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Mouse Metrics, New Orleans, LA (2026)

06/15/2023

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… to go to Magic Kingdom with reduced wait times.

That’s right folks! While your mind may be racing thinking about all of the Disney holiday offerings, this little post is here to offer you something even better (assuming you hate crowds).

You guessed it!

It’s our favorite topic here at mouse.metrics - why you should visit the Magic Kingdom on a party day!

You may be thinking, “Why WOULD I visit on a party day when the parks close at 6pm?!”

And the answer to that is that any non-Disnerd is asking that same question and skipping out on the Magic Kingdom on those days.

Leaving the Magic Kingdom nice and empty.

Just how empty?

Just like the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party days, the Magic Kingdom sees a 40% reduction in wait times during the day.

This means you can fit in more rides and attractions in less time compared to a non-party day!

What about the new Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios? Unfortunately, we don’t have any data to use to make predictions here. It looks like Hollywood Studios will not close quite as early as the Magic Kingdom, so if I had to make a guess, I’d say we won’t see quite as strong of a difference between party days and non-party days here.

Send this to your friend that needs the extra nudge to book that winter vacation.

Are you team party day or non-party day? Let us know in the comments!

06/12/2023

Wondering how easy it has been to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster since its reopening?

Well, it really hasn’t been that bad.

And part of the reason for that is because things just haven’t been too bad crowd-wise at the parks.

Additionally, I’m choosing to believe that this normal-sized demand for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is due to the large amount of disappointed Powerline Fans who are bummed by the lack of a retheme, but that’s more feelings-based than data-based 😉.

Scroll through the post to see what the data actually says and just how easy (or hard) it’s been to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

Were you team R&RC retheme or stay the same? Let us know in the comments!!

06/09/2023

This little tip can be a game changer for many ⤵️⤵️⤵️

The new(ish) Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster in EPCOT is currently utilizing a Virtual Queue.

This means that guests can only enter the virtual line by obtaining a boarding group at 7am.

While this process is pretty simply and well-known, a less discussed fun fact about this process is that cast members will allow you to scan into the Virtual Queue anytime after your boarding group is called (yes, even after the hour-long window has closed).

Like I mentioned, there are a few reasons why this is a game changer for many people…

1️⃣ EPCOT is a giant park! It takes foorreeevveerrrr to get around the park. Chances are high that you will not be near Guardians when your group is called. Knowing this tip allows you to shrug your shoulders, have another festival snack, and mosey on over to Guardians when you’re ready.

2️⃣ A virtual queue still has a wait time, and like most attractions, it has the lowest waits first thing in the morning and later in the evening. By waiting until later in the day (think: close to closing), you’re reducing the time wasted waiting in line.

3️⃣ Using this tip builds more flexibility in your day. Have an advance dining reservation during the same time your boarding group is called? No problem? Have a Remy’s Lightning Lane halfway across the park at the same time? Easy choice.

🚫Please note that this tip does NOT apply to Tron: Lightcycle Run. Cast members scanning guests into Tron are strictly enforcing the Boarding Group return window (unless you bring your receipt for an Advanced Dining Reservation at the same time).

When is your favorite time to hop in the Guardians Virtual Queue?

06/06/2023

Are you looking for inspiration for your next Animal Kingdom park day?

Then and .metrics have you covered!

We’ve teamed up to combine wait time data and actual park experience to both plan and implement a park day at Animal Kingdom.

This park day strategy uses Genie+ and strategic placement at certain areas of the park to minimize time spent waiting in line and maximize the time spent enjoying the animal walking trails, eating snacks, and having fun around the park.

Like all park day strategies, this strategy should be viewed as a flexible guide for your day. Even if implementing this plan as written, it is likely you will find ways throughout the day to deviate from that plan - and that’s ok! Plans give us a rough sketch of the day, but they do not have to dictate your minute-by-minute movements (unless that sounds fun for you).

Similarly, there are many ways to adapt this strategy before even entering the parks. Here are two of my favorites:

1️⃣ Do you have Early Entry and want to skip Genie+? You can make some tweaks that will still allow you to accomplish everything without long lines. Aim to knock out the three attractions with the longest waits during and shortly after Early Entry – Na’Vi River Journey (EE), Meet Disney Pals, and then Kilimanjaro Safaris. Continue following the rest of the strategy as is. You may need to scoot Everest to a little later in the day or use single rider to increase the likelihood of a shorter wait (its wait drops in the evening).

2️⃣ Does the idea of trying your luck at Flight of Passage 1 minute before park closing freak you out? I suggest buying the Individual Lightning Lane instead (Janaya actually decided to do this mid-way through implementing this strategy yesterday!).

There are so, so many ways to plan a park day that fits the needs, interests, and vibe of your group.

Save this to inspire your next park day plan.

And let us know your favorite way to tour Animal Kingdom in the comments below!

06/03/2023

Can we use data to help us understand and book Virtual Queues at Walt Disney World?

You already know that answer…

So let’s dig in.

In the last post, we looked at average Genie+ sell out times in May and saw that Lightning Lane availability was pretty darn good throughout the month.

Well, I’m here to tell you that we can say the same with Virtual Queue availability as well.

And this makes sense. When crowds are lower, there are fewer people competing for the same number of Virtual Queue or Lightning Lane slots. Your chances of scoring what you’re trying to get go up significantly.

But let’s look specifically at May’s data.

In case you’re new to the VQ rodeo, Disney drops Virtual Queue boarding groups for people to book at 7am and 2pm daily. They also do an additional 6pm drop on nights with Extended Evening hours.

The average sell out times for both Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Tron: Lightcycle run tell us a similar story - the 7am drop of Virtual Queues is vastly more popular than the 1pm drop. The 6pm drop can be a mixed bag.

This post also breaks down your chances of a Virtual Queue sell out by seconds or hours. It’s helpful to know if the VQ is selling out within seconds so that you can use your time wisely and manage expectations. The data says you need to move fast for the 6pm drop and even faster for the 7am drop.

Something that is especially helpful for park hoppers is the slide that shares the likelihood that the 2pm Virtual Queue would last for hours. Another way we could read that title is “What are the chances a park hopper could book the Virtual Queue” because one must be inside the park to book a VQ, but you’re not allowed to hop until 1 hour AFTER that 1pm drop.

Save this post to give you a rough idea of what to expect Virtual Queue-wise if you’re planning on visiting Walt Disney World during a slow season.

Are you a 7am or 1pm Virtual Queue stan? Let us know in the comments!

06/01/2023

If you’re looking to sleep in and skip out on buying Genie+ while still enjoying the major attractions at Animal Kingdom, then this strategy is for you.
metrics and .wdw have teamed up to create a strategy that works equally well for a visiting park hopper and a seasoned local.

This strategy uses wait time data, attraction location, and good old fashioned park experience to place you at certain attractions and shows when wait times are lowest.

For example, the strategy begins with shows and animals from 2-4pm. This is because it’ll still be peak crowd hours. Rather than going with the crowds to stand in long lines, this strategy has you doing line-free activities.

As the day goes on, wait times typically drop pretty precipitously at Animal Kingdom.

Na’Vi River Journey and Avatar: Flight of Passage will likely have the longest lines throughout the day.This is why our strategy has us hitting them last.

Hop in line for Na’Vi around 6:00, then explore Pandora until JUST before the park closes. As long as you’re in line before the park officially closes, you’ll be allowed to stay in line and ride the attraction.

Wait times for Avatar: Flight of Passage are typically at their lowest late in the evening. While it’s not a guarantee, it’s likely you’ll be hopping in a relatively short wait for this headliner.

➡️ Follow .metrics for more Disney data-drive tips, tricks, and strategies.
➡️ Follow .wdw for more Disney video content.

What are your favorite ways to avoid lines at Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments!!

05/29/2023

Do you want to try a challenge? Try planning an all-ages ride-focused park day strategy at Hollywood Studios where only TWO rides do not have a minimum height requirement. 🥴

I asked the mouse metrics community what they wanted to see in a Hollywood Studios AM strategy, and they voted for the following:

➡️ Early Entry
➡️ Genie+
➡️ Ride-focused
➡️ Mix of adults, big kids, and toddlers

So here it is! I’ll walk you through why I made some of the decisions I made.

✅ Early Entry: I chose to knock out the two attractions with no height requirements during Early Entry. Doing so will allow us to knock out two medium-priority Genie+ attractions without losing time from Rider Switch.

✅ Rider Switch: I gave suggestions for what the Rider Switch group can ride/experience while waiting for the big kids to get off of the big rides. Hollywood Studios can get boring real fast for littles if they’re simply waiting around for more than half of the day.

✅ Walking Strategy: Rides are intentionally lumped together to avoid criss-crossing the park and to limit walking.

✅ Saving Money: Remember how we knocked out the two rides with zero height restrictions first thing in the morning? By doing that, we have eliminated the need to buy Genie+ for the kiddos requiring Rider Switch. yw

✅ Shows & Characters: I cheated a little bit (sorry!!). I added in some shows and characters to ensure that the group was able to spend time together. An all-ages ride-focused park day at Hollywood Studios is a little bit of an oxymoron because the rides just don’t support that all-ages vibe.

✅ Rise of the Resistance: Boo and hiss all you want! Rise is an 18 minute attraction (not counting waiting in line) which causes this to be an hour-long rider switch situation. Not to mention its crazy downtime. But if you want to add it in, I suggest buying the Individual Lightning Lane for it.

And there you have it!

Save this to inspire your next HS AM strategy.

What’s your favorite all-ages tip for touring Hollywood Studios?

05/09/2023

📍Save this post to inspire your next Animal Kingdom park day strategy.

There are so many ways to experience Walt Disney World based on your unique needs and preferences.

Today’s Animal Kingdom park day strategy was created by .metrics and .haigs.on.earth and is best for people looking to experience the animal-side of Animal Kingdom (and sleep in too!).

Want to know how this strategy might play out? .haigs.on.earth will be implementing this strategy and sharing updates in her stories TODAY!.

Follow .metrics for Disney data-driven tips, tricks, and strategies.

Follow .haigs.on.earth for Disney vacation planning and Disney travel tips.

What part of the strategy are you most excited to see implemented today?

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