How to handle line cutting?

[mmouse50]

I just read an article about a gentleman that was arrested for supposedly pushing a 18 year old female when she and her friend tried to get past him “to meet up with a friend” farther up the line. I am not condoning his actions but it got me thinking how do you keep people from cutting front of you in a cue line- not a merge point line where you have to fill in all available space?
Is there a proper way? I have been known to announce loudly that they should have all gotten in line together and sorry but they arent getting in front of me and just because all the people behind me didnt mind them getting in front of them i am not allowing it and they can stand behind me. Is that correct or should just let them go in front of you?

 

[Miffy]

I just read an article about a gentleman that was arrested for supposedly pushing a 18 year old female when she and her friend tried to get past him “to meet up with a friend” farther up the line. I am not condoning his actions but it got me thinking how do you keep people from cutting front of you in a cue line- not a merge point line where you have to fill in all available space?
Is there a proper way? I have been known to announce loudly that they should have all gotten in line together and sorry but they arent getting in front of me and just because all the people behind me didnt mind them getting in front of them i am not allowing it and they can stand behind me. Is that correct or should just let them go in front of you?

Just let them go in front of you.

 

[Rory607]

I really hate line cutting. It’s one of my biggest pet peeves. If it’s obviously a bathroom situation, that’s one thing, but the straight cutting is entitled and rude. I would also be tempted to say something they could “overhear,” but that’s it. It really needs to come from cast members, but I understand they are trying to keep everything magical. So people will just continue to cut. I don’t know the answer.

At the end of the day, I’m there to enjoy my vacation and getting into an altercation is not worth it. So I would just take a deep breath and think about Dole Whip.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I just let people pass. I don't like it but I have no way to know if they're meeting up with someone further up the queue or cutting. This isn't something for me to handle so I just step aside.

 

[BrianL]

Just let them go in front of you.

I just let people pass. I don't like it but I have no way to know if they're meeting up with someone further up the queue or cutting. This isn't something for me to handle so I just step aside.

Right. It can be frustrating, but I often say that I can't control what others do, but I can control what I do, and I'm not going to let it ruin my vacation. I can't police the line. The potential for escalation is there and I don't want to be a part of that. If it was really egregious I might inform a cast member, but that's about it. How they handle it is up to them.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I don’t mind if people step out to use the bathroom and come back or something like that.

I don’t appreciate youngsters (usually) who deliberately cut the line. Only once did I have what would be anything close to an altercation and that’s when there was a rowdy group blatantly cutting in a long, hot line. We got into it but no hands on. I think they eventually left.

I’ve also told my own friends no when they tried to cut into line with us. No way did I want the wrath of people legitimately waiting.

 

[reddog21]

I’ll never get why people get so worked up over stuff like this. Sure, it’s annoying, but who really cares? I’d just let them through.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Well, I, for one, had kids watching and wondering why it’s ok to break the rules. My message was that it’s not.

 

[NickC]

I've never cut a line in my life. Not even in elementary school.
At least, not on purpose. I did once get to the WDW bus as it was pulling up and didn't realize there was a line. I was standing towards the front and got hollered at. That guy was miserable. We got on the same bus.
Anyway, I also just let people pass. I don't allow anyone to ruin my mood at WDW.

 

[Rory607]

I’ll never get why people get so worked up over stuff like this. Sure, it’s annoying, but who really cares? I’d just let them through.

Because it’s entitled. I know some people go to Disney fully intending to use line cutting as their park strategy. Why is it fair that one family spends time waiting in line, then at the last minute 5-6 more people come get in front of them? It’s not okay. I teach my kids to follow the rules and that means we all wait. And it’s not easy for my youngest who has adhd, but we do it because it’s the right thing to do.

 

[LSUfan4444]

I enjoy making it as uncomfortable for them as possible. I'm in line and don't have anything better to do and it doesn't ruffle me so I try to have fun with it. First, I occupy as much as the line takes. Hands on the hips, swaying back and forth, stretch my back, etc. Then, I begin asking questions when they do arrive.

"What's the password?"
"Who's up there, is there room for me/us?"
"Can you please check the standby wait time for me on _____, my phone battery is dead"

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I physically get in their way, hand on railing, no room to pass. Screw them, they can't just walk past easily. They usually end up making frustrated noises behind me for a while and then eventually cutting into a different part of the line instead. If no one let them pass easily, they would stop that BS. But people let them. I don't have to be complicit in their terrible manners, they are not more special than everyone they passed. They know it's wrong and they do it anyways. They think they're being clever "discovering" a way to cheat the system, as though literally everyone else knows exactly how to do the same thing but was not brought up to be a wad of scum, so we abide by societal rules.

 

[GoingSince1990]

The problem is that even if someone else is firmly in the wrong, most of us hate ugly confrontations, especially on vacation. And the line cutters know this, and take advantage of it. Having said that, if the opportunity presents itself I wouldn't hesitate to quietly mention to a CM that "hey, that whole group of people cut in line in front of everyone" and let them deal with it if they want to.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I let them pass. If someone in another party wants to be a save the day cowboy I'll cheer on the inside but I'm not going to risk myself or my party by trying to stop jerks. Afterall, if they're jerk enough to cut you in line what they will do beyond that? We have seen story after story of how fast that can accelerate at Disney. Never forget the family brawl that came from some dispute from being in line for *checks notes* Mickey's Philharmagic.

 

[Lumpy1106]

There's a long line of people cutting in front of you who paid for the privilege - what's one more? It's not like all those other people paid you, they paid Disney. Not getting in an altercation to defend Disney. If it's egregious, maybe I'd point it out to a CM, but chances are their marching orders are to let it go. Besides, there are a lot of eyes on absolutely everyone in the park. Disney probably already knows.

 

[Rory607]

There's a long line of people cutting in front of you who paid for the privilege - what's one more? It's not like all those other people paid you, they paid Disney. Not getting in an altercation to defend Disney. If it's egregious, maybe I'd point it out to a CM, but chances are their marching orders are to let it go. Besides, there are a lot of eyes on absolutely everyone in the park. Disney probably already knows.

Disney definitely knows people do it and aren’t going to do much because they don’t want to create a situation for a public altercation. But the attitude that it’s “just one more” I do not get. When multiple people cut, it’s lots of people, which makes the line that much longer for those of us following the rules.

In what other situation is line cutting okay? Do you go the grocery store and just cut in front of people in the checkout line? If there’s a wait at a restaurant do you just push past people when their table is ready and take it instead? Like…what? It’s straight entitlement, which people are apparently justifying at Disney and teaching their kids is ok.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

When our DDs were really young and occasionally had to leave the line to go to the bathroom. I had more of a problem with the people that gave dirty looks or dumb comments when I was returning to my spot that I had already been at. Immature comments like "once you get out of line you have to go to the end" like they are in kindergarten again. The best time I remembered was when a man was trying to take up the whole lane and not let us pass and his wife saw this and just laid into him, so he let us by. I ALMOST felt bad for him. LOL
1 or 2 people or a parent with a child or 2, does not bother us a bit. Also, it does not happen all that much and why would I let that bother me or ruin my mood. My DD is a CM and she said that they have no issues with a couple of people joining up, but that they do try and prevent groups from doing this. I think I will call her tonight and bring this up again.

 

[RivGirl]

Well, I, for one, had kids watching and wondering why it’s ok to break the rules. My message was that it’s not.

My kids know that it’s not okay (by our family’s standards) because my husband and I always hold them back from getting in the line until our total party (sometimes as large as 9 people) is there.

They also know that when cutting happens we choose to ignore it, because it’s not our job to police it and we don’t want conflict on vacation.

Admittedly, my husband is better at all of this than I am, and really sets the tone. I am grateful for the example he has set in that regard. I have a more fiery personality and did kind of get into it at the airport once with another entitled family…but afterwards I realized it wasn’t worth it, and travel sometimes brings out the worst in people, self included. Since then I try to give grace all around.

 

[Minnie1222]

There's a long line of people cutting in front of you who paid for the privilege - what's one more? It's not like all those other people paid you, they paid Disney.

There's a distinction between breaking established rules and utilizing a legitimate, paid service for faster access.

 

[BrianL]

Disney definitely knows people do it and aren’t going to do much because they don’t want to create a situation for a public altercation. But the attitude that it’s “just one more” I do not get. When multiple people cut, it’s lots of people, which makes the line that much longer for those of us following the rules.

In what other situation is line cutting okay? Do you go the grocery store and just cut in front of people in the checkout line? If there’s a wait at a restaurant do you just push past people when their table is ready and take it instead? Like…what? It’s straight entitlement, which people are apparently justifying at Disney and teaching their kids is ok.

I don't think anyone is saying that it's right, fair, or okay at all - it's just something that we can't really do anything about and choose not to let spoil our own fun.