Guys – you would think with how much I travel to Disney Parks, I would have grown accustomed to waiting in lines by now. Unfortunately, this is not the case. I HATE LINES. If I see a sign for a line that is longer than 20 minutes, I won’t do it. There is nothing in the parks that I love enough, unless they resurrect SpectroMagic from it’s soggy, mangled parade grave, that I will wait for longer than 20 minutes for. So how do we get to ride all of the park’s attractions, without waiting in line? Do we have Cast Member friends that let us to the front? (WE WISH). Do we storm to the front of the line and demand special privileges? (We are so not entitled it’s not even funny). No, to all of the above. We simply follow a few simple guidelines, that make it so we can avoid lines, and make our experience in the park as stress free as possible.
1. Get There Early, Stay Late
Did you really think we were gonna say anything else? DO YOU KNOW US AT ALL?! We promise, if you get to the parks before they open, and you’re some of the first people in, you will ride more rides, and experience more attractions without wait times, than any other time of day. Similarly true, on nights that the parks are open late, you can find some of the best attractions with short wait times. The parks tend to have a mass exodus after the nightly entertainment (fireworks, Fantasmic, etc), and afterwards, the lines are short.
2. Utilize FastPass+
FastPass+ is your friend, and will keep you from standing in long lines that make you want to punch the person closest to you. Check out our blog on how to best utilize it to your advantage here. To sum it up – book early, book smart, stand in short lines.
3. Ride Single Rider
We’re fans of the option when it’s available. As much as David and I love each other, that love is not strong enough to stand in a 70 minute line so we can ride sitting next to each other, vs a 10 minute line so we can ride not sitting next to each other.
4. Travel Off-Season
This isn’t my favorite tip – I think that traveling during the busiest times of the year can have some huge benefits, like added entertainment and longer park hours. If you do chose to go during the off season, you’ll benefit in a lot of ways though – like from shorter lines, and less crowded parks.
5. Have A Plan
We’re HUGE believers in having a plan. We think if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Even if it’s just a loose strategy for what you want to see and do, having a plan will help you accomplish more, and stand in less lines.
You don’t have to spend your trip to Disney World standing in lines and being frustrated – it’s a myth about trips to Disney that we don’t like as it’s never been our experience. You can still accomplish all you want to see and do in the parks, and not stand in line!