No one wants to spend most of their Walt Disney World vacation waiting in line. When planning a trip to Walt Disney World, most of us are hoping for low crowds and short waits in Disney Parks.
If you show up at Walt Disney World to find Disney Parks busier than anticipated, we have some tips to help you experience lower wait times. Look at these tips and ensure you have them ready to use when in Disney Parks during your vacation. They will help you have lower waits and allow you to see and do more throughout Disney Parks.
Go Early
Not everyone enjoys setting that alarm clock during vacation, but it can be a huge game changer when having low waits at Walt Disney World. For those Guests that are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, make sure to take advantage of early entry.
Early entry allows Walt Disney World Resort Guests to enter any of the four Disney Parks thirty minutes before posted opening. Although thirty minutes might seem like a bit of time, it can make a huge difference when getting in front of regular Park Guests.
When we mentioned going early, this means being at Disney Park between 45 and 30 minutes before it opens to you. If you are staying at a Disney Resort, this means being there 45 to 30 minutes before early entry. For regular Guests, get there 45-60 minutes before posted opening.
Although you might be waiting at the touchpoints, you will be ahead of thousands of people when the Park officially opens. This can save you hours in line throughout the day. Get to those Disney bus stops early to get through security and be at the touchpoints ready to go when the Park opens.
Use Genie+
We know that this topic brings up a wide variety of feelings; however, the reality is that Genie+ does save time in line throughout Disney Parks. Genie+ is a paid feature within My Disney Experience with a price range from $15 to $35 per person daily.
Guests can choose a specific Disney Park or a multiple Park option when purchasing Genie+. This is because Disney Parks, such as EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, have a lower price point for Genie+ when compared to Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Once purchased, Guests can book return windows for select attractions at the Disney Parks they are visiting for the day. By doing this, Guests can bypass the long standby lines saving time throughout the day.
Genie+ is a great way to maximize time in Disney Parks during busy days at Walt Disney World. We have a lot of additional information on How to Disney regarding Genie+. Use those to learn more about how to use this feature during your Walt Disney World vacation.
Related: Key Tips on Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Lightning Lanes
Purchase Individual Lightning Lanes
If you want to ride the most popular rides at Walt Disney World, such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Avatar: Flight of Passage, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, or Tron: Lightycle Run, consider purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane to avoid the long waits that build for these rides.
The cost of Individual Lightning Lanes ranges in price based on the crowd levels and the ride. For example, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will not have as high of a cost as the new Tron Lightcycle Run. Rides range in price from $7 per ride to $25.
Although this might seem like a lot of money to spend on one ride experience, it might be worth it in the long run if it allows you to avoid a three-hour wait.
Take some time to look into the rides available with this feature to determine if it is something that would help shorten your wait time.
Go Late
Just like arriving early at the Disney Parks can shorten your wait times, being in the Parks late at night as they close can also shorten your wait times.
A little secret is that Guests can get into the lineup until the official Park closing time. If Disney’s Hollywood Studios closes at 9 p.m., Guests can jump into line for Slinky Dog Dash right at 9 p.m. and be allowed to ride.
The last hour a Park is opened can see reduced wait times. In the Magic Kingdom, following fireworks, a lot of the crowd leaves, allowing those who stay to take advantage of very short wait times for some big headliners.
If your traveling party can hang in there, consider sticking it out until the Park closes to hit some rides. A bonus is some of the rides are fantastic at night under the lights. Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Slinky Dog Dash, and Test Track, to name a few, are so fun at night.
Single Rider Lines
Using single-rider lines can shorten your wait time for some Disney attractions. Although these are only offered for some of the rides in Disney World, they can be accommodating when they are an option.
In Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you can do a single rider to Expedition Everest, and over in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you will find Rock n’ Roller Coaster and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
Over in EPCOT, Test Track offers a single rider option as well. Although there aren’t a lot of rides that offer this option, if you can take advantage of it where it is provided, it can cut down on your wait times.
This won’t work for every family, but it is an excellent option for those who can use it to shorten wait times.
No one wants to spend time at Walt Disney World waiting in lines. Use these tips to help you avoid long lines to enjoy more of the magic in Disney Parks.
