27 Ways to Save Time at Walt Disney World

When traveling to Walt Disney World, you will quickly realize there is just never enough time to see and do everything. A plan to Save Time at Disney may not seem as important as saving money- but it is. Though, of course, we do focus on Saving Money at Disney World too. Things like how long you wait for, and ride on the Disney buses, or wait in ride lines can really cut into the fun things you have in your Disney Day Plans. Add in things like waiting for the parade to start, and standing in the gift shop line, and you’ll wonder what you actually did on your Disney vacation. We’re here to share that making the most of your time at Disney World is possible!

Whether this is your only Disney trip and you want to maximize it, or just an annual trip that you wish was longer, we’ll share some tips about how you can save time, rather than waste time, on your next Disney Vacation. That way you can make the most of whatever time you have.

Regardless of whether you’re a Florida local, a Disney Annual Passholder, or a first-time visitor, you’ll want to make sure you’re not wasting time on unnecessary stuff. Things like standing in lines and not knowing how MagicBands+ work can make or break your trip! We see a lot of guests making these same time-costing mistakes when we are traveling to Walt Disney World and wanted to share our tips to help you save time, so you don’t make these mistakes too.

Disney Resort Online Check-In

One of the many things you can do in the My Disney Experience App, Disney Resort Online Check-in is one of the BEST ways to save time before your vacation even starts!  While there are definitely some perks to checking in at the desk, if you’re on a time crunch or just not a “line person”, be sure to check into your Disney Resort online. You can generally skip the front desk entirely. You can do this starting 30 days before your trip. Have a credit card linked to your Disney account for incidentals as well as your cell phone number.

When you get to the resort, you can skip the line and go straight to the Parks or straight to your room if it’s ready. You’ll receive a text when your room is ready and you’ll be able to go straight to your room. Just open your resort door with your MagicBand+ or Unlock Your Room with the My Disney Experience App. It’s like magic!

Use the My Disney Experience App

One of the best ways to save time at Walt Disney World is simply to use the tools at your disposal. We’ve rounded up Things You Can Do in the My Disney Experience App and many of them save you TIME! But one of the best things about the app is that if you have all of the people in your travel party connected via Friends and Family, the world opens up for you! Because then just one person can make groupwide actions, like getting everyone on the same Dining Reservation or Choosing your next Lightning Lane Pass. 

Grab Park Tickets and Special Event Tickets Ahead of Time

You can buy Disney tickets on the website or right in the app, so why wait in line to get them? Simply grab them online, connect your fellow travelers to your account through Friends and Family, and you’ll be ready to scan in with the best of them, without waiting in line. 

Mobile Order your Food

Quite possibly the easiest, yet most overlooked, way to save time at Disney is to mobile order your food at Disney! Not sure how it works? No problem, we have you covered here. While not all quick-serve restaurants have mobile orders, many do. Simply open your My Disney Experience App and select Order Food. You’ll be able to see which restaurants nearby offer Mobile Order and you can place your order when ready. Be sure to have a credit card on file in your Disney Account for easy ordering. Or you can type in your Disney gift card number and pay for your food that way. 

We love this option for busy days in the parks, and since you choose your mobile order pick-up time, you can usually even order ahead. That way, when the busy lunch hour rush hits, you can simply order your food and pick it up at the Mobile Order window at whichever restaurant you’ve ordered from. 

Book Your Dining Reservations at the 60-day Mark

Dining Reservations at Walt Disney World can be made up to 60 days in advance of your vacation. And the best restaurants tend to fill up fast. Trust us, when we say, making dining decisions ahead of time, is a great way to save time so you don’t have to stand around in the parks, on a hot day, discussing where to eat. While you may not want a table-service dining experience every day, be sure to schedule at least a few so you have a chance to sit down and relax at some point during your vacation. 

Eat Outside of Regular Meal Times

One of our favorite ways to save time at Walt Disney World is to plan our meals at off-times. A 10 am breakfast, 2 pm Lunch, or 7 pm dinner are always less busy than the traditional mealtime hours. You get lower lines and less rushed service. And alternatively, can spend those times when everyone else is eating riding rides instead! 

Be Smart about Disney Transportation

Disney Transportation doesn’t have to be complicated, but know that using it could mean waiting in lines. Whether you’re headed to the Disney buses, monorail, or boat, there are always crowds, and similarly always lines. And don’t even get us started on the hour-long waits at the bus depot after parties, fireworks and closing time. As such, plan ahead. Maybe consider a uber, or staying at a hotel within walking distance of the parks. Check out all the Complimentary Disney Transportation options at Walt Disney World.

Turn Left

Whether you’re entering the park, or on a ride with double lines ( this includes you Disney Skyliner) Go LEFT. An odd concept yes, but did you know that most people subconsciously always go right? To help you Save time at Disney World, be aware of the lines, and the direction people are headed. You’ll typically find fewer crowds and lower lines on the left. 

Start at the Back of the Park

When you arrive, if it’s anywhere near opening time, just head to the back of the park. It doesn’t matter which park. Just know that as people enter any park, they typically check rides on the way in, looking for shorter lines. As such we recommend heading straight for the back of the park instead and working your way up. The back of the park will naturally be emptier and you’ll get a chance at some of the best rides, that will surely have long lines later. 

Have a Ride Strategy

Plan to stack your Lightning lane Passes throughout the day to get in the most rides. And if you’re not getting LL, plan to ride popular rides during meal times and parade times. Or even get up early to be the first in the line. Or stay late to take advantage of the emptying park after fireworks. Check out all our BEST Disney Ride Strategies so you don’t have to wait in line all day.

Get Lighting Lane Passes for Magic Kingdom

While we wouldn’t typically recommend getting Lightning Lane every day throughout your vacation, there will be a day when you realize you really need it. Perhaps you’re tackling Magic Kingdom on a Saturday or EPCOT on a Friday and just realized how many people visit the parks on those days. Whatever the reason, grab it on a day when you know you’ll have 2-3 really popular rides on your list, so you don’t stand in line longer than you need to. 

Try Single Rider Lines and Rider Swap

If you’re hoping to tackle as many rides as possible, check out the single-rider lines at your top rides. Often much shorter, as long as you don’t mind being separated from your travel party, this is a great way to get out of waiting in long lines. And if you have small children, be sure to ask the ride cast member about rider swap, giving both adults the chance to ride the ride in turns, while the other waits with the child/ children. 

Get in Line Just Before Closing

While this isn’t always the best strategy, you can judge at the moment if it works for your situation. This way to Save Time at Disney is all about timing. simply head to a popular ride close to closing time. As Disney policy states that guests in line when the park close still get to ride the ride, as long as you’re in line, you’re golden. And since late-night lines are often shorter, to begin with, it’s a great way to get one last ride in if you were unable to ride something earlier. 

Try Early Theme Park Entry

Arriving for Early Theme Park Entry for Disney Resort Guests can be both a godsend and a nightmare. It all depends on how much time you want to save, and how good you are at getting up early. And we mean early. Early Theme Park entry for Disney Resort Guests allows you to get into the park 30 minutes before anyone else. This only really works, if you are at the front of the line gates and plan on running to your goal attraction. Because otherwise you just got up extra early to stand behind the hoards of people at the gates for that same reason, and then wait 45 minutes in a line that will be 30 minutes later in the afternoon. If you’re going to try this, we say, be at the gates at least 30 minutes before the 30 minutes…extra early. 

Use Extended Evening Hours

A better option offered to Disney Deluxe Resort Guests is Extended Evening Hours. While we don’t love the idea of having to stay up extra late if you’re hoping to really maximize your Disney trip, then this may be the ticket. Mainly because, while this is a great perk, it’s not heavily used. Meaning that when EPCOT closes at 9 pm, you can easily find yourself riding Guardians of the Galaxy via virtual queue at 9:30, if you got the boarding passes available to you at 6 pm. A great way to save time by not waiting an hour for a ride earlier in the day.

Keep Your Eye on The Haunted Mansion Tightrope Walker

 Raise your hand if you absolutely HATE the Haunted Mansion boarding queue at Walt Disney World. Who doesn’t? Besides being every claustrophobe’s worst nightmare, it’s a downright unsafe way to get people from the elevator to the doom buggies. Because, really, if you got through kindergarten you know you shouldn’t push and shove, and yet, it’s the only thing saving you from a stampede.

We recommend just standing underneath the picture of the Tightrope Walker at Haunted Mansion. That way, as the door opens, you’ll have the best shot at being at the front of the line, and may still have everyone in your travel party with you, when you finally get into the doom buggy. As an alternative, we also recommend just waiting until the elevator empties and hanging at the back of the line. The latter doesn’t save you time, but it may save you some anxiety. 

Use Mobile Checkout at the Gift Shops

Did you know you can use Mobile Checkout at Disney World Giftshops? This service involves you choosing your items, scanning the QR code to purchase, and completing checkout on your phone! You can then bag your items at any of the Mobile Checkout Kiosks.  We love this for its convenience and contactless payment options. 

Shop When the Park is Closing

As everyone races to the buses, meander to the gift shops instead. This time-saving trick gives you the chance to see the merchandise instead of just the crowds and can help maximize your gift shop time. However, be sure to be respectful that at some point the cast members do have to go home and save this strategy for times when you know you’re ready to buy whatever goodies you saw earlier on your trip. 

Use the Resort Monorail Instead

If you’ve parked at the Disney Transportation and Ticket Center, skip the main Monorail. You’ll notice it because the line is usually all the way down the sidewalk. The Resort Monorail, however, takes you to the same place and the line is ALWAYS much shorter. While the Resort Monorail does stop first at the Contemporary, this short pause is well worth it, since the second stop is the TTC. So, you’ll be on your way to your car in no time. We most love this Disney Time Saving Tip for weekend or party nights at Magic Kingdom when crowds are the worst. 

Take the Skyliner

While the Skyliner tends to be a leisurely ride in the sky, you can use it to easily park hop from EPCOT to Hollywood Studios. While we love the walking path for this task too, it does typically take about 20 minutes to walk from Hollywood Studios, through the Boardwalk to EPCOT. And the boat is still a little slower than the Skyliner. For the fastest connection between parks, the Slyliner is best. 

Maximize Your Mornings

If you find you, your children, or fellow travelers have issues getting up and at ’em, then here are some Disney Time Saving Tips that can really help you maximize your day.

1. Know what you’re wearing each day. If you’ve unpacked your suitcase then you can organize outfits in drawers or the closet. Or if you’re just living out of a suitcase for the next couple of days tossing children’s outfits in separate gallon ziplock bags or separating them in the suitcase is also helpful.
2. Have a breakfast plan. If you’re heading to the parks to ride rides first thing, have granola bars at the ready so that you can snack while you get ready. 
3. Know your Disney Resort Bus Schedule. If you’re grabbing the bus you can check the Resort section in the My Disney Experience App for bus arrival times. That way you can see the times your park bus generally arrives and make a plan to be at the bus stop without the long wait. 

Pack Your Bag Ahead of Time

There’s nothing like an easy morning. And having your Disney Park Bag packed ahead of time makes it easier! Make sure you’re all packed the night before! Sunblock, charging cords, hand sanitizer, and an empty water bottle should all be on the checklist. 

Save time at EPCOT Festivals

One of our favorite things about any Walt Disney World Trip is visiting the festival at EPCOT Park. BUT, they can get horribly busy, and a huge waste of time if you’re waiting in booth lines all day. Our tip? Be in EPCOT before the booths open to tackle rides and grab breakfast. That way at 11:00 am when the food booths open, you can begin your foodie journey across the park. We recommend you never stay at an EPCOT festival past 3 or 4 pm, as the locals come out, and the lines typically become unbearable. 

Stay at the Right Disney Resort

If you’re really looking to Save Time at Disney then some advanced planning skills could be useful. Figure out your game plan for your visit, and choose the resort that gives you the best access to what you need.

There are many Disney Resorts within Walking Distance of Walt Disney World Parks. Save Time on an EPCOT Festival Vacation by choosing a Disney Boardwalk Resort. Or if you’re visiting for the Halloween Party, choose a monorail resort, or one close to Magic Kingdom. Being able to save time at Disney by choosing resorts with the best transportation options often makes all the difference.