Do Disney lines take as long as they say?

Doug Sisk, who runs WDW Passport, which offers live wait times, says that Disney usually inflates times by between 25 and 50 percent. The day before we spoke for this story, Sisk compared posted wait times with the actual times.



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In the morning, everyone is scrambling to get on rides, and lines tend to get long quickly. At night, everyone is tired of waiting in lines all day, so they're filtering out of the park, and lines can be a lot shorter (often much shorter than posted times).

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Splurge on after-hours events In 2023, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom are selling tickets for dates early in the year at prices that rival a full day's admission. “That is an enormous time saver,” said Jeffrey Merola, a Walt Disney World guidebook author and owner of Mouse Vacation Planning.

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That's why we have created this short list on how you can beat the queues and make the most of your time at Disney.
  1. The Early Bird Catches The Worm. ...
  2. Download the My Disney Experience app. ...
  3. Beat The Queues With Disney's Fast Pass System. ...
  4. Avoid The Main Street. ...
  5. Be Prepared. ...
  6. Don't Be A Sheep, Be Smart. ...
  7. Avoid certain days.


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It's been reported that Soarin' actually saw a wait time of 305 minutes on New Year's Eve several years ago, which was reported to be the longest wait time in the history of Walt Disney World.

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  • You can't really skip lines.
  • You can buy the Genie Pass to buy access to the lightning lane (or whatever they call it these days), but even with that you will still be waiting in line.
  • You can pay for a private tour which may include fast access to select rides.


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Through our investigation and top secret interviews, we determined that Disney is paying people $1.50 for every 10 minutes they stand in line for select attractions. If Space Mountain is 80 minutes, a paid line waiter gets $12 from Disney to stand in that line.

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Disney also offers what's called Disability Access Service to guests (you're not a “visitor” — you're a “guest”!) who are unable to wait in a long line due to a disability. The card allows you to go to an attraction and get a set time to come back and experience the ride.

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If either attraction has a wait time of 13 minutes for the standby line, get in line! 13 minutes is a 'code' for no wait time at all. In the case of these two attractions, number 13 happens to be a lucky number! ( Photo Credit Meeko)

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There are several reasons why Walt Disney World deliberately inflates wait times. First, it's good for guest satisfaction–an extension of the ole “underpromise and overdeliver” mantra. It's surprisingly simple: guests will be happy if they wait less time than is advertised, but unhappy if they wait longer.

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Wait Time At The Disneyland Paris Your wait time at the attraction can vary depending on the ride that you choose to go for on your visit. Some can have a very long wait time, close to 45 mins to an hour, whereas some may vary from 30 – 45 mins.

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However, there are three keys to avoiding long lines that do not involve spending extra money:
  1. Learn about and use Disney's Genie app – it's free.
  2. Get to the parks well before they open.
  3. Stay in the park as late as possible.
  4. Bonus tip – plan your meals ahead using Disney's mobile ordering.


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7 TIPS FOR AVOIDING THE QUEUES AT DISNEYLAND PARIS
  1. GO OFF PEAK. disneylandparisVerified. ...
  2. ASK ABOUT BABY SWITCH. disneylandparisVerified. ...
  3. HEAD FOR THE BIG RIDES DURING THE PARADES. disneylandparisVerified. ...
  4. MAKE NOTE OF THE RIDES THAT ONLY LOOK CROWDEd. disneylandparisVerified. ...
  5. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SINGLE RIDER QUEUES.


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The answer is the MagicBand! Your resort reservations are linked to your MagicBands through your My Disney Experience account, and, during Extra Magic Hours, you must scan your MagicBand to enter the park early. Or, during evening Extra Magic Hours, you must scan your MagicBand at any rides or attractions.

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Genie Plus is definitely worth it for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and if you don't like early starts, you might consider it for Epcot and Animal Kingdom. If you are park hopping, Genie+ is even better value as it maximises the number of rides you have access to.

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