Disney's Estimated Wait Times

[mickey765]

I understand that Disney's estimated wait times are not always correct and can sometimes be very far off. Do you have any tips for specific rides on determining whether there is a long wait time based on seeing the line? (specifically in MK)

 

[sageandbelle]

In my personal experience, Haunted Mansions wait time is usually pretty accurate. There are some rides with low rider capacity that take longer like Peter Pans Flight. I’d also say anything at 30 minutes or under you’ll probably walk straight on or wait a very short time in line - for most smaller attractions like Winnie the Pooh, People Mover, Under The Sea with The Little Mermaid, or It’s a Small World. Once things are over 75 minutes I personally think it turns into a guessing game and they start to get inaccurate. As long as you’re not waiting in a huge attraction’s line, like Seven Dwarves Mine Train most of them you get through in a reasonable amount of time! Also - a ride like Big Thunder Mountain can be a few minutes off depending on which line you choose at the very end. Sometimes the line you don’t pick moves way faster (or so it seems)!

 

[philharmagic fan]

Try asking the cast member at the entrance. I've asked a few times and they're usually pretty accurate.

 

[MomOTwins]

My rule of thumb is this: If looking at wait times in the morning, 30-90 mins after park opening, expect the wait time to be higher than posted just because the wait time needs to be adjusted up as the people flow in. If looking at wait times in the last 45 minutes before park closing, expect wait times to be shorter than posted because they inflate them to try to funnel guests out of the park.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

The lines app is much more accurate for wait times

 

[rajak73]

In July 2018, we came out of Fantasmic, DS, DDIL and grandkids wanted to ride ROR coaster, we walked over to the queue, it was almost HS closing time but extra magic hours for resort guests, (which we were) the posted wait time said 60 min, they didn't really want to wait that long so I to a little peak, well where the wait time sign is and the inside queue, could see absolutely no one waiting, I told them that no way was it a 60 min wait. I finally convinced them to go and we were in and out around 20 min.

 

[CastAStone]

Pay the $12 for the lines app. It also tells you if the wait times are gonna go up or down and a graph of projected wait times for the day, among other things.

 

[evlaina]

The lines app is much more accurate for wait times

Pay the $12 for the lines app. It also tells you if the wait times are gonna go up or down and a graph of projected wait times for the day, among other things.

Came here to say this. Touring Plan's Lines app is awesome and far more accurate.

 

[gharter]

Came here to say this. Touring Plan's Lines app is awesome and far more accurate.

But the TouringPlans lines app is only good if lots of people are posting wait times, so its very user dependant. But, its worth the money to us.

 

[TheBigErn]

We were there over Thanksgiving and I found the time not accurate. In nearly every occasion (and I paid careful attention) the wait times listed were longer that they actually were. They were not off by much, but on average the line was 10 minutes shorter than posted. I also noted the the cast members at the line were generally quoting what I saw on the app.

 

[gharter]

I find at the start of the day and the end of the day, the posted times seem to be the furthest off, especially on popular rides.

 

[CastAStone]

We were there over Thanksgiving and I found the time not accurate. In nearly every occasion (and I paid careful attention) the wait times listed were longer that they actually were. They were not off by much, but on average the line was 10 minutes shorter than posted. I also noted the the cast members at the line were generally quoting what I saw on the app.

This reminded me of the time I went to Small World and the line was basically just the people walking into the boat, and I asked the cast member if it was really gonna be 10 minutes, and she without blinking said "oh yeah".

We literally walked on.