Three's a crowd... or not?

[mickeyluv'r]

I've had great fun using the sngle rider line. I truly wish more rides had them!

I was very nearly seated besid a celebrity once! The celebrity was in a group of three. Their party was mixed right in with everyone else! You nevr know!

Other times, I've been paired with first timers. It is usually a fun thing.

One time, years ago, we had an ADR for 5- but part of our party bailed. It was for R&C (Epcot), where - at least back then - all the water front tables sat 5, all small tabels were indoors-no view.

As we arrrived at the podium, two people were being turned away (no ADR). We offered to share our table, and it was one of our best WDW meals ever! (and not because the R&C food is stellar) It was one of those amazing small world experiences, we actually had several friends in common!!!!

Recently, I rode Men In Black, which is Universal's answer to Buzz/TSMM (only better) with a young expert! He was super sweet, and shared many insider secrets to improve my score. Again, you never know!

 

[avic77]

Its a issue with a family of 5 too. Our first trip the kids were 5, 8, and 13. My poor 13 year old spent many rides alone or with the stranger. Sometimes 13 and 5 rode together and Mom was alone or Dad would sit one out. It was sometimes upsetting for the kids. Everyone wanted Mom or Dad with them but we just worked it out and rotated who paired up.

 

[BarbieGal457]

That's bizarre, I've never seen that at BTMRR, ridden many times as the odd man out. I would have protested if they tried to put someone next to me.

I can't imagine a "protest" would have gone or will go over well with other guests or CMs. I've sat with strangers several times on BTMRR so it clearly happens. I've also ridden with people (strangers or not) taller than me, though I'm tall myself, and the lap bar has never been an issue. I think to "protest" that is just really inconsiderate as it keeps the line backed up for no real reason. Riding with a stranger for a few minutes really isn't that bad, and in fact I usually find it fun!

 

[sweetpea29488]

I know that we've in the past have ridden Haunted Mansion with all three of us (dh, dn, and me) in one doom buggie. Can we still do this? All of us are small frame, if that helps to know the size to determine if we would fit.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I know that we've in the past have ridden Haunted Mansion with all three of us (dh, dn, and me) in one doom buggie. Can we still do this? All of us are small frame, if that helps to know the size to determine if we would fit.

We've fit our family of 4 in a Doom Buggy before (and on the Little Mermaid ride, too). The kids were both little (one preschool age, one kindergartener) when we did it, though. A family of 3 should be no problem.

I swear that they'll allow 3 across on BTMRR, too, but I might be remembering wrong, or maybe that's only with little kids.

 

[Lucius Best]

I think to "protest" that is just really inconsiderate as it keeps the line backed up for no real reason. Riding with a stranger for a few minutes really isn't that bad, and in fact I usually find it fun!

Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Maybe it's because I typically go during slow periods, but I have never seen strangers being seated together on BTMRR. I am certainly entitled to request to sit alone for comfort/safety reasons, especially after never being forced to sit next to a stranger in 30 years of riding BTMRR. That is not inconsiderate, I'm thinking about the solo rider too, I'm sure they don't want to sit next to me either.

 

[BarbieGal457]

Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Maybe it's because I typically go during slow periods, but I have never seen strangers being seated together on BTMRR. I am certainly entitled to request to sit alone for comfort/safety reasons, especially after never being forced to sit next to a stranger in 30 years of riding BTMRR. That is not inconsiderate, I'm thinking about the solo rider too, I'm sure they don't want to sit next to me either.

I never said you weren't entitled to your requests or opinions, I said it may not be received well by staff and other guests. You can request whatever you want but they might not be able to fill it. I would think they would be able to tell a legitimate safety concern over "I just want to ride by myself." As you can read in this thread, many of us have been seated with strangers on it, so maybe you just have rare experiences at slow times that you've never seen it. If there was a long wait in line and the person I was supposed to sit with as a single rider "protested" me sitting there, I wouldn't be very pleased. I wouldn't mind sitting next to you, or anyone else. I would guess most people don't want to ride alone or with a stranger if they don't have to, but it's the nature of the beast at Disney. If every solo rider got to ride with no one next to them, it would increase waits by a pretty long time I'd bet. I actually think it is inconsiderate to complain about being "forced" to ride next to someone you don't know, no matter how long you've been going. You're no more special than any other guest waiting to ride the ride - either we all get to sit alone whenever we want, or we accept we must compromise.

We will have to agree to disagree here.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I know that we've in the past have ridden Haunted Mansion with all three of us (dh, dn, and me) in one doom buggie. Can we still do this? All of us are small frame, if that helps to know the size to determine if we would fit.

Maybe.

At any ride, it really depends on the CM. Some allow; some don't.

Sometimes CM's have let use sit three across, or let the kids ride alone, other times they've given us a hard time - even if the kids are all over age 7, 2 adults are RIGHT behind them, AND they've ALREADY been on EE or Test Track as a SR multiple times that same day. It's happened at HM, Nemo, VotLM, and P Pan. In those cases, you only have a moment to make a choice.

I've also been told it can go both ways on TSMM, I didn't think three across was possible, but another DISer posted an image as proof.

I'm sorry, I don't really understand the concern. Most rides are under four minutes. RnRC is only 90 seconds! I can see having a small child ride besdie an adult the first time through, but outside of that the distinction is lost on me.

Why does this matter?

 

[Lucius Best]

If every solo rider got to ride with no one next to them, it would increase waits by a pretty long time I'd bet. I actually think it is inconsiderate to complain about being "forced" to ride next to someone you don't know, no matter how long you've been going.

We're not talking about every solo rider, just BTMRR. On our last trip, I used the single rider line to ride RnRC, Everest, and TestTrack multiple times each. Obviously I would not protest a single rider sitting next to me on EE, that's clearly the policy, and we've got our own seats. The only ride I would have a problem with is BTMRR, because of the bench seat and the single lap bar. Since I have personally never seen strangers paired up on BTMRR, if a CM all of a sudden tried to squeeze someone in with me, I would protest, because if that's the policy, that's news to me.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

That is not inconsiderate, I'm thinking about the solo rider too, I'm sure they don't want to sit next to me either.

Whoo boy....This maybe a can of worms, but suppose the 'stranger' you were asked to ride with was a disabled child, or of a different race from you?

Gosh, your refusal would really humilaite that child- in WDW -of all places! No?

(though I'm quoteing your post here, I'm really asking this of everyone in this thread who objects to sitting beside strangers)

 

[Lucius Best]

Whoo boy....This maybe a can of worms, but suppose the 'stranger' you were asked to ride with was a disabled child, or of a different race from you?

Please read the previous posts before trolling. This is purely a physics/safety/comfort issue. I'm 6'3" 250. I would try my best not to, but the last thing I would want to do is slide across the bench seat and bump into someone's child. Also, I would not want that child bouncing all over the place because the lap bar is nowhere near their lap because I'm 6'3" and with my legs the bar doesn't come down very far. I'm also selfish, I don't want strangers bumping into me either. As far as I know, BTMRR does not have an official policy where strangers must sit next to each other, if I was told to, I would decline, for the above reasons.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Um, at 8,000+ posts, I'm hardly a troll. At least I don't think I look like one. A stranger might differ.

Hmmm....

I did read all the posts in this thread, not that it matters.

In an uber-public place like WDW, where we are all packed like sardines all day- someone refusing to sit beside anyone else on a 3 minute ride- could easily lead to an interpretation of [any]-ism. Surelyit would be normal for said other person to ask themselves WHY you don't want to sit beside them.

As for safety, I've been on BTMRR a very many times. If having any parent riding beside their child was dangerous, surely the ride would have a different restraint, no?

In your many times riding have you ever seen a parent told they CAN'T sit beside their daughter/son? I haven't.

Do you really think there aren't hundreds of tall paents riding beside 4year old children every day?

BTMRR height requirement is 40"/102cm = average age of 3.5 years old

 

[eeyore45]

Please read the previous posts before trolling. This is purely a physics/safety/comfort issue. I'm 6'3" 250. I would try my best not to, but the last thing I would want to do is slide across the bench seat and bump into someone's child. Also, I would not want that child bouncing all over the place because the lap bar is nowhere near their lap because I'm 6'3" and with my legs the bar doesn't come down very far. I'm also selfish, I don't want strangers bumping into me either. As far as I know, BTMRR does not have an official policy where strangers must sit next to each other, if I was told to, I would decline, for the above reasons.

I would agree, very good point about the lap bar and bouncing around

and in addition, isn't BTMRR have the queue BEFORE you get on line (to board) the CM asks how many? and I think they are discreet enough not to sit young kids with heavier (any weight more than that child!) adults unless they are related

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Maybe it's because I typically go during slow periods, but I have never seen strangers being seated together on BTMRR. I am certainly entitled to request to sit alone for comfort/safety reasons, especially after never being forced to sit next to a stranger in 30 years of riding BTMRR. That is not inconsiderate, I'm thinking about the solo rider too, I'm sure they don't want to sit next to me either.

We go in June each year and in our party of 3, we have never been paired with a stranger either.

 

[Lucius Best]

I'm hardly a troll.

...

In your many times riding have you ever seen a parent told they CAN'T sit beside their daughter/son? I haven't.

Do you really think there aren't hundreds of tall paents riding beside 4year old children every day?

Sounds good, I stand corrected.

 

[YawningDodo]

There are no strangers at Disney. We are all part of the big happy Disney family. Some of the best times we have is visiting with people while waiting in line then sometimes riding with them.

Yup! I'm an introvert and after my next Disney trip I'll probably spend all my free time holed up somewhere alone for a week to recover from the overstimulation, but while I'm at Disney I'll talk to just about anyone who doesn't look cranky. I've had some great conversations with strangers on the monorail (I remember one little girl there with her grandma who told me Space Mountain was her favorite ride -- and I told her how I never would have been brave enough to get on it at her age), in lines, and even on the rides themselves. Granted, the conversation I can recall from ToT mostly consisted of the first time rider beside me going "HOW ARE YOU SO CALM?!!" and me laughing.

One time, years ago, we had an ADR for 5- but part of our party bailed. It was for R&C (Epcot), where - at least back then - all the water front tables sat 5, all small tabels were indoors-no view.

As we arrrived at the podium, two people were being turned away (no ADR). We offered to share our table, and it was one of our best WDW meals ever! (and not because the R&C food is stellar) It was one of those amazing small world experiences, we actually had several friends in common!!!!

That's really sweet! I don't know if I would have thought of sharing an ADR, but I've never been in a big enough group for something like that to happen anyway. I did used to give away unused fast passes back when they had the paper FP, and one time one of my college program roommates gave me a stack of those paper passes for skipping the line on an attraction (they gave them out to guests who'd been in line when an attraction went down) and I just went around giving them to people on one of the days off I spent in the park. Probably against all kinds of rules about how those were supposed to be given out but, well, we were teenagers.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

Surely it would be normal for said other person to ask themselves WHY you don't want to sit beside them.

Or maybe that person is just like some of the ones on here that wouldn't want to ride with a stranger either. You are assuming that most everyone would feel the way you do. My family, the poster you quoted and the OP don't share your feelings on this. Maybe we aren't the only ones visiting Disney that would feel that way. The poster you quoted isn't the only one to mention being uncomfortable riding with strangers. I agree that rides with separate seats and laps bars don't feel as much like sharing a seat.

 

[tobikaye]

BTMRR is the only attraction at WDW I feel like they should not force you to ride with strangers. I have done solo trips at WDW and have met great people in lines or even while riding attractions. It can be a lot of fun to ride some attractions with strangers, but BTMRR is not one I would be comfortable. I would spend the entire ride worried about sliding too hard into the other person or them sliding into me too hard.

I would just be up front with the CM about why I would prefer not to ride with someone on BTMRR. If the conversation was loud enough that the person they were going to place me with heard, I would apologize and explain that this is the only ride I am not comfortable riding with a stranger due to worrying too much about sliding too hard into them. I would then thank them and leave the line if the CM pushed the issue. I would then never ride BTMRR unless I was with someone else.

Do you really think there aren't hundreds of tall paents riding beside 4year old children every day?

The difference here is that a non-stranger can hold onto the child if need be to keep the child from sliding around due to the difference in bar height.

 

[sharona]

We've fit our family of 4 in a Doom Buggy before (and on the Little Mermaid ride, too). The kids were both little (one preschool age, one kindergartener) when we did it, though. A family of 3 should be no problem.

I swear that they'll allow 3 across on BTMRR, too, but I might be remembering wrong, or maybe that's only with little kids.

You can do 3 on BTMRR. There was a thread about it just the other day. There is a photo of a family of 3 in one row on BTMRR on the WDW website.

 

[maxiesmom]

How do you all feel about being seated with a stranger on Spaceship Earth? I ask because during my trip a few weeks ago I heard the CMs say many times to "Find a ride buddy" to people as you near boarding. I was with my nephew, so it didn't apply to me, but I couldn't help thinking with the whole touch screen part it may be a bit awkward to sit with a stranger. I ride single rider on the rides that have that line, and I still don't think I would be comfortable sharing a cart on Spaceship Earth.