Line jumpers, or "I'm just catching up to my party"

[Deb in IA]

One of THE most aggravating things we've encountered recently are those folks who don't think the rules apply to them.

You know the ones.

They are the people who come up from behind you, repeating, "excuse me, sorry" as if that gives them permission to cut in front. And it is usually with the excuse that they are just trying to catch up to their party.

Well, sorry, but your party should not have entered the que until all members are there!!!

We always make sure we get our group together before we get in line. Why can't they????

Is this still going on a lot at WDW, and what do you do about it?

 

[mizzouHHR]

I didn't notice this much. It happened a couple of times, but that's was it. What I had a problem with is on some rides where you have a room then re-enter a line (such as Test Track, and Rock N Roller coaster), People would push their way out and it was very difficult to stay together, especially with a group of 6. We just let everyone else push their way through and came out last. It didn't make that much difference in time getting on the ride, and saved some frustration.

 

[WDSearcher]

Me? I maintain a sense of humor and figure that being one more person behind in a line isn't worth falling on a sword for.

The bulk of the "catcher up" people are folks who have run for Fast Passes for another ride or got held up in the bathroom or a shop while the rest of the group went on ahead. If it's just one person -- or a parent with a child (who likely needed a bathroom break or a diaper change) -- then I don't much care. If it's a GROUP of people catching up to their party, then I'm far less likely to just let them pass on by. (For those groups, I've been known to alert a CM to the fact that this huge group is line-jumping. Some CMs are better about this than others. Usually, the rest of the line will assist in keeping the jumpers back towards the end.) But the point is to be polite. Just say no. And smile.

Sometimes it's not that people believe the rules don't apply to them. Sometimes it's someone who says, "Go on ahead -- I'll catch up with you" because they really want that souvenir and can't imagine that the line at Space Mountain is going to move that fast. Or it's the parent with the kid who says, "No I do NOT have to go to the bathroom" who then realizes that ... um, yeah ... they do. Stuff happens. You're on vacation. Chill. As my grandfather would say, "If that's the most you've got to worry about, then you don't have anything to worry about!"

 

[Time Traveler]

Saw it happen a few times the other week when we were at WDW. I don't mind it if its a mother and a child (emergency bathroom break being the most common issue) but if its just a small group of seemingly random people I don't think its right. 1 person is fine, but 2-3+? You should already be in line :/

 

[Interstellar Mickey]

Sometimes I have to goto the bathroom, and I wouldn't dare make them wait on me because of my problems. Why should they have to suffer?

Now if that person is doing his own thing, like riding other rides.. while saving a spot, so he can just jump it.. that should be frowned upon!

 

[BamaFan121s]

Ya know, this is my #1 pet peeve in WDW. That being said, I actually commented about this to my family on our way home Saturday. On our trip last week, we only encountered this ONE TIME! (It was in the EE queue when a family of 3 pushed past everyone in the museum part of the line to catch up to one family member.) We'd experienced this so many times in the past that I was really shocked (and pleased) that it was the only time we witnessed it last week.

 

[snickerboo]

It happened to us at Judge's Tent. We had one of those groups travelling together, like a magical gatherings group, do it to us. What they were doing was having the dads run and hold the place in line, call on their cells where they were and how long the line was so about how long the family had to get their butts over there. Then the entire extended family (four couples with kids) would saunter in and cut the line. The dad laughed to me that they go to Disney every year so they know 'how to do it' without big waits. I was ticked. My dd and I headed straight for the judge's tent, right at at rope drop, were second in line and then this dad let in all these people who, of course, each had to meet each princess, even the older boys who complained about it. Oh no, mom and dad had to have their pics with every character they could find. The CM stood right there and saw it and said nothing to them, either.

A dad holding a place in line for moms catching up with little ones, I don't mind, but one dad holding a place in line for a whole 'magical gatherings' group, heck no!!!

 

[tomerin]

honestly i have had only 2 bad experiences with the line cutters. once was at TT when it was so blatant that he just wanted to get to the front of the line. he ignored anothers request of "what are you doing" and only answered when he was blocked by my party. he told me that he just wanted to ride with his son and he really didnt want to wait. so i asked him if every person in line said it was ok that he could pass them. well after hearing others tell him to go back and wait he did so.

the other time was when a rather rude woman just started pushing others out of her way to get to her party waiting in the further in front
of us. it was so bad that i could see her bulling her way and proceeded to push past my son. i told her she has a lot of nerve and she just cursed at me. well i was stunned at her reply. i just laughed at her.

other then these 2 times all other times people have passed me in line we pleasant and nice people who every time they passed someone the said sorry i am trying to catch up to my group. so its really a non issure with us. i just wont let it ruin my trip

 

[Eeyoreloverforever]

there is no "official" rule about that.

There is no place in WDW where there are "rules" posted.

That does not mean you shouldn't use common courtesy though. But the reality is that it seems there are a lot of people in the world who are only looking out for themselves now a days.

I personally am finding it just as frustrating to read about people thinking these people should follow the "rules".

There are NO rules!!!

 

[bgraham34]

Last year we were waiting in line for Splash and a group of teens from outside the US tried to get by. My two friends and I completely blocked them from getting by. They were getting mad until a CM came over and made them go to the back of the line.

 

[Sleepy]

I don't mind a parent and a child, but when 2-3 kids (usually age 11-14) try to push through laughing hysterically and saying they are catching up with family, the buck stops at me!

 

[DisneyCatMom]

I only have a problem with this if it's going to actually push me back in line. Let's say the ride can hold 3 people and dad comes up to join wife and dd. Then fine, but if it's 2 or more people for a 3 seater ride, then that's pushing me back and making my wait longer.
As for pp and the Judge's Tent, no way are you jumping in front of me! I imagine that if they had complained to the CM they would have made the group go back in line, but if no one complained why would the CM make an issue of it?
There is a point in every ride that if your party has not joined you yet, then you stop and let others go ahead of you.
Example:
EE- my DH and DS gets in line while I go get FP, then I join them. However, if they have already gotten to the building (which never has happened because the line even at rope drop is so long) then they stop, let others go ahead and wait for me.

 

[wilde_oscar]

my favorite was a woman that was butting though the line for the resort bus back to the hotel at the end of the night at MK. She asked to get past me, and I looked her in the eye and said, "isn't that cutting the line? there are a lot of people here that are waiting"

Her response was classic... "my kid is at the hotel sick"

which begs the question... um, if you are concerned for your sick child... why are you at MK at 11:00pm? I kept my mouth shut though.

 

[BamaFan121s]

There is no place in WDW where there are "rules" posted.

That does not mean you shouldn't use common courtesy though. But the reality is that it seems there are a lot of people in the world who are only looking out for themselves now a days.

I personally am finding it just as frustrating to read about people thinking these people should follow the "rules".

There are NO rules!!!

If you are getting frustrated, don't read the threads.

I personally find it frustrating that people try to justify actions by using the old, 'there was no rule posted/announced' line. Some things, like waiting in line, are just common sense and shouldn't require a CM to hold you hand and walk you through it. Seems to be easy logic to follow at the grocery store...

 

[wilde_oscar]

um don't use the grocery store as an example... i have had people literally walk right in front of me and get in line like I wasn't there.

 

[glitterkittyy]

um don't use the grocery store as an example... i have had people literally walk right in front of me and get in line like I wasn't there.

Same here, and the clerk will ask "who was next?" and they put their hand right up. The noive!

I don't mind 1-2 people catching up to their party. What I don't like is when one person runs to get in line then their sister, brother, parents, grands, in-laws, cousins, neighbors, high school classmates, and their cousin stacy's ex-boyfriend's friend Louie comes to join them.

 

[BamaFan121s]

um don't use the grocery store as an example... i have had people literally walk right in front of me and get in line like I wasn't there.

Well then I am glad I don't shop at your grocery store! I think you get the point though, a "line" is not a difficult concept to understand nor is it something only encountered in the World. It not something that requires and in depth explanation each and every time so the 'well there are no line rules posted' excuse doesn't fly, IMO.

 

[rt2dz]

We had that happen A LOT on our last trip. Normally it happens here and there and doesn’t bother me much. And the first few days (3 or 4) of it happening constantly on our last trip, I kept telling DH what difference does it make in the grand scheme of things? But, everyone has their breaking point.

Mine was at Dumbo. DH and our oldest were walking into line when two women pushed him out of the way with an “excuse me” so they could go ahead. What? He wasn’t allowed to get into line? He probably would have let them go ahead because I was parking the stroller and coming up with our younger two. As I entered the line, a woman and a small child jumped the barrier instead of starting at the beginning. OK, so now she is between DH and me. I told DH to just stay, as I did a count, it would have gotten them on a ride sooner and our oldest wanted something to drink. I figured they could get a drink while I rode with the littler two. After about 10 minutes, a man and two children come up behind me and say, “Excuse me, that’s my wife and son up there.” I had had it at this time. I replied, “I’m sorry. I’m separated from my husband because your wife jumped in line between us. You’ll live just like we are.”

He apologized. His wife turned beet red. I felt vindicated for every time that happened. I’m telling you, it was happening so much that trip I just couldn’t believe it. BTW—she let me go in front of her. I don’t think they did it again to anyone else. We still continued to have it happen through the trip, but having said something once made me tolerate it again with ease. My DH was floored I said anything, but I was just sick and tired of people’s rudeness that trip. Something must have been in the water. That was the trip where people were pushing me into other people because they wanted to get through. Yeah, and so do the 50 people in line in front of you.

I do have to say, towards the end of our trip, we started seeing more and more CMs patrolling the lines and making line cutters go to the back. When they told the CM that they were just trying to catch up to their party, the CMs would say their party is welcome to let everyone pass until they catch up but cutting in lines is against the rules. When guests would complain, security would magically appear and escort them somewhere. We asked the CM at the front about it and said that they had been getting a lot of complaints about it that week and felt the need to cut down on it. Now, I did see a parent with a small child pop out and then back in (bathroom break) allowed, but it was when adults alone or several children were “catching up” that they nixed it.

 

[Ashley Kees]

I had to laugh when I read this. Line cutters DO NOT get past my family. EVER. DH can't abide by that. He will literally stand backwards in the line, facing me, and stand right in front of people trying to push through. He will bob and weave and spread his arms and legs out so they can't pass, and never says a word, never touches them. I remember one time (at a non-Diney park that shall remain nameless) he did that for a full minute with this group of teenagers, and they started shouting at him and cussing at him, and security came and escorted them out of the park. The whole line applauded him.

Also, posted rules are there to keep people from being INJURED. If you feel it is ok to cut in line because there aren't POSTED rules specifically telling you not to, you are seriously lacking common decency! It IS WRONG to cut in line. Period.

 

[SydneyBristow]

I don't mind a few people catching up to their party in a line. Not a fan of rude line cutters of course but I don't let them get to me.