With the busy spring break season approaching, it’s a good idea to come up with some strategies for dealing with long lines at the Orlando theme parks. Whether you are heading to Universal or Disney World, using these basic strategies will help you spend less time waiting in line and more time having fun.
Arrive at dusk and stay late to reduce your wait times at Disney World.
- Use Fastpass: Disney’s Fastpass is free, and can save you a place in line while you do other things. Disney World has recently tightened up the rules, so you have to return within the window on your ticket to get into line (up until very recently, you could return at any time after the printed time period, not just within the hour). Even with this change, Fastpass will save you a ton of time.
- Check all lines before choosing one: It’s strange, but people tend to flock to a line that is already established. You can occasionally find an entrance turnstile, cash register or line queue that is totally empty, just because no one has caught on that it is open. Look both ways before choosing your path, and when in doubt, go left; queues are often shorter on the left side, simply because most people turn right.
- Abandon your routine: If you usually get up at 7am and head to work, get up a little earlier and head to the parks, you’ll beat the crowds. Not an early bird? Switch gears entirely and sleep in…then head to the parks in the late afternoon and stay until they close. Crowds and wait times with thin significantly as the night progresses.
- Bypass parades and street shows: If you want to ride a popular attraction line Splash Mountain, but the Fastpasses are all gone, wait until the Main Street Electrical Parade begins. As people flock to see the sparkly lights, Splash Mountain’s wait time will be drastically reduced. Use this same method wherever there is a parade or other large spectacle.
- Keep an eye on closed attractions: Expedition Everest, Space Mountain and Test track are notorious for closing for technical delays. Use this to your advantage and keep an eye on the entrance — there is no announcement when the ride re-opens…just a wide open line queue that you can breeze right through.
by Samantha McNesby for OrlandoVacation.com
