Long lines at the major Disney World attractions are always an issue for vacationers who want to maximize their time at the park. During the busy seasons you can expect to waste several hours just standing in line to ride the popular attractions. But there some things you can do to avoid long lines. Here are a few simple strategies that can save you time in line.
Get to the Park Early
The concept of beating the crowds definitely holds true at Disney World. The lines are always shorter in the morning when the park first opens. Use this to your advantage by targeting the most popular rides first. Map out a plan with your family to hit the best rides first, and save the smaller attractions for mid-day when the crowds appear. An easy way to save time on your way to the park is by eating breakfast on the go. This way you don’t waste 1 or 2 hours sitting in a restaurant.
Go Later
Another good time to access the best rides is in the evening hours – especially dinner time. Not only does this coincide with a busy meal time, but it also runs parallel to most of the entertainment shows. This means that the bulk of the park-goers will be doing something else. Just like in the early morning, grabbing a quick snack in this meal time will allow you to enjoy more attractions without waiting in line. The negative to this strategy is that you will probably miss most of the entertainment schedule, but you can always devote one day to rides and another to entertainment.
Use Fast Pass Tickets
Fast Pass tickets take a little extra planning, but they can pay big dividends with saving time. Your best bet is to reserve them early and target the popular rides in the morning. These tickets are best purchased online or by phone, and they are only offered for the busiest rides. You can also use the automated machines located near the Fast Pass rides. These machines are easy to use, but they don’t necessarily move you to the front of the line immediately. Rather, they give you an appointment for the ride later in the day at which time you actually will move to the front of the line. Those who order tickets in advance will have the best selection of time frames.
A Fast Pass ticket gives you a one hour time to participate in the attraction. For example, your ticket may assign you the hour of 1pm to 2pm. It is during this time frame that you may show up and skip to the front of the line. Please remember that you must have your Disney World admission ticket present when ordering a Fast Pass.
Too many tourists just meander through the park without an itinerary or plan. This leaves them wasting much of their time waiting inline. If you take the time to plot a strategy using the tips listed above, then you can increase the amount of attractions and rides you actually get to participate in.
thankyou sooo much!!! This REALLY helped.
These are good tips, but they don’t help when you do end up in the inevitable long line, sooner or later. You need to check out the book and iPhone app “Things to Do in Theme Park Queues”. It has some cool stuff to amuse your group in line.