Don’t Waste FastPasses On These 7 Magic Kingdom Attractions

The Magic Kingdom happens to be my most favorite place in the world, so in my opinion, there’s no way you could “waste” your time there. However, thanks to the institution of FastPass+, there are definitely ways to optimize your precious hours in the most magical place on Earth. This park will almost always be busy so at some point you just have to prioritize

At the Magic Kingdom, you have more FastPass options at your disposal than any of the other three Walt Disney World theme parks—in fact, there are about 30 attractions on the list! Better yet, Magic Kingdom attractions are not offered on a tiered FastPass+ system, like some of the major headliners in Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.

If you’re like me and want to cram as many attractions and shows into your Disney day as possible, choosing your FastPasses wisely can mean the difference between spending hours waiting in line and having the time of your life. Here are 7 attractions that you may want to skip FastPass’ing during your visit to the Magic Kingdom.

7. The Haunted Mansion

Though it remains a popular attraction, the Haunted Mansion typically doesn’t attract the biggest crowds. The line moves quickly once the next group of foolish mortals is accepted into the chamber. Plus, little ones (okay, and adults, too) can be entertained by the hands-on activities in the spooky graveyard area while you wait.

6. Pirates of the Caribbean

Another timeless Walt Disney World attraction, the line for Pirates of the Caribbean rarely gets out of hand. The queue is dark and indoors—and air conditioned!—so if you’re going to have to wait for an attraction, this one is probably your best bet, especially on a scorching summer afternoon.

5. It’s a Small World

Even at peak times, I’ve personally never seen a wait longer than an hour minutes for this attraction. Yes, it happens to be a timeless Walt Disney World classic, but many Disney-goers have ridden it (and gotten that song stuck in their heads) about a zillion times already, so the demand for this one isn’t quite as high as some of its fellow Fantasyland attractions, like Peter Pan’s Flight.

4. Mickey’s PhilharMagic

I’m honestly not sure why this is included as a FastPass+ option. In general, it’s rarely a good idea to trade in a FastPass for a show, because you won’t be saving yourself any time waiting in line. There are plenty of seats in the theater, and all with an equally good view (especially since it’s a 3D presentation). Depending on your timing, the longest you’re probably going have to wait is the duration of the 12-minute show that just started.

3. Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

Much like Mickey’s PhilharMagic, there’s really no need to FastPass this one. You may even want to devote a little bit of time to waiting, because there’s a fun video pre-show (starring the one-and-only Mike Wazowski), and while you wait, you’ll be prompted to text jokes that could be used in the show. But because it’s a fairly large theater and there’s no real “line” to skip—just the waiting area for the next show—you’re better off spending your precious FastPasses elsewhere.

2. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

I’ve always been a big fan of The Hundred Acre Wood gang, and while wait times can climb a bit for this particular attraction during busy times, it probably shouldn’t be one of your top priorities. I may FastPass this one after I’ve already used my initial three for the day, if the current wait time exceeds 30 minutes.

1. Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid 

Though it’s one of the newer attractions, I’ve found that it often takes longer just to navigate the long queue area to get to the ride vehicles than it does to actually wait in line. The clamshells you’ll board to join Ariel under the sea move continuously and are fast-loading (like The Haunted Mansion), so unless it’s an extremely crowded park day, you probably won’t wait too long for your turn to ride.