How do you pass time waiting in line?

[disneyfifs]

Hi, Our large group of adults and children will be going to DL this summer. I know that we will be waiting in looong lines. What do you do to help pass the time, for adults and kids. I've seen for kids, tell jokes, eat snacks and blow bubbles. I've seen for adults, play a cosmetic surgery game called Which Disney character needs a make over? For example: Pinocchio needs a nose job, Dumbo needs an ear tuck, Ursula needs lipo. Please share your ideas. Thank you!

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

We're 2 adults (21 & 22) and we play Disney alphabet! We take turns and go in alpha order Disney characters. A Alice, B Belle, C Cinderella.. etc.. All the way to Z! Some letters I get stuck on.

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

I guess people watching and talking!!!!

I think we should try other things....

 

[Mugglemama]

i have 4 kids, and we usually bring disney themed toys with us to the parks. for instance, at the disney store, you'll find toy cameras, toy flip phones, toy hand-held fans, etc., all with different disney characters on them. also, there are the light-up spinney toys that are great at night.

anyway, we bring a backpack with lots of those little things in them, and those have helped us keep little hands (and minds) busy while in line.

also, we always are sure to have snacks and drinks handy. little bags of goldfish crackers, granola bars, apples (maybe you could dry some in the dehydrator before vacation, those are always a hit!), and cold drinks.

i HATE giving my kids hard candy, but you'd be amazed how much peace a lollipop can afford you in line, lol. especially those spinning ones....it's a toy and candy all in one. pez could serve the same purpose...there are several different types of candy dispenser type toys...if you check somewhere like toys'r'us ahead of time.

i've even brought little bitty notebooks and pens/pencils because my kids like to doodle and that keeps them occuppied. we don't have to bring this type of thing out much anymore, as my youngest is now 4, and we work really hard to avoid long lines (RideMax and FP's). the things i got the best results out of over the years though, were lollipops (they sell them in disney character shapes in bundles, like 6 for $4 or something, in most of the shops), the hand-held fans, and the light-up spinney toys. the toy flip phones keep them pretty busy as well (they sell them at wal-mart for about $3, and they say different phrases and the buttons make noises....they have better ones, more variety, at the disney store for about $5 each).

good luck, and have fun!!

 

[avalon451]

We just don't wait in long lines!

Don't need to EVER wait in a line longer than maybe 15 minutes max, if you know how to use Fastpass. I refuse to wait in those lines, it's just not necessary if you can get yourselves to the gate at opening, have a reasonable touring plan in place, and collect FPs to use later.

 

[Sherwin]

I guess people watching and talking!!!!

I think we should try other things....

I find that talking is such a good way to pass the time! Especially in the peak season, in those 45-60 min. lines, it's fun to be converse with not just friends, but others in line as well. I love interactive queues too. I know this isn't DL, but you know how they have that hole in the wall on the Mummy ride at Universal? WE used to have so much fun watching, laughing, and then getting watched and laughed at by people when we put our hands in the thing. I never did it. I was too afeared.

 

[Jennifer03]

I just talk to the person I'm with.

 

[LavenderPeach]

We've never actually done this in line at DLR but when we are on car trips DH and I will take turns whistling or humming a song and the other person has to guess it. We do all different types of music: modern songs, 80s songs, jingles, theme songs and showtunes, and whatever else pops into our minds. Not sure if it would be too noisy (or annoying to others) to do this in line but it's a fun game so thought I would mention it.

 

[dmked]

We just don't wait in long lines!

Don't need to EVER wait in a line longer than maybe 15 minutes max, if you know how to use Fastpass. I refuse to wait in those lines, it's just not necessary if you can get yourselves to the gate at opening, have a reasonable touring plan in place, and collect FPs to use later.

Ditto! We never waited in line for very long and we were there in the middle of the summer.

 

[Hollsey]

Everyone's favorite Disney secret: Hidden Mickeys! We like to look for them a lot, and it usually passes a lot of time.

My family is also really amazed by the detail that goes into everything, so even though we'll ride a particular ride a dozen times in one trip, we'll still admire the detail that went into making the area where the line is at. The Indiana Jones que kept my dad in me in a conversation for pretty much the entire time that were were waiting in line!

We also share favorite Disney memories and stuff Like when we rode the Jungle Cruise, I told my family (and the people we were with) that the first time I rode it, the Skipper warned all of the parents to take their little kids with them or else they would end up as one of the kids in it's a small world! He said that happened to him once, and to make sure we leave the boat! I believed him so much that not only did I run out of that boat, but I had nightmares So things like that

When I was little, my parents would get me excited about the ride and ask us the same questions we had answered 5 million times that day: Who are you going to sit next to? Where do you want to go next? Who do you want to see the most? And we usually got into long, detailed conversations. But we were really talkative little kids, so it might be different for us. We had the energy of who knows what!

 

[mousireid]

I always bring wee surprises for my kids whenever I have to wait in any line, anywhere (15 monutes is long for my Autistic son!) So I bring those little bottles of bubbles, a wee piece of gum or hard candy and squishy balls (sensory) as well as the odd wee tiny toy or mini notebooks and pens. I spy is good and we do like to chat with others or discuss what is coming next! We had to re-schedule our trip and are going FRIDAY so CANNOT wait!

 

[prncssmel]

I guess people watching and talking!!!!

My absolute favorite way to pass time -- checking out everyone else in line.

We just don't wait in long lines!

Don't need to EVER wait in a line longer than maybe 15 minutes max, if you know how to use Fastpass. I refuse to wait in those lines, it's just not necessary if you can get yourselves to the gate at opening, have a reasonable touring plan in place, and collect FPs to use later.

I agree. Study up on FP, and you won't have long lines even in the summer.

I love interactive queues too.

A lot of the queues have neat stuff you might not notice if you aren't paying attention. Do a little research and pay attention as you walk through, and you can point out lots of little details. In Indiana Jones, for instance, there's the rope pull and the engravings on the walls.

 

[LavenderPeach]

My absolute favorite way to pass time -- checking out everyone else in line.

Along these lines, I've found that my time waiting in line has been a study in teenager fashions! I guess I've just been fascinated by the styles that make me feel like I've taken a time machine back to the 80s! The skinny jeans, the whispy/feathery hair, the vans with no socks, the big purses. Last weekend we saw some really bright neon pink pants! Maybe I'm just getting old.

 

[kerickson]

i have 4 kids, and we usually bring disney themed toys with us to the parks. for instance, at the disney store, you'll find toy cameras, toy flip phones, toy hand-held fans, etc., all with different disney characters on them. also, there are the light-up spinney toys that are great at night.

anyway, we bring a backpack with lots of those little things in them, and those have helped us keep little hands (and minds) busy while in line.

also, we always are sure to have snacks and drinks handy. little bags of goldfish crackers, granola bars, apples (maybe you could dry some in the dehydrator before vacation, those are always a hit!), and cold drinks.

i HATE giving my kids hard candy, but you'd be amazed how much peace a lollipop can afford you in line, lol. especially those spinning ones....it's a toy and candy all in one. pez could serve the same purpose...there are several different types of candy dispenser type toys...if you check somewhere like toys'r'us ahead of time.

i've even brought little bitty notebooks and pens/pencils because my kids like to doodle and that keeps them occuppied. we don't have to bring this type of thing out much anymore, as my youngest is now 4, and we work really hard to avoid long lines (RideMax and FP's). the things i got the best results out of over the years though, were lollipops (they sell them in disney character shapes in bundles, like 6 for $4 or something, in most of the shops), the hand-held fans, and the light-up spinney toys. the toy flip phones keep them pretty busy as well (they sell them at wal-mart for about $3, and they say different phrases and the buttons make noises....they have better ones, more variety, at the disney store for about $5 each).

good luck, and have fun!!

Great tips! We usually go off season and are very spoiled about pretty much walking onto rides (I've never understood waiting in line when you can get a FassPass?), but this year we are going in May, Aug and Christmas I'm hoping to learn how to beat the crowds and entertain my little ones as we progress to the busier seasons.

 

[Pir8girl]

Like PP's have mentioned we wait as little as possible by utilizing RideMax and FP's. On occasion when we do wait, we do "name that movie." One of us says a line from a movie and the rest guess the movie. If your kids are school age, bring mad libs. Those are fun and pass the time quickly.

 

[Sherwin]

A lot of the queues have neat stuff you might not notice if you aren't paying attention. Do a little research and pay attention as you walk through, and you can point out lots of little details. In Indiana Jones, for instance, there's the rope pull and the engravings on the walls.

Is that the one thing in the queue where there is like a pole in the ceiling, and if you pull it, the ceiling will lower? I heard about it, but never tried. I also heard that they disabled that function?

 

[Teki]

I just enjoy talking with my friends and family, its a great way to spend time with someone. One trip my sister brought her crowshay (sp?) needles and knitted a whole scarf while waiting in lines. Snacking is also a good idea for both kids an adults

 

[Mike_M]

It depends on the Queue I'm waiting in. Most of the time I'll strike up a conversation with someone in line. At HM, I'm reading the tombsones and admiring the house. POTC, once I'm inside I like watching the people float past who have just finished the ride. Indy and WFRR, I'm totally immersed in the excellent theming of the queues.

 

[prncssmel]

Is that the one thing in the queue where there is like a pole in the ceiling, and if you pull it, the ceiling will lower? I heard about it, but never tried. I also heard that they disabled that function?

The pole is actually a separate thing. There is a pole in the room with all the spikes that if you push, it sounds like the ceiling is falling. I have seen it both working and non-working, so I don't know whether it still works. Last time I was there the rope pull still worked. There is a rope that goes down into a well looking thing, with a sign that says not to pull. If you pull, a voice comes on saying "We're trying to work down here" and stuff like that.

We also look for hidden Mickeys or other hidden Disney stuff in line, like the Eeyore parking lot sign in Indy.

 

[Sherwin]

The pole is actually a separate thing. There is a pole in the room with all the spikes that if you push, it sounds like the ceiling is falling. I have seen it both working and non-working, so I don't know whether it still works. Last time I was there the rope pull still worked. There is a rope that goes down into a well looking thing, with a sign that says not to pull. If you pull, a voice comes on saying "We're trying to work down here" and stuff like that.

We also look for hidden Mickeys or other hidden Disney stuff in line, like the Eeyore parking lot sign in Indy.

I'm gonna try it when I go down. I hope they didn't disable it. I heard they did out of a safety concern? Ugh, I have no clue.

Also, for those bloggers, video logging is a pretty fun way to catch your subscribers up when queuing.