397155 06: Mickey Mouse rides in a parade through Main Street, USA with Cinderella's castle in the background at Disney World's Magic Kingdom November 11, 2001 in Orlando, Florida.

Disney is one of those places that’s always crowded. But is there a better time to visit? Definitely. The crowds are always the largest whenever kids are out of school. This means summer, holidays, and especially the Christmas holiday season. No matter when you visit you’re going to be spending time waiting in line. You can purchase Genie + which will get you a shorter wait for a few rides, but even that won’t have you skipping to the front of every attraction. Obviously, the “best time” to visit Walt Disney World is when there will be the lowest wait times.

So how do you know when that is? Well, a study by FinanceBuzz analyzed wait times for every attraction at Disney parks over the course of a year. This led them to be able to see the times of year Walt Disney World has the lowest wait times. They also collected data and determined the rides with the longest and shortest wait times in each park. One interesting statistic is that the average wait for a ride is 36 minutes. That’s 4.5 times the length of the average ride (8 minutes).

The park where you can get the most “bang for your buck” is Magic Kingdom. That comes as no surprise as there are the most rides in that park. You can expect to ride 1.7 rides per hour or 20 rides in a 12-hour day, at this classic Disney park.

Keep reading to find out the best time to by and the shortest and longest waits in each park!

  • So When Is The Best Time To Visit?

    When the kids first go back to school! While many parents take their kids out of school to go to Disney, it’s rare those vacations are happening in the first few weeks back. Finance Buzz found that the last week of August, the first week of September, and the first week of October have the lowest wait times.

    The average wait time in the month of September is just 15-28 minutes.

  • The Attractions In Each Park With The Longest Average Wait Times

    These are the ones that if you are going to pay for Genie Plus you should prioritize!

  • Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarves Mine Train

    Average Wait: 80 minutes

    Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has been open for several years but is still consistently the longest wait in Magic Kingdom. It’s the newest “thrill ride” but still can appeal to a large range of people.

  • Magic Kingdom: Jungle Cruise

    Average Wait: 68 Minutes

  • Magic Kingdom: Peter Pan's Flight

    Average Wait: 64 Minutes

  • EPCOT: Remy's Ratatouille Adventure

    Average Wait: 84 minutes

    World Showcase needed more rides and that’s what we got with Remy’s which opened in 2021. This family-friendly dark ride averages close to an hour and a half wait.

  • EPCOT: Frozen Ever After

    Average Wait: 67 Minutes

  • EPCOT: Test Track

    Average Wait: 58 Minutes

  • Animal Kingdom: Avatar Flight Of Passage

    Average Wait: 91 Minutes

    The last time I was at Disney I got in line for this ride with a 180-minute wait. I ended up off the ride in less than 2 hours, so it could be overinflated. But regardless, it’s worth it. This ride is an immersive experience into the world of Pandora and it’s just that fun!

  • Hollywood Studios: Star Wars Rise Of The Resistance

    Average Wait: 127 Minutes

    I haven’t been since this ride opens but it is THE ride in all of Walt Disney World these days. You can expect long wait times and Genie Plus to sell out almost instantly. Those who ride it though rave about it. While I’m not a Star Wars fan I’m excited to check this out the next time I find myself in Orlando.

  • The Attractions In Each Park With The Longest Average Wait Times

    Seemingly long lines everywhere you go? Check these fun rides out for a minimal wait.

  • Hollywood Studios: Slinky Dog Dash

    Average Wait: 87 Minutes

  • Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress

    Average Wait: 5 Minutes

    Hard-core Disney fans may crucify me for this but to my knowledge, I’ve never ridden this one. And I don’t really have any desire to. But at just a 5-minute wait you don’t have much to lose.

     

  • Magic Kingdom: Mad Tea Party

    Average Wait: 16 Minutes

  • Magic Kingdom: Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

    Average Wait: 16 Minutes

  • EPCOT: Turtle Talk With Crush

    Average Wait: 11 minutes

    Kids will love this interactive experience with Finding Nemo’s favorite turtle. Plus the air conditioning lasts even longer as the exit is into the aquarium! That alone would make it my dad’s favorite.

  • EPCOT: Journey Into Imagination With Figment

    Average Wait: 12 Minutes

  • 18. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

    Average Wait: 13 Minutes

  • Animal Kingdom: TriceraTop Spin

    Average Wait: 12 minutes

    It’s Dumbo with dinosaurs. If you’ve got small kids they will love it. If you’re a big kid at heart you might enjoy it.

  • Animal Kingdom: It's Tough To Be A Bug

    Average Wait: 13

  • Animal Kingdom: DINOSAUR

    Average Wait: 28 Minutes

  • Hollywood Studios: Muppet*Vision 3D

    Average Wait: 11 Minutes

    I love the muppets so I love this 3D show! And with just an average 11-minute wait you’re essentially just waiting for the previous show to end. And with all the major rides (aka LONG waits) it’s nice to be able to do something without an hour in line.

  • Hollywood Studios: Lightening McQueen's Racing Academy

    Average Wait: 15 Minutes

  • Hollywood Studios: Star Tours: The Adventures Continue

    Average Wait: 26 Minutes

  • Average Wait In Each Park

    Don’t want to wait in line? Here’s what you can expect at each of the 4 parks.

  • Magic Kingdom

    Number of Attractions: 23

    Average Ride Length (minutes): 7.3

    Average Wait Time Per Attraction (minutes): 29

    Attractions Per Hour Possible: 1.7

    Average Attractions Per Day Possible: 20

    Cost Per Ride (based on average attractions per day): $6.90

  • EPCOT

    Number of Attractions: 11

    Average Ride Length (minutes): 9.2

    Average Wait Time Per Attraction (minutes): 26

    Attractions Per Hour Possible: 1.7

    Average Attractions Per Day Possible: 20

    Cost Per Ride (based on average attractions per day): $6.90

  • Hollywood Studios

    Number of Attractions: 12

    Average Ride Length (minutes): 8.7

    Average Wait Time Per Attraction (minutes): 41

    Attractions Per Hour Possible: 1.2

    Average Attractions Per Day Possible: 14

    Cost Per Ride (based on average attractions per day): $9.86

  • Animal Kingdom

    Number of Attractions: 8

    Average Ride Length (minutes): 7.3

    Average Wait Time Per Attraction (minutes): 34

    Attractions Per Hour Possible: 1.5

    Average Attractions Per Day Possible: 17

    Cost Per Ride (based on average attractions per day): $8.12

  • All Walt Disney World Parks Combined

    Number of Attractions: 54

    Average Ride Length (minutes): 8

    Average Wait Time Per Attraction (minutes): 36

    Attractions Per Hour Possible: 1.4

    Average Attractions Per Day Possible: 16

    Cost Per Ride (based on average attractions per day): $8.83

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