Bob Sehlinger's Blog

“Picture if you will”…you arrive in Disney World ready to make some special memories with your kids. You have visions of smiles and laughter in your head. Then the doubts slowly creep in. Will these smiles turn to tears and tantrums once your angels see the lines? One thing that everyone can expect to do while in Disney World is to wait in lines. There are queues for everything including restaurants, shows, shopping, transportation, attractions and even restrooms. Depending on the time of year that you visit and whether or not you have a touring plan, your waits could be long and grueling or short and painless. Let’s hope for the second option, but just in case you find yourself stuck in a long queue, here are some helpful tips to keep your kids entertained and yourself sane while waiting in line at Disney World.

Before You Start

I confess that before I had my own kids, I had absolutely no understanding of children. So the first time I traveled to Disney World with my kids, I was clueless that waiting in line would be a big issue. Before you leave home, you might want to prep your kids for the waiting experience. The next time you are in a long queue to buy the latest video game or to play laser tag, point out that this is what it is like waiting in line at Disney World. Yes, you do have to wait your turn, but it is so worth it!

Before you get in a long line, make sure your children are ready. Waiting in line with a child that desperately needs a restroom is not fun. This might seem like a no-brainer to you experienced parents, but as a new mom and especially during the transition from diapers to potty-trained, it wasn’t something that automatically occurred to me.

If at all possible, try to keep your wait times to a minimum. Get to the park before rope drop, follow a touring plan and use FastPass+. Just these three simple things will shave hours off your wait times each day!

Having fun in The Haunted Mansion interactive queue! Copyright DisneyWorldEnthusiast.com

Helpful Tips

Disney is helping us out by now creating some interactive queues. These lines are equipped with games and diversions to keep you and your kids distracted while you wait. You will find these at several attractions throughout the parks such as The Haunted Mansion, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Test Track just to name a few.

Why not have your kids eat breakfast or their snack while waiting in line? Use our Lines app to find a nearby treat, pick one up and head for the queue. This is one of our favorite ways to pass the time, because it also an efficient time saver.

My family loves to play games so this is a great option for us. We like being in the “Disney bubble” so we do things like who can name the most Disney movies, characters or attractions. As my kids have gotten older, we now do Disney trivia that my dad always researches before each trip.

Another fun option to pass the time is searching for hidden Mickeys. You can just search on your own to see who can be the first to spot one or you can consult a hidden Mickey book and play it more like a scavenger hunt.

If all else fails, you can always turn to electronics. Disney has some great free apps that you can download like Frozen Free Fall or Nemo’s Reef that can keep your children occupied while you wait.

Hopefully, with these few simple tips, you and your family can pass the time and have some fun while waiting in line at Disney World!

Do you have any additional ways to keep kids entertained while they wait? Please leave a comment!

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Surviving the Magic – Keeping Kids Entertained while Waiting in Line at Disney World is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.