Disney World Wait Times SKYROCKET After the Holidays

Disney4me · January 7, 2023

If you’re headed to Disney World soon, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

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Crowds

The crowds have been wild this holiday season in Disney World and we’ve seen some pretty long wait times. On top of that the wait times will soon be affected by several upcoming ride closures and refurbishments. But what can you expect from the wait times in Disney World right now? That’s what we’re here to investigate!

There are a few things you can do to skip the long lines in Disney World. One of those is rope dropping or staying until park close. Rope dropping is when you arrive at the park before opening time so you are one of the first people in the parks for the day — this is when you can get on a ride or two without much of a wait! We’ve also noticed the wait

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Magic Kingdom entrance crowds

Your other option is to purchase Genie+, also known as Disney’s skip-the-line system. The price of Genie+ depends on the day since Disney introduced flexible pricing earlier this year but we’ve seen the price vary between $15 and $29. Buying Genie+ will allow you to expedite your wait for many Disney World attractions.

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Lightning Lane

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the average wait times during this very busy time of year in Disney World!

Magic Kingdom

We’re starting at Magic Kingdom, where Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had the longest average wait time at 110 minutes this week! Last week the average wait time was 89 minutes so this is a pretty significant increase.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Next, Peter Pan’s Flight averaged 78 minutes, Space Mountain averaged 74 minutes, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad averaged 61 minutes. After that, the ride averages put Splash Mountain at 60 minutes, Jungle/Jingle Cruise at 59 minutes, Haunted Mansion at 51 minutes, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at 45 minutes,Astro Orbiter at 39 minutes, Pirates of the Caribbean at 37 minutes, and Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at 36 minutes.

Pirates of the Caribbean

After that, “it’s a small world” averaged 31 minutes, Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid averaged 27 minutes, The Barnstormer featuring the Great Goofini averaged 26 minutes, and Magic Carpets of Aladdin and Tomorrowland Speedway averaged 24 minutes. Dumbo the Flying Elephant averaged 23 minutes while Mickey’s PhilharMagic averaged 17 minutes.

Barnstormer

Next, Mad Tea Party averaged 16 minutes and the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel averaged 15 minutes. The Enchanted Tiki Room, the Carousel of Progress, the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, and the Liberty Square Riverboat all averaged 5 minutes.

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Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse

The Hall of Presidents, Country Bear Jamboree, and Tom Sawyer Island averaged no wait.

Sneak Peek Inside the TRON Ride in Magic Kingdom

EPCOT

Over in EPCOT, the ride with the longest average wait time was Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, with an average wait time of 125 minutes, compared to last week’s average of 98 minutes. Frozen Ever After had an average wait time of 95 minutes, which was an increase from last week’s average of 84 minutes.

Frozen Ever After

Next, we have Test Track at 92 minutes, Soarin’ at 71 minutes, Mission: SPACE at 51 minutes, and Spaceship Earth at 2231minutes. Gran Fiesta Tour and The Seas with Nemo and Friends averaged 22 minutes.

Mission: SPACE

Then, there was Journey into Imagination at 19 minutes, and Turtle Talk with Crush and Living with the Land at 17 minutes.

Figment

Awesome Planet, Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along, Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival, Impressions de France, and Reflections of China had no wait times this week.

We Met a RARE Disney Prince in EPCOT

Hollywood Studios

In Hollywood Studios, Rise of the Resistance broke Tower of Terror’s streak as the highest wait time in the park with an average of 139 minutes. Tower of Terror still had a long average wait time of 134 minutes, while Slinky Dog Dash took third place with an average of 118 minutes.

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Rise of the Resistance

Next, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith averaged 91 minutes, Toy Story Mania and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway averaged 79 minutes, and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run averaged 76 minutes.

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Toy Story Mania

After that, Alien Swirling Saucers averaged 45 minutes, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue averaged 31 minutes, Walt Disney Presents averaged 14 minutes, and Muppet*Vision 3D averaged 11 minutes. Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy was closed all week.

Complete List of What’s Available During After Hours Events at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Animal Kingdom

And last but not least, let’s visit Animal Kingdom, where Avatar Flight of Passage had the longest average wait time of 173 minutes. Last week, the average was 169 minutes.

Pandora Crowds

Next up was Na’vi River Journey at 91 minutes, Kilimanjaro Safaris at 75 minutes, Expedition Everest at 49 minutes, DINOSAUR at 42 minutes, and Kali River Rapids at 33 minutes.

Dinosaur

Triceratop Spin averaged 16 minutes and It’s Tough to Be a Bug averaged 15 minutes. Both The Boneyard and Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail averaged no wait time.

VIDEO: New Nighttime Show Added to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Overall, wait times have increased a LOT since the holiday season ended. This could be because kids are still out of school in many places and the runDisney Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend takes place until January 8th. If you’re visiting Disney World soon, use this as preparation to deal with crowds! We’ve got guides on how to escape the crowds in Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT.