Analyzing Walt Disney World Wait-Times
Since Walt Disney World reopened, people like me have claimed that lines have all but vanished on some attractions.
Sure, it’s easy to say that, but you want some supporting data, right?
Today, let’s talk wait-times, using some hard numbers to prove that now is the time to visit Disney.
The Basics
Nobody can ever say with certainty what the wait-time is for a specific attraction.
Photo: Disney
Well, Disney could, but park officials don’t want the public having access to that data.
Everyone else may only guess at the numbers, but some sites have developed skills in this endeavor.
Photo: Disney
Their guesses are better than mine or yours because it’s what they do for a living.
So, I will use a couple of experts to estimate wait-times on up to 10 different attractions at each park.
Photo: Disney
You can use this information to appreciate how different Disney is now than it was a year ago.
My suspicion is that you’ll want to contact a MickeyTravels agent to schedule a quick trip after you read this. And you should!
Photo: MickeyTravels.com
Disney just announced some discounts that make a park visit extremely affordable.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Avatar Flight of Passage – 22 minutes
DINOSAUR – 12 minutes
Image Credit: Disney
Expedition: Everest – 18 minutes
Kali River Rapids – 13 minutes
Kilimanjaro Safaris – 13 minutes
Na’Vi River Journey – 26 minutes
TriceraTop Spin – 5 minutes
Analysis
Animal Kingdom presents the best opportunity across the parks. Everyone knows by now that the Pandora attractions come with long lines.
Well, that situation has changed during the pandemic. You should manage to ride both attractions within an hour.
In fact, on a good day, you could ride Avatar Flight of Passage two or three times before you walk to Na’Vi River Journey.
So, you can then take multiple safaris, cool off on Kali River Rapids, and square off against the Yeti as much as you want.
Don’t overlook DINOSAUR, though! It’s one of the most underrated Walt Disney World attractions, and you can do it a LOT if so inclined.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Alien Swirling Saucers – 12 minutes
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – 54 minutes
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – 34 minutes
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith – 28 minutes
Slinky Dog Dash – 37 minutes
Image Credit: Disney
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue – 14 minutes
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – 32 minutes
Toy Story Mania! – 14 minutes
Analysis
You’ve probably heard that Hollywood Studios possesses the largest crowds at Walt Disney World.
Many people waited until Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was open a while before heading to the park.
So, you won’t get as much bang for your buck here, but that’s okay! Every attraction I listed here will satisfy you.
Pay particular attention to Toy Story Mania!, an attraction that came with an hourlong wait as recently as two years ago.
You can master this competitive game by spending an hour or two trying to get your highest score.
Also, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will justify any wait.
However, you should keep an eye on My Disney Experience and pick a time when the estimated wait is shorter.
PS: I didn’t mention Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance since it’s a special case I discussed in detail the other day.
Photo: Disney
EPCOT
Frozen Ever After – 34 minutes
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros – 9 minutes
Journey into Imagination with Figment – 8 minutes
Living with the Land – 12 minutes
Mission: SPACE – 17 minutes
The Seas with Nemo & Friends – 8 minutes
Soarin’ Around the World – 18 minutes
Image Credit:: Disney
Spaceship Earth – 9 minutes
Test Track – 36 minutes
Analysis
Ordinarily, Disney forces guests to choose one of three rides for a FastPass.
Park officials don’t want visitors loading up on all of Frozen Ever After, Soarin’, and Test Track.
Image Credit: Disney
However, FastPasses aren’t a thing right now because crowds are so low.
Perhaps nothing underscores this point better than the current situation at EPCOT.
You can ride all three of those attractions in less than 90 minutes of wait-time. Even accounting for walking, you can check off the trio in two hours.
Then, you can spend the extra time doing whatever you want. As you can see, nothing else at EPCOT requires a wait of even 20 minutes!
For that matter, Soarin’ only comes with an 18-minute wait. So, ride it as much as you want while you can!
Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – 29 minutes
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – 12 minutes
Haunted Mansion – 21 minutes
Jungle Cruise – 28 minutes
It’s a Small World – 21 minutes
Peter Pan’s Flight – 21 minutes
Pirates of the Caribbean – 28 minutes
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – 36 minutes
Space Mountain – 18 minutes
Splash Mountain – 39 minutes
Analysis
I’ve stated several times this summer that you should remain flexible with your park plans.
The Magic Kingdom data emphasizes this idea. Eight out of ten attractions average wait-times of 30 minutes or less.
In the time you can get a pizza delivered, you can ride Peter Pan’s Flight and cross the street to It’s a Small World.
More importantly, these numbers are averages, which means they’re sometimes shorter.
So, if you remain vigilant about wait-times, you’ll uncover the occasional opportunity. You’ll get to ride something much faster than usual.
What I’m saying is that savvy park guests, the kind who read MickeyBlog, can sort of hack Magic Kingdom.
You can maximize the number of rides you experience during a single visit!
