How to avoid the queue at amusement park

We just went to Universal Studios yesterday! I had a great time and hence was inspired to blog about this topic. Using my method, we managed to finish ALL the attractions in one day, without getting stuck in long queue on a WEEKEND.

1. Buy your tickets in advance. This allow you to skip the queue to buy entrance tickets and we all know the queue can be horrendously long at times.

2. Always arrive at the park on time. Preferably 30 minutes or at least 15 minutes before the park opens. Arriving early allow you to take photos sans the crowd, soak into the surroundings and give you a head start.

3. Plan your itinerary in advance. Take note of the popular attractions and those with slow loading time. You won't want to be stuck in a queue under the blazing hot sun waiting for your turn at an attraction where the loading time is horrendously slow-moving. Disneyland, on the other hand, is a different story, you will need to plan step by step on the sequence of attractions to go.

4. Upon entry, head straight to the popular attractions and do not stop at the main street to take photos. This helps you to beat the queue and save you time. Leave the photo-taking after you have finish the majority of your rides or early evening. Photos taken under the blazing afternoon sun will not look nice anyway.

5. Do the anti-clockwise strategy. Start from the back or the middle. For Disneyland, people usually head straight for the castle so it will be a good idea to head for the opposite direction. Beat the queue, remember?

6. Have an early lunch, preferably 11plus. This helps to skip the queue and let you dine at a calm atmosphere.

7. Try to visit as many ride attractions during the period from morning to early afternoon where possible. The sun is usually merciful compared to late afternoons.

8. The best time to visit show attractions is right after lunch. Riding on thrilling rides straight after a full meal is definitely not a good idea.

9. Leave the shopping at gifts shops during late afternoon. Try not to shop right before the closing time where the crowd gets heavy.

10. Take a late afternoon tea break. You are at Disneyland, not in a war zone.

P.S All my tips are from my own experience and reading Disneyland guidebooks.

And these are my 10 handy tips. There are actually more and some in detail, but this works for me. Of course, there are always unpredictable circumstances so it's always good to have a back-up plan.