Hiya Justin,
Welcome back to planDisney! First a Disney Cruise and now a visit to Walt Disney World Resort, how exciting! I might not know much about Disney Cruise Line, but I know a ton about Walt Disney World. I am honored to be a part of your planning journey today.
You are definitely starting your vacation on a high note with
Cinderella’s Royal Table. Nothing is more iconic in Walt Disney World than the beacon Cinderella’s Castle. Since
operating hours are subject to change for the Theme Parks, I’m going to refrain from giving out exact times for you to head to Magic Kingdom (I would hate to give you inaccurate information). Remember that as a Guest of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, you enjoy 30 minutes of
Early Theme Park Entry each day of your reservation! With that being said, in my experience, you need about an hour-hour and a half to get from Disney’s Animal Kingdom to Main Street, U.S.A.
This includes:
-driving to the Transportation and Ticket Center
-parking your car and walk to the security lines
-going through security
-catching either the monorail or ferry
-going through the turnstiles to enter Magic Kingdom Park.
As someone who has done this multiple times to rope drop Magic Kingdom, I find that driving in the morning isn’t always the quickest option to get to Magic Kingdom Park. My estimate depends on how early you arrive at the Transportation and Ticket Center and how busy the ferry and monorail are, so that can vary a lot. When I want to be at Magic Kingdom in the morning, I prefer using the Disney bus system.
Disney Bus services between Walt Disney World Resort Collection Hotels and the Disney Theme Parks begin running 45 minutes before opening and bypassing the Transportation and Ticket Center (saving you time and steps).
I hope this was helpful, Justin.
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.