle / Run, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Tiana's Bayou Adventure, so those three open to everyone at once at the official 9am start. Early Entry guests start the 30-minute window on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, stay in Fantasyland for Peter Pan's Flight, then fold in TRON and the rest once the whole park is open. Rope-drop guests without Early Entry go straight for TRON, since it's the single biggest time cost in the park and only gets more expensive from there. Times below assume a 9am open, the most common start over the next 60 days, and each step allows for that ride's queue plus about 15 minutes for the ride and the walk to the next one. Check the day's posted hours before you plan the finish: some nights run later for evening events, and on Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party dates the park closes to day guests at 6pm, so the Pirates finish moves to the late afternoon and Space Mountain becomes the last ride.