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How Long Is the Wait for "it's a small world"?

At Disneyland, the line averages 12 minutes for "it's a small world". The line is shortest around 8am, averaging 5 minutes, and longest around 2pm at 18 minutes. That is drawn from the past 12 months of recorded waits, so you can pick a window without buying Lightning Lane.

Average wait by time of day
7am: 10 min average wait7am108am: 5 min average wait8am5min9am: 6 min average wait9am610am: 11 min average wait10am1111am: 17 min average wait11am1712pm: 16 min average wait12pm161pm: 16 min average wait1pm162pm: 18 min average wait2pm18min3pm: 16 min average wait3pm164pm: 14 min average wait4pm145pm: 13 min average wait5pm136pm: 11 min average wait6pm117pm: 9 min average wait7pm98pm: 10 min average wait8pm109pm: 9 min average wait9pm910pm: 7 min average wait10pm711pm: 5 min average wait11pm5
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Average wait by day of week
Sun: 10 min average waitSun10minMon: 12 min average waitMon12Tue: 13 min average waitTue13Wed: 12 min average waitWed12Thu: 11 min average waitThu11Fri: 11 min average waitFri11Sat: 14 min average waitSat14min
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Average wait by month
Feb: 11 min average waitFeb11Mar: 12 min average waitMar12Apr: 15 min average waitApr15minMay: 13 min average waitMay13Jun: 10 min average waitJun10Jul: 8 min average waitJul8Aug: 7 min average waitAug7minSep: 10 min average waitSep10Oct: 9 min average waitOct9
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Key insight: The clearest pattern: "it's a small world" is shortest around 8am (averaging 5 minutes) and longest around 2pm (18 minutes). Day of week matters too: Sun averages 10 minutes while Sat averages 14 minutes, a 4-minute difference. Across months, Aug tends to be the quietest, with an average closer to 7 minutes.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to ride "it's a small world"?

"it's a small world" at Disneyland is usually shortest around 8am (about 5 minutes) and longest around 2pm (about 18 minutes). Riding in the first hour after opening or late in the evening gives the shortest waits.

What is the average wait for "it's a small world"?

"it's a small world" averages about 12 minutes at Disneyland, across every recorded wait while the ride was operating.

What day of the week has the shortest line for "it's a small world"?

Sunday typically has the shortest line for "it's a small world" (around 10 minutes), while Saturday is the busiest (around 14 minutes).

Do I need Lightning Lane to ride "it's a small world"?

No. By riding "it's a small world" during its quietest hours and on a lower-crowd day, most guests can keep the wait short without paying for Lightning Lane.

More rides at Disneyland

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Plan your Disneyland visit

Disneyland crowd calendar — best months & days to visit →Is Lightning Lane worth it at Disneyland? →Live wait times for every ride at Disneyland →

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