Line cutting and fast pass problems...

[MS_mom_1965]

It's interesting to see two VERY different points of view about the FP situation. Meaning, my DH, DD and DS join a line while I run elsewhere to get a FP, then join them. I don't see a problem. For instance, if the line were only 5 minutes long, they could just wait until I get there anyway. If the line is long, then people behind would have waited just as long as if I had been there the whole time. And after all, surely it wouldn't take more than 10 or 15 minutes to get the FP and return, so it's not like they would be ready to board the ride.

Keep in mind, while some of you lucky DW guests return every year, or even several times a year, other of us are not so fortunate. My family and I will be going in Thanksgiving. I know it will be crowded, but it's the only time we can manage to go, and we can not afford to go for another 4-5 years. Therefore, I don't have the luxury of saying "Oh, this line is too long. I'll just skip this attraction and see it next week/month."

 

[720L]

When we split up to get a fastpass, we don't get in another line for a ride, we get a snack and wait for the other person to come with the fastpass THEN we get in line together.

 

[caroline1851]

I don't have a problem w/ people rejoining their group. If i was in line w/ ds and dh and ds was thirsty, i think i should be able to hold our place so that they can run off and get a drink. or.........i think if the line is super long, i can hold the spot while they run off and do a ride with a shorter line and then rejoin me. I wouldn't have a problem seeing a family do this.

 

[disneytriplets]

Now I wonder what to do if one of my kids needs to use the bathroom? My husband and I will be going in April with four year old triplets and a baby. What do we do if we are in line and one of the kids needs to make an emergency bathroom trip. I'm all for making them use the bathroom often, but sometimes emergencies happen with little ones.

This will be our first post-potty training trip where the kids will have to stand in longer lines for things.

Please help! I don't want to be a line cutter! Yet, I don't want to pull my whole family out of line for one short bathroom trip.

Thank you!

 

[720L]

If we are in line and a kid has to use the bathroom, one of us takes her and we don't go on the ride. We do FREQUENT bathroom breaks so this really isn't a problem. On our last trip my daughter said she had to go, we had been in line for the safari for 15 minutes, I told her if we get out of line we can't ride. We got out of line and waited near the entrance until my DH and DS got done. I think it's cutting to save a place.

 

[BabaGanoush]

Maybe they need to make a no-cutting rule across the board.

Which will not happen because that creates confrontation between cast member and guest - something Disney ALWAYS wants to avoid. Disney would rather have two guests confront one another than have an argument between a CM and a guest. "Cutting" is discouraged but officially Disney does not have a stance. If a person tries to "cut" in front of you and you let it happen, than the person is not "cutting". Rather you are allowing them in front of you.

Here is a suggestion - if you are in a group, do NOT go through a line single file (allowing space). Rather, fill the entire width of the line - this WILL discourage people from attempting to get by you. If someone tries to and you dont want to allow them to pass, tell them simply that if they wish to ride with the rest of their group, the rest of their group can return to them.

Regarding Fastpass - a big problem (and difference from other parks) is that there are simply MORE people going to Disney. Consider the latest attendance estimates that have been released by independent researchers - Magic Kingdom ALONE had DOUBLE the attendance of Universal studios last year. They have similar # of attractions. Thus, lines theoretically should be about 2x as long. However, if people are standing in line for so long - they are not purchasing things in the shops or buying snacks in stands.

If Disney were to adopt a system like Universal, the lines would be even MORE atrocious because Disney simply has a much higher percentage of guests staying at Disney resorts. If every resort guest was allowed an unlimited "Fastpass" to all attractions, they would be the only ones riding the ride and the line would STILL be long. Universal's system seems to work for them simply because they are not having to move as many people through their attractions.

Hopefully, that all makes sense.

 

[bell.of.the.ball]

Ok I am one of the people who send the family to one ride and go get the fastpass. And yes I then find a time to join them. I know I am not loved here. And yes I have had the child who said ("i have to go to the bathroom)My problem is the reverse when a single person is on the line and the "rest" of the party join them. That means they were on another ride while the rest of us wait to get on this one.

 

[pixie dust 112]

Ok I am one of the people who send the family to one ride and go get the fastpass. And yes I then find a time to join them. I know I am not loved here. And yes I have had the child who said ("i have to go to the bathroom)My problem is the reverse when a single person is on the line and the "rest" of the party join them. That means they were on another ride while the rest of us wait to get on this one.

I'm ok with this. I still love you!

 

[fla4fun]

I don't think Universal has a better system than Disney. I think Disney needs to do a better job of enforcing the system they have. There's been a lot of talk about Disney getting stricter with the return fastpass times, and I think if they did, both lines would run better, and if the lines are running well, you won't have as many people cutting in. Granted, sometimes things happen that make it difficult to get back during the one hour fastpass window. But what if they limited late fastpasses to the window immediately following yours? I can't think of any reason (short of illness or injury) that you shouldnt be able to make it back to an attraction at some point during a two hour window. If they did that, and really enforced it, the fastpass people would be spread throughout the day, as they are supposed to be. Since the fastpass lines would be a lot more predictable, they would be better able to move the standby people through as well. The easiest way to enforce it would be to have a fastpass readable machine that wouldn't let you enter the line if your pass was too old, but they could enforce it with CM's as well.

I know there is an entitlement factor that goes into play, but I've noticed that there is a lot more line cutting when people start getting frustrated that lines are long and not moving well. If Disney can get their lines moving, the frustration factor can be greatly reduced.

 

[a Really Bad Egg]

...have you ever been there with the T-shirt kids? You know, the teens with matching shirts from the tour groups from other countries (South and Central America)?

1. They have one person (tour guide) go to the fast pass line and get FPs for the whole group for every ride when available. The group of teens are off riding other rides. You can imagine what that does to the FP return times and the standby line.

2. For non-FP rides, they send one or two kids in a ride line and hold the spot. Then, over a period of time and repeatedly, 1, 2 or 3 kids snake up through the line to 'rejoin' their friends. Before you know it, those one or two kids turn into a group of 20 to 30 who just cut the line. When someone says something, they all start chanting, singing, yelling or whatever in their native language to drown out the complaints.

In both cases, this has an adverse affect on ride wait times and I've seen people get very upset over it. But, if you think it's okay for your family to do it, then I guess it should be okay for the teens.

The CMs are not going to do anything. They are either college age or retiree age and neither really care about the frustration. They see a million people a day and I think they just want us all to go away.

Everyone has an excuse and none acceptable. If you need to go do something, step out of line and rejoin in the back. If you want to join your group, move back in line - not forward. This is common sense and the most practical and courteous. Anything else is line cutting. If we want this enforced we have to enforce it ourselves by not allowing the cutting.

I don't think Disney will do anything until (unfortunately) more altercations take place. Seems to me they are just looking for cash these days rather than providing a magical experience.

The parks in the summer are the worst place to be...

 

[Maxie86]

And this past Tuesday (one of those insanely busy days) one of the "million dreams" awards gave a family a ride on Soarin alone...just those 4 or 5 folks on the ride alone...with all those empty seats and all those people waiting in the cue. I don't really understand why they didn't just seat them front and center and then fill in the rest of the theater. People were not happy at waiting for the ride to run essentially empty.

That is a crime! Why is riding any ride by yourself considered a prize?!?!!?

ITA, I don't get this one either.

 

[Doc CW]

I think its only okay if you send your family to wait in line if you have a handicap of some sort and thats not just wheelchair or EVC, that could be anything as long as its a situation in which you have trouble waiting in line or you send your family ahead to wait in line b/c you cant walk as fast as them.

 

[pixie dust 112]

Everyone has an excuse and none acceptable. If you need to go do something, step out of line and rejoin in the back. If you want to join your group, move back in line - not forward. This is common sense and the most practical and courteous. Anything else is line cutting. If we want this enforced we have to enforce it ourselves by not allowing the cutting.

The parks in the summer are the worst place to be...

If someone in my family needs to get out of line, we wait at the back of the line and send everyone who comes afterward ahead of us, but it doesn't bother me at all when people ask to cut ahead to catch up to the rest of their family.

We are usually off season travelers, but with our kids getting older last year we went in July...something I swore I'd never do. I didn't think it was too bad. We had a great time and I would definitely do summer again.

 

[MichelleVW]

When we split up to get a fastpass, we don't get in another line for a ride, we get a snack and wait for the other person to come with the fastpass THEN we get in line together.

Agreed!! This is what we do too. We also plan in a way that we ride something the person that went to get the FP doesn't like so by the time we are done riding, they are back with the FP and it all works out great!

 

[xraydave]

Sounds like most of you need to plan your days a little better. You NEED to go to a site like TourGuideMike and understand where the crowds will be and how to avoid them. There are better parks to go to on different days. If you do your homework before you go, you lessen the chance of encountering the mobs!

IMO there is nothing wrong with one member of the party going for FPs while the rest wait in line. OR a youngen' needing the bathroom while waiting in line. It's the system that's there and everyone has the opportunity to take advantage of it. Flame me if you like.

I don't like to see large groups of people cutting in line to meet one person holding their space. But if it's one or two rejoining a large group, why not?

If you think Disney is bad, you should try Hersheypark in PA. There are days there where you could spend literally all day waiting in line and only get to ride 4 or five rides. ALL DAY.

Even during the busiest times, there are ways to avoid the massses. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

 

[a Really Bad Egg]

Sounds like most of you need to plan your days a little better. You NEED to go to a site like TourGuideMike

Sorry, but no amout of homework will ever stop the rude people who use any excuse to cut the line....

 

[Hannathy]

If we are in line and a kid has to use the bathroom, one of us takes her and we don't go on the ride. We do FREQUENT bathroom breaks so this really isn't a problem. On our last trip my daughter said she had to go, we had been in line for the safari for 15 minutes, I told her if we get out of line we can't ride. We got out of line and waited near the entrance until my DH and DS got done. I think it's cutting to save a place.

This is what we do. If there is a long line I ask everyone if they "need" anything before we get in it and if they don't say anything and need something then they don't ride. Rejoining a line is cutting and especially if you weren't in the line to start with, like getting FP's. We send someone ahead all the time to get the FP BUT we wait on them at the start of the line and don't get in until everyone is there. This applies to kids to and is just part of learning to live in a society with rules.

As far as planning even with TGM if you go at Easter or summer you will wait in lines. you can only have so many FP's at a time(if you play by the rules) and you have to do something between the FP's so you wait. Even with FP's you can still wait 30- 40 minutes on some like soarin, TT, and a few others.

 

[WillCAD]

I think its only okay if you send your family to wait in line if you have a handicap of some sort and thats not just wheelchair or EVC, that could be anything as long as its a situation in which you have trouble waiting in line or you send your family ahead to wait in line b/c you cant walk as fast as them.

Sure, you can't walk as fast as your family - but your family can walk as slow as you.Why can't your family slow down to your speed instead of going ahead and forcing you to cut in line later to join them?

Besides, those with medical conditions are entitled to Guest Assistance Passes which allow them to use the designated handicap entrances on those rides that have them. Newer rides like Soarin' simply have queues wide enough for wheelchairs and scooters so that the whole party can enter together and wait in line like everybody else.

If you have mobility issues, your family should be sticking by your side at all times, otherwise you might be injurred by the crowds. Don't let them leave you behind and then expect everybody else to suffer because your family doesn't care enough about you to slow themselves down to your pace.

Sorry, but no amout of homework will ever stop the rude people who use any excuse to cut the line....

Exactly. Knowing crowd patterns and having a touring plan and timing my day will not prevent 7 or 8 people from cutting in front of me every time I wait in the standby line for Soarin' or Splash.

Line cutting is looked at as someone forcing their way ahead of you, but I don't agree with that assessment.

To me, line cutting is actually someone forcing ME back. The more people who cut in line, the farther back I get pushed. And no matter how you try to justify it, nobody has the right to push anybody else back in the lines.

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> That is a crime, why is riding any ride by yourself considered a prize?

Because it is something unusual and wacky, and Disney loves doing wacky things. Did you see the news clip about a family chosen to have the whole park (Magic Kingdom) to themselves for an hour? Not really. Thousands of cast members and dozens of camera wielding newscasters swarmed around them. And the family does not receive movie royalties or modeling fees for being put on nationwide TV. No different than closing off most of Town Square and stopping the Main St. Streetcar while they televised an episode of Regis and Kelly, but not swinging the camera far enough to catch me standing outside the roped off seating area.

>>> They (groups of usually teenagers) have one person (tour guide) go to the fast pass line and get FPs for the whole group

This should not have a prolonged impact on the length of fast pass lines. If some group gets a whole slew of fast passes, the come back time for the next group of fast passes will have advanced five or ten minutes.

 

[jerry557]

One thing they should do is have a fast pass machine specifically if you are a group leader or someone that has more than 5 admission tickets. On some of these rides, you get behind one of these groups that has 30+ admission tickets and they have to feed them in the machine one by one...you either have to get out of line or waste 10 minutes waiting.