Although crowds might be growing in Disney World, we’ve seen some wildly different wait times all around the theme parks!
Cinderella Castle
There’s no FastPass or single rider during this time, and various ride queues have seen changes with distancing efforts, new sanitation measures, and more as guests return back to attractions. With such unprecedented efforts, the wait times have been fluctuating with variations between the posted wait time and how long riders have actually had to wait before boarding!
We’ve ridden some of Disney World’s most popular attractions to try to get an idea of just how accurate the posted wait times are right now. Plus, we reached out to our readers on Instagram to take a look at the posted versus real wait times during THEIR Disney days. Here’s what we learned!
Magic Kingdom
Let’s start off with what we and our readers learned in Magic Kingdom!
“it’s a small world”
A reader who rode “it’s a small world” got in line at a posted wait of 35 minutes and was in a boat in 15 minutes (-20 minutes). On the other hand, a different reader saw a posted wait of 30 minutes and waited 57 minutes (+27 minutes).
“it’s a small world”
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
We had three readers submit their experiences with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. One saw posted 45 minutes and waited 20 minutes (-25 minutes). Another reader saw a wait of 60 minutes and waited just 15 minutes (-45 minutes)! Finally, one noted that the posted wait was 50 minutes and they road in about 30 minutes (-20 minutes).
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
On a Thursday, we got in a 60 minute posted line and only waited 23 minutes (-37 minutes). Overall, in our experiences, actual wait times here were lower than the posted wait times!
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
A reader got in line for a posted 25-minute wait at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and waited less than 10 minutes (-15 minutes). On Thursday, we got in line with a posted 20 minute wait and waited 13 minutes (-7 minutes).
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin Line
Jungle Cruise
At Jungle Cruise, a reader saw a 75-minute wait listed and rode in just 23 minutes (-52 minutes)!
Jungle Cruise
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Varying experiences have been had on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. One reader saw a posted wait of 90 minutes and was in line for a full 120 minutes (+30 minutes). Another saw a posted wait of 65 minutes and waited just 40 minutes (-25 minutes).
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Space Mountain
A reader in line at Space Mountain waited just 20 minutes from a posted 70-minute wait (-50 minutes) and another waited just 10 minutes from a posted 30-minute wait (-20 minutes).
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
A reader on Splash Mountain saw a posted wait of 105 minutes and waited 40 minutes (-65 minutes)!
Splash Mountain
Haunted Mansion
One reader got in line with a 45-minute wait at Haunted Mansion and ended up waiting just 13 minutes (-32 minutes). Spooky!
Haunted Mansion
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
A reader at The Many Adventure of Winnie the Pooh expected to wait 25 minutes and waited about 12 minutes (-13 minutes).
Magic Kingdom
Tomorrowland Speedway
A reader waited a whole 4 minutes with a posted wait of 25 minutes at Tomorrowland Speedway (-21 minutes).
Tomorrowland Speedway
Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid
And for our final Magic Kingdom observation came from a reader on Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid. They waited 20 minutes with a listed wait of 40 minutes. (-20 minutes).
Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Next up, let’s check in on the way waits are looking in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
Alien Swirling Saucers
One reader reported a wait of 20 minutes as opposed to the posted 45 minutes at Alien Swirling Saucers (-25 minutes).
Alien Swirling Saucers
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
We took a spin on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway with a posted wait of 105 minutes. We were stopped for a little with some cleanings and mid-way through the queue we noticed the wait dropped to 90 minutes. Altogether, we waited for 81 minutes (-24 minutes).
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Several readers weighed in as well. One saw a posted wait of 120 minutes and waited 65 minutes (-55 minutes), another saw a posted wait of 90 minutes and waited 40 minutes (-50 minutes), and a third saw a posted wait of 110 minutes and waited 40 minutes (-70 minutes).
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
We noticed the waits for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run were around one hour throughout the day. A reader noted that they got in line with a posted wait of 70 minutes and waited 55 minutes (-15 minutes).
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run on Labor Day Weekend
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster had waits around an hour in the morning and around 45 minutes in the afternoon when we checked. A reader waited 30 minutes when they got in a posted 60 minute wait (-30 minutes).
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Slinky Dog Dash
We gave Slinky Dog Dash a wait in line to see how long it would take! The wait was listed at 80 minutes when we got in line and we waited 73 minutes (-7 minutes). Pretty close! A reader waited 70 minutes with a 90 minute posted wait (-20 minutes).
Slinky Dog Dash
Star Tours — The Adventures Continue
At Star Tours, a reader saw a posted wait of 40 minutes and waited 10 minutes (-30 minutes).
Star Tours
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
A reader waited 40 minutes for Tower of Terror when they got in line with a posted 70-minute wait (-30 minutes). We noticed that Tower of Terror’s wait times fluctuate between around 70 and 40 minutes.
Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania
Two readers reported in on Toy Story Mania. One waited 12 minutes with a 40 minute posted wait (-28 minutes), the other waited 20 minutes with a 60 minute posted wait (-40 minutes).
Toy Story Mania
EPCOT
EPCOT has fewer big-ticket rides than Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, so we were interested to see the results.
Frozen Ever After
We got in line with a 65 minute wait listed at Frozen Ever After and boarded a boat after 52 minutes (-13 minutes). One reader saw a posted wait of 90 minutes and waited 35 minutes (-55 minutes), and another saw a posted wait of 100 minutes and waited 40 minutes (-60 minutes).
Frozen Ever After
On October 14th, a Wednesday, we got in line with a posted 55 minute wait and waited 50 minutes (-5 minutes).
Mission: SPACE
At Mission: SPACE, a reader waited 10 minutes with a posted wait of 30 minutes (-20 minutes).
Mission: SPACE
Soarin’ Around the World
Over at Soarin’, we saw a listed wait of 45 minutes and boarded in just 22 minutes (-23 minutes). Two readers reached out with one seeing 80 minutes and boarding in 55 minutes (-25 minutes) and one seeing 70 minutes and boarding in 45 minutes (-25 minutes).
Soarin’ Around the World
Spaceship Earth
At Spaceship Earth, we saw a wait listed at 35 minutes and boarded in 16 minutes (-19 minutes).
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
A reader saw a 110-minute wait at Test Track and got in their car at 49 minutes (-61 minutes)!
Test Track
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
We checked out The Seas with Nemo and Friends, too! We saw the wait listed as 15 minutes and boarded in 12 minutes (-3 minutes).
The Seas With Nemo and Friends
Gran Fiesta Tour
At Gran Fiesta Tour, the wait was listed as 5 minutes and we waited 11 minutes (+6 minutes).
Gran Fiesta Tour
Living with the Land
One reader saw a listed wait of 35 minutes for Living with the Land and waited just 5 minutes (-30 minutes).
Living with the Land
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
And finally, let’s look at those Animal Kingdom waits.
Avatar Flight of Passage
At Avatar Flight of Passage, one reader saw a posted wait of 75 minutes and waited 30 minutes (-45 minutes), another saw a posted wait of 80 minutes and waited 110 minutes (+30 minutes), and a third saw a wait of 50 minutes and waited 25 minutes (-25 minutes).
Avatar Flight of Passage
DINOSAUR
One reader waited 45 minutes for DINOSAUR with a posted 60-minute wait (-15 minutes). On Thursday, our wait was 44 minutes with a 5o minute posted time (-6 minutes).
Dinosaur
Expedition Everest
On Expedition Everest, a reader saw a posted wait of 50 minutes and was on the ride in 25 minutes with a cleaning (-25 minutes).
Expedition Everest
Kilimanjaro Safaris
One reader saw a posted wait of 35 minutes on Kilimanjaro Safaris and waited about 5 minutes (-30 minutes). We rode Kilimanjaro Safaris on a Thursday and waited 16 minutes with a posted wait of 25 minutes (-9 minutes).
Cleaning Cycle
Na’vi River Journey
And finally, a reader waited 25 minutes at Na’vi River Journey with a posted 50 minutes (-25 minutes).
Na’vi River Journey
What did we find?
Overall, we found that wait times tend to be about 20 minutes off one way or the other. Although, it is a lot more common for them to be SHORTER than the posted times! What really surprised us were the fluctuations of an hour or more with rides like Test Track. Crazy!
As a note, one reader on a VIP Tour mentioned that a Cast Member told them that there is a 20-minute buffer when it comes to the listed wait times. We’re not sure if this is true, but many of these rides did come in with an actual wait of around 20 minutes less than the posted wait, so it’s possible.
Stay tuned throughout the week as we continue to update this post and make observations!
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We went a couple weeks ago and noticed shorter wait times than posted on virtually all the rides. The only time it is longer than the wait time is when they are sanitizing the ride but it tends to be quite a bit longer than posted.
We went for 3 park days at the end of July and 2 park days last weekend. The lines are much longer now. We found posted Wait Times to be right on to somewhat high – never low. It’s not that posted Wait Times are typically higher than actual time, it’s that you have a long time on your feet for every attraction. And there are no Shows to give your legs a break. Much prefer a couple of Fast Passes. Not a good time to go.
I must be hitting parks at wrong times. All my waits were at least posted time or longer. Ridiculous
Question: Was this type of anecdotal inquiry done before Cooid-19? And if so, what were the results.
I’m just wondering it this is something new, or if these completely inaccurate times have always been the case at WDW.
Yes, we’ve noticed the same thing. Worst (or best depending on perspective) was Star Tours with 60 minutes posted and we walked straight on. I’m guessing it’s because they can’t use those red cards they give out at random to accurately check times.
Thanks for the details! I saw some YouTube videos posted from Monday and Tuesday which showed super long lines, but they decided not to get in them because the wait times looked so long. I guess the visual is largely distancing.
It would be clever of them to inflate the wait times to try and spread the crowds around to other attractions. If Space Mountain is 65 immediately at rope drop, somebody might split out to Adventureland instead, for example.
This is super helpful information, thank you!
I noticed the exact same thing when I went to Universal back in July. We never had to wait the amount of time listed for each ride.
I once met an Imagineer at The Disney Institute (anyone remember that place?) and he said Disney is very prone to post wait times at nearly twice their actual times rather than keep them close to exact because it isn’t a science and too many variables come into play. But by posting times that way nearly everyone waits a lot less than “advertised” which keeps the guests happy.
We were there the week of 9/27/20. There were long waits on rides for us , like Tower of Terror was 80 min. Mickey’s and Minnie Run Away Train was 80 min. The tip I would give is, go when the park opens and go straight to the ride you want to get on first. We figured this out by our 3rd day. Our last day in MK, we rode Snow White and Seven Dwarfs roller coaster, Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain all within an hour. It was on Friday 10/2. Hope this helps ours.
Went to Magic Kingdom Tuesday Oct. 13. From the time we got in line for the parking booth and got into the ride section of the park took and hour and 10 minutes. (Got into park at 10 a.m. Pirates of Caribbean posted 55 min. wait and that was accurate. Haunted Mansion posted 55 minutes and that was accurate. 7 Dwarfs Mine train posted 55 minutes. By the time we walked to the end of the line it was 65 minutes. It took 75 minutes. We just got frustrated and went home. Had read about the time not being as long as posted. We really need fast pass to come back. I was pleased that most people were distancing.
We were there over Columbus Day weekend and noticed for the most part, wait times were close to what was posted or over. A few times the waits were cut in half from what was posted but that wasn’t the norm. Wait times are definitely up from the summer! I was surprised to see the announcement that park capacity was at 25% because it was CROWDED at Epcot, MK, and AK. (We didn’t even bother with HS because we only had a half day to devote to it and didn’t think it was worth it to get on maybe 3 rides.) I can’t imagine what the parks are going to look like when they increase capacity as crowded as it was at 25%!
Very helpful post! TY!
The first example shows an under-estimate and then all the rest conveniently show over-estimates. Is all the data received represented here? Looks manipulative to present like nobody else waited longer than posted, park flow feels just fine without having the bonus of FP to offset standby waits, or that guest experience isn’t suffering from lack of somewhere to sitdown for longer than 5 minutes most of the day.
I fully realize things are different and we should have some tolerance. That doesn’t excuse trying to discredit negative experiences posted with cherry picked data. Lacks integrity 🙁 Some people are relying on this info to know what to expect in making decisions.
Our experience last week was that each posted ride was about 10–maybe 15 minutes–less than posted. However, I definitely wouldn’t call any of them “short” anymore. We loved the Fastpasses and rode rides strategically, so we don’t typically wait longer than 30 minutes pre-COVID. One reason I would think they are shorter is most of the pre-shows are gone (no making a car in test track, scary room in the Haunted House, etc.)
While we all appreciate the updates it is obvious that all the different channels posting ride times and live videos of being the only one on a train or ride vehicle are greatly contributing to the wait times and appearance of larger crowds. For goodness sake take friends with you or something. It’s such a waste that rides like Rise of the resistance are running one person through in a car. How many families missed a virtual queue slot because of individual riders trying to make a video or get a wag at ride times.