1. Go when it's less crowded
I know -- brilliant of me, right? It's a good thing you're reading this article, because you never could have come up with that suggestion on your own!
However, you'd be surprised how some people don't give this much thought. Or, at least, not enough thought.
Recently someone told me that they went to Disney World during the week of Christmas. They described the entire experience as being similar to when a huge concert or major sports event is over and the enormous crowds of people are slowly filing out of the arena to the parking lot.
She said she would never do it again, even if someone paid her.
I know going in the off-season is hard, especially when you've got school-age kids. But take some time to weigh your options. Even if all of them are bad, are some "less bad" than others? Can you go on weekdays instead of weekends?
Check a crowd calendar. Get a little creative in your scheduling. You'll be glad you did.
2. Use FastPass wisely
Some people don't use FastPasss, because either they don't know about it, think it's too complicated, or think you have to pay for it.
Even though scheduling FastPasses is kind of a pain (and more difficult now than it was was back in the paper FastPass days, in my opinion), it's still worth it. It will save you literally hours of time standing in line.
And it's completely free.
Check out my post on Disney World FastPass secrets and strategies so you can understand how to make FastPass work the best for you.
2. Use Single Rider
There are three Disney attractions that have a special Single Rider line that moves more quickly:
- Test Track in Epcot
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios
- Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom
Even though my kids are older than the minimum Single Rider age of 7, they don't like the idea because they don't like the idea of sitting next to a stranger.
I, however, could care less. (In fact, once when I ride Expedition Everest I got paired with a girl who was about 10 years old, and I had fun chatting with her about her trip and gave her a Minnie Mouse sticker.)
It's also worth mentioning that, while Soarin' in Epcot does not have an official SIngle Rider line, they will often call single riders to the front of the line to fill up spots.
3. Arrive at the Park Before Rope Drop (and then hit the back of the park)
You would think, as often and as strongly as this advice is given, that everybody would at the park before rope drop every single day.
However, this is definitely not the case.
I guess some people don't realize how important it is, or some people (like certain people in my family who will remain unnamed) just like to sleep in too much when they're on vacation.
Either which way, arriving before rope drop gives you about a 60-90 minute window of Prime Time where the lines for popular rides are going to be the shortest they will be all day.
Couple this with the strategy of practically sprinting toward the back of the park (please don't hurt yourselves or anybody else, especially if you have a double stroller) where the most popular rides will be.
For example, in the Magic Kingdom you will want to hit Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Peter Pan in Fantasyland.
4. Skip the Parade and Ride the Popular Rides Instead
Hey, I love parades, but my family and I love a 10-minute wait for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad even more.
If you're dying to ride a popular ride that you don't have a FastPass for, consider skipping a parade and checking out the wait times on your My Disney Experience app during that time. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised.
As always, I hope this article has been helpful. For more in-depth tips (and lots of great photos), check out all my posts on Walt Disney World vacation planning.
Comments(1)