This series of posts is about the best ways to reduce the "magic meltdown moments" that kids and parents tend to have during the park. While we feel that these are the keys to success, your results may vary.
Tip 1: Mornings really are magic
No matter what day of the week it is, your smallest wait times for rides are going to be first thing in the morning. Many people sleep in, miss their shuttle, or come after school, and the results are an ever-increasing multitude of park residents throughout the day. It really doesn't start to clear out until around 8:00 at night. The first 3 hours are critical for rides.
First, BE ON TIME. And when I say be on time, that means be there 15 minutes early. 20 if you need to get a stroller (and you will). Also, grab a map.
Second, your multi-day pass likely came with a "magic morning" that lets you enter the park an hour before it opens. This lets you get on rides with very little wait time, but you can only enter early once during your stay. Also, they only open up Tomorrowland and Fantasyland during magic mornings, so your best bets are to do the following rides, which get queued up quick once the park opens:
- Space mountain (my favorite)
- Matterhorn bobsleds
- Buzz Lightyear (if you have small children, they'll love it)
- Star Wars (once it opens back up later this year)
Also, for some reason some rides in Fantasyland always have long lines. Run over there and do some if you have small kids or have a hankering for mad tea parties.
If you use your magic morning on a Monday-Thursday, it will seem to last longer, since the park fills up more slowly. Your one hour of park time will seem like an hour and a half.
Lastly, and this is THE MOST IMPORTANT, be smart about your walking patterns. The majority of visitors enter the park and spend roughly 20 minutes walking down main street. They then turn right (because that's what Americans do) and head to Tomorrowland. As a result, for the first hour, Frontierland and Adventureland are completely vacant.
Take advantage of this by doing the following at least one day during your stay. When you get into the park, immediately hop on the train at the entrance to the park. It will be waiting there for the first 5 minutes or so. Everyone in your party will be grumbling that you are all "wasting your time" on the train while everyone else is running to rides. Your patience will be rewarded, however!
The train will move on, and the first stop is New Orleans' square. Hop off the train, and move out into the main part of Frontierland. "Wow," you'll say to yourself, "this place is a GHOST TOWN." And it will be, for about 45 minutes. So grab your children by the straps of their backpacks, and go hit the following rides:
- Pirate's of the Caribbean
- Haunted House
- Indiana Jones
- Thunder Mountain
Once you need to catch a breath, go enjoy the Jungle Cruise.
The Pirates and Indiana Jones rides can typically be 45-60 minute waits after the first hour in the park has elapsed. Thanks to this trick, you'll practically run through the queue and get on the ride in under 5 minutes.
Enjoy the smiles on everyone's faces.
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