By Pink Diva
We read all the tips. We meticulously plan out our Disney vacation down to the minute. (Or have a wonderful Travel Agent like All 4 Dreams do the work for you!) However, no matter how well you plan there will be a few lines you wait in.
Disney has turned waiting lines, or queues, into an attraction in itself. In the queue for Dumbo you can play in a circus themed playground. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan and Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride all have fun things do while you are in line. These improvements make waiting a little less painful. Who wouldn’t want to wait if they could spin some gems or catch shadow butterflies?
The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh has an interactive queue that keeps everyone entertained.
Attractions with well-defined queue areas have a very small percentage of people getting in and out of line. Usually once they are in, they stay in the que. To show respect to those around you remember to keep some personal space between you and the guest in front of you. It’s very hot in Florida in August. You will sweat and may not smell your greatest at any given time. Keep your line neighbor’s nose happy and leave some space.
If you have a backpack, or any bag, be mindful of how much room it takes up. It is never fun when the person in front of you or in the row next to you keeps bumping you with their backpack. Also, when taking off said backpack make sure the person behind you has enough room before you hit them. Along with a backpack pay attention to drinks as well. They can easily slosh around and spill everywhere.
It will happen that you need to leave a queue. We always try to go to the restroom before we get into any long line, but sometimes the kids have to go again. If at all possible, see if you can find a Cast Member before exiting the queue. Sometimes there is a side door you can step out of and then back in after you use the restroom and you can go back to your spot in line. If you cannot find a Cast Member in line, talk to the Cast Member at the entrance. You may get lucky and they will make it so you do not have to wait in the line again.
Dumbo has a great indoor area for the kids to play while you wait.
When the attraction does not have a well-defined queue area things can get a little more confusing. The lines that people are the most unkind are usually for special or rare characters. These lines often take place at a special event like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. From my very unscientific research there are three opinions people have of waiting in these lines at Disney.
The first opinion is that everyone who wants to see the character/attractions needs to wait in line at all times. For example, if you have a family of four waiting in line to see the Seven Dwarfs all four of you have to wait in the line. Usually quick bathroom breaks or food runs are tolerated as long as you are not close to the front. Having your whole party together the entire time allows everyone to know exactly how many are in line.
The second opinion is that one or two people can wait in line while the others go and do other things. Special events cost extra money and being able to experience a few things while one person waits in line is definitely getting your monies worth. Little kids can have a hard time waiting in line and being able to take them to do something can ease some stress. The biggest complaint about this is when one or two people are waiting and ten or twelve people show up right before it’s their turn. What was going to be a ten minute wait has now turned into a twenty minute wait for everyone behind them. The biggest argument for this technique is that everyone paid for this experience. You do not have to wait in the line. Since we all choose to wait we can wait however we like. You make the entire experience the most beneficial for your group. If that means a few people wait while the others enjoy other attractions then so be it.
We waiting in line for over two hours for this photo. It was a long wait, but worth it. Cast Members would come out with animals for the kids to see periodically. Families that were close let their kids go see the animals and come back in line.
The third opinion is a blend of the first two. I fall more into this category than the other two. When there is a long line your group mostly stays in line together. However, if there is something nearby part of your party can go and come back quickly then it is okay to split up. The main difference is that those getting in and out of line do not affect how many pictures/interactions there are. For example, we are a family of four. We may step out of line temporarily when we are not near the front. If I take the kids to ride or see something there is still one adult in line. Those around us have seen the whole family and know who is coming back. We are probably only getting a family photo and maybe one of just the kids. We are not taking up much more time than it would with just the one adult in line. I feel this only works with small families or groups. If we were with another family then we get into the above point of one or two people wait (a short character interaction) and then a whole group comes later (a much longer character interaction.) No one can predict how long each character interaction will be. Some people take a quick photo and are done. Others have photos, items signed, and a whole conversation.
I ask you keep one thing in mind while waiting: Everyone is there to have a magical time. We all want the best experience possible. No one likes waiting an hour or more for something, but we do so because we know it will be worth it. Be kind to one another. Get to know you family and friends a little better. Get to know the people around you better. You never know what you may learn from being kind to the strangers around you.
