How to Shorten Wait Times at Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World is a wonderful place but is usually crowded year round. This leads to long lines and inpatient parents and children. My family has been going for many years and has perfected the art of NOT waiting in line. I can show you how in just a few steps.

1. The number one rule is get there early. We usually arrive 15-20 minutes before the park opens. This makes the biggest difference when dealing with crowds. If you wait even 30 minutes after the park opens you will not get nearly as much done. Once the park opens we head to the most popular rides first. If we get them over early then while the late comers are entering the park we are moving on to other less crowded attractions.

2. Utilize the FastPass system created by Disney. This allows you to get a ticket to come back to ride at a later time. For some of our favorite attractions we like to get a FastPass and then immediately ride an attraction while there is virtually no line. This allows us to come back a second time and ride later on. There is no reason while you should get in line for an attraction that has FastPass. Use it to your advantage.

3. Eat your meals a little early. We usually try to schedule lunch around 11:30. The restaurants are not crowded yet. This allows us to eat and get back to the parks quicker and we can ride while everyone else is eating. We do the same thing for dinner.

4. Take an afternoon break. This is another key thing for me. We always go back to the hotel or at least leave the park for a few hours in the heat of the afternoon. By the time we get back the crowd has thinned out and we are refreshed from our break.

You can shorten your wait times easily by just following a few rules. I can't say enough about getting there early. It makes your day go so much better. You are paying a lot of money to get into the park. You should be able to enjoy it!