Lines happen at WDW, but that doesn't mean you have to go stand in them. Here are some tips to avoid the lines.
Don't panic. Your vacation doesn't have to be this way. Sure, lines happen at Walt Disney World, but that doesn't mean you have go stand in them. There are ways to see the park without waiting in line all day. This article will give you a few tips that will let you experience WDW while minimizing ride line times.
Picking when to go to Disney World can go a long way to cut line waits. If your schedule is flexible, plan your trip for the off-peak seasons. These dates actually vary from year to year, but generally, the first six weeks of the year and late August and September are a little slower, crowd-wise. A good rule of thumb is that if most schools are on a break of some sort or it's during a holiday, Disney will be crowded; if school's in session, crowds generally will be less.
Another obvious tip involves where you stay while visiting the World. If you are a guest at a Disney resort, you're allowed to go to a select theme park an hour before the gates open to the general public. This is a good time to experience some of the more popular attractions with less people in the park to be in line with you. A side thought to this: The parks have their largest crowds on these early entry days. If you can, consider park hopping to another park later in the morning.
If riding "Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror" at 8 o'clock in the morning isn't your idea of a good way to start the day, don't worry; we can still get you on the ride without a two hour wait on that very crowded day during the Fourth of July holiday. FASTPASS is your answer. When you encounter a long line, look for the FASTPASS machines. You just slip your park ticket into the slot, and you'll get another ticket back that will give you a time range in which to return. Then, come back, find the FASTPASS entry line and give your pass to the cast member on duty. He or she will send you to a much shorter line for the ride. In the interim, you've been off enjoying other parts of the park! When Disney first started this free service for guests, you were only allowed one FASTPASS at a time. Since then, they've expanded the service. Be sure that you know how many passes you're allowed to have at once, and schedule your path around the park accordingly. The FASTPASS slots available for that day can sometimes be all taken by early afternoon. Don't wait until dinner to get your pass on crowded days. You may be shut out. Also, be aware that you probably will still have a short wait in the FASTPASS line, but it will be MUCH shorter than the standard queue line. Another tip: Save your FASTPASS for the longer lines. The wait in a short queue won't be that long anyway.
Magic Kingdom periodically offers E-Ride nights to a limited number of resort guests with a multiple day pass. For an extra fee, you can stay in the park for two hours after the standard closing time and get extra chances at certain rides. This is a great way to either experience the best attractions several times with minimal wait, or it's an opportunity to save the rides with the longest lines till the park has far less people in it. The nights and rides available change, so ask at the resort when you check in.
Another good tip to minimize queue line waits is to take in the most popular attractions when the rest of the park guests are doing other things. At parade time, during the fireworks shows at night, or when most people are eating lunch or dinner are great times to get in line. The lines won't be walk-on short, but they will usually be significantly less than at other times.
One way to avoid lines is to choose attractions that have little or no wait. While most of these are not the WDW centerpiece rides you saved all year to see, they are all pretty good (depending, of course, on taste) and worth your time. All of the movies in the parks are a fun or breathtaking experience, and attractions such as "The Great Movie Ride" or "Pirates of the Caribbean" are usually worth the short time you might have to wait.
Even with these tips and during the least crowded days, you will still have to spend some time in lines. The good news here is that, in true Disney fashion, the queue areas are usually entertaining in their own rite. If you have to stand in line, make it at WDW. Observing the details on the path back to "Tower of Terror", reading the tombstones by "Haunted Mansion", or examining the carvings in the "Tree of Life" on the way to see "It's Tough to be a Bug!" will probably be one of the things you remember about your trip to Walt Disney World.
We can't eliminate every line at the World, but taking some of these steps to minimize queue line waits will go a long way towards maximizing your WDW "Magic Quota". Enjoy your vacation!
