We British love to queue, don’t we? Well, actually, not all that much! During your trip to Orlando, you’ll find that there’s so much to do and so little time to do it in that you’ll want to minimise your wait times and maximise your time on attractions.
No doubt you’ve got a list of attractions as long as your arm on your “must ride” list, and we’re here to help you get on them all. From getting to the parks as early as possible to buying a fast pass and skipping the queues, there are some strategies you can employ to cut down on time spent in lines.
We’ve put together our top tips for getting on as many attractions as possible in the Orlando theme parks.
8 ways to get on more attractions
Summary - 8 ways to get on more attractions
- Buy a fast pass
- Arrive early
- Start at the back of the park
- Ride attractions during the parade
- Ride attractions at mealtimes
- Check wait times
- Visit outside of peak season
- Use single rider lanes
1.Buy a fast pass
Each Orlando theme park has its own version of a fast pass, which allows you to skip past the regular line and join a shorter queue, allowing you to get on selected attractions more quickly.
Whilst a fast pass is an extra expense to budget for during your holiday you may find that it’s more than worth it for the time it will save you, especially if you only have a limited amount of time in the parks.
Here’s a breakdown of the different passes for each park with some examples of the rides that you can use them on.
Fast pass | Theme park | Example attractions |
|---|---|---|
Lightning Lane (Single Pass or Multi Pass) | Walt Disney World Resort in Florida | Jungle Cruise Frozen Ever After Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway DINOSAUR Space Mountain |
Universal Express Pass (Express Unlimited Pass and Express Pass) | Universal Orlando Resort | Despicable Me Minion Mayhem The Incredible Hulk Coaster Constellation Carousel Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Storm Force Acceleration |
Quick Queue | SeaWorld Orlando | Mako® Manta® Kraken® Ice Breaker® Infinity Falls™️ |
Quick Queue | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Tigris Falcon’s Fury® Cheetah Hunt® SheiKra® Montu® |
Top tip: When you stay at one of three selected Universal Signature Hotels, you’ll be given a free Universal Express Unlimited Pass for each guest in your room for every day of your stay, including the days you check in and check out (valid park admission required). This means that you can get two days’ worth of Universal Express Unlimited Passes with just a one-night stay!
Participating hotels:
2.Arrive early
This is our number one top tip to anyone who’s visiting the Orlando theme parks - get there early. We’re talking before-the-gates-open early. You should aim to arrive around 15 minutes before the park opens so that you’re ready to head to the attractions as soon as it does.
Arriving early means that you can get on some of the best attractions before it starts to get busy, and the queues start to build.
How to get extra time in the theme parks
You can get extra time in the theme parks by staying at an on-site hotel. For example, if you stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you can enter the Disney Parks 30 minutes earlier than other guests on every day of your stay, including check-in and check-out days (valid park admission required). During this time, selected attractions, Character encounters, merchandise, and food and beverage locations will be operating.
If you’re staying at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel, you’ll get to enter Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal Epic Universe up to an hour earlier than other guests. You’ll also be able to ride selected attractions during this time.
3.Start at the back of the park
The attractions at the front of the theme park usually start to get busy first, as everyone makes their way to the closest ones once the gates open. Instead of doing this, head right to the back of the park first and tick off the attractions there before everyone else makes their way over.
You can then go back and ride the attractions at the front of the park later on.
4.Ride attractions during the parade
Ok, so this one is very specific to Walt Disney World Resort and Magic Kingdom Park in particular, but we know this park is an absolute must-do when you’re in Orlando, so it’s a great top tip!
We absolutely do not recommend missing Festival of Fantasy because it is truly magical - whether you’re a huge Disney fan or not. However, if you’ve seen the parade before or you have more than one day at Magic Kingdom Park, then you might want to make use of this time to ride some more attractions.
Some good attractions to ride during this time include TRON Lightcycle / RUN and Space Mountain. We also recommend heading to your chosen attraction a little ahead of time, as it can be difficult to move around the park once the parade starts.
Riding the attractions during the evening fireworks or shows at the theme parks is also a good idea.
5.Ride attractions at mealtimes
Again, attractions are usually quieter during mealtimes, when most people are feeling peckish. If you can eat earlier or later than you usually would, then you can make the most of the lunchtime lull to jump on some of the best attractions.
6.Check wait times
Most of the Orlando theme parks keep their wait times updated throughout the day to give you an idea of where the longer queues are. These will either be displayed on screens throughout the park or accessed via the park’s official app.
To fit more attractions into your day, keep an eye on these times and head for the places that have the shorter times. Remember to factor in your travel time for getting around the park, too.
7.Visit outside of peak season
Over 50 million people visit the Orlando theme parks each year (source: Road Genius), and some times of the year are busier than others. If you can, try to avoid travelling in peak seasons when the parks see the most visitors. This includes Christmas, Easter, and summer holidays.
You should also think about arranging your travel dates so they don’t clash with a US holiday. Presidents’ Day in February is one of the times with the longest average wait times at Walt Disney World Resort (source: Disney Tourist Blog).
The day of the week can make a difference, too. Weekends are usually busier, with locals visiting the theme parks as they’re off school and work.
8.Use single rider lines
If you’re travelling on your own or if there’s an attraction that your family and friends don’t want to ride, then you can make use of the single rider line. This line is often shorter than the main queue, as they fill up spaces on the rides with single riders.
You could even use this line if you and your family members are going on the same ride but don’t mind sitting apart. After all, you’ve probably spent enough time with them already today!
Things to do while you wait in line
Waiting in line doesn’t have to be a chore - here are some fun ideas to help you pass the time. Before you know it, you’ll be on that attraction!
Summary - things to do while you wait in line:
- Mobile games
- Queue bingo
- Plan what you’re going to do next
- Take some creative photos
Mobile games
Playing games on a mobile phone is a great way to pass the time - and it means you don’t need to bring anything else with you.
One of our favourites for all the family is Heads Up, where you hold the phone up to your head as it displays a name or object. Your family or friends have to describe it to you while you guess - hours of fun!
Top tip: Bring a solar power bank with you to the parks. Chances are you’ll be on your phone quite a bit, taking photos, playing games, and checking things on the theme parks’ apps, and the last thing you want to do is run out of juice.
Create your own “queue bingo”
Write down a list of things that you can look for while you’re waiting. Examples could be someone wearing Mickey Mouse ears or a family wearing matching outfits. Whoever gets the most right by the time you get to the attraction wins and gets to pick where you go next.
Plan what you’re going to do next
Use this time to plan out the following few hours in the theme park. Decide where you’re going to eat lunch, pick the next few attractions, and plan your route.
Take some creative photos
This is the perfect time to get creative! Try some poses using the scenery in the queue, or just get some great family shots. Maybe you’ve got a budding social media influencer in your ranks. If so, you could try doing some vlogging or even a dance challenge for TikTok.
How do virtual queues work at Walt Disney World Resort?
Sometimes, a virtual queue is available for selected attractions at Walt Disney World Resort. You can request to join the queue, and you’ll be given a time to go to the attraction. While you’re waiting, there’s no need to stand in line, you can enjoy everything else the park has to offer.
The virtual queue usually replaces a standby queue at certain attractions. Virtual queues can be joined through the My Disney Experience app, which you can download when you arrive in Orlando.
Of course, remember that the theme parks are huge, and even though there are lots of travellers visiting, there are plenty of different places for them to go and so you won’t find too many areas where they’re concentrated. Follow our top tips, and you’ll be able to get the most out of your day.
If you’re ready to book your perfect Orlando trip, take a look at our theme park tickets and start planning now.
