Hiya Rachel,
Welcome to
planDisney! How exciting that you will be visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth for the very first time! I know your trip is “just around the Riverbend,” so we are happy to help you with any final questions you have as you prepare.
Arriving at any of the theme park entrances to begin your vacation can be so exciting, after all, you are about to step inside a place you have been eagerly anticipating for a while. You will find that each theme park has a security screening first, during which a Cast Member will have you and your family walk through a scanner to inspect your bags. They will also do a visual screening of your stroller if you have one, so make sure if you do, you clear it of all diaper bags for quicker screening. In my experience, this process is pretty fast, and I’ve never had to wait longer than 10 minutes. After security, you will see ticket windows where you can show your ID and activate your theme park tickets before heading to the ticket scanners (at Magic Kingdom, this will all occur at the Transportation and Ticket Center before you get on either the monorail or ferry to the Magic Kingdom ticket scanner/entrance). Depending on when you arrive at the theme parks, earlier in the day, when the theme parks first open, tends to be the most crowded. You may have a longer wait in the ticket line, but I generally find that Cast Members are pretty efficient at getting Guests in and out of that line. After activating your tickets, you can head to the ticket scanners (monorail/ferry and then scanner for Magic Kingdom) and begin your day!
Now Rachel, I know I mentioned that your wait shouldn’t be too long to activate your tickets, but I have two Mouseketeers under three, so if I can eliminate one of the line waiting experiences from our day, I will. That is why I do so the day before at Disney Springs when I need to activate theme park tickets. At the
Disney Ticket Center there, you can show your ID, activate your tickets, and grab physical ticket cards so you can bypass the ticket windows on your theme park days and head straight to the scanners. It saves time on your first theme park day, and at Disney Springs, you can get in some early shopping and pick up a yummy snack!
I hope this was helpful, Rachel. Before I let you go, don’t forget to ask for a First Visit Celebration Button at
Guest Relations, either at Disney Springs or the theme parks! A first magical vacation deserves to be celebrated by all, and it makes a great complimentary memento. Please come back and see us if you need anything else.
Happy Planning!
Ashley F.