4. Don’t be afraid to dine al fresco
Though waiting in line for attractions is certainly the biggest bother at Walt Disney World, waiting for food and seating during lunch and dinner time isn't much fun either. While we'd all like to live in a world where we could walk up to a counter service window at Walt Disney World, immediately get our food and then be able to sit down and eat at any table we wanted, unfortunately this almost never happens, especially at the Magic Kingdom.
Fortunately, if the weather is nice there are plenty of places where you can grab a quick bite and then eat outside, picnic style. The Magic Kingdom's newly expanded hub may fill with guests during the nightly Wishes display, but in the afternoon, guests can get something from nearby walk-up eateries like the Cheshire Cafe or Friar's Nook (which almost never have a wait thanks to their lack of seating areas) and then take a short walk to the hub for a perfect Walt Disney World picnic, no queueing for tables involved!
5. Stay up late
This is another tip that might not work for all families (especially those with small children), but if you can stay up late at Walt Disney World, you definitely should. During busy seasons, all four parks will stay open for some time after their nightly spectaculars (Wishes, Star Wars: Symphony in the Sky, etc.), and guests who stay in the park after the initial rush of guests leaves the park will find that attractions that were once off-limits due to wait time (Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, etc.) will suddenly have ten or twenty minute waits, which is much more manageable. Though you should never count on riding a "must do" attraction during the evening hours (if a ride goes 101 in the evening it will often stay closed for the remainder of the night, which makes waiting for your favorite ride a little risky), if you're wanting to ride something again, or don't mind taking your chances later in the evening, this is a great way to experience some of Walt Disney World's best attractions with little or no wait.
6. Embrace inclement weather
Rain can be a bummer at Walt Disney World. The temperature cools, your feet get soggy, and outdoor rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Expedition Everest and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train all close. Given all these circumstances, it's no wonder why many guests flock back to their hotel rooms at the first sign of inclement weather. However, even if the rain rain rain comes down down down (to paraphrase a song popularized by a certain Honey-craving bear), you can still enjoy a day at Walt Disney World. In fact, you might just have the best day ever, as lines for in-demand indoor attractions like Toy Story Midway Mania, Space Mountain, Dinosaur and Peter Pan's Flight all plummet as guests leave the parks in droves.
Though you'll have to break out your poncho, if you want to wait in line less, you might want to do a little rain dance before you head to the parks, as inclement weather can cut your wait time down by quite a large margin.
What tips and tricks do you have to spend less time in lines at Walt Disney World?
Comments
I disaggree with this fastpass strategy. Most of the time if you get to the park at opening you can ride 3-5 rides in the first hour or 2 in standby with little or no wait. Then use your fastpasses for the middle of the day rush and you do things a little more leisurely with maybe a no-wait show, parade, or meal/snack in between. Works great with my 2 small boys.
I agree with you! We always get to the park in time to catch the opening show which means we are inside Magic Kingdom at least 10 minutes before the official opening time. With the park almost empty, we can get on many rides with almost no wait times. We use our FP during the busy hours at around 1pm to 4pm and by then we have gone on most rides. We continue using FP+ based on the available times and the rides we haven't gone on yet or want to ride again.
Completely agree with luvmy2boys. Get to the park before opening, hit the big rides before the late sleeping mid-morning crowds show up, and use your fast passes then.
I may be in the minority here, but I think sitting in a restaurant is a waste of my touring time. I'd rather pack a bunch of cereal bars and my own water and splurge on the occasional Mickey Bar or Dole Whip.
And if anyone wants to guarantee a virtually wait free Disney trip, I've got two words for you: TOURING PLAN.
Because you can reserve fast passes in 5 minute increments, the fast pass window is always opening! Therefore, it is hard to avoid the time when the fast pass window is starting.