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Pirates of the Caribbean Wait Times — Best Time to Ride Without Lightning Lane

This page shows historical wait time patterns for Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, based on 288,442+ 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: 26 min average wait7am268am: 6 min average wait8am6min9am: 12 min average wait9am1210am: 22 min average wait10am2211am: 27 min average wait11am2712pm: 28 min average wait12pm28min1pm: 26 min average wait1pm262pm: 26 min average wait2pm263pm: 24 min average wait3pm244pm: 23 min average wait4pm235pm: 21 min average wait5pm216pm: 20 min average wait6pm207pm: 18 min average wait7pm188pm: 14 min average wait8pm149pm: 10 min average wait9pm1010pm: 9 min average wait10pm911pm: 7 min average wait11pm7
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Average wait by day of week
Sun: 17 min average waitSun17minMon: 20 min average waitMon20minTue: 20 min average waitTue20Wed: 18 min average waitWed18Thu: 18 min average waitThu18Fri: 19 min average waitFri19Sat: 20 min average waitSat20
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Average wait by month
Jan: 19 min average waitJan19Feb: 18 min average waitFeb18Mar: 21 min average waitMar21Apr: 22 min average waitApr22minMay: 19 min average waitMay19Jun: 21 min average waitJun21Jul: 15 min average waitJul15minAug: 15 min average waitAug15Sep: 15 min average waitSep15Oct: 20 min average waitOct20Nov: 20 min average waitNov20Dec: 21 min average waitDec21
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Key insight: The clearest pattern: Pirates of the Caribbean is shortest around 8am (averaging 6 minutes) and longest around 12pm (28 minutes). Day of week matters too: Sun averages 17 minutes while Mon averages 20 minutes — a 3-minute difference. Across months, Jul tends to be the quietest, with an average closer to 15 minutes.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to ride Pirates of the Caribbean?

Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland is usually shortest around 8am (about 6 minutes) and longest around 12pm (about 28 minutes). Riding in the first hour after opening or late in the evening gives the shortest waits.

What is the average wait for Pirates of the Caribbean?

Pirates of the Caribbean averages about 19 minutes, based on 288,442 wait time readings at Disneyland.

What day of the week has the shortest line for Pirates of the Caribbean?

Sunday typically has the shortest line for Pirates of the Caribbean (around 17 minutes), while Monday is the busiest (around 20 minutes).

Do I need Lightning Lane to ride Pirates of the Caribbean?

No. By riding Pirates of the Caribbean during its quietest hours and on a lower-crowd day, most guests can keep the wait short without paying for Lightning Lane.

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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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