What are your tips for saving time in the parks?

[angelofjoy23]

What are your favorite tips for saving time in the park? I've heard things like "to enter the Haunted Mansion ride first, stand under the portrait of the lady with the parasol in the stretching room." Are there other similar tips throughout the park (i.e. take the left line for Ride XYZ)? Are there other shortcuts to get you from point A to point B faster? Share your favorite tips!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

In MK, use the train to your advantage.

 

[angelofjoy23]

In MK, use the train to your advantage.

I just found out the train will be down during our trip

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I just found out the train will be down during our trip

That being the case, do NOT use the train.

 

[pa. dad]

I think the MAIN things are get up early and get the long lines out of the way before the park fills up with people. And have a plan of what you want to see so that you're not always looking at the map or guidebooks. Or getting into lines for things that you really don't care to do anyway.
After that, the rest is just have fun.
The more times I go, the less detailed the plans are.

Oh and if you can't find a cast member nearby to ask directions, light up a cigar or something in a non smoking area and they will immediately come from every direction.

 

[Lothlórien]

As much as possible, do not bounce all over the park from attraction to attraction, but try to circle the parks and visit each attractions along the way.

 

[mom2rose&john]

Get a map before you leave to get the lay of the lands. It will help if you are sort of familiar with the layout so you don't bounce from land to land.

Get there early or stay late if tempers permit. We were there the week before Easter and arrived a half hour before it opened at 8am. We were able to do Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Carribean, Jungle Cruise and Mansion before 9:30 am. The crowds didn't get insane until 11 am. We stayed out of Fantasy Land from 11-6. It always bottlenecks between "It's a Small World" and "Peter Pan" because of the stroller parking.

I used crowd levels to determine the park we would visit each day.

Schedule the FP+ between 12-4 each day.

Catch the shows in between the FP's is time permits. We scheduled Space Mountain and Toy Story back to back and went into Carousel of Progress in between. Scheduled Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain Back to Back and went to Tom Sawyers Island in between.

 

[Heidi K]

We saved time by applying sunscreen on the bus each morning

 

[DrivenByDisney]

Some time saving activities we use all the time:

Single Ride Test Track at ECPOT while still designing your own car

You can go into the exit of the attraction building and go into the design salon area. There are a few terminals to design a car just as you would in the stand by queue without the long wait time in the stand by line. Also helps out with FP+. You don't have to use one for Test Track and can grab three more in EPCOT that day.

Walk between EPCOT & Studios

If you exit EPCOT via the International Gateway, there is a paved walkway all the way to the Studios that only takes around 20 minutes to get between the two parks. Beats going out the front of EPCOT, waiting on a bus then the ride to the Studios. Works on the way to EPCOT as well. You just enter through the International Gateway.

Left side of the queues

We always find (for whatever reason) the left side of most queues seem to go faster than the right. Have no idea why, though at Tower at the Studios, we always go to the left and seem to get on much faster than people in the right queue. Same at the Mansion at Magic.

Ride marque attractions during parades or fireworks

Riding big name attractions at each park during shows, parades or fireworks offer a shorter wait time than during "regular" times without the shows/parades occurring. Depending on your visit, you can always watch those shows at another time. A lot of people watch these shows and will not be in the queues.

Rope Drop

If you can stomach getting up that early. It's a good way to knock out at least two major attractions at a park without having to use a FP+ on them. ie. Toy Story, Seven Dwarfs, Soarin', etc. We've rope dropped Magic and were able to ride Space & Seven Dwarfs within 15 minutes without FP's and used them for the Mansion, Thunder & Splash going at Rope Drop.

 

[angelofjoy23]

You all are awesome! Thanks for the tips! I'm going to reevaluate my touring plans to make sure I'm using my early morning ride times wisely before it gets crowded!

 

[maryj11]

I agree with mom2rose&john. Get there at opening and ride the popular rides with little wait. Then start using FP's around 10:30-11:00 am. Another time that is good to ride with lower wait times is right before closing especially at MK, most people leave after the fireworks.
You can look at the maps on the Disney site they are the best maps because you can zoom in and out. Study them and know where your going to keep from going in circles and walking more then you have to.
Here is what I use to determine what will have long waits at what times. If you click on a parks full cheat sheet and scroll to the very bottom and find your crowd level and it will show you what to expect for wait times at certain times of the day. http://www.easywdw.com/easy/cheat-s...t-sheets-maps-touring-plans-and-wait-times-4/

 

[Mikie]

Even if you're not going to watch the parade, familiarize yourself with the time and route - it gets very difficult to get where you want to go if you are anywhere near the route or, heaven forbid, wanting to cross it. Know what area of the park you want to be in during the parade and get there before ropes and crowds block off your walkways.

 

[gap2368]

What are your favorite tips for saving time in the park? I've heard things like "to enter the Haunted Mansion ride first, stand under the portrait of the lady with the parasol in the stretching room." Are there other similar tips throughout the park (i.e. take the left line for Ride XYZ)? Are there other shortcuts to get you from point A to point B faster? Share your favorite tips!

as others have said rope drop have an idea on what and when ( with out criss crossing the park) of what you want to do. know you will not get to do and see every thing take some time to enjoy the small details at the park. be nice to CM as they can give you pix dust ( not saying this will or could happen but some times you can get an extra FP or another special something) and most of all bring your patients (SP?) with you do not get up set if you cannot do something you wanted take breaks so you do not wear your self out ( the parks so much less crowded early morning and lat at night) go to the park with the lowest crowds I would not wast time with ADR but this can also be good thing if you want to meet charters or princess you can have a nice long rest at the busy part of the day and see a few friends at the same time. when you use your last FP get another one

 

[Araminta18]

Even if you're not going to watch the parade, familiarize yourself with the time and route - it gets very difficult to get where you want to go if you are anywhere near the route or, heaven forbid, wanting to cross it. Know what area of the park you want to be in during the parade and get there before ropes and crowds block off your walkways.

Is there a good place to find parade maps? We're not particularly interested in seeing the parades, so I definitely want to make sure we're in the right places at the right times...

 

[Mikie]

Is there a good place to find parade maps? We're not particularly interested in seeing the parades, so I definitely want to make sure we're in the right places at the right times...

Best thing I know to do is post a new thread here asking for parade maps and Robo (a long-time poster here) usually will answer those questions. He has official park maps overlaid with his own highlights of the routes and best viewing spots, etc. I believe the Main Street Electrical Parade (night one) is not identical path to the daytime Festival of Fantasy parade.

 

[T_O]

Oh and if you can't find a cast member nearby to ask directions, light up a cigar or something in a non smoking area and they will immediately come from every direction.

Lol! Best comment I've read!

 

[Paigevon]

Best thing I know to do is post a new thread here asking for parade maps and Robo (a long-time poster here) usually will answer those questions. He has official park maps overlaid with his own highlights of the routes and best viewing spots, etc. I believe the Main Street Electrical Parade (night one) is not identical path to the daytime Festival of Fantasy parade.

@Robo lol

 

[drp4video]

I agree with DrivenbyDisney. I have no clue why, but it always seems like the lines on the left always go faster. shhhhhh......don't spread that around too much.

Single rider lines are great. In the good old days we would always get a fast past for a ride that was next to another rider, example, splash mountain and thunder mountain or tower of terror and rock n roller coaster. which ever had the shortest line, we waited in that one and got a fast pass for the other. Obsolete idea now.

Eating at odd hours, not peak times also saves time.

For us now though, we try not to be too rushed and just enjoy the parks, but then we have been a lot! of times.

 

[StilAPrincessAtHeart]

I second eating at odd hrs. It seems like something small, but can actually save quite a bit of time.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

We saved time by applying sunscreen on the bus each morning

You not only saved time by doing this, but you saved that bus from getting sunburn! Good job!