Not that it's a HUGE deal...but...

[Danvers]

...if we wanted to ride one of the "gold" ride vehicles on any of the rides, is there a typically longer wait?

 

[CalGal]

Some golden vehicles are easy to get early in the morning with little wait; others are more difficult.

It's pretty easy to get the golden Dumbo, Teacup, and Carrousel horse during EE or first thing in the morning; you just need to stand aside so that you'll be first in line for the next loading. (My DS did this our last trip with minimal wait). I would think it would be possible to get the golden boat for Storybook, but the wait could be longer. I would imagine it's pretty tricky to get the golden autopia vehicle. There may be other golden vehicles I'm forgetting, but there are no golden vehicles for the inside rides like Mr. Toad and Peter Pan (except for model ones outside of the rides)

 

[CamColt]

I agree with CalGal! We didn't even think of this bonus, but during EE we were able to get the Golden Tea Cup and the Golden Dumbo.

What we did was when we went to the ride the few people in line were getting on. We got in the queue and asked the CM if we could wait for the next ride. They told us yes and began that cycle of the ride right away. So we were first in line for the next ride.

Good luck!

 

[safetymom]

Many of the rides with golden versions have one outside the ride if all you want is a picture. We did that instead of waiting for the ride version to be available.

 

[kmsandrbs]

The golden horse on the carousel is also fairly easy to get during EE.

But be forewarned ... being first in line does not mean you will get the golden vehicle. Sometimes, riders come in through the exit (individuals with disabilities, for example), and are frequently let in before the regular line. When we went on Dumbo during EE, we ended up being first in line, and our DD (6) was very excited about being in the golden Dumbo. Then they opened up multiple gates and someone else ran in front to get it. She was upset, so we had to have a little talk about enjoying the time at the park, even if everything did not always turn out how we would want.