If you’re not an early riser like us (or you just don’t want to build your entire day around Early Entry and rope drop), or you are looking to save some money and not splurge on all things Lightning Lane, this is the best way to skip the long lines for some of the best rides at Walt Disney World.
The End of the Night Strategy is exactly what it sounds like: instead of rushing in the morning, you intentionally save one big ride for the final minutes the park is open and jump in line right before closing.
Here’s the key thing most guests don’t realize: as long as you’re in line before the official park closing time, you’re allowed to queue.
So if the park closes at 9 pm, MOST ride-based attractions (there are some exceptions) will let you queue until the very last minute—even if the posted wait time says 60, 90, or even 120 minutes.
But who wants to wait that long for an attraction at the end of the day?
Hear us out.
The Line Everyone Avoids (And Why You Shouldn’t)
In order to use the End of the Night Strategy to its fullest potential, it’s important to understand one major thing about the Disney parks.
At the end of the night, Disney intentionally inflates posted wait times for popular attractions. This isn’t a secret, and it’s not accidental.
It’s a crowd-control tactic designed to discourage guests from jumping the line right before closing. So while you think it’s crazy to get in a line at park closing that states it’s an 80-minute wait…
It’s very unlikely to be that long, and it’s very likely to be much lower.
The actual wait of the queue at the end of the night compared to the posted wait is typically around 30-35%.
Example: That means if Flight of Passage has a posted wait of 60-minutes at 6:55 pm and the park closes at 7 pm, you’re realistically likely to wait ~20 minutes.
Pretty great, right?
We test this all the time. Peak season, holidays, regular weekdays—it doesn’t matter. The numbers on the sign are meant to deter people, and the guests who know better are rewarded for it.
If you’re comfortable trusting the process, this is one of the most reliable ways to ride the most in-demand attractions at Walt Disney World without waking up early or paying extra.
Now, let’s go over our favorite ways to use this strategy at each park.
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom is where you have a lot of options for this strategy, especially if you skipped Early Entry, didn’t want to pay for Lightning Lane Single Passes, or want to experience a ride again after dark (like TRON!).
Pro tip: This strategy also works during the fireworks if you’re willing to skip them or have two nights at MK. Because most people are watching the fireworks rather than queuing, you can double up and pick two rides for shorter waits during the show!
Best End-of-the-Night Picks:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – The gold standard. Posted at 60+ minutes? Actual wait is often 10–25 minutes.
- TRON Lightcycle / Run – During the fireworks or at the very last minute is the best chance for a reasonable wait.
- Peter Pan’s Flight – Still popular at close, but dramatically shorter than daytime waits.
- Space Mountain – Especially great on nights with later park hours.
Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios has intense wait times during the day for most of the ride-based attractions, so we usually recommend purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
However, the Lightning Lane Single Pass for Rise of the Resistance isn’t worth the splurge for us (and it’s a pricier one!). This attraction is popular but sees a pretty significant decrease in wait times at night, making it a great choice for this strategy.
Best End-of-the-Night Picks:
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – We’ve never waited more than 25 minutes for this ride, even with a 90-minute posted wait. This is our old faithful of this strategy.
- Tower of Terror – Nighttime rides are extra fun because of the dark! Just watch out for potential crowds if Fantasmic! is spilling out.
Animal Kingdom
There aren’t too many rides in the rotation at Animal Kingdom right now, which makes the two thrills here our top picks.
Best End-of-the-Night Picks:
- Avatar Flight of Passage – Because it’s an incredible ride and most people want to “do it again!”, we always recommend buying a Lightning Lane Single Pass for this and riding it in the afternoon, then saving it again for the end of the night. So whether you’re looking for one more ride or you want to skip purchasing the LLSP altogether, this is a great option for EON strategy.
- Expedition Everest – High thrill even during the day, it’s a different experience after dark (but only in the wintertime! Unfortunately, the park doesn’t stay open that late otherwise). Even if it isn’t dark, it’s fun to take the older kids and teens who loved this and want to go on repeat – and the line usually is super manageable well before closing time!
EPCOT
EPCOT has several rides that hold long waits all day, so late night is a fabulous opportunity for the shortest wait of the day (outside of park opening). Really, any ride with Lightning Lanes that sell out early is a strong candidate here.
Best End-of-the-Night Picks:
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – Our favorite ride at Disney World. Much like Animal Kingdom’s Flight of Passage, this is one that most people want to experience again (and again!). If you want the option to ride more than once, snag a LLSP to ride during the day, then queue again at the end of the night for a shorter wait (or just save it for the end and skip splurging on the LLSP altogether).
- Test Track – Given that most people save the World Showcase for the evening, saving certain attractions at the front of the park (like Test Track and Guardians) for the end of the night means that they’re usually the shortest they’ll be all day outside of rope drop.
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure – Waits for Remy’s rise quickly in the morning, and tend to hold throughout the day. Your best bet is to save it for the last minute/nighttime entertainment (if you don’t mind missing it).
- Frozen Ever After – Like Remy’s, Frozen is particularly popular with families, so it often holds long waits all day. And while there will still be a wait at the end of the night, it’s typically far more manageable than daytime hours.
Trust the Process
The End of the Night Strategy works because Disney is especially good at planning for guest behavior, and most people run for the exit when they see a long wait.
But by saving a high-priority ride for the final moments of park operation, you can potentially skip out on setting those early alarms (isn’t this a vacation?!), prevent wasting your time, avoid spending extra money for Lightning Lane Single Passes, and still find yourself riding those in-demand rides.
So the next time you find yourself at park close and everyone’s heading for the exits, do the opposite – enjoy one last ride!
And if you’re interested in more expert tips on Disney attractions, we have a list of the best things at each park: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.