There are several ways to skip talking to the guards blocking the entrance to Deku Palace, including a backflip off the fence, a recoil flip, a superslide, and a Zora fins clip. These options are shown in the video below.
This bomb boost is lenient in position and timing. Pull a bomb around when Link enters the hall to avoid waiting on the bomb timer. Near the wooden platform, shield drop the bomb and backflip (inverted camera because of Deku Palace) near the end of the bomb's timer to get a bomb boost. From here, a backflip can reach the next platform to skip all the deku guards.
This bomb boost is somewhat precise in both position and timing. To avoid waiting on the bomb, pull the bomb out shortly before the room loads and run to the corner of the soil as shown. Shield drop the bomb and backflip (inverted camera because of Deku Palace) near the end of the bomb's timer to get a bomb boost onto the fence. Make sure to release shield after shield dropping the bomb to avoid getting a recoil flip.
Get ISG, then pull a bomb while entering the doorway to time the room load so it's possible to make the platform cycle. Line up to backflip into a hover off the bomb, then onto the fences, then onto the platform. Take the flowers to the final platform. With this method, the camera stays locked, so remember that all inputs are relative to the camera.
This is a way to get to Sonata without a hover. Backflip onto the doorframe by standing roughly where shown in the video. Align Link roughly with the thick black line and target the wall. Begin holding up-right, then roll once Link is near the edge of the doorframe. If done correctly, Link will grab the upper ledge. From here, use the flowers to get to Sonata.
Backflipping onto the doorframe also works on the other side of the door, but a guard can catch you there.
From this entrance, you gain control of Link around the time the flower platform moves and he becomes visible again. All methods begin by getting ISG and hovering onto the fence. Getting a popup onto the rising flower platform requires a specific amount of height: too low and Link won't reach the bottom of the platform, but too high and he'll hit the side, and by the time he's moved downward enough to slide under the platform, he'll be moving downwards too quickly to get a popup. To get a popup onto the load zone platform, stand on the flower and target, then roll when the top of Link's head hits the bottom of the platform.
After hovering onto the fence, pull another bomb, straighten your angle by targeting the taller fence, and backwalk. Hover off of the bomb late in its flashes in order to gain only a little bit of height. Hover with 2 chus, then sidehop to pop up onto the platform. Shield briefly to get rid of ISG, then get to the final platform as described above.
Video of 2b staircase hover by Imbued showing alternative bomb throw positions (cues in video description) See frame data for megaflip hover to the final platform.
The Butler has a maximum speed in the race, so you should beat the Butler with a clean race. If you are far enough ahead, then risky timesavers become pointless, as they just increase the time you'll need to spend waiting for the Butler to finish at the end. Avoid standing near where the Butler lands at the end of the race, as he can fall out of bounds if you do.
See map above for labels A-G
Rolling across the deep water gap is risky but can be done consistently and saves a small amount of time over transforming to Deku and back to Goron.
This is very risky and may not save time if you are far ahead of the Butler already.
Shoot an arrow at Tingle's balloon and begin climbing the vines before the cutscene begins. Continue holding up on the control stick during the cutscene to continue climbing.
Include the tip of Tingle's hat in the pictograph to be able to get the heart piece.
To skip the big octo, get onto the wall next to it as Deku, then void out. Link will then respawn on the wall and have enough i-frames to get past the octo before it nabs him. There are multiple ways to get onto the wall, as shown below. If you get onto the wall as human and fail to transform to Deku before getting sucked by the big octo, climb onto a lilypad, transform Deku, and drown to respawn on the wall.
Slashing to the edge of the flower may help with this method, but be sure to put the sword away before the long jump, as it improves consistency in putting on the Deku mask before getting sucked.
From the roof or the lower platform, Goron roll to the side of the big octo to get past it.
Instead of having to go out the cave by Deku Palace and navigate past the dragonflies, transform Deku and get onto the lily pad nearest to the rocky outcrop. Aim yourself towards the downward slope and turn into a human. Quickly roll, and hold forward on the control stick to grab the ledge and get a ledge popup, then use the flower to fly to the song stone.
Get into the water as a human and dive. Transform Zora within an 18f window starting 3f after pressing A to dive (basically anytime while Link is still moving downwards). Zora Link's B button now says "dive" rather than "punch." Press B to sink, and you can now swim as if in normal depth water. This can easily transition into a ZESS.
Link can roll onto the swamp tour boat as Goron to quickly get from the water to the ladder.
Slashing with the sword and collecting the token with a sidehop jumpslash is about 1s faster than using the hookshot.
After playing Sonata of Awakening to raise Woodfall Temple, there is one frame where inputs are accepted before the cutscene begins. While it is not possible to pull the ocarina on this frame directly, it is possible to pause and then pull the ocarina during unpause lag. Soaring away at this point will skip the cutscene. This is only useful if you need to soar somewhere else at this point, as soaring back to the Woodfall owl is slower than watching the cutscene. The video below soars to Woodfall just to show that the dungeon is there.
It can also be fast to use this frame for other inputs, as their actions will overlap with the dungeon cutscene. The video below demonstrates this with drinking red potion to empty a bottle.
From the dungeon exit, sidehop left twice and backflip three times to quickly get on top of the dungeon. Pull a bomb and get ready for the recoil by transforming Deku, getting to the edge of the roof, facing the bomb, and holding shield and down.
This is a pause buffer cutscene skip. Two bombs are used because bomb timestop is only possible with a bomb Link has not put down or picked up.
You will notice after using swimming in shallow water, you cannot pull out your zora fins to kill the Big Octo. Instead of taking off the zora mask and putting it back on, you can get close to a wall or tree, and press A to swim. You will run into the wall and store a ground jump. From here, you can simply attempt to backflip, then pull out your fins and kill the Big Octo.
Normally when you go to get the pictobox from the witch at the swamp tour shop, you have to take a trip on the boat to the deku palace. However, you can skip riding the boat by mashing the ocarina button as soon as you recieve the pictobox. If you have trouble with this, you can instead mash the pause button, then unpause and pull out the ocarina. From here, play the Song of Soaring.