Line etiquette question

[andymattmom]

I would consider that rude, and line cutting, though as you can see others don't agree.

In my humble opinion, having a small child does not qualify anyone for special treatment, i.e. not waiting in lines or getting special seats on rides. Handicapped people are given these special considerations - but I don't think anyone would consider being a parent to be equivalent to being handicapped.

I know I will get lambasted for this, but in my opinion, if a child is not old enough to handle the rigors of a WDW trip - which includes waiting in line for attractions - then the child is not old enough to go and shouldn't be there.



No line cutting!

Very nicely put and I will agree 100% with you.

 

[andymattmom]

What about standing in line for characters? Is it okay for 1 adult and the kids to be waiting to see one character and then the other adult waits for another character and the kids meet up with the adult?

The character one really does not bother me, b/c somebody is waiting in line and it's the family going to see the character. The ride thing to me is different. The scenerio did happen to me on Toy Story mania when I was just there last week.

I am going to disagree on the character line with you. How is this not cutting? Is it fair for all those standing behind you to all of a sudden have 3,4,5 or more people suddenly there in front of them to see a character, get a picture taken, get autographs, etc. How is this fair to the small child who is waiting patiently behind you to have all kinds of people cut, how do you explain to this child who has patiently waited clutching that autograph book that they have to wait even longer while this family who has basically cut with more than 1 person gets a picture, gets autographs, etc. I don't think it is right but we can all disagree on things in a nice way. I wouldn't like it- would I say something---just depends!

 

[NJDad18]

I did not say that I do that, I'm just saying that I saw it. 2 kids joining up for a character, I really don't mind, b/c I don't feel that it slows the line down. That's my opinion and we can disagree, we're adults. Now a large group of say 5-6 or 3 or 4 groups of two doing that, I would say something.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) I am sorry, but line-cutting is line-cutting.
2) Even with the DH and young-DS scenario you stated.
3) After all, were they waiting outside the line or at another ride or eating?
4) You know you have to wait in lines at WDW.
5) Why not just figure it as part of the trip?
6) It is fair to everyone to wait the same way (or do Fast Pass).

 

[kmvand1]

I agree with you there. I try not to let this stuff get to me. I'm not the type of person that likes confrontation, especially when you are at the happiest place on earth! I may mutter a complaint under my breath, but that's pretty much the extent.

Another vote for this way of dealing with "line cutting". It's really not the end of the world if this happens occasionally in line and there are so many other things to worry about!

 

[rlovew]

What about standing in line for characters? Is it okay for 1 adult and the kids to be waiting to see one character and then the other adult waits for another character and the kids meet up with the adult?

The character one really does not bother me, b/c somebody is waiting in line and it's the family going to see the character. The ride thing to me is different. The scenerio did happen to me on Toy Story mania when I was just there last week.

I would have to say this can be a problem if the character has to leave- many time the character handler counts the number of people in line to determine the cutoff point. Would you want your family cut off because the people in front of you have lots of people join up.

 

[ICF]

Is it considered rude for one person to stand in line, then be joined by others? Specifically, can I stand in line while DW and DD (17 months) wait somewhere else before joining me in line?

If everyone did that can you imagine the chaos?? Probably 1/2 the people in the parks have young kids that don't want to be in lines....

Line cutting is not cool and with a very small # of exceptions is very rude....nobody really likes waiting in lines, but that is part of the "magic" of disney.

 

[MelanieC]

I think it is acceptable for a parent with a small child to come in, but I personally wouldn't do it myself.

Nothing is black and white. I don't think it's right to block a child who is going to catch up with his parents. You don't know the reason or what happened. Should everyone be together, probably and that is what we try to do........but things happen.

Once when we were waiting in line for Mickey's Philharmagic on a very HOT HOT day, DH went to grab us a drink after we had been waiting outside the doors in a line for a long period of time. The line moved before the got back, and the kids and I kept our place in line. After sitting there for so long, and DH was waiting too, I was not going to get out but rather let him catch up to us. I don't normally do this, if we waiting for someone to get to the line we stand to the side till we can all get in line together. The point is, you don't know the reason why the person is catching up. I think it's just as rude to be blatantly mean to someone unless you know for a fact what happened.

Now if the person is just plain cutting that isn't right and at some point I agree too many people catching up is just plain rude - but when it's a family catching up, geez don't be so hard on people. What if the poor kid catching up to his parents had a bladder problem and had to go to the bathroom.

People need to relax a little.

And as for a baby not belonging at DW, give me a break. I've traveled with my kids since they were infants, I didn't let having a baby stop me from living life and I think Walt would agree that WDW is meant for familes to do things together. To say that someone should stay home if their baby can't handle it is ridiculous.

 

[cheap traveler]

I'm glad to read this, because I had a similar question. Last year when I was in AK the line for the Nemo show was like 2 miles long!!! I was thinking this year maybe we could take turns waiting in line and keeping the kids busy. I know it is close enough to EE that each adult could take a ride on that, and the other could wait with thie kids, then we could take turns keeping the kids busy out of line. My girls are very rambunctious, and I get tired of telling them to watch out for other people and their feet!! In an open line like that, we wouldn't actually have to push by people to get back in line, so what do people think about that situation? I do not like confrontations, so I would not do it if I felt like people were going to get upset with us

 

[MissionMouse]

1) I am sorry, but line-cutting is line-cutting.
2) Even with the DH and young-DS scenario you stated.
3) After all, were they waiting outside the line or at another ride or eating?
4) You know you have to wait in lines at WDW.
5) Why not just figure it as part of the trip?
6) It is fair to everyone to wait the same way (or do Fast Pass).

...or use child swap, if applicable.

There have been countless acts of violence within the wait lines due to difference of what people think is fair. For some it also involved medical treatment and legal charges.

 

[LilGMom]

As the mother of two young children who have been going to WDW since they were 10 & 9 months old I don't think that having a child with you should give you a different set of etiquette rules to go by. If the child is old enough to get on the ride that child is old enough to wait in line. I understand one person of the party having to get out to take the child to the bathroom (btdt) and then wanting to meet back up with their original party but just to keep from having to hold or entertain the child while in line.... nope, don't agree with that. Same goes for character interactions, we wait together.

Just my five cents.

 

[swald91]

...or use child swap, if applicable.

There have been countless acts of violence within the wait lines due to difference of what people think is fair. For some it also involved medical treatment and legal charges.

Or the single rider line. You stay together until the actual ride. This is better for teens & adults-not young children as they should ride with family. But we watched this at Everest what a short wait for them!!!!

 

[MelanieC]

As the mother of two young children who have been going to WDW since they were 10 & 9 months old I don't think that having a child with you should give you a different set of etiquette rules to go by. If the child is old enough to get on the ride that child is old enough to wait in line. I understand one person of the party having to get out to take the child to the bathroom (btdt) and then wanting to meet back up with their original party but just to keep from having to hold or entertain the child while in line.... nope, don't agree with that. Same goes for character interactions, we wait together.

Just my five cents.

Basically this is what I was referring to - If there are bathroom issues or maybe a parent went to get water in a non moving line. I do agree that having children shouldn't give you a new set of rules to follow. I have always waited in all lines with my kids unless we were doing baby swap and they wouldnt' let us. I would have rather waited together anyway because the purpose is to be together.

 

[andymattmom]

I'm glad to read this, because I had a similar question. Last year when I was in AK the line for the Nemo show was like 2 miles long!!! I was thinking this year maybe we could take turns waiting in line and keeping the kids busy. I know it is close enough to EE that each adult could take a ride on that, and the other could wait with thie kids, then we could take turns keeping the kids busy out of line. My girls are very rambunctious, and I get tired of telling them to watch out for other people and their feet!! In an open line like that, we wouldn't actually have to push by people to get back in line, so what do people think about that situation? I do not like confrontations, so I would not do it if I felt like people were going to get upset with us

Sorry...line cutting is what you are describing. You start by saying your kids are rambunctious...which I take as meaning can't wait in line. Then you say one of you could wait in line with the kids while the other adult goes on EE..then swap places. Then after that take the kids out of line and entertain them. I would think people would get mighty offended. I have no issues with small children going to the restroom, getting a drink, etc. If a parent has a smaller child and the line is long, try taking them to the restroom before waiting in line BUT kids always don't go and there are emergencies. Fine, as a parent who has been there I understand. Kids need to learn at some age to stand in line and wait or they will never think they have to wait. You list your kids ages and it appears the 4 year old should be able to wait ...2 year old to some extent. Why not take the advice of some of the others and take bubbles, pipe cleaners, etc to play with. When I was growing up we just stood and waited, also had no tv in the car and we survived. My kids learned by standing in line, not hanging and swinging on the bars, etc. What you are talking about is not a good thing...taking turns riding the ride, THEN taking the kids out of line. I would say something...if it were a potty break I wouldn't but if you were in and out of the line several times I sure would.

Please rethink what you are describing and think how you would feel if the shoes were one the other foot. Think of how your kids would feel if people were cutting in and out of line.

 

[MissionMouse]

... Kids need to learn at some age to stand in line and wait or they will never think they have to wait. You list your kids ages and it appears the 4 year old should be able to wait ...2 year old to some extent. ...

Actually many school districts have waiting in line as a Kindergarten task to master at ages 5-6.

 

[sbell111]

... Once when we were waiting in line for Mickey's Philharmagic on a very HOT HOT day, DH went to grab us a drink after we had been waiting outside the doors in a line for a long period of time. The line moved before the got back, and the kids and I kept our place in line. After sitting there for so long, and DH was waiting too, I was not going to get out but rather let him catch up to us. I don't normally do this, if we waiting for someone to get to the line we stand to the side till we can all get in line together.

Thanks for posting this. I actually do this with some frequency.

Three weeks ago, we were in line at the Finding Nemo ride in Disneyland. It was really hot and we were in for a long wait in the line, so I left the line to buy a couple sodas. When I returned, the line had moved to make it inconvenient to get back to my wife. Instead, I waited at a more convenient place up ahead. When she got to me, I hopped the chain and we were back together.

A week later, we were at Tokyo DisneySea, standing in the HOT sun waitning in line for the Sinbad ride. I again left the line to buy orange and apple Mickey bars. (BTW, these are awesome.) Sadly, the line at the ice cream cart was REALLY long, so I had to be satisfied with bottled water, instead. I still returned to the line, already in progress.

On neither of these extra-queue excusions did I get the feeling that any of the other line denizens cared one iota.

Perhaps this is simply another issue that gets overblown in internet forums.

People need to relax a little.

Yup.

And as for a baby not belonging at DW, give me a break. I've traveled with my kids since they were infants, I didn't let having a baby stop me from living life and I think Walt would agree that WDW is meant for familes to do things together. To say that someone should stay home if their baby can't handle it is ridiculous.

Ditto.

 

[sbell111]

I'm glad to read this, because I had a similar question. Last year when I was in AK the line for the Nemo show was like 2 miles long!!! I was thinking this year maybe we could take turns waiting in line and keeping the kids busy. I know it is close enough to EE that each adult could take a ride on that, and the other could wait with thie kids, then we could take turns keeping the kids busy out of line. My girls are very rambunctious, and I get tired of telling them to watch out for other people and their feet!! In an open line like that, we wouldn't actually have to push by people to get back in line, so what do people think about that situation? I do not like confrontations, so I would not do it if I felt like people were going to get upset with us

Sounds good to me.

Of course, many of the people that would tell you not to do it would also start threads complaining about rambunctious kids in the lines.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I would just like to tell you that what you are suggesting, right or wrong, is difficult to do. On our last trip, our daughter who was 4 at the time, had to go potty about a half an hour into a 1 hour wait for EE. She wanted to ride it so bad, but wasn't going to make it. I finally decided I had to take her and the people around us all agreed that it would be fine if I took her. We got out easy, but getting back to catch up to the family was very difficult. I repeated over and over, "Sorry, potty emergency, just getting back in line with the rest of the family", and while most people were understanding, some were obviously annoyed, but even for the ones who were understanding, you are still smushed in the line like cattle and trying to get through is difficult. I appologized many times, and finally did make it up to the family. Normal I ask before we get in a line, but it was our last day and I guess I forgot. A mistake you only make once. But, while I see what you are saying, if everyone in your same situation did this, there would be short lines with lots of daddies waiting, as there are so many families with small chilldren in Disney. I say use fast pass, it saves time and headaches!

 

[ChristusG]

I think its crazy to get upset at something like that. If dad was waiting in line and mom/baby joined him, I would have no problem. You have to put yourself in someone else's shoes and think about it for a second. I have a 17 month old DD.....all she wants is down to run around! Waiting in a long line would work for all of about.....oh, 3 minutes.

Just as long as you are not cutting in front of me with 3 or 4 people, I'm fine with it. Anyways, they will all be getting into the same ride vehicle, so it does not make me wait any longer.

I think that people need to loosen up. If anyone has a problem with it, then well, I guess they will just have to walk around with their panties in a bunch for the rest of the day.

 

[LiteBrite]

I'm in the camp that believes line cutting is rude, and the scenario described by the OP fits that category.

Hubby and I started taking our DD (now 20yo) to WDW when she was 18 months old, and we went regularly all through her childhood. Keep in mind, this was before there were fast passes, so we were much more likely to have to wait in long lines than the parents of today's little kids are.

It would never have even crossed our minds to send one parent to wait in line while the other waited somewhere else with the little one to join them farther down the line. We got in lines together, we stood in them together. We took our daughter to the potty before we got in the line, and if there was a potty emergency while we were in the line, we all left together and then returned to the end of the line if we decided to try again.

It is true that lines can be hard on little kids, but now that there are fast pass, with a little planning, you really shouldn't have to wait in that many of them. Plus, it does children good to learn to wait their turn like everybody else.