Hi, Karen, and welcome to planDisney! I'm so excited you've stopped by with this great question. There is no one "right way" to spend a day at a Walt Disney World Resort Theme Park. While you'll get a different recommendation from anyone you ask and every blog you read, I'm here to encourage you to go at your own pace, spend time where you want, and enjoy every aspect of the theme parks, from the beautiful scenery to the sweet smell of churros to the thoughtful queues. Disney magic is everywhere, just waiting to be noticed!
Karen, with valid theme park admission, you can absolutely just show up at a Disney Theme Park and hop in a queue. My family has done this very successfully and been thrilled with the amount of attractions we were able to experience, without Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lane. It's important to know your options so that you can plan for a day that will best suit you.
If you're staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, you'll have access to Early Theme Park Entry, which means you can enter the park 30 minutes before other guests. This means you can get in a standby queue with lower wait times earlier in the day (a standby queue is just the Disney name for a normal line). The estimated wait time will be clearly marked at the entrance. Another helpful way to see estimated wait times is within the map feature of the My Disney Experience Mobile App. You'll tap the map icon at the bottom, and select Wait Times from the drop-down menu to see wait times at attractions throughout Walt Disney World Resort.
For some attractions, you might consider joining a Virtual Queue - this type of queue does not cost anything, but you do need to be mindful that you'll need to join it within the My Disney Experience App, rather than in person at the theme park.
Karen, rest assured that waiting for an attraction in a standby queue can be a truly magical, and sometimes interactive, experience. Some of my favorite standby queues are Peter Pan's Flight, Frozen Ever After, and Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid. It's a great way to immerse yourself in the story of the attraction and further understand the thoughtful theming and decor. To help pass the time, you might enjoy the Play Disney Parks Mobile App, which turns your wait into a game that goes along with the attraction.
I recently witnessed a family with teenagers playing a rousing game of "Would You Rather?" while waiting in a queue, and my kids are always on the lookout for Hidden Mickeys. It's also a great time to place a Mobile Food and Beverage Order for after you exit the attraction. No matter how you choose to spend your time in a queue, you'll find that it can be a valuable and meaningful experience.
Please stop back by planDisney with any other questions you have as you prepare for your vacation!
See you real soon!
Jennifer
