(MONEY Magazine) – At 9 a.m. the rope is dropped, and suddenly a hundred people are charging down the thoroughfare. Teenagers take an early lead. But kids of all ages are doing fine -- like the man and woman in their fifties, huffing along in jogging shoes. Families struggle to stay together; ''C'mon, Mom,'' whines an anxious teen. ''Honey, I can't keep up,'' cries someone's mother. One young couple, hamstrung by their two-year-old, simply lift him by the arms and start to run, the toddler dangling between them. Is it family hour at the Boston Marathon? K Mart shoppers on a rampage? No, it's simply the start of a typical Wednesday at Florida's Walt Disney World, easily the world's most popular amusement park, which attracted 30 million visits last year alone. In this particular morning ritual, contestants are vying for an early spot on the indoor roller coaster known as Space Mountain. By midmorning, visitors might wait in line an hour for this wild, two-minute- and-36-second ride located in the Magic Kingdom, the most famous of the three Disney World parks. But cognoscenti know that you can get into Main Street, U.S.A. -- the nostalgic turn-of-the-century boulevard that serves as the Kingdom's gateway -- half an hour before official starting time. Thus, you can position yourself for the mad dash to Space Mountain or any other ride. Is beating the wait all that important? You bet. Say you go on a busy day and experience an average delay of 30 minutes at popular attractions. If you hope to ride eight of them, you will waste four hours. ''At a certain point, even the kids knuckle under and most people would give anything to go back to their hotel and fall into a coma,'' says Bob Sehlinger, author of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World & EPCOT (Prentice-Hall, $7.95) and an expert on Disney madness. Not all of the lines are in the park, either. After waiting 45 minutes in traffic to reach Disney-MGM Studios, the hot new amusement area with a Hollywood spin, Richard and Linda Lewis of Chatham, Mass. were turned away because the parking lot was full. ''They told us to come back after 1 p.m.,'' said an irked Linda. ''It seemed very un-Disney.'' (The solution? If you still want to join the crowds at MGM, park at EPCOT Center -- the permanent world's fair that is the third major Disney World site -- and take the free 10-minute shuttle bus to MGM.) Delays and lockouts are all the more galling because the cost of Disney's brand of enchantment has never been higher. The basic one-day admission has more than doubled since 1980 to $32.75 for ''adults'' age 10 and up, and $26.40 for kids age three to nine (see the chart on page 158). Even with four- day passes ($105.60 each), standard air fare ($250 a person), a mid-size rental car ($150 a week) and a modest hotel (one room with two double beds at $85 a night), a family of four can expect to spend $2,900 -- including food, souvenirs and incidentals -- for a typical five-night stay at peak season. And that leaves aside what the family might spend on side trips to Disney's local competitors, such as Sea World (admission: $25.40 a day) and Universal Studios Florida ($30.74), opening in June. Not that the escalating costs have dampened enthusiasm for Disney World itself or for U.S. amusement parks in general, which marked a record 254 million visits last year (for a rundown on the top 10, see the table on pages 154 to 155). But 18-year-old Disney World and 35-year-old Disneyland -- the Anaheim, Calif. original after which it was modeled -- always scoop up the most people: 43.3 million in 1989. And those numbers are growing globally: Tokyo Disneyland, which opened in 1983, had 13.4 million visits last year; Euro Disneyland, outside Paris, is slated to begin operating in 1992. Already, two out of three Americans visit a Disney park at some time in their lives, more than ever see Washington, D.C. And Disney World is simply the nation's No. 1 vacation destination. Most guests say the World is worth the price: ''The place is spotless,'' beams Dawn Paulson of Mattoon, Ill., who spent a week there with her husband and two sons. ''We feel safer here than at other parks. I haven't met anyone who is rude.'' The Disney folks are banking on that good will -- literally. Walt Disney Co. revenues in 1989 reached $2.6 billion. That is a 27% increase from the year before, in part due to price hikes. Mickey's marketeers argue that you pay more because you get more: besides the MGM park, which opened last year, Disney is always adding new attractions -- such as EPCOT's Body Wars, a jolting flight-simulator that took wing in 1989. But hold on to your wallet, because the marketing blitz never lets up. When you take MGM's hot new ride, Star Tours, for example, you exit directly into -- where else? -- the Star Tours gift shop. Suddenly, your kids are clamoring for an $85 silver satin jacket or a $26.95 cotton sweatshirt, both emblazoned with the Star Tours logo. Even more amazing, many of the parents around you ! are buying. ''Pixie dust must land on people when they get here,'' observes Lora Lee Harmon, a former Disney employee who is now a travel agent. Seeking an antidote for that pixie dust, we asked travel experts, ex-Disney employees and frequent guests for their tips on how to get the most for your Disney dollars. Then two MONEYstaffers spent a week casing the area incognito -- with a minimum of help from the public relations machine -- to experience Disney World and several nearby theme parks just as you would if you visited. Here's our best advice:

Study the guidebooks thoroughly. The frankest one, Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide, claims to save you more than three hours in line a day with field- tested step-by-step touring plans. (His book steered many of the Space Mountain racers to the starting line.) The official guide, Steve Birnbaum's Guide to Walt Disney World 1990 (Avon, $9.95), is encyclopedic but less critical. Go off-season. The least busy time is the first two weeks of December, followed by the months of September and October. You'll generally save about 10% to 20% off the high-season hotel rates. And the mid-afternoon wait for popular rides like Jungle Cruise could be only about six minutes instead of 60. (The chart on page 158 shows the average Disney crowds year round.) If you're staying several days, buy the four-day pass. Some veterans are still furious that Disney canceled its three-day $82.68 discounted pass in 1989; now you can get only a four-day ($105.60) or five-day ($123.55) ticket. Still, they get you into any of the three parks. (The single-day pass is good for only one park.) And a pass remains valid for a lifetime, so if you don't use up your days, file it away for your next visit. In fact, ticket hawkers and crafty tourists are making a black market in unexpired passes, though the Disney folks warn of fakes. Stay over a weekend. Contrary to what you might think, the mobs are thickest Monday through Thursday because families -- especially those who drive -- often arrive Sunday and leave by week's end. So Fridays and Sundays are usually 20% less crowded. Visit in the morning or evening. Go an hour before official opening time since the parks sometimes open 30 to 60 minutes early. Head back to the hotel for a snooze or a swim during the noon-to-3 p.m. craziness, then return that evening. This works best, of course, if you are staying nearby. Those at Disney World hotels sometimes get an ''8 a.m. curtain call'' -- a slip of paper that admits you to Disney-MGM an hour before the hordes. Look for package deals. These sometimes offer the best value, since the so- called wholesalers who create them buy flights and hotel space in bulk. But savings vary, and you have to book through an agent, so find one who knows the tour business and Orlando. Also ask him to call the airlines and hotels directly to see if he can get a better deal. Get written confirmation for everything. And ask whether your employer offers Disney admission discounts (some do). If yours doesn't, buy full-price tickets three weeks in advance from Disney (407-934-7639). There's a $2 postal fee, but it means one less line to contend with. Choose carefully where you stay. The big debate here is between on-property hotels -- meaning those within Disney's 28,000-acre confines -- or off- property. Basically, the trade is between dollars and convenience: the on- property hotels can be $50 a night more expensive than comparable lodging outside the perimeter. And while Disney hotels have excellent free shuttle service to the parks, so do some of their off-property competitors -- a few of which are only blocks farther away. Here's a rundown on some of the more than 350 hotels in the area: -- Disney hotels: At $69 to $99 a night, the Caribbean Beach -- a sprawling two-story hotel with man-made lagoons -- is the best value. As a result, it's often booked months in advance. Call Disney's central reservation number (407-934-7639) to hold a spot. If that's not available, consider Fort Wilderness ($155 to $165), an upscale trailer park in a beautiful woodsy setting. Each unit sleeps six and includes a full kitchen with microwave and dishwasher as well as maid service and air conditioning. The Grand Floridian Beach ($195 to $285) is the most elegant of the three hotels on the monorail (the others are the Polynesian Village at $170 to $225 a night and the Contemporary at $160 to $230). Although travel experts rave about Disney cleanliness, our hotel stays turned up two minor lapses: we found shaving cream on a towel when we checked into the Disney Village Resort Villas and food on the wall at the Grand Floridian. -- On-property hotels not owned by Disney: These offer free shuttle service but tend to be expensive. They include the Hilton ($160 to $195; 800-782-4414) and Howard Johnson ($95 to $145; 800-654-2000) in the Lake Buena Vista area. Closer to EPCOT is the newest and most extravagant -- the Swan ($185 to $285; 800-248-7926), created by architect Michael Graves. The Swan has terrific service but tiny 3 1/2-foot-by-two-foot closets and disconcerting peach-and- aqua Pee-wee Herman-esque decor. -- Off-property hotels: The fanciest is the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress ($140 to $185; 800-228-9000), the only AAA five-diamond hotel in the area. But the recently renovated Hyatt Orlando ($89 to $129; 800-228-9000) is also a safe bet, and the Comfort Inn at Lake Buena Vista ($29 to $65; 800-999-7300), although it eschews frills, is cheap, clean and convenient. Ignore -- discreetly, of course -- the rule about not bringing food into the park. Lines at Disney food stands are often long, service is slow and the prices are steep -- $22 for a burger, Coke and fries for four, compared with $10 at an Orlando McDonald's. Make your show reservations before leaving home. We recommend the Hoop-Dee- Doo Revue ($31.80 for adults, $25.44 or $16.96 for kids), a wacky western musical that includes an all-you-can-eat country dinner. Problem is, you may be shut out unless you reserve a month beforehand at 407-934-7639. Although it's tempting to let Disney eat up your entire vacation, you'll miss some of the fun if you do. Here's a rundown on five other parks, all of which are within easy driving distance: -- Universal Studios Florida (adults $30.74, children $24.38). Inaugural visitors this summer may see movies like Psycho IV being filmed. ''We offer more for less money than our major competition, the Disney-MGM theme park,'' says Steve Lew, president of the new park. ''Disney has Mickey Mouse, but only Universal has E.T.'' Attractions also include Jaws, King Kong and Earthquake -- all said to be different from the ones at Universal Studios in California. There's also a Hard Rock Cafe shaped like an electric guitar. -- Sea World of Florida (adults $25.40, children $21.15). Dipping attendance -- down about 10% in 1989, owing in part to Disney-MGM's opening -- has a bright side: you rarely have to wait for seats at Legend of Shamu, which stars killer whales, or New Friends, the whale and dolphin show. Most people find this park a refreshing reality check after Disney. As Judy Robison of Minneapolis puts it: ''Everything is alive here; in Disney, it's all Animaltronics.'' -- Wet 'n Wild (adults $17.95, children $15.95). This park's allure is based on stupendous water slides -- like Der Stuka, which feels like a 76-foot free- fall, and the new Black Hole, where you slide through a winding black 500- & foot-long, four-foot diameter tube. There are also kiddie slides for the youngsters. -- Kennedy Space Center. This educational diversion is located on the coast an hour and a half east of Disney World. The attraction part, called Spaceport USA, includes the Imax film The Dream Is Alive (adults $2.75, children $1.75), and there are bus tours (adults $4, children $1.75) of the space center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, which is 10 miles away. -- Busch Gardens The Dark Continent ($23.95 over age two). An hour and a half up Interstate 4 and Interstate 75 in Tampa, this park offers the illusion of a zoo without bars: many of the animals live in open areas similar to their natural, mostly African, origins. ''It's a nice way to ease out of the vacation,'' says Jeffrey O'Donnell of Cape Cod, Mass., who came with his wife Sherry and three children. Was it anticlimactic after hurtling through Space Mountain and Star Tours? Says O'Donnell: ''We made sure the kids went on all the Disney rides three or four times -- so now they're Disneyed out.''

CHART: NOT AVAILABLE CREDIT: NO CREDIT CAPTION: What it Costs The price of a day's pass to Disney World shot up faster during the 1980s than that of many of life's other pleasures, as the figures below reveal.

CHART: NOT AVAILABLE CREDIT: NO CREDIT CAPTION: When it's crowded The best times to visit Disney World, as shown by this chart of estimated daily attendance at EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom, occur when school is in session.