This is the only guide you’ll ever have to read to help you do all four Disney World parks without buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single Passes.
That way you can save money while still minimizing wait times.
Jump to:
- How to Visit Disney World without Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
- Magic Kingdom One-Day Itinerary without Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
- Epcot One-Day Itinerary without Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
- Hollywood Studios One-Day Itinerary without Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
- Animal Kingdom One-Day Itinerary without Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
- Time-Saving Tips
- Is it actually possible?
How to Visit Disney World without Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
Here’s my quick breakdown of how to visit all four parks without buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass:
Magic Kingdom One-Day Itinerary without Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
Disclaimer: This one-day Magic Kingdom itinerary is for the lazy person who wants to have a great time at MK but don’t want to run around and feel exhausted.
But First, Plan Ahead
Before you step into a park, make a list of rides and attractions you absolutely MUST ride.
Popular picks include:
- Space Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Haunted Mansion
- Jungle Cruise
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- TRON Lightcycle Run
Example Magic Kingdom Itinerary #1 without LL Multi Pass
If I were to go the Magic Kingdom for only one day and didn’t want to buy the Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single Pass, this is how I’d do, step by step:
- Arrive at rope drop (8:30 – 9:00 am)
- First ride needs to be either Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain, or Peter Pan’s Fight
- Light breakfast at Sleepy Hollow Inn (Fresh Fruit Waffle is the goat)
- Hop in line for Haunted Mansion (60 minute wait time on average)
- Head to Fantasyland and ride “it’s a small world”
- Grab some lunch at Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe or Casey’s Corner
- Now it’s time to check out some other attractions like Voyage of The Little Mermaid, Buzz Lightyear, or even Dumbo
- By this time is should be around 2:30. Go grab a spot to watch the Festival of Fantasy which starts at 3 pm.
- Grab another snack or coffee
- Wait in line for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (50 minute wait)
- Make your way to Pirates of the Caribbean (38-40 minute wait)
- After Pirates, jump on Jungle Cruise
- Make your way to Central Plaza to grab a spot to watch the fireworks
- After the fireworks, make your way to another attraction of your choice
- See how many rides you can squeeze in before park closing
- End the day with some shopping
I know I said that you won’t have to buy Individual Lightning Lanes, but if there was one you should get, it would be for TRON.
Example Magic Kingdom Itinerary #2 without LL Multi Pass (Evening)
If it’s crazy hot out, this is how I generally spend the evening at Magic Kingdom
- 5:00 pm – Scan into Magic Kingdom
- 5:05 pm – Grab some Starbucks
- 5:15 pm – Head to Space Mountain
- 6:00 pm – Hop on PeopleMover
- 6:30 pm – Walk over to Sleepy Hollow and split a Sweet and Spicy Chicken and Waffle Sandwich and a Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich
- 6:50 pm – Jump on Haunted Mansion
- 7:40 pm – Check wait time for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. If it’s decent, head on over that way.
- 8:30 pm – Hop on either Pirates of the Caribbean or Jungle Cruise
- 9:20 pm – If the park is still open, head over to Space Mountain for one last ride
- 10:00 pm – Peace out after a quick peek in the Emporium
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Epcot One-Day Itinerary without Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
Disclaimer: This one-day Epcot itinerary is for the lazy person who wants to have a great time at the parks but don’t want to run around and feel exhausted.
But First, Plan Ahead
Before you step into a park, make a list of rides and attractions you absolutely MUST ride.
My favorite rides at Epcot are:
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
- Test Track
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- Frozen Ever After
Example Epcot Itinerary #1 without LL Multi Pass (All Day)
If I was going to Epcot mainly to eat and drink with a few rides thrown in, this is how I’d do it:
- Join the virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy at 7:00 am on the My Disney Experience app
- Rope drop (arrive around 8:30 to 9:00 am)
- Head straight to Soarin‘ or Test Track
- If you have a Cosmic Rewind boarding group, stay in the front of the park
- Check out Finding Nemo, Journey into Imagination with Figment, or or even Living with the Land
- Once boarding group is called for Guardians, walk through Moana: Journey of Water
- Now it’s time to head into the World Showcase
- Start in Mexico (even though Canada is the correct answer)
- Work your way through the showcase, eating and drinking
- Check out the wait time for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Anything under 60 minutes, I would hop in line.
- If it’s starting to get late, I would head back to the front of the park and ride anything you didn’t’ have a chance to hop on like Test Track or Soarin‘.
- Throw up on Mission Space Orange
- End your night with some fireworks (Luminous)
- But, if the park doesn’t close until 10 or 11 pm, I would use that time to ride bonus rides like Frozen Ever After or even Spaceship Earth
- End the night with some shopping
Example Epcot Itinerary #2 without LL Multi Pass (Morning)
If you wanted to get there as early as possible, this is for you.
- 7:00 am – Grab a Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind boarding group
- 9:00 am – Scan into EPCOT
- 9:10 am – Soarin’ Around the World
- 10:00 am – Journey into Imagination with Figment or The Seas with Nemo and Friends
- 10:40 am – Club Cool
- 10:45 am – Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind
- 11:30 am – World Showcase(start in Mexico)
- 12:30 pm – Lunch at Regal Eagle Smokehouse or Via Napoli
- 1:30 pm – Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- 2:30 pm – More snacking and drinking
- 3:15 pm – Test Track
- 4:15 pm – Mission Space
- 4:45 pm – Leave Epcot or hit some rides missed like Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth, or even Frozen Ever After
Example Epcot Itinerary #3 without LL Multi Pass (Evening)
This with the perfect itinerary for anyone popping into Epcot in the evening for a few.
- 4:00 pm – Scan into Epcot
- 4:05 pm – Spaceship Earth
- 4:30 pm – Soarin’ Around the World
- 5:00 pm – Head to World Showcase (start in Mexico)
- 6:45 pm – Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- 8:00 pm – Test Track
- 8:45 pm – Find a spot to watch the Luminous in the World Showcase
- 9:35 pm – Leave Epcot after some shopping
Hollywood Studios One-Day Itinerary without Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
Disclaimer: This one-day Studios itinerary is for the lazy person who wants to have a great time at Studios but don’t want to run around and feel exhausted.
But First, Plan Ahead
Before you step into a park, make a list of rides and attractions you absolutely MUST ride.
My top attractions at Studios are:
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Tower of Terror
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Beauty and the Beast
- Fantasmic!
Example Hollywood Studios Itinerary #1 without LL Multi Pass (Half Day)
This is my go-to half-day Hollywood Studios itinerary that I personally use when I visit in the late-afternoon.
- 4:00 pm – Scan into Hollywood Studios
- 4:10 pm – Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- 5:20 pm – Tower of Terror
- 6:40 pm – Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Single Rider Line)
- 7:30 pm – Slinky Dog Dash
- 8:45 pm – Star Wars Rise of the Resistance before park closing
If you have some additional time to kill after Slinky Dog Dash, I would use that time to grab a snack before heading to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance before the park officially closes.
Example Hollywood Studios Itinerary #2 without LL Multi Pass (All Day)
Here’s a pretty solid itinerary if you plan on visiting at park opening.
- 9:00 am – Scan into Hollywood Studios
- 9:10 am – Get in line for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- 10:30 am – Jump on Slinky Dog Dash
- 12:00 pm – Grab some lunch
- 1:00 pm – Watch Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
- 1:30 pm – Sprint to Tower or Terror
- 3:00 pm – Snack time
- 3:15 pm – Watch Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
- 3:45 pm – Check out the new scenes on Star Tours
- 4:10 pm – Meet some characters or pop into Muppet*Vision 3D (to cool off)
- 5:00 pm – Go on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- 6:00 pm – Dominate the competition on Toy Story Mania!
- 7:00 pm – Time for a super quick dinner
- 7:30 pm – See how long the wait is for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
- 8:40 pm – Get in line for Fantasmic!
- 8:40 pm – If skipping Fanstasmic, repeat a popular ride like Slinky Dog Dash, Tower of Terror, or even Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Animal Kingdom One-Day Itinerary without Lightning Lane Multi-Pass
Disclaimer: This one-day Animal Kingdom itinerary is for the lazy person who wants to have a great time at DAK but don’t want to run around and feel exhausted.
But First, Plan Ahead
Before you step into a park, make a list of rides and attractions you absolutely MUST ride.
My top attractions at Animal Kingdom are:
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Expedition Everest
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Dinosaur
- Festival of the Lion King
Example Animal Kingdom Itinerary without LL Multi Pass (Half Day)
I’m a firm believer that Animal Kingdom is a half-day park, especially when you visit in the afternoon. This is my go-to strategy to ride everything before it closes at 7 or 8 pm.
- 4:00 pm – Scan into Animal Kingdom
- 4:10 pm – Kilimanjaro Safaris
- 5:00 pm – Expedition Everest
- 5:40 pm – Dinosaur
- 6:20 pm – It’s Tough to be a Bug
- 6:40 pm – Na’vi River Journey
- 7:35 pm – Grab a snack before heading to your last ride
- 7:40 pm – End the day on Avatar Flight of Passage
- Park Close – Head on out
Example Animal Kingdom Itinerary without LL Multi Pass (Full Day)
If you want to get there in the morning, this is how I’d do it, especially if it was a Wednesday (excluding any holiday times).
You might be zig zagging a little bit, but statistically, according to Thrill Data, this is the best way to get on most if not all rides while minimizing wait times.
- 8:00 am – Scan into Animal Kingdom
- 8:05 am – Head to Na’vi River Journey
- 9:00 am – Ride Expedition Everest
- 9:45 am – Go on Dinosaur
- 10:20 am – Ride Triceratop Spin (before it’s gone for good)
- 11:00 am – Watch Finding Nemo: The Big Blue.. and Beyond
- 11:30 am – Eat lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue
- 12:15 pm – Experience It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
- 12:45 pm – Walk the Maharajah Jungle Trek
- 1:15 pm – Get a snack at Tamu Tamu refreshments
- 2:00 pm – Watch the Festival of the Lion King
- 2:30 pm – Go on Kilimanjaro Safaris
- 3:15 pm – Walk through Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
- 3:45 pm – Get in line for Avatar: Flight of Passage
- 5:30 pm – Grab a drink or a light meal at Nomad Lounge. You can also use this time to do any ride repeats, meet any characters, or even leave the park.
Time-Saving Tips
Here are some of my most effective strategies and tips to help you save time while still maximizing every waking moment.
1. Get to the park early
- arrive around 30 minutes before park opening
- ride the most popular ride first
- take advantage of Early Entry if you’re staying at a participating Disney Resort
2. Visit in the afternoon or evening
- some of the shortest wait times can be found during the evening
- Animal Kingdom should be a late afternoon, early-evening park
- the later in the day you go, the lighter the crowds typically are (except for Magic Kingdom or Epcot)
3. Stay at the parks late
- normally the closer you get to park closing time, the emptier the park will be, and the shorter the wait times are
- stay past nighttime shows and fireworks (Magic Kingdom and Epcot)
- take advantage of Extended Evening Hours
4. Use Single Rider Lines
- Test Track (Epcot)
- Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios)
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Hollywood Studios)
5. Go on rides during fireworks and parades
- generally speaking, some rides and attractions have shorter than normal wait times during the fireworks and parades
- Magic Kingdom (Happily Ever After), Fantasmic (Hollywood Studios), and Luminous (Epcot)
- Festival of Fantasy (Magic Kingdom) is also a great time to hop on rides during daytime
6. Visit on historically empty days of the week
- Magic Kingdom = Sunday
- Epcot = Tuesday
- Hollywood Studios = Sunday
- Animal Kingdom = Wednesday
7. Save the most popular attraction for last
- go on the ride with the longest average wait time last
- get in line for a ride right before the park closes
- anything over 90 minutes, try to ride it last
- Avatar Flight of Passage, Star Wars Rise of the Resistance, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Frozen Ever After, are all great options to end your day
8. Visit during the slow season
Although the slow season is literally disappearing, there are still some weeks throughout the year when the park is at it’s emptiest.
- Most up-to-date listing of empty weeks at WDW
Is it actually possible?
As you can see, it really is possible to do Disney World without Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
Sure you may not be able to get in as many rides, but if the goal is to take it semi-easy while still being able to experience all of the attractions that are on your list, these strategies can help immensely.
Good luck!
