Disney World Lines You Should Avoid at All Costs

What’s the worst thing about going to Disney World? Probably waiting in line.

There are lines for rides, food, for transportation to get to the park, at the front desk of your hotel, and sometimes even lines for the restrooms. You’ll be doing a lot of waiting during your trip, but there are some lines in Disney World that you should AVOID at all costs.

Starbucks

Let’s start with one of the most popular lines in Disney World — the Main Street Bakery, AKA Magic Kingdom’s Starbucks location. We totally get it, you need your coffee fix, and we’re not going to deny you of that…but there’s a much faster way!

Each of the four Starbucks locations in the parks can get really busy, but there are also Joffrey’s stands where you can get that cup of joe with a (typically) shorter line. In Magic Kingdom, the Joffrey’s stand is in Tomorrowland, and sometimes it gets pretty popular as well…but we have a backup plan for that too!

In Magic Kingdom in particular, you can also order Joffrey’s coffee at various spots around the park, some of which are available on Mobile Order. The Friar’s Nook, Pinocchio Village Haus, and Sleepy Hollow are all among the spots where you can find the beverage. And Friar’s Nook and Sleepy Hollow have some great breakfast options to go along with your java!

Creations Shop

Next, let’s take about EPCOT’s “new” (or relatively new) store, Creations Shop. This spot is the largest gift shop in the park, and as thus, it’s usually pretty busy. There are two main checkout counters, and they can get some very long lines during the day!

However, there’s no need to wait in that long line…Creations Shop also has Mobile Checkout! With this cool tech feature, you simply open the My Disney Experience app, click the “+” at the bottom of the screen, and follow the on-screen instructions to shop in the store. Once you’ve paid, you’ll stop by a kiosk near one of the exits to confirm your purchase. It’s that simple!

The Monorail or Ferry Late at Night

Back at Magic Kingdom, we’ve GOT to talk about the ferry and the monorail. The two main forms of transportation back to Magic Kingdom’s parking lot at the Transportation & Ticket Center will be incredibly backed up at the end of the night, especially right after fireworks and then again after the park closes.

If it’s at all possible for your plans, we recommend avoiding leaving the park right after the fireworks show or right after it closes for the day. During that time, you’ll have swarms of guests heading for the exit and it’ll take quite a while to get on the monorail or ferry. Instead, find a lull in between those times to exit, or stay after the park closes and do some shopping in The Emporium or snap some photos of Main Street, U.S.A.

If you must leave during the busy time, check with a Cast Member to see if buses are running between the TTC and Magic Kingdom. Sometimes when things are busy, Magic Kingdom will offer buses back to the parking lot, and we’ve had luck with getting back to our car fairly quickly going that route.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in the Morning

Let’s talk about Early Theme Park Entry at Magic Kingdom for a second. The perk allows guests of Disney World Resort hotels to enter any theme park 30 minutes before regular guests any day of the week, but there are some restrictions at Magic Kingdom — namely, that only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland rides are open during that time.

And in those two lands, there are three big rides: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain, and Peter Pan’s Flight. The most popular of those choices is Mine Train, which means that by the time the park officially opens, there are already a whole LOT of resort guests in line for the coaster. Because of this, we’ve noticed that sometimes the Mine Train wait time drops later in the day, especially in the evening.

If you want to avoid what’s possibly the longest wait time in the park altogether, you can purchase Lightning Lane access individually for this ride. The price varies depending on the day.

Quick Service Dining During the Meal Rush

One that makes our list in a more general sense is quick service dining spots during a meal rush! If you’re hoping to hit up one of the counter service “fast food” restaurants in Disney World during prime lunch or dinner time, don’t wait in line to order your food!

When the parks first reopened, Mobile Ordering at restaurants was practically mandatory (except for special dining needs or cash orders). Nowadays, we’re noticing more guests who choose to stand in line and order their food, so Mobile Order is back to being a bit more of a “hack” in some circumstances.

Those lines to order and then pick up your meal can be incredibly lengthy, so just plan ahead and order your food through the My Disney Experience app instead. You’ll select a pickup time, then during that window, you can hit a button to let the restaurant know you’ve arrived. Once your food is ready, just head inside and grab it at the designated counter…easy as that!

Rise of the Resistance

Time to discuss the big one — Rise of the Resistance! Don’t get us wrong, this is a totally spectacular ride and you should definitely check it out on your next visit, but waiting in a 2+ hour line might be a bad idea. You see, this ride breaks down pretty frequently, and if you’re in line when it does, you might get kicked out of line and have nothing to show for the past 90 minutes.

Even if you waited. inline for multiple hours, you may not be offered a return pass to access the ride later. Typically, that’s only given to guests who were about to board the ride, who were evacuated off of it, or those who purchased an Individual Lightning Lane to ride. So just in case the system feels like being finicky during your trip, we recommend riding when you can secure a lower-than-usual wait time.

Riding during Early Theme Park Entry or rope dropping the ride might be a good option, and we’ve seen the wait time go down in the evenings sometimes, so just keep an eye on it. And if it’s a must-do for your family, then you may want to consider purchasing the Individual Lightning Lane.

Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

Another ride we need to mention is a fan-favorite, the PeopleMover at Magic Kingdom. Like Rise of the Resistance, it’s also a fantastic ride that we recommend, but the queue is just…not it. While waiting, you’ll be standing mostly in the direct sun, surrounded by concrete and metal poles to separate you from the other guests. Nothing exciting here.

If you ever see that the line is long for the PeopleMover, don’t wait in it! (Unless it’s a VERY busy day.) Typically, this ride doesn’t have a very long wait time (15 minutes or less), so if the line is running through Tomorrowland, it’s probably a random fluke. Just wait a little while, the line will go down, and then you won’t have to stand directly in the Florida sun for 30 minutes while questioning all your life decisions.

Spaceship Earth

And finally, we’ve got Spaceship Earth. First thing in the morning, guests flock to the giant “EPCOT ball” because it’s the first ride you see when you enter the park. So at that time, the wait will often spike.

If you wait just a little later in the morning until the arrival rush has stopped, you’ll see Spaceship Earth with 5 and 10-minute wait times. That is, unless you’re stopping by on a particularly crowded day.

So there you go — the lines that you should avoid at all costs in Disney World. Some of these will be 30-minute lines while others will add HOURS to your time spent waiting, but either way, you’re saving yourself valuable minutes in the theme parks.

For more tips on how to navigate Disney World successfully during your upcoming vacation, stay tuned to AllEars. We visit the parks every day to bring the latest news, advice, and information that’s helpful to plan the perfect trip!

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Which line at Disney World do you HATE waiting in? Tell us in the comments!

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