As a child I loved any ride that spun, the tilt-a-whirl at the fair or the gravitron, it hardly mattered as long as I was spinning. What took the cake however was ALWAYS the tea cups at Disney World. That’s right, in the heart of Orlando sits the most amazing spinning ride in the world- the Mad Hatter’s tea cups. Twenty years later they have not lost their charm. Standing in line I promised Danny’s cousin I could make her lunch reappear on the tea cups…
I didn’t go that far, but I am serious about maximizing the fun at Disney World. Not that it is very hard mind you, but the thought of waiting in line even 20 minutes when we could be on another ride/at another show/doing something more exciting is excruciating. Some people are very serious about Disney World and plot out a full schedule. We aren’t, we just follow a few simple tips to still have fun and fit everything in. Here are our secrets.
1. Stay to the left. Danny drilled this into my head when we were dating and went to the movies. Naturally it took me a while to admit he was right. I have no idea why, but people tend to go to the right, so when you’re faced with an option, go left. The line is almost always shorter.
2. Start late. Disney World is busiest in the middle of the day. Sure, you could get up early, but why? Get to the park around 2pm and stay until close. It will be cooler and families tend to go back to their hotels for dinner and a nap before the fireworks. Plus, if you drive you’ll get a closer parking spot.
3. Single rider line. Disney has more than one car going on the roller coaster at each time. If the standby line is excruciatingly long, ask a cast member if there’s a single rider line. You won’t ride next to each other, but you might save yourself 45 minutes of waiting in line.
4. Fast Pass. You can actually hold two of these at once. The pass is good for an hour, say 1:15-2:15. At 1:16 you can get another one – giving you a second fast pass for later. There are also options for this if you’re in the market for Universal Studios tickets Florida.
5. Ride during the parades. We waited 10 minutes for one of Magic Kingdom’s most popular rides, Splash Mountain, during the afternoon parade. If you really want to see the parade, catch it at the beginning and then scurry to the ride. Immediately following the parade the line for Pirates of the Caribbean was a 15 minute wait, when we came out 15 minutes later, it was up to 45 minutes.
We may be well beyond the age where we play dress up and make believe, but we still love Disney World. Which is your favorite tip?
I love your go left tip. I would never think of that.
Good tips! Love your pictures, too. Looks like you had a great time!