How to Save Time at Walt Disney World

Here are a few tips to save you time at Disney World so that you can see more while you are there. It takes a long time to see all the attractions so learning where and when to save time should be of some assistance for you.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A willingness to save yourself some time and sanity at Disney World.

1. Lilo & Stitch Save time by flying during the middle of the week instead of the weekends. Most people tend to fly the weekends so you should be able to get through the airports more easily if you go during times when it is less busy.
2. Book a car service from the airport to Disney if you aren't renting a car. You will save time by not having to wait for the shuttle service buses. Also, if you have an extra 120.00 to spend, hire a limo to take you there in style, you will arrive in comfort and not have to wait and they will take care of your bags for you.
3. Hollywood Tower of Terror Remember that the entrance has security stations where they will search every bag before allowing you entrance into the parks. So, if you have to have a bag or bags with you, have your ID ready and all the pockets of each one opened or unzipped before getting to the security officer. It will save you a bit of time getting through the gate.
4. If you want to save time and get started right away in seeing the attractions, let the hotel take your bags to your room for you. Get your Park Hopper tickets in advance of your arrival or go to the nearest ticket counter and get your Park Hopper tickets.
   
   To eliminate wasting so much time standing in long lines, use the Fast Pass option to get a ticket with a time printed on it for you to come back to the ride or attraction and get into the ride with a minimal wait.
5. Star Tours Save time and money by going to the food court at your hotel and purchasing a souvenir travel mug that will have unlimited refills. You will save on purchasing so many bottles of water which is expensive and you can refill at water stations whenever you need to.
6. Cinderella Castle Different parks each day allow guests staying at the hotels to gain entrance to the parks an hour early. You can save time and beat some of the crowds by getting there early.
7. Use your hotels Guest Services desk, they will have a lot of information that is quite helpful in saving time and money.
8. Save time by purchasing a Walt Disney Guide book and plan an itinerary ahead of time, just remember to be flexible so you can enjoy yourself but also get to see more of the parks.
9. Rockin Roller Coaster Buying Park Hopper multi-day tickets in advance before arriving at Disney, though they may seem pricey, they really are a good deal and will save you money and time from standing in lines to get tickets to what you want to see when you want to see it.
10. Epcot Geosphere Save time arriving early to the attractions you want see, keep in mind that the buses can take the long way around to get there but they arrive at hotels every 15-20 minutes so you usually don't have to wait long for the ride to whatever park you want to visit. Visiting one park a day instead of hopping all over the place during the day will save you time and allow you to see many more of the attractions and features that Disney has to offer.
11. If you are short on time and have only one day, I would recommend seeing these attractions:
    At the Magic Kingdom:
    Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain (expect to get wet), The Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear and Cinderella's Castle.
12. Epcot Geosphere If you are short on time and have only one day, I would recommend seeing these attractions:
    Epcot:
    Honey, I Shrunk The Kids(may frighten small kids), Test Track, Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, Living with the Land, Cranium Command and Mission: Space
13. If you are short on time and have only one day, I would recommend seeing these attractions:
    Disney MGM Studios:
    Rockin Roller Coaster, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Beauty and the Beast (stage show), Muppets 3-D, The Magic of Disney Animation, Star Tours, The Great Movie Ride and Fantasmic.
14. Mickey Mouse If you are short on time and have only one day, I would recommend seeing these attractions:
    Animal Kingdom:
    Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids (expect to get wet), Kilmnjaro Safaris, Festival of the Lion King (stage show arrive at least 1 hr in advance), It's Tough to be a Bug (at the Tree of Life), Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, Discovery Island Trails and Maharaijah Jungle Trek.
15. Pooh & Piglet There are lockers throughout the parks for safe storage and Lost and Found locations for lost items. There are old fashioned mailboxes in the parks that will mail your letters and postcards as long at they have postage on them even though they are not official US Mail boxes.
    
    There are places for camera repairs and business services and medical attention throughout the parks as well.
    
    No alcohol is sold at the Magic Kingdom, but you can get alcoholic beverages at most of the other parks and there are bars and lounges available.
    
    There are places to rent strollers for kids and you can leave them at the park exit when leaving.
    
    Pocket pager devices are available for rent at the front desk of the hotels.
16. Keep an eye out for the characters as they arrive at different times at different places througout the parks. If you pay close attention you can get in line towards the front to take pictures with them and not have to wait so long.
17. Strict smoking policies are in place throughout the park so if you are a smoker, pay attention to where it is permitted to smoke.
    
    There are places to get everyday necessities though it can be pricey so it pays to be sure to pack what you need before you leave.
    
    There are free maps for all the park locations and attractions so don't forget to pick one up and keep it with you as it can be easy to get turned around someplace and be late to an attraction you wanted to see.
18. The Transportation and Ticket centers are the hubs for getting where you need and the place to purchase any tickets you may need.
19. Epcot Germany Expect a 15-20 minute round trip for the monorail, depending on crowds. The monorail goes through the Grand Floridian Hotel which is very cool.
    Make sure to take your WDW guest ID Card with you everywhere, because it not only gets you into your hotel room but also doubles as a transportation pass.
20. Epcot is a great place to purchase authentic items from around the world. The food is authentic to which country you are visiting.
    
    Individual shops can arrange for package delivery for large or heavy items to the Town Square Exposition hall for your pickup and the service is free.
21. Star Tours Misting Area There are areas around all the parks that have a place that shoots mist to cool you off. The Star Tours area is a good example (see picture below)
22. At Epcot: The Living Seas undersea glass tunnel and the The Living Seas Restaurant are great places to visit and eat. Lunches tend to be less expensive than dinner but both times can be pricey but if you have the cash it is worth the trip.
23. Visit Spaceship Earth near the end of the day for shorter lines.
    
    Visit attractions and rides in the Magic Kingdom and Main Street USA when the parades are going on to enjoy shorter lines.
    
    Leave the parades and fireworks displays a bit early to beat the crowds or expect long lines at the transportation areas.

Tips & Warnings

• Weekends and Monday's tend to be very crowded.
• Shop in the early afternoon when on Main Street USA as the shops get jammed at night.
• Arrive 30 minutes to 1 hour early for things like the parades, the fireworks shows and other special events to be sure to get a good viewing area.
• Fantasyland attractions tend to be dark and some of the special effects may be too intense for young kids.
• The Rockin Roller Coaster is not for the faint of heart, it goes from 0-60 in about 2 seconds.
• Kali River Rapids and Splash Town are places where you are guaranteed to get wet if not soaked.
• Expect to probably find an attraction or two closed for updates or repairs or new attractions that are not open to the public yet.
• Tickets are not cheap as an adult can expect to pay around $60.00 and a child around $45.00 or more per day for each park. Buying a Park Hopper ticket in advance is the cheapest way to go.