Disney wants you to wait in lines. Could this true?

[dwaters]

Cracked.com recently posted an article on Disney Parks and somone wrote this in the comments section--

from Lizard919
"I have another one for you; you know how Disneyland is infamous for the ridiculously long lines? Well, my dad used to be an imagineer, and one of the things he designed was a counting algorithm to decide exactly how long the lines should be because Disney WANTS you to wait in line for half and hour exactly in America (and this changes based on country, which is who the lines are 2 hours long in Tokyo Disneyland, Japanese people will happily wait in line for four times longer than Americans), because they think you value the experience more if you wait for it. The employ some of the best engineers in the world, if they wanted to have no lines at all the could quite easily design it, but if you could get on any ride whenever you wanted you wouldn't appreciate it and you might feel like that 70 dollar ticket was a ripoff. So disney did studies and found that half and hour was the sweet spot for americans, it wasn't long enough that they gout angry and bored but was still enough time your you to savor the experience and make it seem magical."

Read more: The 5 Most Unsettling Disney Theme Park Easter Eggs | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_1997...ney-theme-park-easter-eggs.html#ixzz24VNr7QwU

(^the easter eggs, or secrets, are all basic common knowledge to anyone who's spent time on this board.)

I had never heard this theory (it's more special if you have to wait). Anyone else?

I always thought that Disney wanted people not to be in lines, when they could be spending time...and money...in gift shops, restaurants, and snack stands. That's why we have Fastpass- though I guess that still puts them in a "virtual" line.
Though I suppose lines do serve a purpose of "absorbing" people, especially on days like Christmas when the sidewalks are barely navigable.

I've just never heard anyone come back from the parks saying, "It was nice, but I wish we could have waited in more lines"

 

[jesswindsor]

I think Disney knows how to control the flow of people, there are lines for a reason. They have done a good job hiding hidden mickey's, and the details and even now they have interactive lines. I don't think they truly "want" lines, with the fast passes and all but I think they know there is going to be at least some lines and they want to make it as good as waiting can be.

 

[nessz79]

I'm not sure if they want lines, but there is some truth in appreciating a ride more when you've had to wait for a little bit of time. Not that I don't love waits of 0-5 minutes, but there is something to say about a 20 minute wait in a good queue. It increases the anticipation.

I'm not expert, though, so I have no idea if that blog is remotely true.

 

[dwaters]

This is the part I'm having the hardest time with--

"if they wanted to have no lines at all the could quite easily design it"

It makes it sound so easy- just choosing to have lines or no lines according to your whim. This doesn't account for things like the ride breaking down or a guest standing up or attempting to exit or other things that just happen.

I agree about anticipating as you wait, but I'd still rather anticipate for five minutes versus 25. (not to mention getting excited on the way to Florida and in the hotel the night before).

Maybe they could develop a Slowpass line for those who want to check out the details and looks for hidden mickeys?

 

[blearbear4]

I have always heard that there is a minimum number of attractions a guest needs to ride to be inspired to return. Whereas if you ride under the minimum you will have felt like you did not experience much or you felt like you spent too much of your vacations in line.

So if Disney is so concerned with guests hitting the minimum number, why are they ensuring that there are lines? Seems counterproductive. But, who knows?

 

[Cafeen]

It makes perfect business sense.

If there were never any lines for anyone, you could finish each park in a day (or so) and then be done. The lines allow for people to slow down and stretches out the time spent in the parks, and thus, the time spent on the vacation.

Furthermore, the lines suck up the people in the park like a sponge. When you have 10,000 people in a park, it's going to feel far less crowded with much of that crowd in several lines than it would with them in the pathways, thus giving a better overall experience.

However, there's a fine balance between reasonable lines and unreasonable, which is what Disney attempted to balance out with the FP system. Taking a 2hr headliner line and splitting it up among lower demand rides, shops, and eateries makes things seem overall less crowded, since the crowd is more dispersed and there aren't any huge waits at one particular spot. It also makes the overall experience more attractive as cutting the lines down to reasonable levels keeps guests returning. Of course, it didn't work 100% to plan, I'm sure, as there were many lines that still grew huge.

It's all about controlling the flow. Too fast, and they're done all the parks in 4 days and head out. Too slow, and all they see is the lines and have no desire to return (or spend more money).

At least, that's how I see it.

 

[andyman8]

Whether or not this is true, I don't know, but what I do know is Disney wants as much control as possible like any other business. This is basic economics.

That being said, I'm sure there is a way to significantly reduce wait times. Don't know how much it would cost, though. If there's a will, there's a way. The thing that might be worth questioning about this comment is that if Disney wanted people to wait 30 minutes in line, why not "design" a way to make all waits thirty minutes no more no less?

To me, a 30 minute line is my "cut-off." I will get in line for an attraction if it's listed at 30 minutes but not for any longer.

 

[dwaters]

If there were never any lines for anyone, you could finish each park in a day (or so) and then be done.

Even if every ride was a walk-on, I think it would still be hard to experience everything in Magic Kingdom with the parades, fireworks, streetmosphere shows, character meets, dining options, shopping, etc. in just one day. (not to mention riding the same ride multiple times....just because you can)


(ever notice how much effort they put into NOT showing any kind of line anywhere on those shows about the parks on Disney and Orlando TV hotel channels? They should do a show with Stacey or whoever getting less perky as they wait...and wait... and wait... )

 

[mattsdragon]

As a kid, Cracked was my favorite Mazagine, even moreso than Mad, and I follow the website to this day (they got robbed, stupid terrorists attacked them, otherwise they'd still be publishing today).

That having been said, I am dubious to believe anything I read on Cracked.com, they are a spoof site, and most people that post on their are full of . . .

 

[dwaters]

Cracked.com, they are a spoof site, and most people that post on their are full of . . .

Yeah, you wouldn't believe how many people on there are claiming to have visited Disneyland's exclusive Club 33. I'm sure some of them have, but not all......

 

[mattsdragon]

As a kid, Cracked was my favorite Mazagine, even moreso than Mad, and I follow the website to this day (they got robbed, stupid terrorists attacked them, otherwise they'd still be publishing today).

That having been said, I am dubious to believe anything I read on Cracked.com, they are a spoof site, and most people that post on their are full of . . .

Alright, totally off topic, but as a loyal Cracked reader (Sylvester P. Smythe for Prez), I have to relate this ancedote. . .

Bill Gaines used to keep a voodoo doll on his desk with pins stuck in it with the names of all the different spoof mags that would come out, then he had a little pin cushion that kept the pins of all the mags that failed. His biggest failure, in his telling, was that he could never get the Cracked pin removed from that doll. He died before Cracked was bought out by the World Weekly News, who then received an envelope with white powder in it after the attacks of 9/11, and that effectively killed the entire publisher's company.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

A little off topic, but my friend and I went on the Golden Zephyr at Disneyland. We literally walked on, no wait, and the ride hadn't been going before we walked up. I will point out that I had seen it going, and knew what the ride was about. Well, my friend didn't realize that the ride went out over the water and she totally flipped. (Not that that's abnormal for her - she loves flipping out on rides) She kept saying "There's a reason the lines are supposed to be long!"

 

[cm8]

Alright, totally off topic, but as a loyal Cracked reader (Sylvester P. Smythe for Prez), I have to relate this ancedote. . .

Bill Gaines used to keep a voodoo doll on his desk with pins stuck in it with the names of all the different spoof mags that would come out, then he had a little pin cushion that kept the pins of all the mags that failed. His biggest failure, in his telling, was that he could never get the Cracked pin removed from that doll. He died before Cracked was bought out by the World Weekly News, who then received an envelope with white powder in it after the attacks of 9/11, and that effectively killed the entire publisher's company.

 

[seethelight]

Very interesting!

 

[Phatoomch]

Cracked.com recently posted an article on Disney Parks and somone wrote this in the comments section--

from Lizard919
"I have another one for you; you know how Disneyland is infamous for the ridiculously long lines? Well, my dad used to be an imagineer, and one of the things he designed was a counting algorithm to decide exactly how long the lines should be because Disney WANTS you to wait in line for half and hour exactly in America (and this changes based on country, which is who the lines are 2 hours long in Tokyo Disneyland, Japanese people will happily wait in line for four times longer than Americans), because they think you value the experience more if you wait for it. The employ some of the best engineers in the world, if they wanted to have no lines at all the could quite easily design it, but if you could get on any ride whenever you wanted you wouldn't appreciate it and you might feel like that 70 dollar ticket was a ripoff. So disney did studies and found that half and hour was the sweet spot for americans, it wasn't long enough that they gout angry and bored but was still enough time your you to savor the experience and make it seem magical."

Read more: The 5 Most Unsettling Disney Theme Park Easter Eggs | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_1997...ney-theme-park-easter-eggs.html#ixzz24VNr7QwU

(^the easter eggs, or secrets, are all basic common knowledge to anyone who's spent time on this board.)

I had never heard this theory (it's more special if you have to wait). Anyone else?

I always thought that Disney wanted people not to be in lines, when they could be spending time...and money...in gift shops, restaurants, and snack stands. That's why we have Fastpass- though I guess that still puts them in a "virtual" line.
Though I suppose lines do serve a purpose of "absorbing" people, especially on days like Christmas when the sidewalks are barely navigable.

I've just never heard anyone come back from the parks saying, "It was nice, but I wish we could have waited in more lines"

One of the oldest marketing tricks in the book, make them wait, absorb them, let them become invested - when big designers (Chanel, LV etc) bring out a new range or item that they want to be 'hot' they release it and advertise it as back-ordered when it isn't. If customers have to wait for it, the anticipation creates that special feel.

Interesting to hear it from a Disney perspective

 

[dwaters]

That's why you can't just drive up to the Magic Kingdom, park, and walk in.

Everybody has to either take a bus, monorail, or a ferry boat to get there. I've always thought that was brilliant planning on their part... building a real sense of anticipation...("are we there yet?" "Almost") and a sense that you've had a journey when you do arrive onto Main Street.

 

[waffles77]

I would enjoy never having to wait in lines......BUT there are so many rides where you would miss the experience. For example, if you zoomed through the queue of Expedition Everest, think of all the details that we would miss.

I don't like to wait, but I also don't mind the fact that most of the ride queues don't seem as long as the time you spent there.

Note: I did say most. I don't think I would want to spend an hour in line at It's a Small World....much less interesting and no value is added to the experience.