Long lines are an unfortunate part of the Disney World experience, particularly during peak season. While there are lots of tips you can employ to avoid excessive waits—booking Fastpasses far in advance, arriving at opening gate, visiting during the off-season, knowing crowd trends—even the sharpest trip planners will eventually spend some time waiting in line.
Disney has taken a number of recent steps to help guests pass the time during waits (such as the games you can play in the queues for Soarin’ Over the World and Space Mountain), but what are parkgoers to do for rides that don’t have these options?
Fear not, intrepid traveler. We’ve compiled a list of seven options for you and your family to keep occupied even during seemingly eternal waits.
1. Get ahead on My Disney Experience
Image: Disney
Time spent in a long line is a great opportunity to get ahead on plans for your trip. Mega-trip-planners may scoff at this idea—after all, shouldn’t you reserve things like dining and FastPass+ ahead of time? The truth is, whether you’re a strict planner or a casual guest, ride queues are a fantastic time for a My Disney Experience checkup.
If you haven’t made dining reservations (or need to change one), you can peruse restaurant options and see what’s available. You can also look through menus, see wait times in the rest of the park, and make plans for what attractions and restaurants you’ll be hitting next. Savvy travelers can take time in lines to get familiar with maps of the park, and it can prove a fun exercise for kids to try to figure out the fastest routes from one attraction to another (particularly if you’re travelling a long distance, such as making the hike from Space Mountain to Big Thunder Mountain).
One particularly neat hack involves FastPass+, and don’t fear– it isn’t a cheat. If you aren’t entirely satisfied with your FastPass+ choices for a given trip day, you can use My Disney Experience’s “Change FastPass” feature to try to get a better time for a ride or change attraction choices entirely. Using it won’t cancel your current Fastpass unless you confirm the change.
2. Line games
Both families and solo travelers can enjoy some creative fun by playing observation games in line. This can prove especially helpful for families with kids. Disney is a playground for the imagination, and simple games can be a great way to get your kids actively engaged instead of pining over long waits.
Obvious choices include I Spy, charades, and Simon Says. With a little preparation, parents can also plan trip-long scavenger hunts. Trivia challenges based on park themes or general Disney knowledge are another great choice, as are games revolving pin trading or spotting unique pins on cast members and other guests. Phone games are also an option, though you’ll need to watch your battery while using Disney Wi-Fi. The constant switching between network hubs can drain a phone like you’re standing on top of the Rockies.
One of the best line games of all surrounds a Disney classic: Hidden Mickeys! How many can your family find? You can easily turn Hidden Mickey hunts into a fun competition. As for recording them…
3. Keep a travel journal
Image: Karen, Flickr (license)
Long queues at Disney can provide an excellent incentive to start a travel journal. This is an awesome practice to teach kids. Before your trip (or during, if you don’t mind hitting a few gift shops), find yourself a small hardcover journal in a style you like. I’m a big fan of Moleskin’s Voyageur, as an example, and don’t forget a few nice pens or pencils. During long waits, pull out your journal and record observations from the day. You can map out plans, track Hidden Mickeys, or keep score for scavenger hunts and line games.
Guests with artistic skill can take the time to practice sketching, and kids can also use journals for character autographs, documenting their experience with the characters while they wait in a line later on. For seasoned Disney kids, starting their own travel journal of tips, tricks, and hacks is great training for future travel writing, such as you find here at Theme Park Tourist! That’s where my own journey as a Disney travel writer began.
4. Keep in touch with friends and family
While cell signal can prove dodgy in some attraction queue areas, next time you’re in a long line, take some time to catch up with friends and family back home and abroad. You can use Disney’s Wi-Fi to upload photos and updates from your trip to social media, and a long wait can fly by if you make a few calls to loved ones abroad. Just stay cognizant of guests around you, keeping the line moving and staying aware of your conversation volume.
5. Strike up a conversation
For families, this one is a given. Lines are a good opportunity for quality time and conversation. It may even be worth encouraging your kids to put their phones away to seize the chance to see how they are enjoying the trip. You can also put out a gentle feeler to meet your fellow guests in line. The bond created by total strangers being trapped in a three-hour wait can prove surprisingly strong!
Couples visiting the park can partake in some romance and together-time during long lines. It’s a great chance to slow down and enjoy your beloved’s company. Just stay aware of your fellow guests when it comes to PDA. Cuddles and sweetheart kisses are to be expected at the country’s top honeymoon destination, but try to keep it PG. I recall once being in a line for the Matterhorn at Disneyland when a young couple started necking with such ferocity that they actually started licking each other. Yeah, it was gross. Keep it classy, lovebirds.
6. For the solo traveler
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega (@MyKingdomForAMouse Instagram)
What’s a solo traveler to do during long waits? While the previous options involving line games, keeping a travel journal, or striking up a conversation all apply, there are plenty of other options for guests traveling alone. Introverts visiting Disney World can drink in the myriad of tiny details Disney adds to their queue areas. If you bring a pair of headphones, you can listen to some music or catch up on an audiobook. Unabridged books from Audible are great time-passers for long waits. Photographers and Instagrammers can use line waits to build your portfolio and photo feeds, and cast members are often great conversationalists.
7. Binge watch!
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
We tried to keep phone and tablet time as a last resort. It’s generally people’s go to time-passer, and Disney’s heavy app presence has a way of quickly draining batteries. However, if you have the battery power to do so, extra-long lines can be a fun opportunity to catch up your favorite movies and TV shows on a portable device. Preload your phone or tablet with digital downloads of your choice content. Bring some headphones so you aren’t disturbing your fellow guests and use a splitter if someone else in your party wants to watch too. Disney’s Wi-Fi can be spotty, so pre-downloaded content is best, and stay aware of families around you both in regard to content kids might see on your screen and to keep the line moving. This hack may not be so good if you’re easily distracted. It generally works best for families with kids getting antsy from a long wait. Having a collection of Disney movies ready on your device definitely couldn’t hurt if you have little ones with you!
What’s your favorite way to pass the time while waiting in line at Disney World?
