4People really want to get in early to the Magic Kingdom.
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Over the years, The Walt Disney Company has garnered recognition for its trailblazing methods, tracing back to the visionary era of Walt Disney himself. Through the ingenious collaboration of Disney Imagineering, seamlessly combining elements from Disney Animation Studios, the company curates extraordinary and immersive experiences that enthrall visitors across the globe. Upholding Walt’s ethos of perpetual enhancement or “plussing,” Disney Parks consistently embrace evolution, whether by incorporating augmented reality elements into iconic attractions like the Haunted Mansion or continually pushing the limits of enchantment and creativity.
Naturally, with such dedication in Disney’s history to delivering a premier experience for Guests, there will always be those who want to get the most out of their trip to Disney.
Unfortunately, sometimes Disney Park enthusiasts might take it too far.
Because ever since its founding by Walt Disney in Anaheim, California, the Disneyland Resort has become synonymous with being “The Happiest Place On Earth.” As the years passed, the Disney Resort family grew to encompass numerous destinations across the globe, including the Walt Disney World Resort and the Magic Kingdom — and a whole generation of Disney Parks enthusiasts have sprouted up, aiming to make the best use of their time at the theme parks.
The Walt Disney World Resort, and the early entry obsession
The question here is, why even bother going to crazy lengths to secure early entry? The answer lies in the sheer size of the Walt Disney World Resort, which consists of four very distinct Parks, situated in the heart of Lake Buena Vista in Orlando, Florida. There’s just too much to do in one day!
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At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Guests can immerse themselves in the immersive realm of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, where they are transported to a galaxy far, far away. There’s also Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where Guests can witness the wonders of Pandora – The World of Avatar unfold. EPCOT Center also brings another unique flavor to the Resort, themed after innovation and imagination — there is World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature (formerly part of Future World), and the captivating World Showcase Lagoon, which features 11 global Pavilions.
But perhaps most prominent to the Resort is the Magic Kingdom Park, that delivers a plethora of beloved rides and attractions. Guests to Walt Disney World can embark on a thrilling odyssey aboard Space Mountain, join the adventures of the daring Captain Jack Sparrow (who looks like Johnny Depp in the movies) on Pirates of the Caribbean, or have magical encounters with cherished Disney Princesses amidst the enchanting Cinderella Castle.
With that much to do, it’s no wonder visitors feel the need to plan — but this one Disney influencer believes they’ve unlocked the key to cramming as much as they can in one day — and that’s with a somewhat suspiciously procured early entrance to the Magic Kingdom.
Disney influencer under scrutiny
Lately, this one Disney Park influencer has been getting absolutely ripped apart for her “chaotic and ridiculous” approach to scoring early entry to the Walt Disney World Resort Park.
TikTok user @brookeraybould shared her ultimate guide titled “How to Get Early Park Entry to Magic Kingdom” — but it wasn’t till the popular Twitter account No Context Theme Parks shared the video, with the following caption, that the video starting gaining serious backlash:
This seems so chaotic and ridiculous
This seems so chaotic and ridiculous pic.twitter.com/NI4jVPlf2H
— No Context Theme Parks (@OOCParks) July 19, 2023
Then came the deluge of Disney Twitter fans (frequently portmanteau-ed “DisTwitter”) to absolutely pull @brookeraybould’s video apart.
Among the outpouring of hate, user James McHugh brought up something confusing: why did the influencer book an Uber from the off-property Four Seasons Hotel, instead of booking the Disney sanctioned “Minnie Van” service via the ride-hailing app Lyft? The Minnie Van service is a purpose-built service to ferry Guests to the entrances to the Walt Disney World Resort Parks like the Magic Kingdom, that can be booked as early as “6:30AM” for early entry or “rope-drop” purposes, according to McHugh:
If you’re staying at Four Seaons why would you not just book Disney’s “Minnie Van” service through Lyft? That way you don’t have to try to cheat your way into the contemporary drop off.
If you're staying at Four Seaons why would you not just book Disney's "Minnie Van" service through Lyft? That way you don't have to try to cheat your way into the contemporary drop off.
— James McHugh (@jamesjmchugh) July 19, 2023
User Tyler then calls the influencer out for “abusing the Contemporary access point for those Guests”:
wait. they are abusing the Contemporary access point for those guests. This is why we can’t park at the other monorail resorts.
wait. they are abusing the Contemporary access point for those guests. This is why we can't park at the other monorail resorts.
— Tyler 🦀 (@tjodmv) July 19, 2023
Another user @VileElextrixs noticed the use of the Contemporary Resort hotel entrance to the Magic Kingdom, and concluded that they must have lied about a reservation at a Disney Hotel or ADR (Advanced Dining Reservation) at the Contemporary Resort in order to get dropped off at that location. User @TimeMachine82 chimed in that they must have also “ate the $25 no show fee” to get all of this done:
@VileElextrixs: So they lie about a hotel reservation or ADR at the Contemporary to get dropped off there? SMH (shaking my head).
I was confused about this too. Clearly they stayed offsite then they’re getting dropped off by their Lyft at Contemporary, so they had an ADR then ate the $25 no show fee?
— Time Machine (@TimeMachine82) July 19, 2023
Other replies like @craftymom35 even noticed that no-show fees per person could rack up to a whopping $60.
Even more lambasted the odd decision to wake up at 5:00AM — just to work out on a treadmill before walking all day at the Park. Rusty Haywaldino points out:
The following language may not be suitable for younger readers.
Walking round the parks for 8 hours is literally a fucking work out, why does she feel the need to go to the gym?
Walking round the parks for 8 hours is literally a fucking work out, why does she feel the need to go to the gym?
— Rusty Haywaldino (@one_hung_low) July 19, 2023
Many more holes were poked in the video’s content — not the least of which being that the new TRON ride has to be booked at 7AM (unlike how it was shown in the video). The couple’s “behemoth stroller” and inconsistent timings were also heavily scrutinized:
1. You book tron at 7am, not 6:58am. 2. If you book your Uber at 710am, it will still take time for them to arrive, and it’s between 7-10 minutes from four seasons (where it appears they are staying) to the Contemporary.
(continued) Then they have to unfold that behemoth stroller and walk the 10 mins over to security and the gates. No way they did all of that by 720. #whyyoualwayslyin
Then they have to unfold that behemoth stroller and walk the 10 mins over to security and the gates. No way they did all of that by 720. #whyyoualwayslyin
— Angel s. (@lildusanchez) July 19, 2023
From claiming the family only waited 10 minutes for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (they allegedly spent an hour at Main Street USA), to buying the entire family Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane — the torrent of critique pulling the influencer’s decisions continues on.
At the end of the day, this just proves that there are definitely ways to figure out early entry to the Disney Parks — if you’re willing to employ some questionable (some might call “smart”) tactics — perhaps at the expense of others. And perhaps also at the expense of your own wallet.
What do you think about pulling stunts like this to secure early entry to Disney Parks? Have you ever done it (or something similar) before? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!