Disney World is visited by millions of people every year. There are busier times and slower times, but no matter what, security lines to get into the parks can be VERY long. It’s important that Disney has security at the entry to every park, but you’ll want to budget time in for standing in the lines.

As you head to the parks, you’ll want to plan accordingly, especially on days expected to be crowded (such as major holidays). So we’re sharing 6 ways to skip those long security lines in Disney World and save a little time.

Magic Kingdom

Monorail Hotel Security

Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort are the three monorail resort hotels that have direct transportation to Magic Kingdom. Before you hop onto the monorail, you go through security at the hotel.

Since there are far fewer people at your hotel headed to Magic Kingdom than parking at the Transportation and Ticket Center or coming on the Disney buses, there will likely be a much shorter line. Direct transportation to the Magic Kingdom and a shorter security line may be good reasons to book your stay at one of these three hotels!

If you don’t plan on staying at one of the monorail hotels, it’s less likely that you’ll get to use this trick. In order for non-staying guests to park at one of these hotels, you’ll need a dining reservation or other valid reason. Generally, you can’t simply park at these hotels just to use the monorail to go to Magic Kingdom.

Walkway from Disney’s Contemporary Resort

The Contemporary Resort offers the monorail AND a walkway to the Magic Kingdom. If you choose to walk to the park, you’ll come up to a security checkpoint prior to getting to the park. This line is also usually much shorter since far fewer people use this option.

Again, this is generally a trick guests of the Contemporary can use. Unless you have a dining reservation or other valid reason to park at the Contemporary, you most likely won’t be able to park here just to walk to Magic Kingdom.

EPCOT

International Gateway

If you’re staying at a Skyliner Resort or an EPCOT resort hotel, the International Gateway entrance into EPCOT will likely have a shorter line than the main entrance at the front of the park. It may not be a SHORT line since there are quite a few hotels and their guests that have access to this entrance first thing in the morning, but the wait will probably be less than at the main entrance.

People staying at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, or the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts are just walking distance (or a short boat ride) from the International Gateway entrance. However, similar to the monorail resorts, you most likely won’t be able to park at these resorts or the Skyliner Resorts just to use the International Gateway entrance, so it might be a big benefit to stay at one of these hotels during your trip.

General Tips

Get In Those Steps

When you arrive at a security checkpoint, look for the line furthest away from you. That is probably going to be the shortest line. Most people just go straight up the first few lines, so if you walk to the line furthest away, you’ll probably be one of the few that do so.

Yes, it will add to your step count for the day, but it’s totally worth it.

Get There Early

If you want to rope drop and be at the park right away in the morning, get there extra early. Plan to be at the park 30-45 minutes early so you beat the rush and have a shorter line at security (and the entrance gate).

You’ll need to build this extra time into your plan, so be ready to go bright and early in the morning.

Go Way Later

On the other hand, if you don’t want to get to the parks that early, you could always go a couple of hours after the park opens. This will also often result in shorter lines at security and the park entrance.

There are two kinds of people: the rope droppers and the snoozers. Both can result in shorter lines at security if you play your cards right.

None of these options is foolproof. There is always a chance you’ll run into long lines at the parks, but hopefully, you can avoid the worst of it by following these 6 ideas! We hope you have a great trip, and in the meantime, keep following DFB for more tips and tricks.

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How do you skip long security lines at Disney World? Let us know in the comments!