There is actually a very simple answer to the question of long queues for the rides in the parks - take Granny and Grandpa! They stand lovingly in the queue while you take the children somewhere else and you join them when the queue is nearly at the attraction. Simples!
Oh, does that not appeal? In that case I have some other ideas.
The most obvious way is to avoid the school holidays, this of course only works you have children under school age, so not a great help. However, there are times during the holidays which are less crowded. There are six weeks of summer holidays, but everybody wants to go the minute the schools break up, why, I don’t know. Try booking to go late in August, it will be quieter everywhere, airports, parks and beaches. Easter is the worst time of all, the weather is perfect and two weeks fits in nicely unlike half terms. The same goes for Christmas and New year, it is truly magical but it might be cold and the queues will be pretty bad.
Also keep in mind that weekends are typically more crowded than weekdays.
Arrive half an hour before opening time, it will take that long to park the car and catch the transport to the entrance, or walk, at parks without transport to the entrance. If you are there before opening time in the morning, cast members keep everyone entertained at a rope barrier before walking the crowd through to their ride of choice.
As you enter the Magic Kingdom at Disney World you pass through the square and Main St. USA. People stop to take photos of Cinderella’s castle, some even browse the shops. Don’t! You can do all that later.
Head straight on up Main St. and turn right or left towards whichever rides you’d like to go to first.
When the park starts to fill up and get busy, leave the rides for a while and visit the shops or have an early lunch; everybody seems to want to eat between twelve and two. (This makes it a good time to go back to the rides, when everybody else is trying to get lunch). Another good time to try the rides is when the parade is on when a huge mass of people stop to watch.
Near closing time is also a good time when quite a lot of people will have left the park.
Oh, does that not appeal? In that case I have some other ideas.
The most obvious way is to avoid the school holidays, this of course only works you have children under school age, so not a great help. However, there are times during the holidays which are less crowded. There are six weeks of summer holidays, but everybody wants to go the minute the schools break up, why, I don’t know. Try booking to go late in August, it will be quieter everywhere, airports, parks and beaches. Easter is the worst time of all, the weather is perfect and two weeks fits in nicely unlike half terms. The same goes for Christmas and New year, it is truly magical but it might be cold and the queues will be pretty bad.
Also keep in mind that weekends are typically more crowded than weekdays.
Arrive half an hour before opening time, it will take that long to park the car and catch the transport to the entrance, or walk, at parks without transport to the entrance. If you are there before opening time in the morning, cast members keep everyone entertained at a rope barrier before walking the crowd through to their ride of choice.
As you enter the Magic Kingdom at Disney World you pass through the square and Main St. USA. People stop to take photos of Cinderella’s castle, some even browse the shops. Don’t! You can do all that later.
Head straight on up Main St. and turn right or left towards whichever rides you’d like to go to first.
When the park starts to fill up and get busy, leave the rides for a while and visit the shops or have an early lunch; everybody seems to want to eat between twelve and two. (This makes it a good time to go back to the rides, when everybody else is trying to get lunch). Another good time to try the rides is when the parade is on when a huge mass of people stop to watch.
Near closing time is also a good time when quite a lot of people will have left the park.