Don’t Mix Ride Long Lines and Amusement Parks!

Every year, many people pay with their hard-earned money to have some fun at their local amusement parks (including theme parks, which are based on a central theme or a series of themes). But all the courage they built to ride the most extreme rides come with a price – and it’s not the parking fees, food, or on-ride souvenir photos. When the season is right for them, you will end up waiting for hours for your favorite rides. If you usually find your patience wearing off during long waits on most amusement park trips, heed my advice well.

In Toy Story Mania in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, the “L” here stands for long lines! (Nice interior, by the way!)

Know When to Go

Many people go to their favorite amusement parks in the summertime, and that season is suitable because the kids are out of school and the weather is at its hottest. If you yearn to join in that ritual, please do so during the first few days or the first last days of operation if yours opens only that time (usually between Memorial Day and Labor Day). In the case of those open year-round (like those at Walt Disney World), the peak holidays are Christmas, Easter, and Independence Day and the high seasons are summer and spring break.

If you happen to live nearby or plan to travel to them, do it in the fall between Labor Day and the week of Thanksgiving, between that week and the week before Christmas, January 6 and the week before Easter, and two weeks after Easter and Memorial Day. You’ll find that crowds are not as painful because they are low seasons. The gist of surviving an amusement or theme park without further trouble with lines is planning ahead.

Time Your Visit.

Even on low seasons, you should go to the park at least 30 minutes prior to opening to avoid midday crowds. Another good idea for enduring lesser waits is to arrive a few hours (5-6 is ideal) before closing. I did the latter before and it gave me a much different experience than surviving a huge queue of screaming kids. If your park is year-round, take a break at midday by returning to your hotel and resting, then return on the evening.