The 14 Disney World Attractions with the Lowest Wait Times
When you visit Walt Disney World during the pandemic, you’ll wait in longer lines than usual.
Social distancing practices require guests to stay six feet apart, which stretches lines.
Sometimes, you don’t want to do that and prefer to walk straight on a ride.
So, I’ve compiled a list of 14 Walt Disney World attractions that should have wait-times of 15 minutes or less for the rest of 2020. I hope it helps!
Barnstormer
Something to keep in mind here is that most rides have longer waits for good reasons. They’re extremely popular because they’re terrific.
Some of the rides I’ll list here aren’t ones I would describe as E-ticket attractions. Others are wildly underrated gems.
You’ll ultimately decide what you think of each one. The most important thing here is getting you on a ride so that you’re not aimlessly standing in line.
At Magic Kingdom, you’ll have four (really five) options for a quick ride, including this kiddie roller coaster with adorable biplane theming.
DINOSAUR
Some of the suggestions here may surprise you. DINOSAUR regularly features waits of 30 minutes or more when the world’s not on fire.
However, the pandemic has forced the closure of much of DinoLand U.S.A. This has caused many guests to forget about DINOSAUR.
This exceptional ride only averaged a 14-minute wait the day that I wrote this article last week.
(I’m at Disney right now, so I can’t make it more current, sorry.)
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Think of this suggestion as two in one. When you’re at Fantasyland, you should get to walk onto Dumbo the Flying Elephant in eight minutes or less.
If you’re at Adventureland, you can pick The Magic Carpets of Aladdin instead. It hovers in the same range at seven minutes.
So, once you get in line for one of these rides, you’ll spin in the air in a matter of minutes!
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
I’ve now listed an option in three out of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World. And I’ll disappoint you with my next sentence.
Right now, no ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios comes with a short wait.
In a pinch, your best bets are Alien Swirling Saucers and Toy Story Mania! at Toy Story Land.
Otherwise, even Star Tours requires a wait of 25 minutes or longer.
Meanwhile, EPCOT is the place to be when you want to ride a lot of stuff without waiting in long lines.
Gran Fiesta Tour at the Mexico pavilion required a wait of only six minutes yesterday! Even better, it was one of six (!) rides with sub-10 minute lines.
EPCOT is the sweet spot for ride enthusiasts at Walt Disney World during the pandemic.
Journey into Imagination with Figment
Speaking of which, only one other ride on this list required a wait of six minutes or less.
Yes, Journey into Imagination with Figment borders on walk-on throughout the day.
As always, you should remember that Disney randomly performs ride cleanings. It’s a safety measure to protect you during the pandemic.
Realistically, that’s the only reason you should ever need to wait for long at either of these attractions.
Kali River Rapids
We’ll circle back to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the next two attractions, one of which surprises me.
I’ve visited the park on plenty of 100-degree days. So, I’m always braced for Kali River Rapids to say 60 minutes or more on My Disney Experience.
During the pandemic, the situation has changed dramatically. Kali River Rapids sometimes features waits of 15 minutes or less.
I’m emphasizing sometimes here because this one can go sideways. On two recent dates, it also listed 40 minutes or more.
So, I’m listing here in expectation of you checking your app to verify the lines are short. A lot has to do with the weather.
On cooler or rainy days, demand decreases dramatically. Of course, you may not want to ride it in those scenarios.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Similarly, the pride of Animal Kingdom can have short or long lines.
I struggle to explain the massive discrepancy in waits for Kilimanjaro Safaris. When I look at the data, there’s no rhyme or reason to it.
Yesterday, the ride required a 15-minute wait, and I found a couple of similar instances in October. So, I’m going with that.
Again, keep an eye on this one, though. To a larger point, a 15-minute line for Kilimanjaro Safaris is CRAZY! I’d ride it five straight times.
Living with the Land
Four out of the next five suggestions come from EPCOT, which tells the whole story.
I’ve championed Living with the Land for years now, as I feel it’s a thoroughly enjoyable and informative ride.
If you disagree, you’ll still want to hop on board. It’s the easiest way to take a 15-minute nap at EPCOT.
Either way, its wait-time yesterday was eight minutes. I couldn’t possibly walk by the ride if I saw a line that small.
Mad Tea Party
Speaking of eight-minute waits, you can head to New Fantasyland and spin yourself sick whenever you want.
Guests have mostly ignored Mad Tea Party ever since Magic Kingdom reopened.
This ride consistently features the shortest lines other than the Dumbo/Aladdin and Barnstormer rides.
Even the carousel takes longer! So, spin to your heart’s content, my friends! Just don’t do a protein spill anywhere near me, okay?
Mission: SPACE (Green)
Here’s an odd one.
A couple of years ago, Disney split the two Mission: SPACE experiences. Previously, they’d shown the same visuals.
The sole difference between the rides was the activation of the centrifuge that added G-force to the experience.
Now, each ride track differs, and it’s led to a quirk in wait-times.
Guests prefer the Orange version that’s significantly more aggressive.
In previous years, that wasn’t the case at all. So, the worm has turned here.
The gentle Green version regularly comes with sub-10-minute waits. Pick it unless you really need the violent jarring sensation.
The Orange version frequently doubles or triples the wait during the pandemic.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
I’ll never understand why people underrate this attraction.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends delivers a marvelous themed experience. It embraces everything wonderful about Finding Nemo as a story.
Plus, the music’s fantastic, and the air-conditioning on the ride will cool you down during a brutal Florida summer day.
Despite all these reasons to ride it, The Seas with Nemo & Friends frequently approaches walk-on status with wait-times under 10 minutes.
Spaceship Earth
This is a pearls before swine situation to me.
Spaceship Earth embodies everything that I love about Walt Disney World, and it’s my favorite attraction.
Clearly, I’m in the minority here, as the average wait yesterday was nine minutes.
I do want to take this opportunity to mention something important, though.
Wait-times go up dramatically on the weekends at all four parks. So, allow for this factor when you’re planning your visit.
Go on weekdays if possible! Also, ride Spaceship Earth because it’s the literal best!
Tomorrowland Speedway
In tracking the data, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many options Magic Kingdom has.
After all, this park offers so many different attractions that you may get overwhelmed by choice.
Sometimes, it’s nice to just think, “Short line! Let’s ride!”
You’ll love Tomorrowland Speedway for this. It resides in a perfect location at the edge of Tomorrowland and Fantasyland.
Also, you can make those super-annoying but somehow fun vroom-vroom noises while you drive. Nothing beats that!
TriceraTop Spin
I mean, you’re already at Animal Kingdom. You likely took my advice and rode DINOSAUR.
While you’re there, you might as well hop on TriceraTop Spin, too. Right?
Well, it’s your call. I must admit that I usually don’t. It’s there if you need it, though!