When you’re going through your schedule for a day at Walt Disney World, it can seem overwhelming! That’s because you’re trying to fit a lifetime of dreams into a single vacation, and although you can complete a ton of things on your list…there will always be items on your list that you won’t be able to get to.
One of the most frequently asked questions that I get is how to do more without stressing or feeling like you need a vacation AFTER you just got home from vacation. Great topic…so let’s look at it!
How to Maximize Disney Park Hours
USE RESORT EARLY ENTRY
When you’re staying at an official Disney World Resort or at a Disney Springs Authorized good neighbour resort (like the Holiday Inn Disney Springs), you’re able to take advantage of time when the parks are open for resort guests. This is a great way to get stuff done, especially with a strategy.
This used to be called “Extra Magic Hours”, but we’ll see if that name comes back.
REST WHILE EVERYONE PLAYS
Leave the parks in the middle of the day because everything is jam-packed.
From attractions being at full-capacity and giant lines to restaurants being busy…there’s really no reason to be stuck in the crowds and the mid-day heat when you can go back to the hotel for a recharge.
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PICK YOUR LINES CAREFULLY
Are you wanting to buy something at the Emporium in the Magic Kingdom? Knowing that the store actually goes through multiple locations will allow you to pick one of the smaller cash register lines and not have to stand in a giant crowd.
Also, if there are things that you want to buy in one of the bigger stores (like Creations Shop at EPCOT or The Emporium), it’s very likely that the merchandise will also be available at a smaller location in the park. Just ask and it could quite possibly save you time!
Oh, speaking of lines…character lines can be incredibly long! If you know from the Times Guide that Aladdin & Jasmine are meeting on the hours (11am, 12pm, etc), then you should be in line by 15-minutes before because it’s better to wait before and be first in line than be stuck later in a long line!
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GIVE UP ON DISNEY TRANSPORTATION
I’ve talked about this a lot, but if you look at how much your vacation is costing you in total and then break it down to how much a minute of wasted time will actually cost you…why wait 25-40 minutes for a bus trip from park to park OR even worse a Resort to Resort trip.
Just hop on your UBER app and see if the cost is worth it. It usually is:)
LIGHTNING LANE RESERVATIONS
There are parks that you have the choice to pick times, but then you’re at the beck & call of experiences like Slinky Dog Dash or Flight of Passage.
It’s important for your vacation time maximization strategy to get attractions that you can’t just walk on during specific times. I’m looking at you Navi River Journey…
This is such a fun topic to discuss because of my experiences of flat out wasting time so you don’t have to!
- I’ve waited 45+ minutes for a Disney Springs bus at the Contemporary after Magic Kingdom Fireworks so you can just get an UBER instead
- I’ve spent 10-minutes in line at Satuli Canteen and not move an inch….just to put through my mobile order like I would at Starbucks and get my food BEFORE those who were in front of me in the regular line.
- I’ve also bought my t-shirts before my trip in order to save on time in line at a theme park…because I wanted to get rid of that “new shirt smell”;)
Hope this helped!!
