Yes, you can beat the lines at Disney World! Disney World is a very popular vacation destination and as a result its usually crowded most of the year. What does that mean for you? Lines. Long Lines. But I want to let you know that you can save a ton of time not having to stand in line all day just by using some of the tips and tricks below. Just pick and choose what works best for your family.
Visit at a slower time of the year.
Its not a option for everyone but if you can do it, visiting at a slow time of year like September, January, or May can be highly beneficial. Just about everything will be less hectic and crowded and your overall experience will be much nicer. The early weeks in December are slower as well as the week after Thanksgiving. Bonus is that you can also enjoy all the holiday decorations going up! A lot has changed since the pandemic with more families choosing to homeschool and more people working from home but typically if you avoid the summer months and major holidays you will be better off.
Try to visit Magic Kingdom during the slowest days of the week
Magic Kingdom is the busiest park in all of Disney World. On any given day you will find this park to have a higher count of guests visiting so visiting this park on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday and you will have a slightly decreased crowd. So for instance Animal Kingdom is one of the least crowded parks compared to the others so Mondays , Fridays, and Saturdays which are generally busier days at Disney are a good day for that park.
Avoid standing in lines around peak crowd hours
Guests start entering the parks in mass around 10AM to 12PM. Your best bet is to take advantage of that time to get an early lunch and avoid the lunch rush. You will be in eating as they are coming and heading out to the rides as they are coming in to eat. The lines at Disney World are highest around this time.
Arrive at park opening and get the major headliner rides down before the crowds
If you get into the park at opening or better yet if you are a resort guest and can access Extra Magic Hours ( early park admission for resort only guests) you can get a LOT done!
Have a plan!
Disney is not a wing it type of vacation. If you prefer a laid back vacation you can certainly do that but you will miss out on certain opportunities and experiences. There is a lot to do and a plan is your best bet. Know exactly what your must do popular rides are and understand what rides get the long lines the fastest and try to hit those at the slowest times of the day.
Popular rides with long lines are:
Magic Kingdom
- Seven Dwarfs
- Jungle Cruise
- Peter Pan
- Splash Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Space Mountain
- Pirates of The Caribbean
- Haunted Mansion
Epcot
- Soarin
- Mission Space
- Frozen Ever After
- Test Track
Hollywood Studios
- Rise of the Resistance
- Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run
- Tower Of Terror
- Toy Story Mania
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Rock “N” Rollercoaster
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Animal Kingdom
- Dinosaur
- Flights of Passage
- Kilimanjaro Safari
- Everest
Go Early
When entering the parks know what lines get long fast and if you can arrive at opening head straight to those lines! You can get a lot done in the first hour and then the rest of your day you can just relax and enjoy.
Go late
If you cant go early go late! Or better yet arrive early then leave around midday when the crowds and the heat get oppressive. Take a nap or go in the pool and then later on once the weather and the crowds have cooled down return and enjoy a less hectic park. The hour before park close is usually a lot of walk on lines.
Purchase Lightening Lane
You can purchase Lightening which is Disney’s new form of a paid Fastpass. There are two types of Lightening Lane. Genie Plus and Individual Lightening Lane.
Genie Plus costs $15.00 a day per person and allows you to select next availability for select attractions.
Individual Lightening Lane is available to all guests, even ones who have not purchased Genie Plus. Its a pay per ride cost and cost is based on rides popularity. You will see the options and prices on your Genie app. It is a per ride, per person cost.
Take advantage of Extra Magic Hours
If you are a resort guest then you will be granted special early or evening extra hours.
To enjoy two extra evening hours after it closes to regular guests you must be staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort or Villa.
Early morning admission allows you a 30 minute earlier admission than non resort guests and all Disney Resorts in every category qualify for this perk.
Attend Special After Hours Parties and Events
During the holidays Disney World puts on special ticketed events that are held after hours and they have considerable less crowds as well. The cooler weather is also a nice treat.
Take advantage of shows, fireworks, and parades to get in short lines
If you don’t mind missing out on some of the entertainment you can walk on even the most popular rides when the fireworks are going off. The same goes for parades. What was a 75 minute wait for Thunder Mountain will now be a walk on. In fact you can probably ride three times if you want!
Related- Best places to view the Magic Kingdom fireworks
Oh and don’t be afraid of the rain. I’m not talking thunder of course but you would be surprised how many guests scatter and leave the park at the sight of rain. Go prepared and bring some ponchos and ride those rides with no wait. Your going to get wet on Splash Mountain anyway so why not have some fun!
I hope you try out some of these tips and it makes your vacation more enjoyable. Come back to WDW Travels for more updates, news, and more on your favorite place. We hope you have a Zip-a-dee-doo-dah day!
