Lines at Disney World are no joke. They have long wait times, the ones outside are boiling hot, and many of them are boring. Then, once you finally make it to the front, some rides have excruciatingly long pre-shows.

Sure, a lot of the Disney pre-shows are adorable. I could watch the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in-queue show twice a day and never get sick of it. Same for Tower of Terror. (Both are at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, if you want to add them to your must-do list.) But others, like Cosmic Rewind and Star Wars Rise of the Resistance, get dull once you’ve seen them a few times. Or one time.

Find out what happened when we missed our Cosmic Rewind Boarding Group.

Plus, once you consider how long some of these pre-shows are, it adds a lot to your wait time. And if you’re dying to get off the ride before you even step on, this makes for a not-so-magical experience.

During one of our trips to Disney World, we found out what happens when you’re just about to get on a ride and you have no choice but to step off the line.

Here’s What Happened When We Got Off the Line for Flight of Passage at Disney World

Avatar Flight of Passage exterior at Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

On one of our trips to Animal Kingdom, we bought an Individual Lightning Lane for Avatar Flight of Passage — undeniably one of Disney World’s top-tier attractions, which is why the regular line wasn’t an option we were willing to consider.

But even though Lightning Lanes and ILLs put you on shorter lines at Disney, they’re not always walk-ons. Often, you’ll still have to wait in line a bit, especially for the most popular rides at the theme parks.

We ended up waiting in line for a bit longer than expected, and by the time we were the next group called, one of us had to step off. The other one stayed in line, figuring that wasting one ILL is better than wasting two.

The Walt Disney World Cast Members Were Awesome About It

Indoor queue for lines at Disney at Avatar Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom.

After briefly explaining the situation, the Cast Member said it was OK to leave for a few minutes and then get right back on line — through the Lightning Lane entrance, too, no long lines necessary.

This isn’t necessarily what would happen on any line at any park, any time, especially for popular attractions or at park opening when guests head straight to the most in-demand rides. But it’s a good example of how simply asking for what you want can be the difference between getting it or not.

Also, Cast Members are more lenient when it comes to Lightning Lane and Individual Lightning Lane passes than, say, Boarding Groups. If you’re paying for VIP access (including special events), they’re more willing to work with you.

Do I Have to Leave a Walt Disney World Line if the Park’s Closing?

One of the smartest ways to avoid long lines at Disney, especially for a super popular attraction like Jungle Cruise or any of the rollercoasters, is to hop on the regular standby line close to park closing. Wait times are usually their lowest around then, so you can get on select attractions without dragging through a long line. For more ways to save time at a Disney World theme park, check out our article about it.

What if you’re on line for a Disney attraction right as the park’s closing, though? Great news: You don’t have to leave the line! So long as you’re on line before the time that the theme park closes, you can stay on line and get on the ride.

For example, if you’re at the Magic Kingdom and it closes at 11 p.m., you can get on line for Peter Pan’s Flight at 10:55 p.m. Even if the posted wait time is more than 5 minutes (and it will be!), you won’t be kicked off line once the clock strikes 11.

Check out the Grownups Guide to Main Street at the Magic Kingdom.

Final Thoughts About Leaving a Disney World Line

We’ve had our fair share of not-great Cast Member experiences at Disney World, with one infamous run-in at the Magic Kingdom. And long wait times can absolutely make your Disney vacation far less enjoyable (three cheers for Genie and Lightning Lane, even if I resent being charged extra money for it). For the most part, though, WDW is The Most Magical Place On Earth, and if you’re kind to the people who work there, they’ll be willing to help guests when they can.

All that time waiting can get uncomfortable. Make sure you have these essentials in your Disney parks bag or backpack for your next visit! Even if you can’t always avoid long lines at Disney, you can make that extra time easier to deal with.