Is this acceptable or considered cutting in line?

[mommymeg]

I try to go to the World with the attitude of "don't let the little things bother you.." Why would I want to waste my energy getting upset about 1 man trying to catch up with his family at Disney World of all places... whether for Fastpasses or potty breaks... a group of 20 being rude and jumping to the front of a line is a different story, I would then politely point the situation out to a cast member... Otherwise I give them a smile as they pass by me, knowing that it all likelihood they are there with their family...quite possibly after years of saving and planning and dreaming of giving their family this experience... the last thing I would want to do is be stuck in their memory as the cranky mom who gave them a hard time because little Johnny had to pee..
And on the same hand...some people are misearable no matter where they are... I would not personally leave a line and assume that I won't get dirty looks trying to get back to my spot...so I'd avoid the situation at all possible.
WDW is the last place on Earth that I'd want to be ticked off at... so to answer your question, I'd let it slide...but would never do it myself..

 

[2mickeysandaminnie]

I agree, take your child to the restroom and feel free to get back in line with the rest of your family. One or two people catching up to the rest of their party on line would be acceptable to me any more than that would be "line jumping"

Hard topic, everyone feels different

 

[Mickey Fanatic]

I have no problem if it is one person, or on person with child.

Once though there was a big ruckus behind us and the people behind us said to us that there was a group of about seven people, teens, kids and adults, trying to get to a group of two ahead. Anyway people behind us were saying no you can't go forward. The people they were trying to meet started ruckusing (s that even a word) and then gave up. So did the group behind. And we all rode happily ever after. Actually I think the the group ahead ended up joining the group in the back of the line.

 

[monkeybug]

It wouldn't bother me one bit, but I'm not bothered by much (especially on vacation). I guess I figure it's not costing me any of my time, obviously the family doing it feels the need to save time, and I really don't care enough to dwell on it. I am also the kind of person who always allows someone with just a few items to jump ahead of me at the store, and if I see someone who just emptied their cart on the way back from returning mine I always offer to bring it up for them. I guess I don't mind giving up a little of my time to help make someones day easier, I know I always appreciate when others do the same for me!
I don't think we would do it just because my husband would probably get lost, find a funnel cake stand, get tired of trying to find his way back and go somewhere to take a nap!
Now if a group of 15 jumped ahead...well that would probably be a bit different.
Oh and I wouldn't mind if someone stepped out of line to take a phone call either, in fact I would prefer that to them standing next to me!

 

[avahoneybee]

So let's talk about if you move down to the end of the row during a show.

 

[catne]

One alternative to the OP's scenario is to send the fastpass "runner" ahead of the group to get the fastpass - i.e., don't wait until you're already in line to send someone for a fastpass. Sending a "runner" ahead always worked well for us because the parent walking with the little ones never could go as fast as a single adult can. Usually, husband went ahead of the kiddies & me; he would take all the tickets & go get us all a fastpass somewhere near where we were headed (like getting a Peter Pan fastpass when we were on our way to Fantasyland) If we got to the ride ahead of him, we'd just wait - no more than a minute or two - but most of the time he beat us to the ride line anyway, especially if I had to park a stroller & get a kid out, etc.

We followed the "wait until group is all together" procedure before entering a line...like they announce at Toy Story Mania. Levels the playing field, so to speak.

If a child has to leave a line to use the restroom...well, that's kind of a gray area. I guess I don't have a problem with them rejoining the line - but an adult that left to go get fastpasses or snacks...no.

 

[PatsMom]

We use DD as a fastpass runner just to save DH and me some walking. He and I will proceed to whatever attraction we are going on (or a nearby smoking area so he can have a cigarette) and wait for DD to join us before we get in line together. IMHO anything else is line cutting. I'm not going to waste my time being in a snit if you push past me but you'll get the stink eye, or what my DH calls my "you are beeing a real *** look".

 

[livndisney]

Send DH for fastpasses, then you take the little ones for a potty break and then all enter the line together. No time wasted, no muss no fuss.

 

[paxsarah]

It's clearly line-cutting and is probably against whatever rules Disney has in place for these kinds of things. Moreover, it takes advantage of people's sentimentality and sympathy for a daddy who's just trying to do something nice for his family.

But imagine for a moment that it isn't a daddy getting his family FASTPASSes; instead it's a loud, obnoxious stock broker who steps out of the queue to get better cell phone reception. This man wouldn't engender much sympathy if he tried to rejoin his party ahead in line. But, clearly, the stock broker's action has the exact same effect as the nice daddy's on the people he wants walk past on his way to a better position in the queue.

To be honest, this wouldn't particularly bother me either.

If it were only the father catching up to the rest of the family, I wouldn't have a problem with it. However, if the father were in line & the rest of the family came to catch up with him, then I'd be cranky. I guess it's a numbers game to me.

This is pretty much where I stand.

There are two questions being answered in this thread: 1. Would you do this? 2. Would it bother you if you saw others do it? For me, I wouldn't do it (possibly the toddler potty situation, but not the Fastpass scenario), but it wouldn't bother me to see one member of a party join the rest in line, for whatever reason.

 

[goofy4prez]

So let's talk about if you move down to the end of the row during a show.

Heck no I don't move. If I get there when they open the doors and take a center stage seat I'm staying there. No way am I moving for someone who gets there at the last minute and gets the choice seat. They can go around me.

 

[Suellen]

I guess my MAJOR problem with this kind of thing is "do for one and do for all" or "don't allow it at all"

The problem for me comes in the fact that I have two toddlers and I don't get in a line unless it is less than XX number of minutes (depending on time of day...etc I may get in a longer line) ~ having someone get in line and then the rest of the party joining them be it one or two people throws off the wait.

JMHO I wouldn't do it ~ but I also wouldn't say anything to you for doing it.

For what it is worth ~ we waited in line for Cinderalla's Caro ~ and RIGHT before we got on DD(3) had to go potty ~ I took her and left DH with DD(2) and when we came back we got back in line at the END of the line and waited our turn. Again ~ JMHO as to the right thing to do.

 

[Schmeck]

To the OP - how do you expect your husband to catch up to you? The queue for Winnie the Pooh is winding and not out in the open - your husband would have to push past a lot of people to get to you. That could cause a bit of a ruckus in line if someone decides to not let him go past them. You could be fairly far into the queue by the time he gets there, as Peter Pan is in the opposite direction in Fantasyland from Pooh.

 

[Tbelle1976]

Sorry, I would have to give the person trying to get in line a pretty nasty look. If you have to get out of line for something, then either your whole party can get out of line with you, or you can suck it up and let the rest of your party ride without you. It's really that simple.

 

[diskids2]

I wouldn't do it. If one person was trying to get past me to join his/her family...I wouldn't say anything. If more then one were doing it (and I do not mean an adult with a toddler)....I would and have said something and not let them pass. Numbers game for me too.

I understand that there are instances when one person (or a person with a toddler) would need to "catch up" to their family....but what I resent is when it is used as a touring "strategy" as oppossed to "an infrequent" issue.

Let's also face it....and I have two children...although grown up....they were both toddlers at WDW.....if you were on line for an hour.....you are pretty much "into" the bulk of the line and it is quite a chore to get out in the first place....so....I always have empathy for the "potty returning" adult!

 

[Jubilee]

Hmmm, I figured it would be a toss up. Since I've never been, I just didn't know if this was something that was 'common practice' in the parks or something frowned upon. I'm not really sure how I would look at it since I've never been there. I just figured if this was something that was common and everyone did it, then I might as well consider it. If not, then no biggie!

Thanks for your opinions though!

I agree..it's a mixed bag. You have to just think, basically, what if EVERYONE did it...would it be bothersome? The answer is yes because the line would grow so much if 1 person joined each group that it would eventually effect the wait time from what you thought you were waiting drastically.

However, if your husband was in line with you, then had to run and get something out of the stroller and come back, should you all leave the line and restart your wait over? No, I don't think so at all... but when he comes back, some of the people in line will probably be annoyed just the same as if he was cutting. You can't explain it to every person (your reasons) so you just have to do what you think is right. Personally, it doesn't bother me for any reason for 1 person to come catch up with their group...but when several join, it's slightly bothersome, just because it seems like they were doing something else and then they come cut (rather than just a mom taking 1 kid to go pee or something.)

Either way, most people take the kid to go pee and then all join the line together...or all go get the FPs together and then join the line together... so there's no need to worry about cutting etiquette.

Does Disney frown on it, per se? No...but I can't guarantee some jacked up tourist guy in a tank top and jean shorts isn't gonna be really hot and ticked off that day and say something to you...

That said, it'd DISNEY WORLD people...please lighten up. Smile...it confuses people!

 

[MissionWDW]

It wouldn't bother me in the least. 1 or 2 people is no biggie. But if it's 3 or more I might be a little miffed.

This is my thought too! The father is going to ride with his wife and kids. It's not like it is going to take up the rider behind him spot. Is the rider behind them really going to ride with someone else's kids?? As a mother of 4 little ones, I find this completely acceptable. Now if it was a whole group of people, then yeah...I wouldn't like that.

 

[Glencora]

I have to say, that with the potty break scenario, I can't really look at it as cutting in line - it's rejoining the line. If they were already ahead of you, they were ahead of you - and letting them back to their original place doesn't change your wait at all. I think of it as a fastpass scenario. Fastpasses were designed to let you do other things while the fastpass "holds" your place in line. You get to go on the ride faster because you waited, even though you weren't in line. So the family holding the place in line is kind of a "potty break fastpass" - just holding their place in line while they take care of business. Yes, I understand that if everyone did it for any reason, it would create chaos - I'm just saying that this is how I view this particular situation, and it doesn't bother me at all.

 

[kevgraub]

You obviously don't have toddlers. I do agree it could be annoying if a bunch of people showed up and cut in front, but there are circumstances (ie. a toddler who can't hold it after waiting in line for an hour to see Peter Pan). I really don't find this the end of the world and wouldn't ruin my vacation.

I think there is a difference here. I have no problem at all if a toddler (or even an adult for that matter) has been waiting quite a while in line and has to leave to use the bathroom, then catches back up with their family.

What we are talking about here though is one parent saying "Hey, you go get in line for us while we run to the bathroom (get fast passes, grab a snack, etc.) and then we will catch up with you."

If part of your group wants/needs to go do something prior to getting in line, I think you should have your group wait to get in line. Using the OP's question as an example - is it really that bad for the rest of the family to wait 5 minutes to get in the line for the Winnie the Pooh ride while they wait for dad to run over to Peter Pan and get FPs for later?

My thought is that if you know something is going to hold up part of your party before you get in line, the entire party should wait. If you are already in line and waiting for a while, and someone has to use the bathroom, especially a child - then I am perfectly fine with letting that person out of line to go to the bathroom and then joining back up with the rest of the part later in line.

 

[SpectroMax]

Its rude, its cutting line, its not acceptable . . . it may save you 4-5 mins. Is that really worth doing something that apparantly the majority of people consider tacky and rude.

 

[pearlieq]

I vote no.

I'm a bit more lenient about the whole toddler/bathroom thing because it's involuntary. They simply aren't able to judge those things or hold it. No one wants the ride shut down for cleaning!

But doing it for your own convenience (i.e. fastpasses, snacks, etc.) is rude, especially because given the way WDW designs the queues, you will have to push through people to rejoin your family. It seems wrong to me to inconvenience a bunch of people for your own gain.

How much time would this really save you? 5 minutes, tops? Doesn't seem worth it.

That being said, I can only recall one instance in 15+ recent trips where someone has asked to jump ahead of me in line.