Disney without fastpasses? It seems like a scary prospect but, not only can it be done you may even find you prefer to go without them!
In Episode 49, we have lots of information and tips to help you plan your days and take away some of the fears you may have.
What’s better: Without fastpasses, lines at rides like The Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan’s Flight – which notoriously and regularly had waits 90-120 minutes long – now have some of the shortest in the park, averaging 30 minutes. The lines for these rides are in constant motion meaning you spend less time waiting and more time enjoying other rides.
Some attractions will always have long lines, such as Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom and 7 Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom. The key here is to know which rides you want to do during your park time and save those long waits for later in the day.
Why this works: While the majority of guests in the park will go straight to these headliner rides making the wait long right away, you’ll save time by going on multiple attractions in the same time period. After you’ve hit all the smaller rides, then go to the headliner attraction and wait in the line. You’ll have already accomplished more rides, and will probably still wait in a shorter line.
What else is better: You’re on vacation to make magical memories with your family. Think back to your last Walt Disney World vacation – how much time did you spend on the Disney app checking for your next fastpass and then getting distracted by a facebook, instagram, or email notification?
Why it’s better: There’s a popular activity called “pounding the app” which is how people ended up getting multiple fastpasses throughout the day. The problem with this is it takes a lot of time and dedication to make it work. Time when you’re focused on the app and not on your family or your surroundings.
So, how do you make regular touring without fastpasses work?
- Have a plan. Like we mentioned above, know there’s going to be at least one ride in each park that you will want to wait in line for. Go to all other attractions that you want to do first, then wait in the line.
- Manage expectations. Know that you may not be able to go on an attraction multiple times in one day. And that’s ok – OR make that your priority and how you spend your day.
TIPS for all parks:
- Spend time looking at your surroundings. Disney is full of details that are so easy to miss!
- Getting to the park about 1 hour before official opening time is still important. You can get on more attractions early in the morning than you can if you wait until the afternoon. The first hour and last 2 hours the parks are open are the lowest wait times.
- As long as you’re in line for a ride at least a minute before park close, you can stay in the line and ride!
- Lines look really long, but they move quickly.
- Wait times have been exaggerated.
Magic Kingdom
- Don’t rush right to 7 Dwarfs Mine Train. Choose your mountain – Space or Splash – and go there first.
- Splash Mountain has longer than normal wait times as more people are riding it for the “last time” before it goes through a re-theme to the Princess and the Frog.
Epcot
- Pick your favorite – Soarin’, Test Track, or Frozen Ever After and go there first.
- Things to keep in mind –
- Soarin’ has an indoor queue – save this for the afternoon to spend time in the air conditioning.
- Test Track also has an indoor queue, but the ride is outdoors. Go early as it can shut down during the summer months when there are storms in the area.
Hollywood Studios
- Go to Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror first. Most guests will rush straight to Galaxy’s Edge, and this area will be crowded. Millennium Falcon and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will have shorter lines later in the day.
- If you can get to Slinky Dog Dashin the morning before the line stretches to the umbrella area then great. IF not, save this for your last ride of the night.
Animal Kingdom
- If you can get to Flight of Passage in the morning before the line stretches outside the normal queue area, great. IF not, save this for later in the day as your “wait in line” ride.”
CORRECTION: If you listened to Episode 49, Roxann mistakenly said that Flight of Passage had a 15 minute line at 7pm, and Na’vi River Journey was 60. She apologizes as she had the rides backwards.
Have questions, comments, want to let us know something you’d like to talk about for a future episode? Contact us at info@ears4youpodcast.com, Facebook at Ears4YouPodcast, Instagram @ears4youpodcast.
