The Disney Iditarod aka "How I Won Park Hopper of The Year"

Ellen: "Honey why don't we forget the Pig-on-a-Poke itinerary and just play it by ear like normal people?"

Clark: "Honey we're not normal people, we're the Griswolds!"

                     -Vacation, 1983

If there is one thing about Disney World that is universally disliked (and there aren't many to choose from), it's waiting in lines. As a spring breaker and a summer vacationer, I have witnessed the true meaning of "filled to capacity". We have not yet been during the Christmas holiday but from what I'm to understand, the park usually hits capacity at some point early in the day and guests are refused entry shortly thereafter. We plan on conquering a Disney Christmas when we take our kids for the first time, but for now I can only share my experiences about the sweltering heat and the torrential downpours that Florida is known for and which are even less fun when you're standing in them for 60 minutes to ride the Tower of Terror.

I get asked all the time what I do to overcome the problem of waiting in lines all day, so I thought I'd share a couple of my secrets. Here are a couple of my suggestions:

1. There's an app for that!: Wait time applications are an absolutely indispensable part of your Disney Survival Kit (Which I will cover in another post). My husband and I both use iphones and the one we prefer is Walt Disney World Wait Times Free by VersaEdge Software, available on iTunes or in the app store. It's user dependent, so it relies on people who have the application and are currently waiting in line to update it with correct information, but it's always been completely accurate. Generally the only time it's inaccurate is when the ride has just changed wait times and no one has had the chance to update it. In fact as I write this I'm seeing that there is only a 5 minute wait to get on Pirates of the Caribbean! *sigh*
2. Get a map: if you're like me then you know the park layout like the back of your hand, but the map stand also has a sheet telling you what time all the parades and shows will start at, their location, and in the case of the parades, the intended route (which is really helpful if you want to be on one side of the park during that time because crossing over the parade route is a nightmare!)
3. Get a Fastpass: I put this second because if you don't know what the wait times are for the most popular rides, then you won't know which ride to get a Fastpass for. Getting a Fastpass can mean the difference between checking off all the rides on your list, or watching with envy as people bounce happily off Expedition Everest! Later on I'll explain how to get a Fastpass and the best way to utilize them, but for right now just know that they are a must. (My Pal Mickey Note: Fastpasses are your friend! You can get one per hour.)
4. Make an Itinerary:  not to sound too much like Clark Griswold, but having an itinerary is the best way to get the most out of your vacation. I will give an example of the one my husband and I use, but between Extra Magic Hours and character dining reservations it is always good to have a written account of what you'll do for the day, with built in wiggle room of course!



An Example of a Fastpass

5. Keep calm, and carry on:  If one line is full and it looks miserable, move on. If you have a proper itinerary and a well laid plan, you will have another opportunity. You would be surprised how a ride with a 120 minute wait will go down to a 20 minute wait at a random time. We experience this every time we're at the park. Small World is a classic example of a ride that can go from a 80 minute wait to 5 minutes any time of the day, so if you're in the park for the day anyway just keep coming back or checking the app that I know you've rushed off to download!  (My Pal Mickey note: If there is a ride that you don't manage to get on one day, it always moves to the top of your itinerary for that specific park on the next day!)