Walt Disney World has many magical experiences throughout the four Disney Parks and Disney Resorts. When you only have a limited amount of time, you want to ensure you soak in the best of the best.
To help you with this process, we have what you don’t want to waste your time on while on a Walt Disney World vacation. These magical experiences are still offered at Walt Disney World, but we suggest focusing on other options. We want to help you set your priorities when preparing for your Walt Disney World vacation.
Not Having a Plan
One of the biggest wastes of time regarding your Walt Disney World vacation is not showing up with a plan. Only some people want a minute-by-minute schedule, but it is essential to have an overall focus when heading into Disney Park.
Take time before you arrive to learn a little about Walt Disney World. Read some planning tips, so you know how to navigate the crowds and manage the Parks successfully. Know which rides are top priority so you can hit those first and don’t miss out on them. Have a direction and plan when you arrive so you don’t waste time standing around making a plan.
Park Hopping
If you have limited time at Walt Disney World, you should spend less time Park Hopping. Right now, Guests can Park Hop starting at 2 pm. This limits the time you can hop throughout the day.
If you rely on Disney transportation to get between Parks, it can suck up a lot of time to travel between the Parks. The limited hours available for Park Hopping might be a better use of time now. Instead of wasting time going to a new theme Park, spend enjoying the theme Park you are at and use that time for more attractions.
Waiting For Fireworks
We love the nighttime shows at Walt Disney World. They are truly magical experiences that make Walt Disney World so unique. Even though we love to watch these shows, we also feel it wastes time to stake out a spot hours before they begin.
Although there are better spots than others to see the projections from, there isn’t a wrong spot to see the fireworks for shows like Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So many places can provide great views of the show that we don’t think it is worth an extended waiting period.
Getting there super early also doesn’t prevent someone from coming in at the last minute to block your view. If you want to ensure a good spot for a show, consider looking into a dessert party at Magic Kingdom or a dining package for Fantasmic. These are great ways to get good views without waiting a long time.
We always recommend enjoying the evening shows, but don’t spend hours sitting in a spot waiting for the show to start. There are so many other experiences to enjoy.
Long Lines
We would prefer not to waste any time waiting in line at Walt Disney World, but that isn’t a reality. We want to ensure that we don’t waste time waiting in lines for rides that aren’t worth a long wait.
For us, these are short rides. In Magic Kingdom, Peter Pan’s Flight and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train both see hour-long waits throughout the day. Both are rides reasonably short, making the hour-plus-long wait not worth it to us.
We also feel this way about the Na’vi River Journey in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Although the ride is beautiful, we don’t feel like an hour-long wait is the best use of our time while on vacation.
In Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we wouldn’t wait long for shows such as For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along or Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage. On most days, these theaters don’t fill up at each show, so spending an extended period waiting for a display to start is a time waster for us.
Before jumping in line for a ride or experience, ensure you know if that wait will be worth it for your family.
Specific Attractions
We would love to say that all the rides and experiences at Walt Disney World are amazing, but the reality is that some are better than others. When visiting Disney Parks, ensure you know exactly what the experiences are so you don’t waste time on ones that won’t be interesting to your group.
An example of this would be the Swiss Family Treehouse in Adventureland. This treehouse is unbelievable in its structure and design, but that is where the excitement ends for us. The attraction requires a lot of climbing, and there are a lot of other rides that you could be doing instead.
If you have big thrill seekers in your group, don’t waste time standing in line for rides like it’s a small world or Spaceship Earth. Even though we think they are iconic Disney rides, those wanting a thrill won’t find them worth the time in line.
Think about what attractions are ideal for your group before wasting time standing in line for something. This is why planning and researching before your trip can be beneficial.
When planning your vacation to Walt Disney World, you need to prioritize what is important to you. Don’t get stuck wasting time on these things. Go in with a plan, know what is important, and be ready to have a magical time.
