Disney has it's busiest time of year over the summer. It is no wonder, kids are off from school and summer is the main time if year that most families take their vacations. If you have only been to Disney World during the summer months, trust me, Disney is way more fun than what you have experienced. During the summer, wait times for rides can reach the triple digits faster than you can eat a churro.
Thankfully, there are a few simple tips to avoiding the crowds on a Disney vacation. Although these tips will not create a magically empty park, they can shave down some hefty wait times and reduce the crazy that is involved in a ridiculously busy theme park.
Get to the Parks Early
No matter what park you are planning to visit, it will be least busy in the early morning hours. The slowest time for most Disney parks is between opening and noon. Get to the park a few minutes before it opens and you have a fairly high chance of being able to walk onto at least one of the most popular Disney rides. If you are heading to Magic Kingdom, getting to the parks about thirty minutes before opening means you will get to see the park opening show as well. I was able to see this show for the first time on a recent trip to Disney; it is a fantastic way to start the day.
For those heading to Hollywood Studios, going to Toy Story Mania right when you enter the park is the best bet. This line tends to have the longest wait time of any Hollywood Studios ride.
Those heading to EPCOT should take advantage of early riding on Fast Track or Soarin'. Both of these rides have the longest wait times in EPCOT and both have fast pass options that tend to sell out before afternoon. If rides are your goal, hop on one of these first thing, than get a fast pass for the other.
Animal Kingdom has one of my favorite, and busiest, rides at Disney World. If you get to Animal Kingdom at opening, I would highly recommend getting on Expedition Everest, then heading over to Kilimanjaro Safaris. You will get to see the most safari animals in the early morning and late afternoon to evening.
Use Your Apps
There are plenty of apps that will help you on your Disney vacation. One of my favorites is the Disney Parks App. This will tell you wait times for rides, give you parade and show times, allow you to make quick dinner reservations, and has maps of all the parks. The app is quite handy for planning your day at Disney and will even give reminders for events you have scheduled to attend. This app is free, but is really only useful while in the park. For an app that can help with pre-planning your trip, try My Disney Experience.
Pre-Plan Park Days
There are a great many websites and companies that have made it their ambition to crack the Disney crowd code. Some of these sites charge, some do not. Some of them work, and some do not. One that does not charge but seems to have pretty solid advice is from Undercover Tourist. This calendar will show you which parks to visit on certain days and which to avoid. It will also tell you about special events going on at each park. The special event calendar is a great bonus since any park with a special event will have quite a few extra people in attendance.
When pre-planning, it is also good to check showtimes and parade times. Most parks have multiples of the same show and Magic Kingdom has multiples of the parades. You can opt to watch one viewing of any show or parade, then take that other parade/show time to ride some of the busier attractions. Rides and eating areas will be less busy anytime a show is nearby. Try to plan meals and attractions around shows and parades you do not wish to attend in order to shave as much as thirty to forty-five minutes off a wait time.
Know Extra Magic Hours
If you are staying on site at a Disney hotel, you have the ability to stay in parks longer than non-hotel guests. Check the Extra Magic Hours calendar before your visit. These times vary between parks and can happen before the park is open to all guests, or after it closes. For those able to use these Extra Magic Hours, this is a great time to ride some of the more popular attractions, or get some food without waiting thirty minutes in a line.
If you are not staying at a Disney hotel, it is still good to know when and where these extra hours are happening. Parks with Extra Magic Hours before the park opens tend to be busier in the morning. Likewise, parks that have Extra Magic Hours at night tend to get busier a few hours before closing. Avoid parks that have this perk for a few hours before or after they take place.