By Isabella Purdy & Jennifer Trend, Staff Writers
From Universal to Knott’s to Disneyland, there are a few local parks to spend your winter break at. There are multiple ways to beat the lines and cut down the time you spend in line, and increase the amount of rides you get on. From passes that get you in the front of the line, to single riders, let us help you make the most of your vacation off.
For Universal Studios, while there are Studio Passes that one can receive, they cost extra money. So, use the single riders to your advantage. While they may separate a group or family by a few seats, it’ll definitely cut the time you spend standing in line.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is an incredible ride, yet has a very long line even when the park is first opened, so single rider is highly recommended.
As for the rides itself, plan out what you want to before you go, so you aren’t wandering aimlessly around. The more earlier you go, the less of a line there are for the more popular rides. Try the Studio Tour, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Transformers and Jurassic Park early in the morning, and then everything else in the afternoon. These rides are normally an hour to three of a wait time, and with the single riders, you can easily cut down the time to as little as five to ten minutes. Start on one level of the park, and then finish on the next level, so you don’t waste time traveling between the two.
If it is your birthday, wear the birthday pin found at Guest Services or Guest Relations office by the front gates, and when you go on the Studio Tour, you can receive a Studio Pass that allows you and your family to cut the line of whatever ride or show, effectively making the most of your time.
At Knott’s, you can buy wristbands that give you a front of the line experience which costs money, so make sure you know which rides you are going on. Tuesdays are days that aren’t crowded, but you’re likely to experience a less crowded day during the week rather than going on the weekends. Do the major rides first- I highly recommend doing GhostRider. Due to its recent refurbishment offering a much smoother ride, you can always expect it to be crowded-even entering the park when it opens can guarantee a long wait.
The Silver Bullet is a flexible ride that can be done anytime of day due to its high carrying capacity per train.
So if you are a coaster enthusiast or a thrill seeker GhostRider is a must, so do it first and then go on to other attractions. One of the most reliable rides in the park is Silver Bullet- packing four people per row with eight rows. That’s thirty two people per train with usually two trains running. This means that waits on this should never be very long so this ride can be done at any time of day. Montezooma’s Revenge is also a ride with a short wait time.
As for the rest of the attractions, especially during the holiday season which have very long lines, can still be enjoyed if you’re patient. The Bigfoot Rapids ride along with the Timber Mountain Log Ride offer a great way to cool off despite their long wait. Attractions that are notorious for their long waits and breakdowns are Pony Express (which only has one train and is not always open) and Jaguar! (which has frequent breakdowns and a long line).
Xcelerator is currently not available and is shut down for an unknown period of time, so I unfortunately don’t have any tips for the ride. Also, beware of Voyage to the Iron Reef. This ride’s line is long and deceiving and the only positive to it is that is has air-conditioning for hot days. The ride is just a glorified video game and nothing else.
At Disney, everyone knows about FastPasses, but do you know how to effectively use them? Appoint someone to keep all of the FastPasses, and they’ll keep track of when you can obtain new FastPasses, and they’ll run off to get a new set, so you’re always, if not most of the time, beating the lines.
You can also buy your tickets online and be at the park at or before the time it opens, so you can start your day early, with only a few others to compete for lines.
Disney also has single rider lines, so when there aren’t any FastPasses, take advantage of the single riders, and even if it may separate you from your group, they’ll still be there in spirit, and you’ll be able to cross another ride off of your list.
We hope you have a terrific time at whichever park you visit this break (or whenever), and that these tips help you conquer wherever you go!
