How to Avoid Long Lines at Disney World
Updated 3/7/2019
While planning our first trip to Disney World, I combed the internet for information on how Disney World worked and how to make it work for our vacation. I saw a lot of catchy headlines like “How Not to Wait In Line!” or “How to Skip the Lines!”. While that sounds AWESOME, for most folks it’s not realistic. Now, I’m not saying that you will NEVER just walk onto a ride. It happens. In the interest of managing expectations though, it won’t happen very often and it most likely will NOT happen on popular rides.
For most of us, planning a trip to Disney World means planning that trip around a school schedule. School breaks mean heavier attendance, particularly those breaks that are NOT in the sweltering heat of summer. If you aren’t a local and don’t have the luxury of popping into and out of the parks regularly during less busy days, planning around crowds is essential.
In the end, it is more a question of “How to Avoid Long Lines at Disney World”. Line skipping? Probably not. But shorter wait times? There are ways to help make that magic happen.
Make Advance FastPass+ Reservations
If you don’t know what FastPass+ is, take a look at the basics here first.
I am a broken record on this point. Utilize this offer. It doesn’t cost you extra to make those 3 FastPasses for each day in the parks. Make them for the popular rides that your group want to experience. WDW Prep School has a great infographic with FastPass priorities for each park. It’s a fantastic tool to use when planning your FastPass strategy.
If your group aren’t big riders and some attractions are off the table, book Advance FastPass+ reservations for those attractions that are must dos. No FastPass is a “wasted” FastPass if it secures a spot on an attraction that is important to your group.
The only caveat to that is using FastPasses for evening shows. A 4th FastPass can’t be made until all 3 Advance FastPass+ reservations are used or expired. In other words, an evening FastPass holds additional FastPasses hostage. If you REALLY want to insure that you get a seat for Hollywood Studio’s Fantasmic or Animal Kingdom’s Rivers of Light, booking a dining package may be a better bet. If you were planning on eating in the parks at a table service restaurant anyway, it’s a no brainer.
The bottom line is, when your FastPass window opens, just do it. Even if you miss your window, check out what is still available and make the FastPasses that fit into your schedule.
Use Your 4th FastPass (And Your 5th and Your 6th …)
Once the three initial FastPasses are used or have expired, FastPasses can be made one at a time in ANY park. In fact, after tapping into the FastPass line of your third and last Advance FastPass, a 4th FastPass can be made. Use the time in line to start hunting on My Disney Experience for another FastPass to book. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Modify, Modify, Modify
Even with Advance FastPass+ reservations there is wiggle room. Just got off Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at 10 but your next FastPass reservation isn’t until 11? Check out My Disney Experience and try to modify the time. If the FastPass can be moved to 10:15, bonus! Get on the ride earlier and get closer to making your 4th FastPass and more.
If there isn’t a better time, keep trying. Guests are dropping and modifying their FastPasses constantly. You may even be able to modify your FastPass to another attraction by using the “change experience” button. Just remember that Tier 1 FastPasses have to be used before a FastPass can be reserved for another Tier 1 attraction.
Don’t worry that this will delete your initial FastPass. Shopping around for a better time does not obligate you to modify. Rest assured that everything will stay as is unless you confirm that you are modifying to a new time or changing the experience to a different attraction.
Extra Magic Hours
If you are staying on property or at select Disney hotels, you have access to Extra Magic Hours. If you don’t know what those are or where to stay in order to get them, check out the basics here.
Most folks don’t want to get to the bus super early in the morning or necessarily have the stamina to stay up super late after a long park day. That means that early morning and late evening, if you can swing it, are the “secret” weapon in your park planning arsenal.
This advice only applies if your group can ABSOLUTELY get to the parks about an hour before the morning Extra Magic Hour OR can hang in for the evening Extra Magic Hours. If not, your group will be in the most crowded park that day without reaping the benefits of an early start or a late closing.
Extra Magic Hours are the perfect time to hop on to rides that a FastPass was unavailable for. It’s also a great way to walk on rides that may get a little crowded later. Or to ride Soarin’ 4 times in a row. What? Don’t judge.
For more on the pros and cons of Extra Magic Hours, take a look at this article.
Plan To Be At The Parks For Rope Drop
Rope drop is just a fancy way of saying “park opening”. However, each of the parks open up a bit differently and can open earlier than the official posted time. For more detailed information on the rope drop situation for each park, read this.
The basic advice here is to get to the park an hour or so before official opening time. Get through security, bag check and into line. This should, generally, position your group close enough to the front of the line to head towards a popular ride that you couldn’t get a FastPass for. This strategy is also helpful for riding an attraction more than once. Hop on the ride early with a shorter line and then ride it again with your FastPass later.
Take Advantage of Fireworks, Parades, & Meal Times
During the afternoon parade at Magic Kingdom, guests tend to gravitate to parade watching. This can often shorten the lines around the park. Just make sure to position yourself in the general area of the popular attraction you are gunning for about ½ before the parade starts. Otherwise, you may find yourself cut off by the parade route and unable to get to that attraction.
Fireworks are often another good time to hop on a ride in Magic Kingdom and Epcot with little wait. It can also make for an interesting ride while the fireworks are going off.
Similarly, guests tend to stick to normal meal times. Try checking the wait time on attractions between 12-2 and 4:30-6. Eating an early lunch or a late dinner may help your group take advantage of shorter standby lines as well as less crowded restaurants.
Consider Purchasing Tickets For Early Morning Magic Or Disney After Hours
Some parks also offer access early in the morning before park opening OR later in the evening after park close. These are ticketed events that cost extra and include breakfast for the Early Morning Magic experience and snacks for the After Hours experience. Both have limited ticket sales to insure low crowds.
While making decisions about your vacation so far in advance is a bit out of the norm, it really pays in the end. A little planning goes a long way at Disney World.
For a more comprehensive look at how to plan a vacation at Disney World, check out our “How to Plan a Day in the Parks“.
