Riding headliners near closing time - How long was your actual wait?

[WiscMomof2]

I've often heard that posted SB wait times tend to be inflated during the last 30 minutes or so before park closing. I'm specifically interested to hear about any experience with this at TSMM, but would be curious to hear about other headliners as well. If you've gotten in a SB line near closing time, how long was the posted wait time and how long did you actually wait?

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Earlier this month...posted wait 70 minutes. SB was about 30...the first time. Then they let us re-ride. The second time I picked up my son and we literally ran through the queue. It was one of those magical moments.

 

[JenB1104]

We rode 7DMT - posted wait was 50 and I think our actual wait was more like 30.

 

[maxsmom]

The last 2 yrs we've done TSMM and it said 90 min and we thought it would be the last thing we would do, but we got on 2 or 3 times before the park closed. I think the longest we waited was 30 min. Similar experience w/ Test tract & soarin'

 

[PadmeNaberie]

On several occasions I have ridden Peter Pan with a <10min wait after around 10:00pm

 

[maryj11]

Last May memorial day week about 11:00 pm we had about a 5 or less minute wait on Splash Mountain and Big Thunder. They were pretty much a walk on. The wait times posted were about 15 minutes.

 

[lizard1]

I got in line for 7dmt a couple of minutes before park close. I waited about 15 minutes.

 

[cjparker0110]

I don't know how they do it these days, but I know wait time used to get measured by them giving guests something to hold as they entered the line and then getting it from them as they get on the ride. It would constantly update SB wait time. I bet when the line gets short they don't hand them out which leaves the last time that one got scanned in posted on the sign.

 

[Lucius Best]

Last trip in April, after 10pm Wishes, 7DMT was consistently listed as 30 minute wait standby. We worked our way over there, and shortly before park closing at 11pm, they bumped it up to 40 minutes. We could see from the length of the queue that it was much shorter, especially since no one is returning with FP at that time. We were on the ride in 11 minutes. I'm assuming they intentionally increased it from 30 to 40 to discourage people from getting in line.

 

[sharona]

Just before 11pm on a Friday night in April with a 1am close (not EMH just extended hours), 7DMT posted wait 70 minutes, no one in outside queue, actual wait 12 minutes!

 

[perkinsrose]

TSM posted 50 min. Actual 15min.

 

[jhaig]

Rode Test Track 3X between 8p and 9p after the ride had been down most of the evening. Just got off and ran back through the line over and over.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Look for the thread "Posted wait times are often greatly exaggerated at night".


Here are just a few examples from our most recent trip (crowd level 8 & 9 days per EasyWDW)

MK
7 Dwarfs right after Wishes: Posted wait - 65 minutes. Actual wait 5 minutes.

Peter Pan at 11 pm: Posted wait - 40 minutes. Actuals wait 1 minute. There were about 10 people in line.

Space Mtn at 11:30 pm: Posted wait - 40 minutes. Ride was actually a walk-on. Rode 4 times in 35 minutes.

Epcot
Test Track at 8:30 pm: Posted wait 50 minutes. Actual wait 10 minutes.

DHS
Toy Story just before Star Wars fireworks: Posted wait 50 minutes. Actual wait 20 the first time then 5 for the 2nd ride. We rode twice in less than a half hour. Not too bad.

 

[tesslor]

If you have a membership to touring plans they have an app where people record their actual wait time. We used it tons on our trip and the times were much more accurate than official disney.

 

[scoobydooby]

Everest. Walked on four consecutive times the last 40 minutes the park was open in May 2014.

 

[mdb78]

I don't know how they do it these days, but I know wait time used to get measured by them giving guests something to hold as they entered the line and then getting it from them as they get on the ride. It would constantly update SB wait time. I bet when the line gets short they don't hand them out which leaves the last time that one got scanned in posted on the sign.

I was kind of thinking the same. It's near closing, the line is short and they don't feel the need to change the posted time.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

The wait times are inflated intentionally. The intent is to steer guests away from the rides and into the gift shops.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I don't think they are allowing this anymore. Bummer, cuz it's part of our plan usually. Now, they post that the long rides close early. How close to closing do you mean? I think rides like TSMMand GMR close like 8:15 or 8:30 now for instance. They are on to us!

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I don't think they are allowing this anymore. Bummer, cuz it's part of our plan usually. Now, they post that the long rides close early. How close to closing do you mean? I think rides like TSMM and GMR close like 8:15 or 8:30 now for instance. They are on to us!

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Oops.... Weird phone thingy