Time is money and it is even more true when you are on a Disney vacation. Avoiding time wasters will help you to get your money’s worth out of every moment. Here are the 10 best tips for saving time at Walt Disney World:
1. Choose the dates of your vacation wisely – Avoid coming during the busiest times of the year if you can. This includes the 2 weeks of Christmas vacation, the week of Easter and the week of the 4th of July. The crowds make walking from place to place difficult and there is a line for everything including the Quick-Service restaurants. The best times of the year to come are the last 2 weeks in Jan – mid Feb, early May, anytime in September and the first 2 weeks in December.
2. Arrive at Rope Drop – Getting to the parks before they open will help you to be in front of the crowds. You’ll be able to walk on multiple attractions without a wait. We can usually conquer 7+ attractions in the first hour the Magic Kingdom is open.
3. Stay late – If you can, stay late especially during the summer. The Magic Kingdom will stay open until 11 – 12 AM most nights and the last hour the park is open also sees lower wait times. If you want to tackle Rope Drop and stay late, take a nap in the middle of the day.
4. Utilize your Fastpass+ reservations – Be mindful of which attractions you choose for your Fastpass+. Go for the biggest and most popular attractions in each park. I recommend booking them at 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 if you are coming at Rope Drop.
5. Eat during off times – Don’t head to the Quick-Service restaurants at peak times. It is best to eat your meal as close to 11 AM as possible. 2 PM – 5 PM is also a good time to visit the restaurants.
6. Book character meals – You can avoid waiting in line to meet certain characters by booking character meals. Keep in mind that many characters are at multiple meals (especially Mickey Mouse)!
7. Choose the day of the week wisely – Each park has less busy days of the week. Take a look at the park hours and the crowd calendars to pick the best day to visit during your vacation. I recommend skipping parks with Extra Magic Hours as those always draw the crowds.
8. Eat breakfast in your room – Not only will you save money, but you will also save valuable park time by eating in your room. You can order groceries from Garden Grocer if you aren’t able to visit a grocery store yourself.
9. Stay on property – You can save a lot of time by staying on property close to the theme parks. You’ll also be able to avoid the traffic and congestion around the parks. Driving to the parks can be time consuming especially if you are driving to Magic Kingdom.
10. Have a plan – Knowing when to ride what will help you to ride more. You don’t have to be extremely strict with it if that isn’t your thing. Just do some research on the best times to ride each attraction. You want to avoid attractions with low attendance in the mornings since they always have a short line.
Learn more about planning your Walt Disney World vacation. Plus overwhelmed with all the planning? Destinations in Florida can help you plan your perfect trip.