Finding out wait times at ticket booth?

[wdw22009]

I've mentioned before that we may be able to squeeze in 2 - 2.5 hours at Epcot the morning of the day we leave. Trying to fit Soarin' and Nemo into that time. Here's my question - when we go to the ticket booth that day to purchase the ticket to get into the park would we be able to find out the wait time for Soarin'? Can they call someone and get that info for us before we pay the $225 to get in to do two rides (3 people)? That could help with our decision because if it's longer than a 60 minute wait (this is on Wednesday of President's Week) I don't know that we'll be able to do both in the time we have and would consider skipping the park and saving the money. Does anyone know if we can find out the wait time for an attraction while we're at the ticket booth? Thanks! Only 8 days until we leave!

[Drince88]

Isn't adding a third day (I think I read elsewhere you were only doing 2 other days) cheaper than getting a one-park/one-day ticket? I'm pretty sure you can add a day to your ticket within 10 days of first use, which shouldn't be a problem for you. It's not like adding an 8th day to a 7 day ticket (which if you had that, I'd tell you to do that regardless, so you didn't have to wait in line with limited time!) but I think it's cheaper.

I kind of doubt if the ticket booth has the wait time info. If you want an under 60 minute wait, you really need to be walking to the attraction with the masses when they open the gates. I did that on the Monday before Easter a couple of years back - we weren't at the FRONT of the line to get into the park, but we were there waiting when they opened them - and I drew the short straw and stayed out on the first ride on Soarin (we had a 3 year old who was too short) and my nephew and I waited about an hour for his parents and brother to come out - and that was walking DIRECTLY there when we got through the gates. Grated, the Monday before Easter is a super busy day in general, but since some schools do get that whole week off, I doubt if you'll have much under an hour unless you go there directly when the park opens.

[danyoung]

I agree - if you're there anytime later than 30 minutes or so from park opening, the line for Soarin' is going to be at least 60 minutes long, no matter what day you visit. Get there 30 minutes before park opening, so you can be at the front of the mass of folks all headed toward The Land. Ride it first thing and then go right to Nemo, which will probably have a 30 minute wait by that time.

Good luck!

[wdw22009]

Hi, just a quick follow-up. We looked into adding another day, but it looked like we would only save a few dollars doing it that way. We don't want to have to decide if we're going to go to Epcot until we see how the other two days are. If the parks are mobbed, we'll probably have had our fill and won't do Epcot. You did bring up a good point about not having time to spend waiting in line that morning. Can we buy one day passes at Pop Century that morning so that we can avoid the lines?

Usually we would head straight to Soarin' as soon as they open, but we have 8:10 reservations at the Lilo and Stitch breakfast at the Polynesian so I imagine it will be 10:00 before we get to Epcot (we're checking out of the hotel before breakfast and will leave our luggage with bell services). Soarin is my biggest concern because I wouldn't feel comfortable timewise is it's much longer than a 60 minute wait. Sounds like Nemo won't be at least, and we really want to get the two in before we have to leave at 12:30.

It's hard to know what to do. We'd love to do those two attractions but don't want to be all stressed out if we don't leave enough time for getting to the airport. We're coming from far away with a teenager who is going for the first time, and it's unlikely we'll be there any time soon so we're trying to make the most of it..... hard to know what to do - try going to Epcot and doing the two rides, or skipping it completely....

[Drince88]

You can buy a one park ticket at Guest Services at your resort (or at the Poly's Guest services) - but you shouldn't do that. Even though you've used the two days, IF you decide to do it, just add the third day THEN. It won't save you much, but maybe pay for a popcorn?

Are you taking Disney's Magical Express to the airport? So your flight is about 3:30? Or is it later than that? If you're figuring you have to leave Pop Century at 12:30, I really wouldn't go to a park with your breakfast time - if you just have to leave the park by 12:30, it's 'doable' - but personally I really really really hate to be stressed too much on travel day.

If you really really really wanted to do Soarin and Nemo, and would be willing to pay for the one-day ticket for you to do it - this is what I'd do in your shoes. Add hopping to your 2 day ticket. Then on the day you're going to the Studios, go to Epcot at rope drop instead, ride those two, then walk out the 'back exit' (International Gateway) to go to the Studios. You will have to wait then for fastpasses for Toy Story, but with a teenager and just 2 days, you are probably planning on park storming anyway. The International Gateway is open even if World Showcase isn't (it opens at 11) and the boat to/from the Studios wll be running (or you can walk it).

And then on your last day, have a relaxing breakfast with Lilo and Stitch, use the time to explore the Poly, and the Grand Floridian, and the Contemporary and drool about where you'd like to stay next time, before catching hte monorail to go back to the MK to get the bus to Pop Century.

[danyoung]

...so I imagine it will be 10:00 before we get to Epcot ... before we have to leave at 12:30.....

In my opinion, and I humbly admit that it is an expert one, you simply can't do what you are trying to do in the time allotted. By the time you get to Epcot at 10am, unless the parks are a ghost town you're going to be faced with a 60 to 90 minute wait at Soarin', and most likely 45 to 60 minutes at Nemo. You just can't fit it all in that way. My advice would be to decide which is more important - the rides or the breakfast. You simply can't do both.

Sorry.

[Drince88]

Dan, do you really think Nemo is going to be that long? The only time I've seen it out into the 'sand dune' part of the queue, it went outside for a few turns, but that was the Monday before Easter.

But I agree with Dan - don't try if you are going to do the breakfast.

[danyoung]

I'm just going off of my personal experience. Maybe it's been long enough since Nemo opened that the lines might be a bit shorter now. But I still see no way to do the breakfast, get to Epcot at 10am, and accomplish what they want to accomplish.

[TinaMouse]

Nemo's been a walk-on the last two trips for me, BUT I agree that it will be nearly impossible to get all of that done COMFORTABLY. You never know, though....

[jengold29]

But I still see no way to do the breakfast, get to Epcot at 10am, and accomplish what they want to accomplish.

I totally agree. And I don't think that they will even be at Epcot by 10am. With an 8:10 ADR you could easily not be seated until 8:30- and then you have to eat, wait for the characters to work their way around to you, pay, walk to the TTC, get on a monorail. . . etc.

It seems like an expensive proposition for 2 rides.

[WishIhadEars]

As to the question of finding out wait times -- I think that I may have possibly read something (are there enough qualifiers there? ) about Verizon making it possible to get ride-wait information via your cell phone? Has this service kicked in yet?

I wonder if it would work at the gate, even though you are not technically in the park.

The other thought I had was that maybe a CM at breakfast could call and find out wait times before you even left the Polynesian. We've asked CMs to call within the park to see if a ride was back up yet (Space Mountain to Splash Mountain is a long schlep, just to find out noone's splashing yet!). I wonder if they could do this from outside the park.

[Drince88]

As to the question of finding out wait times -- I think that I may have possibly read something (are there enough qualifiers there? ) about Verizon making it possible to get ride-wait information via your cell phone? Has this service kicked in yet?

I don't believe it has. That's a good idea, though.

[Cheshire Figment]

We do not get any wait times information in the ticket booths, and I would not even know the number to call to find out the wait time at any particular attraction.

[Pirate Girl]

Guest Relations could tell you the approx. wait time.

[Drince88]

Sooo....
What did you decide to do and how did it work out for you?

[bradk]

verizon's app is due out in june i believe.

you can always call 407-WDW-INFO, press 0 for an operator and ask for tip board information (when it's available). they have access to the system and it tells them the current standby as well as the current FP return window time if FP is still available.