Line Etiquette?

MeishkaD · Mar 31, 2015

I just returned from a trip with my daughter and we spent a day at DCA with just the two of us. We were almost at the end of the line for Screamin when she whispered that she needed the bathroom very soon. I asked if she could wait as we were super close and would most likely have to wait in line again if we got out again. She thought about it and said she really did need to go. I quickly scanned the crowd and spotted a cast member, I explained the situation and he helped us out of the line, pointed us in the direction of the closest bathroom, and provided a rider switch pass so we could hop back in the fast pass line when we returned. No guaruntee that this will always be an option, but it's worth asking when splitting up is impossible.

Malcon10t · Mar 31, 2015

carrierael77 said:
Wow, seeing these comments makes me really hopeful that many of you won't be there when we go. You sound very negative. I was asking not because of a little 15 minute wait. I was simply trying to ask because I see all these things about 90 minute to 2 hour wait times. I haven't been to Disneyland in over 20 Years and this is a big once in a lifetime trip for my family. We are not pros. We don't know what to expect. It was simply a question and you people are coming across as attacking for asking the question.

Personally if I saw a family of 3 (in my case) and one of the parents popped out with the kiddo I wouldn't have a problem at all. As long as someone stays there.

I don't think anyone is attacking you. You stated in your first post "My 8 year old will be so impatient waiting. I am wondering if it is acceptable when the lines are excessive to leave one person while the other takes the kiddo for a walk". No, it is not acceptable. If your child has an emergency bathroom need (which usually by 8 they have more control over than the 5-6yos) take them to the bathroom by all means.

Imagine what the lines would look like if 1 parent stood in line, while the other wandered around with their kids because they were too impatient to stand in line. I have no problem with taking a kid on an emergency trip to the bathroom. But wandering around because they shouldn't have to wait in line like everyone else because your child's day is supposed to be more magical than the 15000 other children in the park that day is just wrong.

Is your child more special than my child or Tiff's children and shouldn't have to wait in line? I think THAT is the point people are trying to get across.

If your child seriously can't wait, best use Fastpass or pick a time when the park is slow to visit.

And you haven't stated when you will be visiting. Perhaps we could give you better ideas.

Oh, and a great way to avoid most lines is to do a VIP tour. It really is great.

JadeDarkstar · Mar 31, 2015

oh that was a nice CM

MeishkaD · Apr 1, 2015

JadeDarkstar said:
oh that was a nice CM

I am guessing you were responding to my story, and yes that CM was awesome! I am working on a letter to send with compliments now that we have returned and I made sure to note his name and the time so I could let them know how he worked magic for us. It was a such a nice thing to do as we just asked how to quickly get out of line and to the closest bathroom. Ended up having an extra dose of magic when we returned as they had just started turning on all the lights in Paradise Pier. By the time we launched the whole area was lit up and it made for an even better ride.

avalon451 · Apr 1, 2015

Aside from agreeing with all the nice people saying "Sure, bathroom break is fine for one adult and a kid"... I just wouldn't ever wait in a line that long. I refuse to wait for anything longer than 30 minutes. If you make good use of fastpass and be at the gates before opening, you can avoid those long lines, with a little planning. I was in the parks last week when the crowd index was in the 90s, and I never waited more than 30 minutes, and that only rarely.

SMD · Apr 1, 2015

carrierael77 said:
You are welcome to your perspective. My perspective is people here commenting saying things like this for example: "so I have no idea if someone is coming in from a restroom trip, and I really don't care" is rude. You and I have different perspectives which is great, but many of the replies on here seem way out of line to me. I was simply inquiring as to what the norm was with the lines being so excessive (1.5 hours for example), and kids. Instead of getting an answer I got attacked for even suggesting such a thing. Not everyone, but there are many many many replies on here from adults who sound like spoiled children themselves. They would rather have a kid pee their pants than dare go use the bathroom l. And God forbid a kid get antsy after standing in line for an hour an a half. I think it's rude. I think many of these people need a reality check.

I admit I am pretty heated. I have sat back and warched for 50 comments now as people behave in such a manner. They could not care less if it's a kid or not. If a little guy can't hold his bladder well that just too bad cause some grown person wants to be a jerk.

One thing to realize is that many lines barely have space for 2 people to fit across. For a parent and child to get in and out of line they have to bump and rub against everyone that they need to move past. As the other person who is having my personal space invaded, I hope it's for a good reason. Personally I don't think that the following are good reasons:
I didn't want to waste extra time getting a churro before getting in line.
I wanted to go on another ride with a shorter line/grab a fastpass for another ride.
I don't want to wait a long time in line when I could be strolling the park or sitting down.

All of those say that your time, or your child's time are more valuable than mine. They're not.

Indiana Scott · Apr 1, 2015

avalon451 said:
Aside from agreeing with all the nice people saying "Sure, bathroom break is fine for one adult and a kid"... I just wouldn't ever wait in a line that long. I refuse to wait for anything longer than 30 minutes. If you make good use of fastpass and be at the gates before opening, you can avoid those long lines, with a little planning. I was in the parks last week when the crowd index was in the 90s, and I never waited more than 30 minutes, and that only rarely.

LOL, we have the same rule. For us it's about 45 minutes for any ride and that includes RSR. I figure that rather than spend time just standing there I can always find something else in the park to enjoy! (We do go off peak though)

Carolynleanne · Apr 1, 2015

I've got two very young children and they managed to do a 45 minute wait for Pixie Hollow. Bring snacks for distraction!!! That being said, we generally don't get in any line that's longer then 30 minutes. My boys just LOVE Tinkerbell haha.

lovebug33 · Apr 1, 2015

For everybody who says go during low crowds, that isn't always an option. My husband and I teach school. We can't take a week off work and go during off season. So, we go during the summer and during breaks. And we will get a DAS for our child so as she doesn't have a meltdown and bite somebody!

tiffjoy · Apr 1, 2015

lovebug33 said:
For everybody who says go during low crowds, that isn't always an option. My husband and I teach school. We can't take a week off work and go during off season. So, we go during the summer and during breaks. And we will get a DAS for our child so as she doesn't have a meltdown and bite somebody!

We went over a busy weekend in March with long lines, and we still didn't wait longer that 30 minutes. I had a plan of attack for the busier rides, we skipped some with longer lines, and we did the things that didn't have very long waits. That's honestly how it works when you are taking young children- you may not be able to do everything, and that's just that.

We also go often in August (and are going again this year) when lines are long and busy. We've been at spring break time in April. I follow the same rule- nothing longer than 45 min, and I limit even those, use FP and RD strategically, and be ok with not doing some things.

It's perfectly possible to go during a busy time and not stand in line for two hours. We are going to Tokyo DisneySea next week, and lines are known to be very long there. I have already set us up for that expectation, and we know we may not get on certain rides because of it. It's a once in a lifetime trip for us, but I don't believe that entitles me to behave as though our time and comfort is more important that the many locals who can go all the time.

Certainly, DAS is there for people who need it, and I don't know many people who do not understand that. If your child needs it (as I said to OP), then go for it! That's what it is there for. But for all the other kids who just don't like waiting, it's up to the adults to manage expectations and planning. It's not up to other guests to be ok with line jumping.

LaurenDis · Apr 1, 2015

Indiana Scott · Apr 1, 2015

No one said they would have a problem with a situation like that Lauren. The problem arises when a bunch of people suddenly show up and it's obvious to everyone they're just cutting and taking advantage of people. It's been made clear here that the case of someone having to go off and take care of their child and then returning IS NOT an issue to anyone on this site.
Here's the scenario people hate.. You've been standing in line for 20~30 or more minutes. The guy (or lady) in front of you has been alone the whole time they've been there. Then, after you've waited all that time, a bunch of his buddy's or "family" suddenly show up that have never been in that line.
Peoples compassion here is above reproach. The people that post here are the nicest I've found on the internet and I visit a lot of forums.
Also, be advised that Disney will ask why your child needs the DAS so you may want to prepare an explanation in advance. When they asked us I really had to think about it and I think that made them suspicious.

corinne76 · Apr 1, 2015

LaurenDis said:
I understand that everyones time is equal. That being said, for us, this is really jarring to hear. Rather than just get a DAS card we wanted to try the lines and see how it goes. Now we know to go straight for the DAS for fear of being crucified if my son has an episode in line and someone takes him out then tries to come back when he calms down. I hate to label him, but do we put a sign on his back letting people know that we are testing out the "normal" lines? I guess the only option is go with the DAS and then have people make rude, uninformed comments about how we get to go to the front? What happened to compassion?

Sorry to be negative :-(

This is just my opinion on the issue, but for me, the situation you described wouldn't bother me at all. I know kids get fussy. Some have disabilities to deal with. Heck, even holding pee is hard. I'm okay with a parent taking a kid out of line to calm down or whatever and come back. It doesn't affect me or my wait time. I know there may be a time where it will be me having to rush a kid to the bathroom, you know?

My only issue with line etiquette is when theres a couple of people in line and a WHOLE group of other adults (or older teens) come join them simply because "oh friends are in line all the way up there!" A couple of people is cool, but I get a bit peeved when it's like, 6 or more people. Though I'm not apt to say anything either way.

tiffjoy · Apr 1, 2015

LaurenDis said:
I understand that everyones time is equal. That being said, for us, this is really jarring to hear. Rather than just get a DAS card we wanted to try the lines and see how it goes. Now we know to go straight for the DAS for fear of being crucified if my son has an episode in line and someone takes him out then tries to come back when he calms down. I hate to label him, but do we put a sign on his back letting people know that we are testing out the "normal" lines? I guess the only option is go with the DAS and then have people make rude, uninformed comments about how we get to go to the front? What happened to compassion?

Sorry to be negative :-(

Lauren, I honestly don't know where you are getting any of this from because there haven't been any replies even hinting at what you are saying. No one has written that they have a problem with kids needing to leave for an emergency. Certainly not one single Disney person will "crucify" you for removing your son.

Once again, the issue is if you decide you don't want to/need to/can't wait in line with your child and instead use someone to hold a space for you to line skip as a deliberate touring plan. That is what DAS is for, and it certainly isn't about labeling children or adults. It's actually about avoiding the stress and frustration *for you and your child* of exactly what you are describing.

Disney visitors are some of the nicest people, usually. This is also a super nice board full of people who were very honestly trying to help you with your question. No hard feelings in the least, judgment, or "crucifying" is happening here, nor will it likely happen at Disney should you need to step out of one line for an issue.

LaurenDis · Apr 1, 2015

Maybe I'm just sensitive to using the DAS card. I'd like to be able to use the normal line, but if we have a meltdown I fear the "control your child" comments and negative glances when we try to re-join the lines like we have at other parks. Sorry guys, I guess it's just my insecurities coming out.

Diszona · Apr 1, 2015

Indiana Scott said:
No one said they would have a problem with a situation like that Lauren. The problem arises when a bunch of people suddenly show up and it's obvious to everyone they're just cutting and taking advantage of people. It's been made clear here that the case of someone having to go off and take care of their child and then returning IS NOT an issue to anyone on this site.
Here's the scenario people hate.. You've been standing in line for 20~30 or more minutes. The guy (or lady) in front of you has been alone the whole time they've been there. Then, after you've waited all that time, a bunch of his buddy's or "family" suddenly show up that have never been in that line.
.

To tell you the truth, that wouldn't bother me either as long as it is only a couple of people, where they are not taking up more space on the ride than the one person who was in line the whole time would take up (in other words, on something like HM or Pan where they are only taking up one car). If they aren't really adding to my wait I don't really care. I can understand why it would bother others, but for me if the one line waiter was willing to sacrifice their time missing out on whatever the other people were doing that is between them, as long as they don't impact me it doesn't bother me. (That said if someone is doing something like that I would hope they have the sense to have the person join the line at an easy access point rather than having them crawl over everyone else in the line. It really depends a lot on the ride)

Indiana Scott · Apr 1, 2015

Butterfly123 · Apr 1, 2015

LaurenDis said:
Maybe I'm just sensitive to using the DAS card. I'd like to be able to use the normal line, but if we have a meltdown I fear the "control your child" comments and negative glances when we try to re-join the lines like we have at other parks. Sorry guys, I guess it's just my insecurities coming out.

I get feeling sensitive, and I get feeling judged. I've been there with my own son. You know, the same people who would judge someone they don't know using a DAS are the same people who might judge in a line. But most people at Disneyland I've found to be kind and helpful. So try your lines, and use the DAS when needed. And don't give people who are unkind the power to dampen your Disney time. Just do what is best for your son, and have a marvelous trip!

LaurenDis · Apr 1, 2015

Thanks Butterfly123, I needed to feel that and the magic

Malcon10t · Apr 1, 2015

LaurenDis said:
Thanks Butterfly123, I needed to feel that and the magic

At the park, I don't judge. My thing is you never know the back story. I don't worry when I see a kid who looks 8 in a stroller. They could be disabled using a stroller. Maybe they have been ill recently and don't have their stamina. Maybe they simply have a harder time walking all day. If it makes their day easier, not for me to judge. If someone joins a group, no biggie. Maybe they had a kid who needed the bathroom, maybe they needed to take care of an issue, and I don't care if they ran for FastPasses. I'm not going to let others take away from my time at the park. Butterfly, don't worry about trying lines, people really are pretty nice about the whole thing. Get the DAS if he qualifies and keep it for if/when you need it. I have a daughter with Asperger's and a son who was the poster child for ADHHHHHHHHHD. They grew up in lines at Disneyland. I found it was a great way to learn to wait. When they hit early teens, my older daughter got a hearing dog, so then we did have to start using the HA lines. But they actually preferred regular lines, so if I wasn't riding, I would hold the dog so they could use the regular lines. You child may surprise you. But yes, if your child is likely to bite someone, then please use teh DAS.

That said, when someone comes on the message boards and says "My 8yo child gets impatient, can my husband hold our place in line while we do other things?" "I'm just trying to make MY CHILD's trip magical", it implies her child is more important than your child, Tiff's child, my grandchild and the thousands of other children waiting in line. Yes, she can fake taking her child to the bathroom for the lines that are 45, 60, 90 mins long, and honestly, I'm not going to worry about her. But I feel sorry for her son as he is not learning what other children have.

All this said, I have to go pack, we head down to Disneyland tomorrow!!!!

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