In-/outdoor lines WDW

[Karin1984]

I'm not that great with crowds. I'm definitely not great with indoor (enclosed) crowds. It makes me feel claustrophobic and increases my anxiety. And Covid didn't help with this either.

I haven't been to WDW in 7 years and I need help to refresh my memory. Does anyone have a list of which lines per park are mainly indoors or outdoors (whichever list is easier to compile)? I know outdoor lines in Florida are not comfortable due to the heat, humidity and lack of shade, but I will probably prefer them, because I have a feeling I can 'escape' easier in case of anxiety.

I'm worried as I do not know the parks very well. Disneyland Paris is my homepark, I know which lines to avoid when, I know the route of the line. One of my favourite rides in DLP is Pirates of the Caribbean, it's an indoor line, but it helps knowing at which corner I reach the end of the line and I can board the ride. The thought of getting in a line, go from waiting room to waiting room, not know how many more there are yet to come, I tried Youtube, but most ride videos of course skip filming the line

TIA!

 

[RoseGold]

I don't consider myself claustrophobic, and there are many lines that make me feel the way you are describing: Pirates, Snow White, Nemo, Buzz, Remy, Frozen. I'd say Pirates is one of the worst, it's like room after room, and it's dark and all the rooms seem so small. The Remy line is mostly outside, but the indoor part feels very tight to me. The walls are tall, you can't see where you're going. BTW, you mostly skip all of that on Remy if you use the ILL$.

At least when I went in Oct/January, some rides that had very little indoors were Tower of Terror, Kilimanjaro, Kali, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Aladdin. I think Flight of Passage doesn't feel so tight because of the interactive line. I like the Thunder Mountain line too, in this way. The line is around a big atrium, sort of, so it doesn't feel as tight as it is. I'd say Soarin' and Livnig with the land is similar. The building is so big, it's hard to feel cramped. MM Runaway Railway a lot of line inside, but it's a big building with lots of exits and such, so it doesn't feel cramped. MMRR is a good model for how the modern rides should do the lines IMO. Plenty of chicken exits, big tall room.

Edit to add: Tower of Terror and Haunted Mansion have elements pre-ride that involve crowding a bunch of people into a room, but it doesn't last long.

 

[gap2368]

The only ride that has all out door line I can think of is space ship earth at EPCOT

 

[philharmagic fan]

A couple that RoseGold didn't mention that bother me - Peter Pan, Little Mermaid, Test Track, Star Tours, Smuggler's Run. And I haven't ridden Astro Orbiter in years because I can't get into an elevator with 20 other people.

 

[philharmagic fan]

The only ride that has all out door line I can think of is space ship earth at EPCOT

How about Speedway, Teacups, People Mover, Riverboat, Aladdin, Swiss Family Treehouse, Barnstormer, Wildlife Express, outdoor shows at Studios?

 

[mamabunny]

I'm not that great with crowds. I'm definitely not great with indoor (enclosed) crowds. It makes me feel claustrophobic and increases my anxiety. And Covid didn't help with this either.

I haven't been to WDW in 7 years and I need help to refresh my memory. Does anyone have a list of which lines per park are mainly indoors or outdoors (whichever list is easier to compile)? I know outdoor lines in Florida are not comfortable due to the heat, humidity and lack of shade, but I will probably prefer them, because I have a feeling I can 'escape' easier in case of anxiety.

I'm worried as I do not know the parks very well. Disneyland Paris is my homepark, I know which lines to avoid when, I know the route of the line. One of my favourite rides in DLP is Pirates of the Caribbean, it's an indoor line, but it helps knowing at which corner I reach the end of the line and I can board the ride. The thought of getting in a line, go from waiting room to waiting room, not know how many more there are yet to come, I tried Youtube, but most ride videos of course skip filming the line

TIA!

Hi! Have you tried using the "build a bubble" strategy when you are in indoor lines that make you anxious? It's actually a pretty simple idea - as you move through the queue, you let the space *ahead* of you "expand" a bit. Not so much that it will make the folks behind you frustrated, but enough that you have some space and breathing room. (I'm thinking around 3 or 4 feet; enough that you could stretch your arms forward and not touch anyone.) If you have someone traveling with you, then they can help by standing *behind* you in line, and help to control the "bubble" - and also give you a bit of space behind you as well.

It's not a perfect solution, but we have a family member for whom this works quite well. We even use it in lines that are not at WDW - for instance, at the grocery, or the DMV, etc.

If you do decide to try for a DAS, remember that you may still find yourself indoors, in a queue that could last 15 minutes or more (depending on how quickly they are moving Guests through the line). It's a good idea to have a strategy that can help you, regardless of where you are.

 

[Selket]

I'm not that great with crowds. I'm definitely not great with indoor (enclosed) crowds. It makes me feel claustrophobic and increases my anxiety. And Covid didn't help with this either.

I haven't been to WDW in 7 years and I need help to refresh my memory. Does anyone have a list of which lines per park are mainly indoors or outdoors (whichever list is easier to compile)? I know outdoor lines in Florida are not comfortable due to the heat, humidity and lack of shade, but I will probably prefer them, because I have a feeling I can 'escape' easier in case of anxiety.

I'm worried as I do not know the parks very well. Disneyland Paris is my homepark, I know which lines to avoid when, I know the route of the line. One of my favourite rides in DLP is Pirates of the Caribbean, it's an indoor line, but it helps knowing at which corner I reach the end of the line and I can board the ride. The thought of getting in a line, go from waiting room to waiting room, not know how many more there are yet to come, I tried Youtube, but most ride videos of course skip filming the line

TIA!

For YouTube videos you might try watching archived live streams where the streamer has gone through the line so you can get a sense of it. I like ResortTV1 on YouTube (family friendly) but there are many others. I don't know if you would qualify for a DAS but it would allow you to get a return time to possibly spend less time in the line if you find you're having trouble. The Genie+ paid service also in theory gives you a shorter wait time (both the DAS and Genie+ will generally use the same line). Some rides also have an alternative entrance but I'm not sure how you would access those as some are for mobility issues generally - you could ask a cast member or inquire at Guest Services perhaps?

 

[StageTek]

I'm not that great with crowds. I'm definitely not great with indoor (enclosed) crowds. It makes me feel claustrophobic and increases my anxiety. And Covid didn't help with this either.

I haven't been to WDW in 7 years and I need help to refresh my memory. Does anyone have a list of which lines per park are mainly indoors or outdoors (whichever list is easier to compile)?

I don't have a complete list but I can give you several rides to avoid.

MK: Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion.
Pirates might be okay as well as Space Mountain - it's all inside but the switchbacks are very open.
EPCOT: Remy, Nemo, Mission Space.
Frozen might be okay - most of the line is in a very open area. Test Track might be okay
DHS: Rise of the Resistance is out - crazy claustrophobic, Millennium Falcon.
Toy Story Mania might be okay, Star Tours might be okay
AK: FoP.
Na'vi might be okay - most of the line is outside in a covered area, Everest might be okay - the line
feels open because it winds through a "museum" of artifacts.

I don't know your level of anxiety so even my "might be okay" suggestions may be too much for you.

 

[RoseGold]

Ha, funny how different your list is than mine!

The Splash Mountain line was reconfigured after Covid, there's only a short segment indoors. Most of it is outside now.
Pirates is at pre-Covid line, through all the dark rooms, but with a bunch of plexiglass. It's really confined. I almost walked out of it.
The Haunted Mansion line is almost completely outdoors, but there is the claustrophobic effect starting the ride. They can take you in the back entrance, which is for wheelchair transfers (no disability pass or anything). It takes you up a back hallway, and you skip the stretching room. I wouldn't be surprised if they let you do that, maybe at Tower of Terror too.

The Frozen line has a bunch of little hallways and rooms. The plexiglass doesn't help. I personally find it claustrophobic, and I don't like the ride, so that doesn't help the experience.

Toy Story Mania (HS) is much better than Buzz (MK). It's a bigger waiting area. Buzz you can't see where you are going. They don't have the other side open since Covid, but you're still in a pretty confined space for a while. The giant wall for the LL makes it feel very tight.

 

[Karin1984]

Thank you all for helping out Thanks for the tip on livestreams! I hadn't thought about that. We have been creating bubbles during Covid visits, because some people would just not socially distance. Could definitely do that again.

WDW is unfamiliar, sensory overload, hot and humid (in comparison where I come from) and crowded. I have no idea what my anxiety will do. I personally consider it 'not that bad / I can deal with it', however I am not in the best headspace right now, and my trip is about 5 weeks away. I have reached out to my GP about getting help, but no idea if I can get before my trip.

I am on the fence about DAS. I have found workarounds in my homepark in Paris. Knowing the park and lines like the back of my hand helps a lot. No kids = I can travel in low season. I am an AP holder with 3-5 visits a year = I can skip a ride when I don't feel like the waiting area. My AP comes with reserved spaces for the parade and the fireworks, DLP is also build better when it comes to dealing with fireworks crowds.

Knowing workarounds, getting DAS for me feels like cheating the system. For sure there are people who need DAS more than I do.
As it's a pain to get DAS in advance from outside the US (you need a VPN etc.), I might just see how it goes on day one, and if it's not working, go to Guest Relations. Day one is Animal Kingdom, which does not have a lot of rides and we can always just walk around and enjoy the trails. Day two is Magic Kingdom and my birthday. My birthday is the only reason I would try to get it in advance, If day one doesn't go well, it will influence my mood on my birthday.

 

[Selket]

Thank you all for helping out Thanks for the tip on livestreams! I hadn't thought about that. We have been creating bubbles during Covid visits, because some people would just not socially distance. Could definitely do that again.

WDW is unfamiliar, sensory overload, hot and humid (in comparison where I come from) and crowded. I have no idea what my anxiety will do. I personally consider it 'not that bad / I can deal with it', however I am not in the best headspace right now, and my trip is about 5 weeks away. I have reached out to my GP about getting help, but no idea if I can get before my trip.

I am on the fence about DAS. I have found workarounds in my homepark in Paris. Knowing the park and lines like the back of my hand helps a lot. No kids = I can travel in low season. I am an AP holder with 3-5 visits a year = I can skip a ride when I don't feel like the waiting area. My AP comes with reserved spaces for the parade and the fireworks, DLP is also build better when it comes to dealing with fireworks crowds.

Knowing workarounds, getting DAS for me feels like cheating the system. For sure there are people who need DAS more than I do.
As it's a pain to get DAS in advance from outside the US (you need a VPN etc.), I might just see how it goes on day one, and if it's not working, go to Guest Relations. Day one is Animal Kingdom, which does not have a lot of rides and we can always just walk around and enjoy the trails. Day two is Magic Kingdom and my birthday. My birthday is the only reason I would try to get it in advance, If day one doesn't go well, it will influence my mood on my birthday.

I traveled with a group in December and two of them obtained a DAS after arrival. I don't think doing the advance selections are a big deal. I understand what you mean about your home park vs. WDW. I think this past year there's been so many changes to WDW (no more fast pass - it's now a paid system Genie+) that many who got by with fast passes had to decide between paying for Genie+ or asking about a DAS. The DAS is just a tool in the kit - I hope you will feel comfortable inquiring about it if you find it's going to be useful. Because it's a return time system you are just able to wait your turn elsewhere.

Even when I met up with my friend who had the DAS we all still used Genie+ and the $ILL (lightning lane you pay extra for like for Rise and Remy at the time we were there). We bought a few of those so we could be sure to ride it. I don't have the same issues as you but my head injury made me not like being in close crowds so much (just too much going on it could be overwhelming). I find the Genie+ lanes (which the DAS also use usually) to be less crowded and not so crazy.

DLP is on my bucket list (I was pricing airfare to Paris yesterday lol!) - I hope you have a wonderful birthday trip!! Be sure to get a Birthday button - I was there on my birthday in 2019 and it was so fun having people wish me Happy Birthday

 

[SueM in MN]

This post in the disABILITIES FAQs thread has information about attractions and queues that posters with claustrophobia have reported give/may give them issues.
Sometimes it’s the queue and for some people, it’s also the attraction.

We’ve been on 3 trips to WDW since June 2021. The first trip, the plexiglass barriers were still up, which did make things feel tight.
The second 2 trips were after Genie+ started. One of the things we noticed was that the Lightning Lanes were much more completely divided off from the Standby queue than the Fastpass lines were. There were more attractions with walls instead of just dividers between the lines, and many of the lines were floor to ceiling lines.

 

[mamabunny]

Thank you all for helping out Thanks for the tip on livestreams! I hadn't thought about that. We have been creating bubbles during Covid visits, because some people would just not socially distance. Could definitely do that again.

WDW is unfamiliar, sensory overload, hot and humid (in comparison where I come from) and crowded. I have no idea what my anxiety will do. I personally consider it 'not that bad / I can deal with it', however I am not in the best headspace right now, and my trip is about 5 weeks away. I have reached out to my GP about getting help, but no idea if I can get before my trip.

I am on the fence about DAS. I have found workarounds in my homepark in Paris. Knowing the park and lines like the back of my hand helps a lot. No kids = I can travel in low season. I am an AP holder with 3-5 visits a year = I can skip a ride when I don't feel like the waiting area. My AP comes with reserved spaces for the parade and the fireworks, DLP is also build better when it comes to dealing with fireworks crowds.

Knowing workarounds, getting DAS for me feels like cheating the system. For sure there are people who need DAS more than I do.
As it's a pain to get DAS in advance from outside the US (you need a VPN etc.), I might just see how it goes on day one, and if it's not working, go to Guest Relations. Day one is Animal Kingdom, which does not have a lot of rides and we can always just walk around and enjoy the trails. Day two is Magic Kingdom and my birthday. My birthday is the only reason I would try to get it in advance, If day one doesn't go well, it will influence my mood on my birthday.

I don't use DAS because my needs at WDW are solved by my personal mobility devices. But - and I cannot stress this enough - if you are a person who *can* benefit from using a DAS, then you absolutely should try to get one.

Accommodations like DAS are there for a reason: Because Disney knows that some folks are going to need them to be able to stay in the Parks and play! The DAS is no longer a "front of the line" type pass by any means; mostly it just allows you to wait outside the regular queue for the same amount of time, less 10 minutes.

If that kind of accommodation is helpful to you, then I think you should use it! If the DAS won't really be helpful, then I agree - don't worry about it. Only you really know what will work best for you.