How early does the line form at your TDS on Saturdays?

[Belle1962]

How early do you get to your Disney Store on Saturdays? We have people lining up at 7:30 (1 or 2) and then the rest start filtering in around 8:30. By store opening (10:00 am) we usually have about 30 people in line. We've organized ourselves into a nice group. The first person there starts a list and everyone writes down their name in order that they came in. That way, if anyone wants to go grab a bite at the food court or use the facilities, everyone knows where they were in line. A week or so ago we had a problem with someone saying it wasn't fair that people were getting "out of line" to use the facilities, smoke or grab a bite to eat--and bring it back--but we just ignored them and kept doing it our way anyway. It's not like people sign up and then leave for hours and come back and expect their place in line to be held--it's more like 15 minutes. How does it work at your store?

 

[NHMickey]

we had no line... Well the first week we had 3 people. Last week I didn't see anyone till I was leaving.

 

[snowgooseltd]

Can I come to your store?? We're in Taunton, Massachusetts and two very nice men are always first in line, at approximately 5:45-6:00AM. Last week we arrived at 6:30, my husband and I, and were numbers four and five. Everyone knows where he/she belongs, in line, and there is never a problem leaving for coffee or the facilities. Why so early you ask?? Well, our store has run out of one or two pins every week since the first week, so traditionally, the fifth or sixth person in line begins to lose out on getting a whole set. The first two weeks we were numbers seven and eight and had to spend the rest of the day scurrying around MA and RI looking for the missing pins. I will say that we've become friends and picked up pins at other stores for those in line who missed out, but my husband is not too happy with Disney, at this point. He feels he has other things to do on Saturday rather than chasing pins. I love my pins and collecting and trading but I think I have to agree with him. It's becoming old, having one or two pins in very short supply, every week. Can you say "creating a demand?"

 

[Belle1962]

snowgooseltd--you're welcome at our store, but same as you, by about the 5th or 6th person in line you can't get a complete set. Actually--I think our store gets a little further back in the line because the pins that are "limited" that week, our store limits to ONE PER PERSON instead of the usual two. This gives more people a chance to get the complete the set. We saw a lot of sharky type people leave when that announcement was made 2 weeks ago. They usually come out around 9:30 and tell us what pin they didn't receive a lot of and will be limited to one. No one has really complained about this (even though we all know the real limit is 2). As far as earlier--I think our mall doesn't open until 7:30 (for the walkers) so no one is going to get in any earlier. HORRID THOUGHT---what if they start lining up OUTSIDE the mall to get inside to line up at TDS????? LOL. DH & I are not collecting the whole set--just pins we like. We've tried buying extra pins for trading but just can't figure out which ones will make good traders and don't really want to be stuck with pins we don't want so that's kinda a wasted effort. Since we are usually 2 or 3 in line, and we don't want to hold the line up while we decide what we want, we just buy the maximum allowed --2 of each and 1 of the low supply ones--go home, sort through them and then return the pins we aren't keeping Sunday or Monday.

NHMickey---does your store still have the two pin limit?

 

[NHMickey]

Sure you can... Taunton to Nashua is only about 40 mins.

 

[goofymom/pop]

Well our store was really quiet the first week about 5 or 6 of us. Now we are up to around the same 20 or so in line every week. I generally arrive around 9 and I am in the top four in the line. The store manager worked out a system in the second week of this endeavor. She boxes up as many complete sets as she thinks she'll need and we each get one upon entering the front door. You may purchase up to two pins of each style but this way alot of people (last week 18) are guarnteed a full set. We have no fighting or pushing ever at our store. The only change in the system has been that they now keep the extra new pins behind the counter so you can only ask for your two pin limit. We are getting pretty chummy our little group and look forward to hearing all the latest pin gossip each week. The only problem we have ever had was week three when the store only got in 3 or the 8 pins.....and the mgr. called all around and rounded up 7 whole sets so some of us got all the pins.

good luck tomorrow everyone

cindy

 

[jaross]

We've had it good here in Syracuse. We start lining up about 9:30 for a 10:00 open. There are usually about 20 people in line by 10:00. Most people usually get their pins. Then we go to the food court to trade! No one gets greedy when buying the pins. There is the two per person limit and the pins are kept behind the counter. I think that's key to keeping order.

Chris

 

[Brise Nannie]

Oh, I wish I lived near your store, Nat!

It's starting to get *ugly* at my TDS. Last week a husband and wife team tried to butt in line. We (in line ahead of them) didn't let them and SHE spent the entire time complaining to the CMs once she got inside the store. I've since spoken to the CMs onstage last Sat and they told me they can't believe the nerve of that couple especially after one CM came out prior to the store opening and asked us to PLEASE line up according to how we arrived. I'm dreading this Sat! We definitely need to adopt the *counting off* policy this week.

 

[lynxstch]

at our store there were only 3 of us there by 9:45..second week we were up to 4..third week there were about 10 lined up by 9:10..and last week there were 4 there when I arrived at 9:00 and by 10 there were about 20..it IS getting earlier and earlier every week, which is tough on someone like me who has to drive an hour to get there as it is!..mostly the same people every week, we are all bonding and sharing Disney stories while waiting..everyone went in in the order they were standing in line..no problems except for a large woman who hadn't been in the line at all..pushing her way in front of me (I was #5)..I told her politely the end of the line was back near the door,and although she wasn't happy, she moved..I think I was silently "cheered" by the rest of the line..lol!!..pins are kept at the counter..limit to 2 sets per person, but most people I observed only got one set..so everyone in line got what they wanted!

 

[Belle1962]

Brise Nanny---why don't you all do what we do? We just start a list on a sheet of paper. The store doesn't do it, we just do it so WE KNOW (like we don't anyway) but it keeps those people who came late from thinking we don't know they were late.

 

[n2mm]

Brise nannie, what store in MD do you go to. I need to know so that I can avoid it. My sister and I both go to different stores in MD. She to Marley Station and me to Frederick. They still put them on the rack at my store, so only the ones with the longest arms gets all of their pins. Last week my grandson managed to crawl between someones legs and get the pin he needed, Davey Crockett! I wish they would do some of the things posted here. It does get worse each week. Though no one is evil, it's just too many people reaching into such a small space all at the same time. Especially last week with Davey and Jasmin being so few. It all takes about 5 minutes. I find it especially stressful.

 

[Sorcerer]

Wow - our store isn't too bad (I've been lucky to work every Sat morning so far for it, although tomorrow I'll be outside the gate in line with everyone else)

We normally have about 10 people in line when we open the gate, and no-one tries to push or shove their way in front of anyone else. We have our system down pat...we open the gate, escort the line into the store and hand the pins to the guests as they request them. No-one is allowed to get their own pins from the rack until the line has been satisfied. Last week there were people already in line (about 5) when I got there at 9:20...I think they started getting there at 9am. Tomorrow I plan to be there at least by 9 so I can get the pins I want!

 

[Jenwdwfan]

Things have gotten better at my store since week 2. The store is in the local mall
and the mall opens to walkers at 8am. I'm usually 2nd in line, and I arrive around 8:50am.
everyone else starts coming in around 9am, and by 9:30 we have about 30+ people in line.
It is a very orderly line, and so far everyone has been ok with someone getting out of line to
get a drink, use restroom etc....
The pins are all behind the counter. The CM's have bagged sets, and we are limited to two sets a person. The pins are kept behind the counter, usually until Sun. Last week, they opened the store 15min early to distribute the pins, so they could help regular shoppers at normal store opening.
Things seem to be much better, although pins still seem to be scarce.

Jen

 

[shirley 38]

I have been opening our store since the pins came out. We have a very good system and very good guest. George is always the first one there.
We are up to about 12 people right now.
We will ask the guest how many sets they want and make them up ahead of time and put them in a basket so they have them and do not have to check out immeadately.

By the way The disney stores will always have a sale going. Some of our pins are 25% off now. We are a gallery store and get the magical moment pins.