How Long is Too Long? - Standby Lines

[Dreams0308]

I am curious about this, and I am not sure if someone has made a similar thread or post in the past...

How long is too long for you to consider waiting in a Standby line?

The reason I am asking this is because I feel like I am on a different page or that I don't understand where people are coming from in the discussions about FP+. So many people seem like they use (used) the FastPass system to ride all their rides, or the majority of them, and act like they never have waited in a line before. Maybe I'm an oddball, but I have waited in lots of Standby lines in my trips to the parks. I'm not a newbie or anything at all; I understand the FP systems, best times to ride, etc. I'm kind of a Disney Nerd!!!

This might just be because of the different ways in which everyone tours the parks, or different times of year where crowd levels might be different, which I totally understand. I am curious at what point people will say "Nope that is too long I will not wait in that line ever!"

This has to take into consideration too that sometimes the posted wait times are exaggerated. Sometimes I will go into a line that seems like a long wait because I think that I might be able to get on faster than what is posted (I might be right or wrong who knows!).

Personally, I think it's a little ridiculous to assume that without a FP+ you just can't ride a ride on your trip at all. That is, unless you really think the wait is so outrageous that it will take a significant valuable chunk out of your time at the park. Is that ride valuable enough to you (or members of your family) that waiting in line and getting to see/ ride the attraction is considered "worth the wait" rather than not seeing/ riding and moving onto something else?

I was thinking about listing all the rides and having people fill in times, but I think it might be better to just leave it up for discussion. I'm curious what people think so that I can better understand people's complaints about FP+ (and I know these aren't the only complaints)

 

[FLchick415]

I use the length of the ride to determine how long I'll wait in line.

For instance: If I wanna ride Goofy's Barnstormer, I won't wait any longer than 5 minutes. But for Splash, HM, Pirates, etc...they're all significantly longer so I'm willing to wait longer (20-30 min tops) as I feel the wait is worth it. Make sense?

We went to AK last May (Memorial Day weekend. Oy.) And I'll bet we waited probably close to an hour for Kali and I was so disappointed with how short the ride was. Wasn't worth the long wait.

 

[Eclectic Goddess]

It depends on the attraction, but usually my limit is about 45 minutes, if it's one I REALLY want to do and don't think I'll be able to revisit. If I'm on a multi-day trip and know that I will be able to come back and try again at a better time, then my maximum wait drops to about 25 minutes. This does change slightly for rides that have really great queues, where I know that 30 minutes in line will mostly be spent walking through and looking at the details.

Grain of salt in that I'm not a commando-style Disney traveller, and we tend to take our time and not fret doing every ride. I have a few favorites, and everything after that is Disney Magic.

I'm one of the handful that actually like FP+ so far, because it's meant that I can get FPs for those favorites in advance. (We always stay on-site.) There's going to be a lot of magic on the next trip!

 

[ougrad86]

When we used legacy FP, we generally would avoid lines longer than 20 minutes, we usually did pretty well and rode what we wanted to ride, including some multiple times. This year, during Spring Break, we will need to pack our patience and wait in a few lines. But we are planning our touring to hit them when they are as short as possible - including RD and late nights.

I use the Lines app as well, so I can see what the wait times are across the park, and what the actual expected time is. While not foolproof, it does work. But waiting in long SB lines is a bit alien to me, 20 was usually the maximum amount of time I had to wait.

 

[Dreams0308]

It depends on the attraction, but usually my limit is about 45 minutes, if it's one I REALLY want to do and don't think I'll be able to revisit. If I'm on a multi-day trip and know that I will be able to come back and try again at a better time, then my maximum wait drops to about 25 minutes. This does change slightly for rides that have really great queues, where I know that 30 minutes in line will mostly be spent walking through and looking at the details.

Grain of salt in that I'm not a commando-style Disney traveller, and we tend to take our time and not fret doing every ride. I have a few favorites, and everything after that is Disney Magic.

I'm one of the handful that actually like FP+ so far, because it's meant that I can get FPs for those favorites in advance. (We always stay on-site.) There's going to be a lot of magic on the next trip!

I am the same way. I'm not commando-style either. I think your point about the queues is good too. I love all the details and the stories behind everything....(I guess I'm def not commando-style) so I like to look at things and take pictures and just enjoy the environment.

I also like FP+ so far. I don't really think it is as earth-shattering as some people are making it out to be.

 

[MarciaBrady]

We were stupid when we went to Hollywood Studios (we thought fastpass cost money...don't ask...) Therefore we waited in standby lines the whole time. It didn't bug me because I am used to not having "cut-the-line" passes at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and stuff. I do hate waiting in line, but I just figure it's just one of the few rotten things about theme parks. Generally, I'll wait in line however long it takes for my first ride (as long as it's not going to be two hours or something), but if I want to reride, that 'willingtowait' time drops to around 30 minutes or so. Of course, walk-ons are always great!

 

[shyjade]

I use the length of the ride to determine how long I'll wait in line.

For instance: If I wanna ride Goofy's Barnstormer, I won't wait any longer than 5 minutes. But for Splash, HM, Pirates, etc...they're all significantly longer so I'm willing to wait longer (20-30 min tops) as I feel the wait is worth it. Make sense?

We went to AK last May (Memorial Day weekend. Oy.) And I'll bet we waited probably close to an hour for Kali and I was so disappointed with how short the ride was. Wasn't worth the long wait.

I completely agree with this. For example, if Haunted Mansion has a 30 minute wait, we're skipping it and riding it when it's 5-10 minutes (first thing in the morning, during the parades, late at night, etc.) Soarin', I will wait 30 minutes for, but not much longer. We have never done TSMM without FP+ because I refuse to run at rope drop or stand in 120 minute lines. Last year I rode Dumbo for the first time ever because it was walk-on, and before that I was never willing to wait in a long line for it.

We go during the week/slower times of the year, and go with a plan on what our "must do" big ticket rides are (Soarin, TSM, TT, etc.) and make sure we have FP+ booked for those rides or make sure we hit them at rope drop. It works for us...for now.

If standing in long lines for Disney rides becomes the norm (even with the above measures) we will stop visiting only because then it won't be a relaxing, fun vacation for me at that point. For me, a big part of the draw is the fact we can ride what we want to in a REASONABLE amount of time. I'm not going to drop thousands of dollars to spend our vacation in long lines. Along those lines, we live 90 minutes from Six Flags and we don't go there because standing in long lines is not fun for us, even if it is less than a tank of gas away and doesn't require a hotel or plane ticket.

 

[Mousemommy1]

I am the same way. I'm not commando-style either. I think your point about the queues is good too. I love all the details and the stories behind everything....(I guess I'm def not commando-style) so I like to look at things and take pictures and just enjoy the environment.

I also like FP+ so far. I don't really think it is as earth-shattering as some people are making it out to be.

I agree with you. I was not aware that there were so many people who refused to wait in line until FP+ rolled out. We are a family who barely ever used FP, because we get up too late and a lot of times FP's were gone by the time we ever hit the park. That being said, we have never had a problem riding what we want to ride...busy season, light season.....doesn't matter. If we want to ride it, we just wait in line. To us, no biggie.

The idea of FP+ is exciting to us because we will now be able to get FP's later in the day.

Although, I was talking to DH about which FP's to schedule and he said "or we can just wait in line..."

My kids are actually deciding on FP's based on which lines they don't want to miss...because they love a lot of them. It's part of the experience.

 

[Praying Colonel]

For me, it's a sliding scale depending on the attraction. Some attractions I'm not seeing if there's more than a 10 minute wait. Others, 20, etc.

I don't think I'd wait more than 40 minutes for any attraction in WDW. Too many other things to see and do.

But there's a cumulative aspect, too, and this is where FP+ could affect whether we're returning to WDW in the future. Under old Legacy FP, we could do a lot of attractions in a day. Under FP+ (especially at MK), it's going to significantly reduce the number of attractions we can experience in a day because we'll only have 3 FP+s--everything else will have to be done standby. If this reduces what we can do by increasing our standby waits, at some point we'll reach a point of diminishing returns where it's not worth it for us. What that point is, I don't know--and I hope Disney makes changes to FP+ so we never find out.

 

[FLchick415]

It also helps that I'm fairly local (only 3 hours away) and I can pretty much plan a quick trip whenever, so I don't worry if I can't hit certain rides.

 

[njforumrider18]

For me usually an hour tops (maybe longer depending on the ride). If i'm going to be at the parks a few days during the trip, I don't mind waiting in lines. I've grown up going to the Six Flags near me with lines that are typically an hour at their shortest, so wait times don't bother me too much.

 

[stinkpickle]

It depends on my mood. I've BOTH jumped in line with a 60 minute wait AND walked away from a 15 minute wait before. Sometimes, I just don't care.

 

[Dreams0308]

Are rides the top priority for your trip every time?


We have gone to Walt Disney World a few times and only gone to a park 1 day, and spent the rest of the time at the resorts and swimming, etc. Have you ever done a relax vacation and not worried about lines/ rides/ wait times? I personally LOVE so much of Disney that isn't just the rides and attractions. I love the atmosphere, the hotels, the food, the details...etc.

Is that just a trip/ style that is unheard of to most people on these boards?

 

[vicki_c]

My family has not done lines. We were heavy FP users and rope droppers, so lines have generally never been something we had to contend with. And that includes Christmas and New Year's, Easter, everything. Other than waiting for a parade or fireworks or some thing, I can honestly say I don't think we have ever waited more than 30 minutes for a ride at WDW and in that case, the posted wait time said something shorter. It would be unlikely that we would ever get in a line that said more than 20 minutes wait, and that would be pushing it.

My family would be miserable if our trips became all about waiting in lines. The phrase "or we can just wait in line" has never (and probably will never) come out of anyone's mouth at my house. Unless that meant 10 minutes!

To answer your 2nd question, we are not commandos. We usually take a BIG break in the middle of the day, every day, and return to do soemthing at night. But not always, some times we just stay at the resort. And we are not late night folks either.

 

[MarciaBrady]

Are rides the top priority for your trip every time?


We have gone to Walt Disney World a few times and only gone to a park 1 day, and spent the rest of the time at the resorts and swimming, etc. Have you ever done a relax vacation and not worried about lines/ rides/ wait times? I personally LOVE so much of Disney that isn't just the rides and attractions. I love the atmosphere, the hotels, the food, the details...etc.

Is that just a trip/ style that is unheard of to most people on these boards?

Me personally? That sort of trip would drive me insane... I can go swimming at my local pool. If I'm on vacation to theme parks, I want to be riding stuff and seeing shows unless I'm totally completely pooped out and tired. That's just me, though. My sister would probably like a relax vacation, though.

 

[Dreams0308]

I agree with you. I was not aware that there were so many people who refused to wait in line until FP+ rolled out. We are a family who barely ever used FP, because we get up too late and a lot of times FP's were gone by the time we ever hit the park. That being said, we have never had a problem riding what we want to ride...busy season, light season.....doesn't matter. If we want to ride it, we just wait in line. To us, no biggie.

The idea of FP+ is exciting to us because we will now be able to get FP's later in the day.

Although, I was talking to DH about which FP's to schedule and he said "or we can just wait in line..."

My kids are actually deciding on FP's based on which lines they don't want to miss...because they love a lot of them. It's part of the experience.

OMG we are soooo alike! You just summed up exactly what I've been thinking.

I am trying to understand other perspectives however, because everyone is different and everyone vacations different......and that's ok.

I've just never found someone with such similar views to me!

 

[Anna114]

My husband and I go at least once a year so for us a long line is a no go, usually longer then 1/2 hour. What we don't do this trip we will do the next trip. As a PP said it does depend on the ride.. teacups I'm not willing to wait more then 5-10 minutes but will wait 1/2hr for Haunted Mansion.

We do have priorities.... Soarin' is a must do, Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder.

 

[DaisyNY]

Thirty minutes is our max...always seem to be able to find something else to do when the lines get too long...we will come back later and try to make the most of early mornings/late nights to ride our favorites.

 

[njforumrider18]

Are rides the top priority for your trip every time?


We have gone to Walt Disney World a few times and only gone to a park 1 day, and spent the rest of the time at the resorts and swimming, etc. Have you ever done a relax vacation and not worried about lines/ rides/ wait times? I personally LOVE so much of Disney that isn't just the rides and attractions. I love the atmosphere, the hotels, the food, the details...etc.

Is that just a trip/ style that is unheard of to most people on these boards?

I've gone so many times that rides aren't the top priority for me, necessarily (other than Haunted Mansion, gotta ride that every time!) I just like being in the environment of WDW, walking around, taking in the sights, popping in and out of the shops.

 

[kmb584]

My limit is right around 40 minutes. If the quoted wait time is longer than that, I skip it altogether.