WITH the school holidays in full swing, tens of thousands of British families will find themselves queuing for hours in theme park queues.
But there are ways to limit the waits, if you know how.
Whether you're visiting somewhere close to home or heading further afield to Disney parks, Oliver Brendon, CEO of AttractionTickets.com has shared his tips on how to skip the queues this summer.
Be an early bird
Oliver said: “Whilst it may sound obvious, the quietest times to avoid ride queues are the first 60 to 90 minutes of the day.
"If you buy your tickets online and get there early, you’ll benefit from the extra time when the gates open."
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Download theme park queue track apps
Oliver said: “Many theme parks now have their own apps available that allow visitors to track the queue times at each ride in real-time.
"You can plan your schedule to fit the popularity and peak time of each ride.
"We’d recommend downloading the app a couple of days ahead of your arrival to start reviewing which rides look the busiest so you can plan ahead.”
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Flip your route
Oliver said: “Most people start at the front of the park and work their way around.
"However, flipping your route and starting with the rides at the back of the park could mean you avoid those pesky queue times – especially if the park has only been open for a couple of hours.”
Experience the most popular rides during lunch hours
Oliver said: “Come lunchtime, there’s likely to be a bigger queue for your food than there is for the rides.
"If you can plan an early lunch, or bring snacks and take a later break, this is the perfect time to head to some of the most popular rides which tend to have queues all day long.”
Check height restrictions on rides
Oliver said: “If you’re with kids, it’s a good idea to check the height restrictions on rides.
"You can do this via the website, app, or at information booths so you know which rides they can certainly go on.
"This means you’ll be able to manage expectations of smaller children by letting them know in advance which rides they will be able to enjoy on the day.”
Book fast track tickets
Oliver said: “While there are plenty of free ways to cut down your queue times on the day, you may just want the reassurance of enjoying rides whenever suits you.
"Plenty of theme parks have fast-track tickets for either individual rides or all rides, allowing you to skip the general queue and go straight to the front.
"If you’re heading to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando you could go one step further with the VIP tours which are great for large groups, as you can split the cost and gain super-fast track entry."
If you're looking for a new theme park to visit after reading this, TripAdvisor recently revealed the world’s top 20 theme parks & water parks – and the UK has FOUR.
Meanwhile, this theme park that is fifth best in the WORLD on TripAdvisor – and you’ve probably never heard of it.
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