Wait Times for Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom
Walt Disney World: I'm starting a new project to categorize attractions based on their average wait times.
I'm starting a new project to categorize attractions based on their average wait times. I'm not trying to determine the average number of minutes you'll wait for a particular ride of show - that varies so much, depending upon what time of year and when during the day you visit. I'm simply trying to categorize attractions by whether its mid-day wait is longer than, shorter than or average compared with the other attractions in the park on the same day.
Note that I'm asking about wait times, not line length. Theme Park Insiders should know how attraction capacity affects wait time. You might see a huge line of people outside Pirates of the Caribbean, but you'll wait for that ride much less than you'd wait in what looks like a much shorter line at Dumbo. That's because Pirates can put through a couple thousands riders per hour, while Dumbo accommodates only a couple hundred. In other words, the Pirates line moves almost 10 times faster than the Dumbo one.
Here's my first attempt at the list for the Magic Kingdom. Please add any corrections or thoughts (including wait time tips!) in the comments. I'll update this list based on reader feedback. Thank you!
Main Street USA
Town Square Theater - Longer
Adventureland
Swiss Family Treehouse - Shorter
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin - Average
Enchanted Tiki Room - Shorter
Jungle Cruise - Longer
Pirates of the Caribbean - Average
Frontierland
Splash Mountain - Longer
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Longer
Tom Sawyer's Island - Shorter
Country Bear Jamboree - Average Shorter
Liberty Square
Hall of Presidents - Shorter
Liberty Square Riverboat - Shorter
Haunted Mansion - Average
Fantasyland
It's a Small World - Average
Peter Pan's Flight - Longer
Mickey's PhilharMagic - Average
Snow White's Scary Adventures - Longer Average
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel - Average
Dumbo the Flying Elephant - Longer
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - Average Longer
Mad Tea Party - Average
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland Speedway - Longer
Space Mountain - Longer
Astro Orbiter - Average Longer
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover - Shorter
Carousel of Progress - Shorter
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - Longer
Stitch's Great Escape - Shorter
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor - Average
Great list Robert, is this for your new eBook? My only difference to your list would be with Space Ranger Spin. Personally, I would determine it to be average. Assuming that the average is ~10 minutes then Buzz mostly fits into that time slot.
From steve lee
Posted October 31, 2011 at 1:46 PM
I feel like Pooh and Snow White are flipped. I've never seen Snow White over 10 minutes, and Pooh is usually a "FASTpass or forgetaboutit" attraction.
Peter Pan it's so long the line it's the longest line in Magic Kindom and Winne the Phoo wow so long
I have to agree that Pooh and Snow White are flipped. Pooh always has long lines and Snow White had average to short lines. I saw this almost every day.
Thanks. Flipped Snow White and Winnie the Pooh. I think I was influenced by Disneyland's wait times there, where Pooh's almost always a walk-on and Snow's one of the three longest waits in Fantasyland.
From Tony Duda
Posted October 31, 2011 at 3:07 PM
Astro Orbiters, to me, is a longer wait. If that little tiny switch back is even half full, it can be an hour to climb into the orbiter. I love Astro Orbiter and even a tiny line discourages me from riding.
I would say Astro Orbitor is longer as well. I think those Dumbo like rides tend to be long. I also have never waited in Pirates ride. I would say shorter.
While I agree, I think another important wait time factor is attraction capacity. A great example is Dumbo vs Pirates. While both a great rides, I would say that Pirates is a much richer and rewarding ride, but tends to have a shorter line due to its quick load and unload. Haunted Mansion is the same way.
Good idea!
I would say that Astro Orbiter is a longer wait instead of average. Its a small world I would say is shorter than average.
Country Bears should be shorter. THe only wait for that is the wait for the show to start, which is 15 minutes. 15 Minutes isn't average.
When I worked Country Bears, it would always get a two- to three-show wait in the middle of the day. But that was eons ago. Is it really always a "next show" wait now?
From Amy Smith
Posted November 1, 2011 at 12:27 PM
Most people walk straight by Country Bears because they're in a hurry to get to Splash or Thunder. I've never seen a long wait for it in all the times I've been there. I've only ever seen it once myself to cross it off the list.
Now Tiki Room since they reopened it i've seen it have some pretty long waits for what it is. I think people heard it was supposed to be better now and confused better with good. :)
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