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

[Stinky_Pete]

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!"

Personally I don't think anything you mentioned justifies the behavior. If someone on my group needs to use the bathroom or wants to buy a trinket then we wait for them.

And I've never seen the "parent with a small child" that so many people cite in these types of threads. What I have frequently seen is tweens and teens "catching up" with their group.

 

[MickeyNicki]

I just keep my mouth shut and let them by....why get upset about something I have no control of? No one is going to ruin my vacation!

 

[WDSearcher]

Personally I don't think anything you mentioned justifies the behavior. If someone on my group needs to use the bathroom or wants to buy a trinket then we wait for them.

And I've never seen the "parent with a small child" that so many people cite in these types of threads. What I have frequently seen is tweens and teens "catching up" with their group.

Those examples may not "justify" the behavior, but examples like that don't bug me. Mostly, those folks are nice and polite and even sometimes a bit embarrassed that they're late. But then, I seldom encounter any types of line jumpers, so maybe I just haven't hit my breaking point yet.

 

[sandym718]

The only time I think it is justified is if a family is already IN the line, then a young child needs to use the bathroom. I think it is OK for 1 parent to exit the line with the child and then catch back up with the family. Sometimes these lines are very long, and for a just potty-trained child...well, they may not make it! Or if a baby (and I mean baby) is having a crying/screaming meltdown (and too young to discipline). Better for the parent to take the baby away then everyone in line have to listen to it, and then if they baby does calm down, catch back up. But, in both these cases, you would see the parent/child Exit the line and when they return you would know they had already been in the line and understand.

I do not think it is right to enter a line as 1/2 a party and then have the others come later. If this is done, the party should stay outside the building, as mentioned above, and let others pass by until the rest of the party arrives.

 

[SunshineOR]

I'm with those who aren't bothered by the parent with little one, assuming emergency bathroom break. But if it's a couple of teens or adults, I'm not happy about it. Also, depends on the attraction. If it's something that is a fast loader and the line moves quickly, okay. If I'm going to really end up missing a cycle or my wait will be substantially increased due to the people moving in front of me, I'll let them go but they get the "evil eye". It always cracks me up that they see the evil eye and acknowledge it by shrugging and saying, "Sorry, but we're not cutting. We're catching up with our group, " as if that somehow makes me the rude one instead of them.

My blood really got boiling once when I'd waited with my toddlers in line for Peter Pan at Disneyland for 45 minutes in the blazing sun, we're in the final switchback and four teens and a wife jump in with the guy in front of me. They're talking really loudly about the great things they did during that time and how glad they were that they hadn't been standing in line that whole time. It made me mad that my toddlers had waited in the heat while these teenagers were going on rides.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Here is my favorite one. A few years ago as my Dad and I were going to go on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, this father says to his little girl this one is free and cuts right in front of us as we were about to step in. What was also frustrating is that after that no more were available so we had to wait until the ride was finished. I wanted to say something to a Cast Member but my Dad said to forget it. Plus the fact that this father basically told his child that it's ok to cut in front of people and steal their turn.

 

[Jacob]

This is not a big deal. I can understand if it's like 10 people, but one or two more folks...who cares? And to be clear, I'm talking about people catching up with their party b/c they had to run to the restroom real quick or get a FastPass or something. I don't see what the big deal is, as it happened several times to me and it's not like it drastically changed my wait time. Also, folks were polite enough to allow me to catch up if something happened.

Obviously, it's rude to cut in line just to get ahead.

 

[FLA NUT]

I was the parent with the small child last week. My 2 year old needed to potty while waiting in line @ the Judges Tent. He is nearly potty trained and I was not going to let him wet himself. I ran with him to the bathroom and literally ran back, catching up with my family. Things like this are unavoidable sometimes. But the group of 9 adults and children who cut in line to catch up with their family just before we went in to see Mickey was uncalled for.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Sorry, I won't let you pass ahead but your group is welcome to pass back from me to be with you, you should have all entered together.

 

[Matt'nMeg'sMom]

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?

I complete understand having to use the restroom. I've done it myself. I've even sent my party on ahead without me, so as not to hold them back. However, I understand that by doing so, I have FORFEITED the CHANCE to ride that ride with my party. I would never cut in line or steal someone's spot who has actually waited for their turn. That's offensive, insulting, inconsiderate and rude (and a few other words from my thesaurus.) In the words of a theatre critic: Boo.

I do not think it is right to enter a line as 1/2 a party and then have the others come later. If this is done, the party should stay outside the building, as mentioned above, and let others pass by until the rest of the party arrives.

You're absolutely right. When you're right you're right. Did I mention how right you are?
If a party wants to ride together, THEY MUST ENTER THE LINE TOGETHER.

 

[Matt'nMeg'sMom]

Sorry, I won't let you pass ahead but your group is welcome to pass back from me to be with you, you should have all entered together.

Oooooooo I LOVE that answer!

 

[Deb in IA]

If a party wants to ride together, THEY MUST ENTER THE LINE TOGETHER.

I feel the same way. I've MADE my kids go to the restroom before entering a particularly long queue, just so I wouldn't have to barge my way back in line.

 

[dvczerfs]

oh yes!! the ole "slippers" we like to call them! they just slip into line. its almost as bad as the people who find it hard to understand "move all the way to the end of the row". for some reason there must be a pole in all the theaters that block your view when sitting on the end! if you dont want to sit at the end of the row, dont "slipper" threw the crowd to be the first one in the door. and while you got me going, ill put up with you slipping by and stopping short in the row if you would just please use some deoderant!!wow! i feel better now.

 

[And]

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.

That is so funny!

 

[TomLovesBecky]

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!"

I agree with you, unless it's a huge group of teens who are obviously lying just to cut the line, I don't say anything and I truly don't care. However, at some theme parks they explicitly say in their park rules that holding a place counts as line jumping and you can be ejected from the park for it, i saw this at a major theme park (not disney) recently.

 

[darlak]

2 parents + 4 kids, w/ a 15-year age difference from oldest to youngest.

We have always entered lines together, and if, heaven forbid, someone needed a potty break while we were in line, then we left the line together and later re-entered it together. I can honestly tell you that not 1 of my 4 kids ever needed to leave a line past the age of 6.

That said, I will allow 1 adult and 1 small child to pass me to rejoin their party. Other than that, no one gets past me. I used to have more of a "I'm on vacation, who cares" kind of mood, but after having been passed one too many times by groups of 4 or more to join 1 person holding their place in line, I had finally had enough. The last straw for me came when my own child asked me why she had to wait in line, but other children didn't.

 

[Kae]

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!!!

That happened to us to, the they had every kid get a single shot with Mickey too. And the father called me a nasty word. I will say when we were at DL they were more stict about this. We where waiting to do HM & a group of 20 had "catch up' with their aunt, the Cm said sorry & sent them to the back of the line. like & parent & one small child-ok. or even one adult. but the rest is just wrong.

Kae

 

[Sleepless Knight]

While I don't mind the one or two people jumping, I had occasion in Disneyland where the small group turned out to be 15 people. It was a joke, and a lot of people were not happy and turned their ire on the party. There may be cases where one or two people do need to leave the line for a valid reason, but beyond that it's not cool.

 

[dvcdisney]

The last straw for me came when my own child asked me why she had to wait in line, but other children didn't.

I would probably have replied back (loud enough so most could here): "Oh honey, that's because their moms and dads did not teach them well. No one told them that it's rude."

Actually, my son had asked me something similar to that effect and that was my answer. I have always explained to my children that not all moms and dads are alike. Some teach their children to respect and be polite to others while others just don't care. My children know why some children are allowed to be rude and disrespectful while others are not.

 

[boxer]

this used to annoy me until my trip a couple weeks ago, when a young boy probably around 12 was cutting through the line........he got to me and I have him that 'another line cutter look', and his line back to me was nothing short of priceless:

He said "hey man, I had to poop, now I have to catch up to my family".......even if he was lying, just the fact that he used that excuse is enough for me to turn my head to any line-cutting offenses. From that point on, I promised myself to never ever question another line cutter for fear of hearing what they just got done 'doing'. LOL.