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Most of us have heard Benjamin Franklin’s saying ” Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise;” however, many people have not applied that wisdom to the Walt Disney World Resort. However, we like to make the most of our vacation. By waking up early, we can do and see more than most people do at Disney.

Dennis and I are used to waking up early. Because of our work schedules, we usually get up at 5:30 a.m.  Dennis leaves the house by 6:00, and I try to follow by 6:15. Our bodies are so used to that schedule that we wake up at that time even when we are vacation.

So, what can early risers do at Disney?

1.  Explore the resort.

Early morning is the perfect time for a quiet stroll around the resort. You can take all the pictures you want without hordes of people intruding. You’ll notice things that you didn’t see before. We found Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head on an early morning walk at Pop Century.

2. Exercise.

I know. I know. You already get enough exercise just walking to and from the bus stop. Well, if that’s not enough for you, you can beat the heat and exercise in the early morning hours. While I’ve never personally used them, I’ve heard that there are several running trails on the Disney property. Okay, that’s not really true. I have walked on a few of them–most notably the path along the Sassagoula River between Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside and the path beside Pop Century’s Hourglass Lake.

For a list of running trails at Walt Disney World, click here . If you see me running, there’s probably something chasing me. Believe me, I get enough exercise at Walt Disney World. My feet hurt as it is.

3. Fill up your refillable mug at the food court and grab a bite to eat.

Many of the on-property food courts open at 6:00 a.m. which is perfect for early risers. Go on down and have a cup of coffee or tea. Very few people will be there. If you’re hungry (we’re not usually), you can even get an early breakfast. Unfortunately, many of the full-service restaurants don’t start serving until 7:30 a.m. which makes it difficult for those of us who are wide awake and ready to start our day much earlier.

4. Head to the parks for Extra Magic Hour!

This is our favorite thing to do. We tend to visit the parks during some of the busiest times of the year. Often, the Magic Kingdom will open at 7:00 a.m. on those days to guests staying at the Walt Disney World Resort hotels. This is the best time of the day. There are no crowds, and you can ride several rides with little to no wait. If Extra Magic Hours start at 7:00, we plan on being at our bus stop by 6:15 a.m.  When the parks get busy around 11:00 a.m., use your park hopper ticket to go to a different park. We usually go back to our resort for lunch and a break before heading out to our next park. Make sure to check a current schedule of park hours to see which parks have morning Extra Magic Hours during your visit.

5. Rope Drop.

Being early has advantages. If you are at the parks when everyone else is sleeping in, you can ride those rides that you weren’t able to Fast Pass. Keep in mind that if you’re a slow walker like me, Flights of Passage in the Animal Kingdom may still have an hour and a half wait by the time you get there. And, don’t think you can slip through the back way past Lion King and go to Safari. They block that path off in the morning. You’ll have to go all the way back to Discovery Island and around.

If you don’t have a Fast Pass, an hour and a half isn’t bad for Flights of Passage. I’ve managed to get a Fast Pass every time I’ve tried–the trick is to book the last day of your vacation first, sixty days out (plus length of stay). Keep in mind that when crowds are large, cast members will often open the gates earlier than the scheduled time. We are often let in at least 15 minutes early.

The Magic Kingdom has changed things up a little. There is no true rope drop ceremony at the gate anymore. Believe me, Dennis misses that show with the train. He has the “Good Morning” song memorized and sings it often. Now, Main Street U.S.A. is open to everyone one hour before official park opening. Extra Magic Hours at Thanksgiving were from 8:00-9:00 a.m., so we still got to the bus stop by 6:15 a.m. and had plenty of time to shop on Main Street before park opening. I don’t know how early the buses will run when the park opens at 7:00 for Extra Magic Hours–check with your hotel’s concierge desk for actual times.

What will we do in the early morning hours of our next trip?

Our early morning plans for our next trip include coffee and tea on our balcony while we watch the exotic animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. We’ll also rope drop a park or two and try to use extra magic hours. It’s a short trip–just a long weekend–so we won’t have too much time. To read more about that trip, click here.

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