You probably read this title and wondered: “Why in the world would I want to avoid Magic Kingdom?!”

There is so much to do in the original Disney World theme park — meet tons of characters, see the Festival of Fantasy parade, ride the brand new TRON Lightcycle / Run, and eat inside Cinderella Castle. So why are we saying that you should avoid Magic Kingdom right now? The answer is simple — a major jump in wait times.

That’s right — wait times went up at 19 rides in Magic Kingdom over the past week, and we’ve seen some of the crowds to prove it! Now there are ways to combat the growing wait times in Magic Kingdom without avoiding it altogether. Some tools you can use include rope dropping, which means you arrive at the park before opening time so you get a head start on the crowds at the most popular attractions. If you are a Disney World hotel guest, you can also enter the park 30 minutes early via the Early Theme Park Entry perk!

Getting out of bed early not your jam? You can also purchase Genie+ so that you can grab Lightning Lanes to skip the lines at rides. It’s still a good idea to get up early to lock in your first Genie+ selection at 7AM, but this can be a helpful tool when used with or in lieu of rope drop.

Want to learn more about Genie+? You can do that right here!

Take a look at the average wait times at every Disney World ride to see what we’re talking about! Use this as a tool to decide if you think Genie+ is worth it for your family on your upcoming trip. It’s an additional cost on an already expensive vacation, so this can be a very important choice to your budget!

Magic Kingdom

Starting in Magic Kingdom, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had the longest average wait time of 79 minutes. Last week the average wait time was 69 minutes, so the time has increased again this week.

Next, Peter Pan’s Flight averaged 64 minutes, Jungle Cruise averaged 50 minutes, and Space Mountain averaged 51 minutes. After that, average wait times had Haunted Mansion at 41 minutes, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at 37 minutes, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at 36 minutes, Pirates of the Caribbean at 32 minutes, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at 31 minutes, Astro Orbiter at 30 minutes, and Enchanted Tales with Belle averaged 23 minutes.

After that, “it’s a small world” averaged 21 minutes, Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and The Barnstormer featuring the Great Goofini averaged 20 minutes, Tomorrowland Speedway averaged 18 minutes, Mickey’s PhilharMagic averaged 14 minutes, and Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover averaged 12 minutes.

Next, Dumbo the Flying Elephant averaged 16 minutes, Mad Tea Party averaged 12 minutes, Prince Charming Regal Carrousel and 10 minutes. The Enchanted Tiki Room, Carousel of Progress, the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, and the Liberty Square Riverboat all averaged 5 minutes. 

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

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EPCOT

Heading over to EPCOT, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure had an average wait time of 66 minutes — this is an increase compared to last week’s average of 56 minutes. Frozen Ever After’s wait time also increased to 67 minutes — that makes these the highest average wait times in the park.

Next up is Test Track at 59 minutes, Soarin’ at 33 minutes, Turtle Talk with Crush at 15 minutes, Mission: SPACE at 17 minutes, and Spaceship Earth at 14 minutes.

Then, there is Journey into Imagination at 13 minutes, The Seas with Nemo and Friends at 10 minutes, and Living with the Land, and Gran Fiesta Tour at 9 minutes.

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.

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Hollywood Studios

Over in Hollywood Studios, Rise of the Resistance’s wait time increased to 73 minutes this week (compared to 61 minutes last week). Slinky Dog Dash was the highest wait time in the park with a 83-minute average.

Other wait times in the park include Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (which as finally reopened) at 54 minutes, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at 53 minutes, Toy Story Mania at 51 minutes, and Tower of Terror at 40 minutes.

After that, Alien Swirling Saucers averaged 30 minutes, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue averaged 13 minutes, Muppet*Vision 3D averaged 10 minutes, Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy averaged 9 minutes, and Walt Disney Presents averaged 8 minutes.

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Animal Kingdom

And last but not least, let’s talk about Animal Kingdom! Avatar Flight of Passage still had the longest average wait time this park this week with 89 minutes. This means the time went up a lot from last week’s 73-minute average.

Following that, Na’vi River Journey at 61 minutes, Kilimanjaro Safaris at 33 minutes, Kali River Rapids averaged 31 minutes, Expedition Everest at 26 minutes, and DINOSAUR at 21 minutes.

It’s Tough to Be a Bug averaged 10 minutes and TriceraTop Spin averaged 7 minutes. Both The Boneyard (which is currently closed for refurbishment) and Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail averaged no wait time. 

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When are you headed to Disney World next? Have you checked out our line of fun graphic tees to wear on your trip? We’ve designed some for the whole family – from infants to adults! Click here to check them out!

Stay tuned to DFB for more updates from Disney World!

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What is your favorite thing to do in Magic Kingdom? Let us know in the comments!