BTQ
BlogSign inStart free →

"it's a small world" Wait Times — Best Time to Ride Without Lightning Lane

This page shows historical wait time patterns for "it's a small world" at Disneyland, based on 206,081+ real readings collected over the past 12 months. Use these patterns to choose the best time to ride without buying Lightning Lane.

Average wait by time of day
7am: 10 min average wait7am108am: 5 min average wait8am5min9am: 6 min average wait9am610am: 9 min average wait10am911am: 17 min average wait11am17min12pm: 17 min average wait12pm171pm: 16 min average wait1pm162pm: 17 min average wait2pm173pm: 16 min average wait3pm164pm: 14 min average wait4pm145pm: 13 min average wait5pm136pm: 12 min average wait6pm127pm: 11 min average wait7pm118pm: 9 min average wait8pm99pm: 9 min average wait9pm910pm: 8 min average wait10pm811pm: 6 min average wait11pm6
■ Best■ Busiest
Average wait by day of week
Sun: 9 min average waitSun9minMon: 11 min average waitMon11Tue: 14 min average waitTue14minWed: 12 min average waitWed12Thu: 12 min average waitThu12Fri: 10 min average waitFri10Sat: 13 min average waitSat13
■ Best■ Busiest
Average wait by month
Feb: 11 min average waitFeb11Mar: 12 min average waitMar12Apr: 15 min average waitApr15minMay: 12 min average waitMay12Jun: 11 min average waitJun11Jul: 11 min average waitJul11Aug: 12 min average waitAug12Sep: 9 min average waitSep9minOct: 14 min average waitOct14
■ Best■ Busiest
Key insight: The clearest pattern: "it's a small world" is shortest around 8am (averaging 5 minutes) and longest around 11am (17 minutes). Day of week matters too: Sun averages 9 minutes while Tue averages 14 minutes — a 5-minute difference. Across months, Sep tends to be the quietest, with an average closer to 9 minutes.

Want to know the best time to ride "it's a small world" on YOUR visit date?

BTQ builds a live-updating itinerary around your date, park, and group, so you always know which ride to hit next. No Lightning Lane needed.

Plan my Disneyland day →

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 11am (about 17 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, based on 206,081 wait time readings at Disneyland.

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 9 minutes), while Tuesday 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

Autopia wait times →Astro Orbitor wait times →Dumbo the Flying Elephant wait times →Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage wait times →

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

Related reading

Disneyland Removes Park Hopping Restriction June 9: The Best Time to HopRope Drop at Disney Parks: We Analyzed the Data So You Don't Have To