When vacationing in Walt Disney World time is sacred. Between playing in the parks, eating, and sleeping you want to make sure that you are using your time wisely. A few tips on saving time can make for a much more relaxing trip to Walt Disney World.
1) Walk Instead Of Using The Tram
After parking in a Walt Disney World parking lot many guests assume that taking the tram is the fastest way to get to the front of the park. I disagree. Between waiting for the tram, waiting for everyone to board the tram, and then the actual ride itself I think taking the tram is actually quite a slow process. Unless the tram is about to leave just as you are boarding I think walking is actually much faster. Granted it is still a long walk, so if you, or someone in your party can’t walk long distances, then taking the tram is still the best option.
This suggestion might allow you to beat an extra hundred people to the front of the park, so if you’re willing and able to walk instead of taking the tram you might be surprised how much faster it is. If you are there early in the morning for park opening this is also a great way to wake yourself up, so that you have a skip to your step once you are in the park. In my experience when parking at the Magic Kingdom the Villians lot is especially easy to walk to and from, but because the Heroes lot seems to be a longer walk, in this case the tram might actually be faster.
2) Use Your 3rd FastPass+ Quickly
For those who don’t know, the new FastPass+ system allows you to book three FastPasses before your day in the park even starts. For Disney Resort guests this means they can book up to 60 days in advance your trip. The FastPass+ system now allows you to add another FastPass once you are done with your first three.
Here is my suggestion. Use your third FastPass at the beginning of the hour that it is assigned to you. Waiting until the end of the allotted hour for the attraction means that you are letting other guests book FastPasses for better rides, and at better times before you. For example, if you have a FastPass from 3:30pm to 4:30pm for the Haunted Mansion, use it at exactly 3:30pm, or even 5 minutes early which they will allow you to do. This way if you got on the attraction at 3:30 pm once you get off at approximately 3:38pm, you can book your fourth FastPass right away.
3) Pre-plan What Attractions Your Family Wants To Ride
Some guests like to go to the parks and freestyle, meaning they have no plan and they ride the attractions they feel like riding. Whenever I do this in the parks I spend a lot of time walking from one end of the park to the other as my mind jumps around. One minute I am in Frontierland wanting to ride Splash Mountain and the next I’m hiking across Magic Kingdom to ride Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. This indecision will cost you and your family valuable time. Riding the attractions that are next to each other will systematically save your family time allowing you to ride a lot more attractions than the family that runs from one end of the park to the other.
Stephen "Steve" Porter started going to the parks with his family in 1996. Since then he hasn't looked back! Steve was a cast member participating in the Disney College Program in 2013. Most recently he graduated from Penn State University!
