How to handle line-breakers?

[kay1864]

We were in line at Dragon Challenge, and a teenage girl said "Excuse me" behind me. I let her pass, but it turned out there were FIVE of them, and they did their "excuse me" routine all the way up the line.

(If I'd realized it wasn't just one person, I would have told them to excuse themselves back to where they started--but I thought it was just one girl joining her family)

A few minutes later, we had advanced to a halfway point where there was an IOA woman. DD mentioned it to her, and she asked what they looked like. Which implied to me that IOA will take some action (possibly escorting them out of the park?).

Problem is, since you're facing forward, you don't realize it's more than one or two people until it's too late and they're already around the bend.

I personally haven't seen this problem much at the Disney parks, but US doesn't seem to monitor their lines as tightly as Disney does. Or maybe it's that Disney doesn't have as many "hidden/enclosed" lines as US.

How best to handle this?

(I saw a similar event at a Six Flags once. I was waiting in line, and a woman said "Excuse me" (with her little boy and embarrassed-looking husband) all the way up the long long line. I could see the end of the queue from where I was, and when they got to the top of the stairs to enter the ride, a bunch of people on the stairs started shouting (having just been bypassed).

Next I saw security escorting the family down the exit stairs, and on their way out of the park. )

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

We were in line at Dragon Challenge, and a teenage girl said "Excuse me" behind me. I let her pass, but it turned out there were FIVE of them, and they did their "excuse me" routine all the way up the line.

(If I'd realized it wasn't just one person, I would have told them to excuse themselves back to where they started--but I thought it was just one girl joining her family)

A few minutes later, we had advanced to a halfway point where there was an IOA woman. DD mentioned it to her, and she asked what they looked like. Which implied to me that IOA will take some action (possibly escorting them out of the park?).

Problem is, since you're facing forward, you don't realize it's more than one or two people until it's too late and they're already around the bend.

I personally haven't seen this problem much at the Disney parks, but US doesn't seem to monitor their lines as tightly as Disney does. Or maybe it's that Disney doesn't have as many "hidden/enclosed" lines as US.

How best to handle this?

(I saw a similar event at a Six Flags once. I was waiting in line, and a woman said "Excuse me" (with her little boy and embarrassed-looking husband) all the way up the long long line. I could see the end of the queue from where I was, and when they got to the top of the stairs to enter the ride, a bunch of people on the stairs started shouting (having just been bypassed).

Next I saw security escorting the family down the exit stairs, and on their way out of the park. )

I know some will say to just kick them off the line but if that's all that is done then what do they have to lose by trying? The only way to deter it is to kick them out of the park for the day.

 

[kay1864]

I know some will say to just kick them off the line but if that's all that is done then what do they have to lose by trying? The only way to deter it is to kick them out of the park for the day.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. I meant "How should people in line handle it?" Not what should US do about it.

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. I meant "How should people in line handle it?" Not what should US do about it.

I would report it to a CM

 

[nighttowll]

Honestly, as wrong as it is to cut. I'd just stay out of it unless there is a TM right there you can say something to to handle it.

1. You never know what is going on. There were a couple of times I had to move up through the lines at Universal our last trip. Once with another child. I'm sure a number of people thought we were cutting. But the truth is neither me nor the child with me was riding either time. There were just a couple of emergencies, and I had to pull people out of those lines asap. As strange as it seems, there are reasons sometimes that people need to move past you.

2. You never know how someone will respond to you challenging them. The last thing I want is to get into a fight or an argument with someone who is cutting in line. I've found people who tend to break rules are more volatile than others, and with my bad luck I’d get one of those crazy people who throws a punch or cusses you out.

Confronting line cutters is a battle I feel you rarely win. If they want to break the rules, especially if they outnumber you, I don’t think speaking up is going to really make much difference and physically blocking them may only lead to a fight.

If there is a TM or CM nearby you can speak to, them by all means do that. It may do some good. Otherwise, I think you are wasting your breath, except maybe with kids and tweens who may respond to an athority figure.

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

Honestly, as wrong as it is to cut. I'd just stay out of it unless there is a TM right there you can say something to to handle it.

1. You never know what is going on. There were a couple of times I had to move up through the lines at Universal our last trip. Once with another child. I'm sure a number of people thought we were cutting. But the truth is neither me nor the child with me was riding either time. There were just a couple of emergencies, and I had to pull people out of those lines asap. As strange as it seems, there are reasons sometimes that people need to move past you.

2. You never know how someone will respond to you challenging them. The last thing I want is to get into a fight or an argument with someone who is cutting in line. I've found people who tend to break rules are more volatile than others, and with my bad luck I’d get one of those crazy people who throws a punch or cusses you out.

Confronting line cutters is a battle I feel you rarely win. If they want to break the rules, especially if they outnumber you, I don’t think speaking up is going to really make much difference and physically blocking them may only lead to a fight.

If there is a TM or CM nearby you can speak to, them by all means do that. It may do some good. Otherwise, I think you are wasting your breath, except maybe with kids and tweens who may respond to an athority figure.

Well if it is something other than line cutting, they will tell the CM that. And when telling a CM you don't have to tell them your name nor will they tell who reported them.

 

[RMulieri]

I have told Tms before and I have found they are more willing to do something than they do at Disney..I had a large tour group try to cut on Hulk and then pretend they didn't understand me when I said " no" .Told the first TM I saw and he pulled them all off the line and sent them to the back

 

[snoopboop]

I find it ironic that you started two concurrent threads - one on how to BE a line-breaker and another on how to handle them. :-/

 

[Laketravis]

I find it ironic that you started two concurrent threads - one on how to BE a line-breaker and another on how to handle them. :-/

 

[kay1864]

I find it ironic that you started two concurrent threads - one on how to BE a line-breaker and another on how to handle them. :-/

I find it highly amusing that you think going on the tour and riding in the single rider (both provided for and allowed by Universal) is line-breaking

 

[snoopboop]

I find it highly amusing that you think going on the tour and riding in the single rider (both provided for and allowed by Universal) is line-breaking

"Provided for"? No. Allowed, in order to avoid making guests with enlarged senses of entitlement angry? Yes.

As I replied in the other thread, the castle tour is for guests who want to see the castle but NOT ride. If you want to ride single rider, use the single rider queue. If you want to see the castle and not ride, use the castle tour line. If you want both, wait in line like everyone else.

 

[bumbershoot]

"Provided for"? No. Allowed, in order to avoid making guests with enlarged senses of entitlement angry? Yes. As I replied in the other thread, the castle tour is for guests who want to see the castle but NOT ride. If you want to ride single rider, use the single rider queue. If you want to see the castle and not ride, use the castle tour line. If you want both, wait in line like everyone else.

But by doing it the op's way she's actually waiting in line longer than if she just did the SR line. I get that it's odd to do the tour (especially more than once) and then ride, but the op is going to be in front of you either way (if you two enter lines at the same time), and if she does just SR she might end up in front of you more than once. You sure that's a good thing?

 

[snoopboop]

But by doing it the op's way she's actually waiting in line longer than if she just did the SR line. I get that it's odd to do the tour (especially more than once) and then ride, but the op is going to be in front of you either way (if you two enter lines at the same time), and if she does just SR she might end up in front of you more than once. You sure that's a good thing?

It's the principle of it, I guess, more than anything else. The "cost" of the SR queue is that you miss out on the castle tour. This is a sneaky way to get the best of both worlds, and it's clearly not what Uni intends for the castle tour, which was provided as a way for those who can't, or don't want to, ride to still be able to see the castle, which really is an attraction in itself.

I've just seen too many people trying to cheat the system at the parks (pretending not to speak English in order to get waved through the checkpoint in the Express queue, without an Express pass, is a particular favorite). Ugh.

 

[ladybugx]

I think the cost of the single-rider line is intended to be that you don't get to ride with your party. It just so happens that, with the way this particular ride and queue is set up, it also keeps you from seeing the inside of the castle. I see no reason someone shouldn't be "entitled" to see the interior of the castle because they ride single, which helps the park speed things along a bit by using the open seats that otherwise would have been empty during the ride.

 

[snoopboop]

I think the cost of the single-rider line is intended to be that you don't get to ride with your party. It just so happens that, with the way this particular ride and queue is set up, it also keeps you from seeing the inside of the castle. I see no reason someone shouldn't be "entitled" to see the interior of the castle because they ride single, which helps the park speed things along a bit by using the open seats that otherwise would have been empty during the ride.

In nearly all of the other attractions throughout both parks, both SR and Express have the "cost" of missing out on themed queue elements. If you want to experience the effects in the Mummy queue, or the photo op in the Spidey queue, or the introductory "experience" in the MiB queue, you have to go through the regular line.

If FJ ever does get Express, I'd imagine that it will be at the expense of some/all of the castle tour, and I'd expect that, just like in all other attractions, those who want the full experience will have to walk through the regular queue. We're lucky that Uni offers the castle tour.

 

[ladybugx]

The castle tour is offered because Harry Potter versus the other themes featured throughout the park are perceived differently by the population. Harry Potter is more extravagantly designed, and Harry Potter is by far the most popular. There is way, way more interest in experiencing the inside of Hogwarts than there is in viewing the sights and sounds of the Mummy queue or the Spiderman queue. There just is. Universal has to treat this section of the park differently because it's fundamentally different. I could be wrong, but I don't think there are entire weekend events planned to celebrate Jurassic Park or Spiderman.

 

[nighttowll]

Some of these replies make it sound like if you want to do both you are breaking some secret cardinal rule:

Though Shalt Not Ride If You Tour The Castle!!!

I guess I should start watching out for lightning bolts from above.



I honestly don't see what the issue is. It isn't cutting.

You can do just the tour.
You can do the tour and then the regular line.
You can do the tour and then the single line.
Or any other combination you can think of.

If you did the tour and then snuck in the front or middle of the regular line, then I can see a problem.

If you did the tour and then snuck in the front or middle of the single rider line, I see a problem.

However, if you do the tour, and then go to the back of the single rider line, what is the issue? You aren't any closer to the front than if you just did the single rider line alone.

Single rider line equals just that riding single, riding alone. It has nothing to do with viewing or not viewing the castle. It doesn't equal no castle tour allowed. Show me that rule in fine print. And contrary to popular belief it is not an express line either, although people use it that way. It is simply a way for Universal to fill in the gaps where they appear in the seats. Yes, it is usually faster, but not always. I’ve had the single rider line take over 90 minutes before.

Also, the tour isn't only for those people who want to do the castle alone. Lots of people like to do the tour because they can take their time, move through the rooms at their own pace, watch the same sets over again more than once, and have room to pose and take lots of great pics. You can't do all that in the crowded regular line with it constantly moving forward and TMs telling you to keep moving and all that.

I actually plan on doing the tour line and then the regular line next trip. The tour so we can enjoy the castle at our own pace. Then, the regular line so we can ride together for the ride pic. Maybe the single rider for a repeat during busy times.

We usually do the tour and then a combination of the single rider and regular lines. And I am pretty sure that we spend more time doing it that way then if we just waited in the regular line. We probably spend a good 30-45 minutes or more just enjoying the castle in the tour line. Then, when we are done, we go back out and get in line for the ride.

 

[ladybugx]

Also, the tour isn't only for those people who want to do the castle alone. Lots of people like to do the tour because they can take their time, move through the rooms at their own pace, watch the same sets over again more than once, and have room to pose and take lots of great pics. You can't do all that in the crowded regular line with it constantly moving forward and TMs telling you to keep moving and all that.

I actually plan on doing the tour line and then the regular line next trip. The tour so we can enjoy the castle at our own pace. Then, the regular line so we can ride together for the ride pic. Maybe the single rider for a repeat during busy times.

Same. I want to take pictures of the inside of the castle and not have to rush to take them. I enjoyed the queue the last time I was there, but I didn't have time to take all of it in or experience all of the effects. For example, my party wasn't in the room with the artificial snow effect while it was falling.

 

[Laketravis]

We did the tour line last week. Asked the TM at the front if we could do it (got the tip from these threads!) and she directed us to the right and specifically told us we would have to exit the castle when we met the next TM.

There was no "Single Rider" sign above that queue.

Over the course of the next several days, we would see several park guests work their way thru the tour line and reach the TM at the divergent point. They would say "single rider?" and the TM would tell them to get in the line to the far right. In almost every case, we saw those guests proceed instead to the middle line (the standby line) ahead of all the guests already in the standby line. They got away with it because at that point the TM had their back to them and were focused on the guests in front of them.

And that's just wrong.

 

[nighttowll]

Over the course of the next several days, we would see several park guests work their way thru the tour line and reach the TM at the divergent point. They would say "single rider?" and the TM would tell them to get in the line to the far right. In almost every case, we saw those guests proceed instead to the middle line (the standby line) ahead of all the guests already in the standby line. They got away with it because at that point the TM had their back to them and were focused on the guests in front of them.

And that's just wrong.

I completely agree. This should be stopped.

I think the tour line should be completely seperate from the other lines. We have always completely exited the attraction, walked back to the front, and then entered either the single or rider line from the attraction's main entrance.