How Long Are Ride Lines?

[Jules123]

We (DH, DS 3, DS 10 and myself) are taking our first WDW trip in June. How long do you usually have to wait in line for the rides (excluding fastpass). What is the difference in wait times for the popular and less popular rides?

 

[jkovick]

It really depends on many factors such as---when in June you are going, whether that park has EMH that day and if there are special events going on while you are there. June can be a busier time so there will most likely be lines for all attractions.

 

[Jules123]

we are going the first week of June and will be going to AK and MK on EMH

 

[cheerdancer11]

The early you hit the parks, the less lines you'll see. Around 1 or 2, there will probably be hour+ long lines for all popular attractions if you're going during a crowded time, summer. Use fastpasses alot

 

[Conan the Librarian]

We (DH, DS 3, DS 10 and myself) are taking our first WDW trip in June. How long do you usually have to wait in line for the rides (excluding fastpass). What is the difference in wait times for the popular and less popular rides?

Use your FASTPASS and don't worry about the lines!

 

[powellrj]

many times the less popular rides are a longer wait because not as many people can ride at a time. With rides like Space Mountain and Splash Mountain the lines move pretty quickly because more people can ride than something like the tea cups.

 

[crazyj4488]

Too many factors to tell you exactly...but, yes, expect wait times at the popular attractions to well exceed 60 mins between 11:30 AM and 7 PM. GET THERE 30 mins before the parks open and leave by 1 or 2 PM for a rest. Hit all the popular attractions in the morning, collect fastpasses for the long line rides ASAP, and plan on doing less crowded / popular attractions anytime after 11:30 AM and 2 hours prior too closing. Bring sunscreen and an extra amount of patience...you'll need it. You'll have an AMAZING time if you are smart about it and do the right things...research, research, research....have a well thought out tour plan for every day or suffer nasty sweaty people bumping into to you while your feet are on fire. Move quickly and efficiently in the morning hours...don't stop for anything like food, shopping, or characters...do this stuff when the lines are long during peak and evening hours for a break.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

This varies WIDELY - but you can usually predict the following:

It takes most people longer to get to the park than they think it will - so early in the morning crowds are at there lightest. Evening EMH is more crowded than morning EMH - but who cares, it is three hours instead of one! (We found the MK evening EMH to be the most crowded EMH, duh! The day after the MK's EMH, the MK was much lighter, and it was still open quite late.)

Most people head for the closest/newest ride fast so while spaceship Earth has a line in the morning, by evening there is little or no line. In Epcot, Mission Space and Test Track have the longest lines - and they will start in the AM. (Strike that - when it opens, Soarin! will have the longest lines.) It will usually be best to Fastpass these - fastpasses for the newest rides might be gone later in the day, so get them early.

"kiddie" rides are much less crowded in the evening - if your little ones can last that long. (Small World has no line at 10pm)

Dumbo (MK) always gets long lines - which I've never understood. It really isn't worth the wait. Save wait time and go on Alladin's Carpets - same ride mechanism, just different decor. Or go on the rockets - same ride, but cooler, because they are up higher. The same is true of the ride in Dinoland (AK) - same ride there, but the lines can be long for this ride, too. So if you ride one of them during EMH, they're basically all the same. It's a cute ride for kids, but as far as rides go, of all the rides at WDW, it is one of the least unique. Universal has the same ride mechanism at IoA, called "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish."

If you see a show type ride is loading, and there is room for you to enter too - go to it. Otherwise, it may be best to go on something else in the meantime. Playhouse Disney, for example.

Try not to waste your fastpass on a ride with less than a half hour wait (or 45 minutes, if the park is really crowded, and all the lines are 30 minutes long). In addition to the wait boards near the entrance to every park, use your eyes when checking the wait time for a ride. CM's get tired of guests asking, "Is the wait really 45 minutes?" They are pretty good about updating the signs, So try not to ask, but sometimes you can just look at the line, and know that the wait will be shorter or longer than the sign says.

Single rider lines often save LOTS of time, if you can use them. Most of the time your party will be split up, and kids who are just over the height restriction can't go in the single rider group (say, if the height requirement is 44", and your child is 47", they will have to have a parent ride with them.)

Tip: Know how many people are in your group BEFORE you get to the CM for each ride! This will reduce wait times for you and everyone else in the line! Listen to what the CM tells you! If you want your kids to ride in the middle of the seat, organize your group ahead of time (Parent first - child second -other parent third). This will also save headache for many rides.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

In addition to the wait boards near the entrance to every park, use your eyes when checking the wait time for a ride. CM's get tired of guests asking, "Is the wait really 45 minutes?"

THANK YOU! As a CM who gets asked this question frequenly, we all get VERY tired of this question. My typical response is something along the lines of "well, it may be 44 minutes and 15 seconds, but yes, 45 minutes is a pretty close estimate"

Tip: Know how many people are in your group BEFORE you get to the CM for each ride! This will reduce wait times for you and everyone else in the line! Listen to what the CM tells you!

Again, thank you! If you have a larger party, please, tell us the whole number of people in your party. If you're a group of 7, tell me that. I can put you in 2 rows if you tell me the correct number of people in your party. If you tell me "4" and then "3", you could be split up and end up on different ride vehicles.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Again, thank you! If you have a larger party, please, tell us the whole number of people in your party. If you're a group of 7, tell me that. I can put you in 2 rows if you tell me the correct number of people in your party. If you tell me "4" and then "3", you could be split up and end up on different ride vehicles.

You're welcome!

Having traveled with a large party, we often shifted who was going on each ride, so it was actually a bit difficult to keep track of how many were in our group each time. Normally, I really don't care how our group gets split up, and I'd personally rather get on the ride more quickly over staying in a group. One time, I was blanking. I am guilty. I knew how I wanted to break our group up on BTMRR, three and two, so I said three. The CM then asked my brother behind me, thinking he was the next group. He wasn't paying attention, and gave the CM a confused look, then said five, indicating the five of us. I felt dumb, but it was too late to apologize to the CM, as it was now time to board the ride. So a belated sorry if it was you loading that time.