No one wants to wait in long lines while on vacation; however, crowds are part of a Walt Disney World vacation. The key is knowing how to manage the crowds and therefore spend less time waiting in line and more time enjoying the magic.
As most Guests visit the Magic Kingdom during their vacation, we thought we’d share the top ways to experience some of the best rides at the Magic Kingdom with lower waits.
Overall, there are seven great ways to have shorter waits for great rides:
- Arrive early (before Park opening, also known as rope drop)
- Buy Genie+ Lightning Lane Access (starts at $15 per person)
- Buy Individual Lightning Lane Access
- Use the early entry option (for Disney Resort Guests only)
- Use extended evening hours (for Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts only)
- Single Rider
- Wait until Park close
Let’s look at how these options might work for the top rides in Magic Kingdom.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train- Fantasyland
The top ride in Magic Kingdom continues to be the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. This family-friendly coaster is fantastic for Guests of all ages. Because of this, the wait times grow quickly for this ride.
We have a few options to help you avoid the long lines that build during the day.
- Arrive early
- Buy individual lightning lane
- Use early entry or extended evening hours
- Wait until Park close
For those with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as a must-do experience, we highly recommend purchasing Individual Lightning Lane. By buying an Individual Lightning Lane, you will have a limited wait. If you prefer to avoid spending the extra money, we recommend attending early entry or extended evening hours.
Peter Pan’s Flight- Fantasyland
Fifty years later, this classic ride continues to see long wait times as young and old Guests want to fly to Neverland with Peter Pan and Tinker Belle. Even though this ride is quick loading, wait times become incredibly long quickly.
Because it is a shorter ride, we don’t recommend waiting hours to experience it. Avoid these long lines by using one of these options:
- Arrive early
- Buy Genie+
- Use early entry or extended hours
- Wait until Park close
Most Guests are good with only riding Peter Pan’s Flight once during their Magic Kingdom day so using Genie+ to have a short wait is a good option.
Jungle Cruise- Adventureland
Jungle Cruise has become a trendy ride, leading to long wait times for Guests. We love the skipper jokes we experience; however, waiting in a long line to do so is not fun. Instead, use one of these options to board your cruise quickly.
- Arrive early
- Buy Genie+
- Wait until Park close
We personally love the Jungle Cruise in the evening, so consider that extended park time for some extra fun.
Space Mountain- Tomorrowland
Those wanting to experience a thrill while in Magic Kingdom can head to Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. Here Guests fly through space at high speeds on the indoor coaster. It always surprises us how the line for Space Mountain extends throughout Tomorrowland most days.
Use these tips to avoid waiting for a long time to blast off on Space Mountain:
- Arrive early
- Buy Individual Lightning Lane
- Buy Genie+
- Use early entry or extended evening hours
- Wait until Park close
This is an excellent option for Genie+ if you don’t want to ride Peter Pan’s Flight. The evening hours also see lower wait times as well.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad- Frontierland
The wildest ride in the wilderness is a fun rollercoaster that is a good in between Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Space Mountain. With the closing of Splash Mountain, we see the wait times for this fun coaster increase.
Catch shorter wait times by:
- Arriving early
- Buy Genie+
- Wait until Park close
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is an excellent selection for Genie+, especially if you want to ride this ride more than once daily. Get there early and use that Genie+ selection for two lower wait times.
Haunted Mansion- Liberty Square
A Disney classic, Haunted Mansion takes Guests on a spooky trip through a truly haunted mansion. A ghost host takes Guests on an adventure, and even though it is a quick-loading ride, the popularity of the ride causes long waits.
Make sure you get to experience it by using one of the following options below:
- Arrive early
- Buy Genie+
- Wait until Park close
We typically like riding Haunted Mansion a few times while in the Magic Kingdom, so getting to the Park early and using Genie+ would probably be our choice.
Pirates of the Caribbean- Adventureland
Finally, we have Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland. Pirates of the Caribbean make Disney special as the ride has everything: dark rides, tiny drops, great music, fantastic animatronics, and storytelling.
Make sure you get a ride on Pirates of the Caribbean by trying out these methods.
- Arrive early
- Buy Genie+
- Wait until Park close
We also like to experience this ride more than once during our vacation. Because of this, we typically use Genie+ as one of the other methods to ensure we don’t have long wait times.
Tron Lightcycle Run- Tomorrowland
Starting in April, Tron Lightcycle Run will become the top attraction in Magic Kingdom. To experience this ride, you will need to either join the virtual queue or purchase an Individual Lightning Lane.
We can’t wait to experience the thrill of this new coaster and plan to spend the extra money to avoid long lines.
We hope breaking down how you can experience some of Magic Kingdom’s top rides with low waits will be helpful as you head to Walt Disney World.
Find more tips about touring Walt Disney World below:
The Magic Kingdom Attractions We Always Avoid
How to Tour Disney’s Animal Kingdom Without Genie+
Top Tips for Experiencing the Best of EPCOT
