Having an upcoming Walt Disney World vacation planned is exciting for you and your family. However, waiting in lines isn’t really something many vacationers look forward to when they think about Disney magic, especially when hearing that many popular rides consistently hover around a one-hour wait — even on slower days. However, plenty of fun attractions throughout the parks can have you on and off quickly. If you’re searching for rides with the shortest wait times in Disney World, we’ve got you covered! We’re breaking down all four theme parks to help you plan out your day.

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom features the most rides of all four Disney Parks, which means that you can often find more rides with shorter wait times in this park compared to the others. With more to do, people are more spread out and often crowd at the more popular, thrilling rides. However, don’t let the short wait times fool you – that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth your time!

Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

This 10-minute tram ride through Tomorrowland is a beloved attraction for many lifelong Disney-goers. The ride offers spectacular views of the park, and you’ll also get a narrated tour behind the scenes of Tomorrowland rides and shops and see early models of EPCOT!

Best of all, the PeopleMover is a great way to get a break from the heat and rest your feet during a long park day. The tram is set on a continuous conveyor platform that quickly gets guests on and off.

Tomorrowland Speedway

For guests over 32 inches, you can drive your very own race car with an adult in the passenger seat around a mini motorway. Enjoy stellar views of the park while the young ones feel like they hold all the power for a 3-minute drive (though, who are we kidding? They always hold all of the power).

Mad Tea Party

The Mad Tea Party, commonly known in conversation as “The Teacups,” may not be for everyone, but you’ll never have to wait too long to go for a spin on this classic Disney ride!

Inspired by the Disney classic Alice in Wonderland, these spinning tea cups give guests of all ages a chance to control their destiny and spin at their desire.

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

A classic carrousel ride is fun for everyone! Hop onto one of ninety elegant wood-carved horses inspired by Disney’s Cinderella and take in the scenes of Fantasyland. This attraction has no height requirement and is the perfect way to utilize the time gaps in your plans since it usually has the shortest wait times for rides at Disney World.

Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid

Walk through Prince Eric’s castle to board a clamshell and dance to all your favorite Little Mermaid songs! Tucked back in the Fantasyland extension is Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid, where you’ll “swim” through all the most popular scenes of the beloved movie, encountering Ariel, Prince Eric, Ursula, King Triton, and more!

The clamshells operate on a conveyor belt system, meaning guests constantly get on and off the ride, decreasing wait times significantly.

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin

Hop onto your favorite flying rug and soar through the skies of Adventureland. This ride is similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant, spinning you up high into the sky. However, instead of Dumbo, you’ll be riding your very own magic carpet! And it even tilts up and down.

EPCOT

While EPCOT doesn’t have as many rides as Magic Kingdom, there is much more to explore! Guests are pretty well dispersed between the four neighborhoods, keeping wait times at a minimum, even though there aren’t as many rides. Here are the ones with the shortest wait times for rides at Disney World.

The Seas with Nemo and Friends

Head down under to visit Nemo, Dory, and even some live sea creatures on this slow-moving indoor ride. Guests will hop in a clamshell and follow the story of Disney Pixar’s Finding Nemo. You’ll even find a live aquarium full of various sea creatures to explore at the end!

The entire queue is indoors, so if the ride doesn’t seem all that exciting for you, the air conditioning should!

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

The Three Caballeros are always either having a good time or up to some mischief. Either way, you are along for the ride!

Inside the Mexico Pavillion of World Showcase, you’ll find this slow-moving boat ride that anyone can enjoy. Help the friends find Donald Duck while dancing to some catchy tunes along the way!

Living with the Land

Living with the Land is one of the original rides from EPCOT’s opening day and it’s one of the most unique attractions in the park to this day. This 15-minute boat ride takes guests through the evolution of land, farming, agriculture, and, eventually, a full tour behind the scenes of Disney’s greenhouses.

Not only will guests be able to see how food and crops can be sustainably produced, but the greenhouses throughout Living with the Land also produce food for the guests to eat at EPCOT’s restaurants and festivals!

Spaceship Earth

Did you know the EPCOT park icon houses a ride inside? Guests hop into the car and travel back in time through the history of communication and technology. As the ride ends, you can even build your own future on the screen before you. Be sure to smile for the camera at the beginning!

This ride is on a conveyor system like others, constantly loading and unloading guests, resulting in a quick moving line. The only exception is early in the morning when the park opens! Most people will hop right in line instead of heading into the park which makes this the busiest time to ride. We recommend skipping it early in the morning and coming back later when the line is shorter.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Unlike Magic Kingdom and EPCOT where there is a lot to keep people busy with around the park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios keeps crowds more concentrated. There’s just simply less to do! So, while there aren’t many rides that have a guaranteed short wait time, you can still find a few.

Star Tours – The Adventure Continues

Before 2019, when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened, Star Tours was the only Star Wars ride in the park. However, now that there are more (and bigger) Star Wars attractions in the park, Star Tours has taken a back burner to Galaxy’s Edge, resulting in shorter lines.

Unlike the rides in Galaxy’s Edge that stay true to the timeline of Batuu and focus on the newer characters in the Star Wars Universe, Star Tours features all characters through the entire Star Wars Universe, with more and more being added as the universe expands.

This 3D simulator ride has a 40-inch requirement. It features a flight simulator, animatronic characters, and special effects as your ship gets intercepted by the dark side, and you must return to the rebel base!

Alien Swirling Saucers

In the back of Toy Story Land is an out-of-this-world experience with everyone’s favorite aliens! Hop in a saucer and jam to futuristic music with a gentle spin around the alien world.

Guests of all ages over 32-inches can spin their way through the galaxy. With Slinky Dog Dosh and Toy Story Mania right around the corner, those rides get most of the attention so wait times tend to be lower for this attraction.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Like Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has fewer rides than other Disney Parks. Though it has more entertainment areas, like self-exploration trails and animal encounters, ride wait times can spike quickly. Here are a few that usually have shorter lines!

DINOSAUR

Help a paleontologist return a giant dinosaur as a meteor is heading right for Earth! Though this ride is set to close at some point in 2026, no official date has been announced yet. Hop in the car and race at high speeds around turns, curves, and more while avoiding disaster.

The ride has a 40-inch height requirement, though it can be scary for younger children.

Wildlife Express Train

While it’s more of a mode of transportation than an actual ride, the Wildlife Express Train is a great way to break up the day, get off your feet, and see some animals along the way! The train runs continually throughout the day, so there’s really never a wait, and it’ll take you to even more activities at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Here you can pet and feed animals at the petting zoo, learn to draw some of your favorite Disney characters at Animation Experience, and maybe even have the chance to see Disney’s veterinary team working with animals behind the scenes.

Comments

Does your favorite ride have one of the shortest wait times for rides at Disney World? Let us know in the comments what rides you think are worth the wait!