Major Early Entry CHANGE Hits Magic Kingdom in May

In recent years, Early Entry — the 30-minute period each morning when guests of Disney resorts and other select hotels can access each of the theme parks — including the ever-popular Magic Kingdom — prior to the general public — has been one of Disney World’s most popular perks for years.

Early entry sign!

For the majority of that time, the main draw for guests was to immediately rush to the busiest rides at the park, like Space Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, or Peter Pan’s Flight. Some even begin lining up early for TRON Lightcycle/Run, though it does not open early. However, this year, Disney is introducing a new perk with…character!

During the Cool Kids Summer promotion, which runs from May 26th to September 8th, hotel guests eligible for Early Entry will be able to meet a rotating cast of Disney characters at each park — including the Magic Kingdom — before the park opens to the general public. Meaning that, at least some guests who usually rush to rides will instead try to knock out character meet & greets in the early morning.

Hey, Mickey!

Judging by previous examples, there’s no list of which characters will be available in each park, but they WILL be different! Disney is encouraging guests to visit the different parks for Early Entry throughout their trip so they can take advantage of all the special meet and greets. Now, it’s important to note that this won’t take away from any of the regularly scheduled meet and greets in each park throughout regular park hours — it’s just in addition to what’s already scheduled.

White Rabbit

These character meet and greets could be especially helpful for the Magic Kingdom, given the large amount of construction currently happening at the park, namely the construction of Piston Peak and Villains Land.

©bioreconstruct

Of course, rides are still a big part of Early Entry at the Magic Kingdom. The following rides are currently scheduled to be on offer:

“it’s a small world”
Astro Orbiter
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Mad Tea Party
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Peter Pan’s Flight
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Space Mountain
The Barnstormer
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tomorrowland Speedway
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Later this summer, the park will see two massive reopenings in the form of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Both of these attractions have undergone extensive refurbishments that will see new tracks and a Rainbow Caverns sequence added to the former, while a new opening sequence, ride vehicles, and blasters will be added to the latter.

©Disney

Both rides are scheduled to return sometime in the spring or summer of 2026, and given the popularity of both — and especially the legendary status of Big Thunder — combined with Disney fans’ love of anything “new”, these rides will likely draw plenty of early morning guests, especially early on if they’re available during Early Entry.

©Disney

As if Disney’s Early Entry perk wasn’t valuable enough for hotel guests, 2026 is adding characters to the mix! Stay tuned to DFB for more on the resort’s offers this year!

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