It’s true that theme parks are great. The problem is, a lot of people believe this. It’s not just you. So, when you go on vacation and try to have a good time at a popular theme park, you may find out that most of your day might involve a lot of waiting around.
But here are some tips that may help you put your time to better use, so you can pack a lot more great memories each day at your favorite theme park:
Use Apps
Remember how they used to say that “there’s an app for that”? It’s actually true for some parks that offer apps. The “My Disney Experience” app from Disney World is a great example, as it can tell you about the wait times in real time. That means you won’t have to waste all that time crossing the park for a particular ride, only to find out that the line is long enough that you’ll wait more than an hour for your ride.
So, download the app and use it. Also, these apps can even give you the location of the nearest restroom as well. That’s a lot of time and trouble saved.
Ride the Popular Coasters at Night
Plenty of rides are still open late at night, and that may be the best time for you to get a ride on one of those thrilling rollercoasters. A lot of families call it a day when it gets late, especially if they came with their kids. Younger tots just can’t handle late-night fun, and that’s when you get into the line for the rollercoasters.
Also, plenty of theme parks feature parades and fireworks at night, and lots of people take the time to just gawk at them. Sure, you might take one night off to enjoy them too. Take a picture and send it to your friends back home, just to make them green with envy.
But that’s also the time when you should get in line for the coasters. You may find that when there are fireworks going on, the lines for the rides are much shorter.
Go Early in the Morning
In fact, you can go late at night and early in the morning as well. Plenty of other families like to sleep in, and maybe take their time savoring the breakfast. But you can do all those things at home. Wake up early, get some coffee and breakfast right away, and get in line quickly while the slowpokes aren’t there yet.
Once the usual hordes come in later in the morning, you might decide to get an early lunch. You avoid long lines, and you also don’t have a long line at the eateries. When these people take a break for lunch, you’re back in line—mercifully a short line as well!
Go with Meal Reservations
If you look at the people at theme parks more closely, you might notice plenty of families going all over the park trying to find a restaurant opening.
Sure, there are quick service spots, but they’re not as great as you might think. Like with the rides, you might have to go through another long line to get your food. And once you do get your food, you might notice that all the tables are occupied.
But you’re better off if you can make your meal reservations. It sure cuts down on the stress, and you can get in and out of eateries quickly so you can get back to the rides.
Just make sure you book as early as you can. Sometimes, you may even have to book your meal reservation before you hop into your flight to the theme park. There are restaurants like the Be Our Guest restaurant at Disney World, book up to 180 days in advance!
Bring Your Own Food
Some theme parks, unfortunately, don’t allow people to bring in their own food. Often, that’s because they don’t have long lines at their eateries.
But if you’re allowed to bring your own food in, go right ahead. You don’t even have to tote that lunch around everywhere. Some parks offer locker storage so you can just store your lunch there, along with a cooler and an ice pack. This even saves you money, since the prices at some theme park restaurants are just unbelievable (and we don’t mean they’re unbelievably cheap).