Have to get this off my chest, was I wrong?

[lady1023]

when on my honeymoon in may we went to TSMM in the morning and had multiple families taking photos with mr. potato head and causing gaps in the line to the point that a cast member came around the corner and said that anyone not taking photos can go in front of the people who were just to keep the line moving..i don't know if they do that everyday but just wanted to tell the experience we had

 

[B&WMickey]

I'll admit that if my family and I had stopped to take pictures I would have insisted that others go ahead of us rather than holding up the line.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I would have waited for them.

By the same token, though, if it were us stopping to take pictures at Mr. Potato Head (which we always do), I wouldn't have made a big deal of it if others passed us.

 

[alliejay]

I'll admit that if my family and I had stopped to take pictures I would have insisted that others go ahead of us rather than holding up the line.

Agree with this totally. I would feel obligated to have people move ahead. Also, from the OPs description, the woman who was taking photos was completely inappropriate. There is no need to yell at someone who moves ahead of you in line. She could have easily said excuse me or said "can we have our place in line back". this must be a very touchy subject for 22 pages of responses.

 

[Leajess99]

I'd guess if she complained to a CM and the CM didn't say anything to you, then you were most likely in the right.

I mean, if the CM had thought that you had 'cut the line' wouldn't they have said something to you?

Yes the CM would have said something and more than likely sent you from the line. The difference in some previous examples (glucose for 1) is that that area is larger for people to stop and interact with Mr. Potato Head as well as taking pictures. It is so people can go around if the previous family is taking a long time.

 

[UltimateWDWFan]

Saw a great billboard last weekend while stopped at a red light. It was for Universal Studios, and was partly obscured from where I was sitting. I thought it said, "Be courteous," and pondered this for quite some time while waiting for the light to change. All I could think was they were trying to set a more pleasant vibe. Then as I was able to proceed past, I saw what it really said: "Be courageous." I like them both. I probably would have gone around, too, and there's no way she should have pitched such a fit, but it's true that it's no harm-no foul if they weren't delaying the actual loading/overall wait time.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

while in line at TSMM, the people in front of us were taking lots of pictures as the line moved along. No big deal as it is a great queue! However, when we got to Mr Potato head, they and 2 other groups stopped dead and were posing their kids for shots. I walked ahead of them as we were not taking pictures. The woman had a FIT!!!! Yelled at me, tried to stop my DD from moving ahead too, complained to a CM, glared at us the rest of the queue. To me, it was one thing when they were just taking shots in the line but totally different when you start posing for multiple pictures.

Should I have waited while they finished their rather lengthy photo shoot? Really ruined the night for me. I suppose I should have just let her have her way but she made me sooo mad!!!!

You were fine. When someone stops for more than just a moment to pose for pictures and the like, the line moves around em. You didn't say what the CM did after she complained. Did the CM do anything? If not, than you were fine. That woman shouldn't have yelled. Seems to me like she wanted a confrontation. If it wasn't you in the line, it would have someone else for some other perceived transgression.

 

[kirasaurus]

As one who enjoys stopping along the way to take pictures and who's family is constantly telling her to keep moving, I would actually prefer people go around me and let me take my pictures (in peace!). I figure if I stop for any length of time, people should feel free to go around me. On the other hand, if going around me does no good, then what's the harm is just waiting while I take my pictures? So I guess that's the bottom line. Were you able to ride the ride any faster because you went around, or were you just stuck a few feet ahead, but still waiting? In any case, she had no right to yell at you, and especially your DD. Yelling should not be allowed at Disney!

I agree, the way the woman handled it was rude.
But, since it's just potato head and the person isn't wandering around taking pictures of, say, the Tower of Terror queue (aka, LOTS to look at), I would have waited unless they mentioned for me to pass them.

not to say that you were wrong!
It's just that when you factor in a. the popularity of the ride b. the length of the line and c. the unpredictability of guest's behavior, it makes TSM a bad candidate for jumping photo-takers in line.
But don't spend too much time on "coulda shoulda woulda." It was innocent in intention

 

[ccgirl]

My two cents...

I think it's rude to bypass someone taking pictures if all you accomplish with the bypass is to fill a gap in the line.

IMO the polite thing to do is:

1) Just wait patiently.

2) If the photo taking gets so long that the end of the line is no longer visible, then politely point out to the picture-taker that the line has moved. That's probably enough to either spur the person to wrap up and move forward, or to tell you to go ahead of them.

And yes, I really think the onus is on the person BEHIND the picture taker to ask (politely) if they really want to go around, IF it's just a matter of filling a gap in the line. Think of other situations: if two people are talking in line and don't notice the line moving forward, and a gap appears, what do you do? Do you just go around them? Or don't you, at some point, politely point out the line has moved on?

If the line has disappeared from sight, then the onus is on the picture-taker to either wrap it up or indicate that people can go around.

Best post yet.

I would agree with the others that it was inappropriate for the woman taking the pictures to yell at the woman who went ahead. At the same token, she wouldn't have yelled if the woman had just waited or had asked if she could move ahead.

 

[KellyNY]

Best post yet.

I would agree with the others that it was inappropriate for the woman taking the pictures to yell at the woman who went ahead. At the same token, she wouldn't have yelled if the woman had just waited or had asked if she could move ahead.

Or if she wouldn't take so long OP would not skip her, chain of events.

 

[oobidoo]

I'm with you OP. I don't think you did anything wrong by going around. I feel like there is sort of an unspoken "line etiquette," in which people should behave a certain way, especially in a line that is always as long and tight as TSMM. I think it's rude to continue to stop and hold people up over and over again. Taking a minute to take some family pictures is one thing, but disregarding everyone behind you by taking your sweet time so that you can create perfect scrapbook pictures over and over again becomes a little hard to take after a while. I think it's unfair that you be scolded for passing, when the real responsibility lies with the folks who were continually holding up the entire line with total disregard for anyone else. If they were that upset over something like that, then I suspect they are the people that are going to always be upset when something doesn't go just their way. If that's the case, they probably spent most of their vacation upset, as I bet you weren't the only ones to go around them.

 

[ccgirl]

Or if she wouldn't take so long OP would not skip her, chain of events.

How long was so long? The OP stated they were taking a "rather lengthy photo shoot." How many pictures were they taking? How much further did she move up in line? I expect people to take pictures on their vacation. I'm not big on the hurry up and wait mentality.

Depending on how long the photo "shoot" was, I think they both are at fault.

 

[HelenParr]

Depending on how long the photo "shoot" was, I think they both are at fault.

This means you think the OP is wrong regardless of how long the wait was.

(Are we at ten pages yet? )

 

[KellyNY]

How long was so long? The OP stated they were taking a "rather lengthy photo shoot." How many pictures were they taking? How much further did she move up in line? I expect people to take pictures on their vacation. I'm not big on the hurry up and wait mentality.

Depending on how long the photo "shoot" was, I think they both are at fault.

It is all individual, you cannot put number on how long.
I am also a picture taker and yes it is a vacation but I recognize that basic rule of line to move when people move and when I want to enjoy some details of the line for a while, I letting people pass me without even questioning it. I am not going to bother myself with details like how many feet is the gap, what is expected speed and so on, common it is ridiculous. I do not mind to stop and get on the ride few minutes later, I am relaxed on vacation and do not want to bother anyone who is also on vacation by expecting them to accomodate me.

 

[jship210]

I would have offered to take their picture, and it might have put an end to it, they'd be happy and the line would move... JMO.

 

[ccgirl]

This means you think the OP is wrong regardless of how long the wait was.

(Are we at ten pages yet? )

Not necessarily. If they were only taking a couple of pictures. Yes, if they were there for more than a couple of minutes, I would have politely pointed out that the line had moved.

It is all individual, you cannot put number on how long.
I am also a picture taker and yes it is a vacation but I recognize that basic rule of line to move when people move and when I want to enjoy some details of the line for a while, I letting people pass me without even questioning it. I am not going to bother myself with details like how many feet is the gap, what is expected speed and so on, common it is ridiculous. I do not mind to stop and get on the ride few minutes later, I am relaxed on vacation and do not want to bother anyone who is also on vacation by expecting them to accomodate me.

Sometimes I stop and might take a picture or two. I have never had a problem with anyone letting me do this. I don't wait up the person's butt in front of me. I have two small kids who tend not to stand still. Sometimes people have asked me to move up and I just politely tell them I am trying to give the person in front of me personal space. That is usually the end of it.

 

[KellyNY]

Not necessarily. If they were only taking a couple of pictures. Yes, if they were there for more than a couple of minutes, I would have politely pointed out that the line had moved.



Sometimes I stop and might take a picture or two. I have never had a problem with anyone letting me do this. I don't wait up the person's butt in front of me. I have two small kids who tend not to stand still. Sometimes people have asked me to move up and I just politely tell them I am trying to give the person in front of me personal space. That is usually the end of it.

Moving when people move does not mean jumping on people in front of you, it is perfectly normal to have some personal space around you but it is not what we are talking about.
As for pictures it all depends, if I only make a fast shoot or two I do not step out and it usually takes only few moments. If I however want to take multiple shoots, like in OP case, I let people pass, not a big deal, I want to take my time and I will not hold others. You should see me in Kali River line, it takes me about 15 min longer to get the ride because I constantly stepping out and take way too many pictures but I do not bother a single person around me.

 

[kmann728]

When I was in WDW last week I was taking a ton of pictures. I didn't mind if people passed me if there was no line in sight. I did have a few people stop and wait and I just told them they could go on, I would be a few minutes. I don't think it's polite for people to pass me just to fill a 5ft gap. It doesn't get them on the ride any faster, so my picture taking isn't wasting their time.

 

[TinkBride]

Were you wrong? No.
Were you right? Not necessarily.

There is really not a "right" or "wrong" here. Most people who are holding up a line with photo taking will tell people to go ahead of them if they are going to be a while. (at least in my experience).

In this case, I probably would have went ahead of the group if they were taking a while. I don't mind a quick shot or two, afterall they deserve the memories as much as anyone else. But, there needs to be some common courtesy to all the others in line as well.

How many photos does one need of Mr. Potato Head?

 

[P00H1010]

Apparently you do condone line cutting. The op has admitted that waitiing for the picture takers would not have increased their wait time one bit in comparison to if the people had not taken pictures. By cutting in line they did manage to decrease their wait time (barely). I don't believe that the op was thinking "oh here is my chance to cut and shorten my wait time", but was overtaken by a momentary lack of patience. I really don't get the huge obsession with an occasional gap in the line as long it doesn't affect the overall wait time. Patience is a virtue.

I also don't think that the people who got cut acted appropriately. Not a huge deal in the big scheme of things.

Line cutting is rude, and I've had it happen to me several times at Disney and other places. When it does happen to me, I do not say anything, I generally roll my eyes to whoever I am with and let it go....so no....I do not condone it nore do I do it.

As I stated previously...I do not have a problem with people taking pictures, I myself like to take several pictures while on vacation. Was it right for the person to "cut' in front, probably not...but there comes a time where "doing the right thing isn't doing the right thing" so to speak. I was not there, I do not know how much the line had moved while the people were taking pictures. Say the line moved 1 or 2 families worth while the pictures takers were having their photoshoot....not a big deal, finish your pictures and move on. But if the line was continuing to move and there was a gap of say 10 families....I feel that then becomes a problem. At that point the group of people taking pictures are not being considerate to the other guests, they are not the only ones at Disney lol. If there is a huge empty gap in the middle of the line because someone is taking pictures that holds things up for everyone behind them.

If I were taking a long time taking pictures I would of told the people behind me to move up. And if I were in the ops position (given it was a large gap) I probably would of moved up....BUT, when the people got done taking their pictures I would of told them they could have their spot in line back. I wouldn't have "left them out in the cold" so to speak, I would of kept the line going as it should be.