Requesting seats/area of a ride?

[Pdollar88]

I frequently see mention of requesting a seat or location on a ride. I'm usually afraid to do this because I hate to inconvenience the cast member. Is it generally acceptable or is it frowned upon?

Most folks didn't make requests when I worked in Space Mountain, unless they really didn't understand that it was a single seat ride and continued to say "they didn't want to be split up."

I'm thinking of BTMRR and 7DMT (the back) or the sweet spot in Soarin (which I still don't remember off the top of my head). Would this extend my wait and/or inconvenience others? I'd like to avoid both things.

 

[Indio]

We've occasionally asked to wait for the front or back of the roller coasters and there's usually a small line already waiting so it's never been a problem. Usually though, we just opt for the quickest ride! We've also asked to ride in the top middle on Soarin - they just send us to a holding spot to wait. It may increase your wait time, but only because there are others waiting for the same thing in front of you.

 

[Wish Upon A Starbucks]

Usually they just have you stand off to the side. You may have to wait until the next train or flight but it’s a short wait. I don’t see how it inconveniences other guests and the cast members have seemed fine with it the few times we have made a request.

 

[Pdollar88]

Usually they just have you stand off to the side. You may have to wait until the next train or flight but it’s a short wait. I don’t see how it inconveniences other guests and the cast members have seemed fine with it the few times we have made a request.

I'm just worrying for no reason, I suppose. That was my experience a looooong time ago when I requested the back on Expedition Everest -- simply placed to the side for another couple of minutes.

 

[HopperFan]

- Soarin' (DD worked there) and we did, no problem asking for a section, they have you enter or step aside to wait for next ride.
- 7DMT no problem they have you stand aside until next train.
- BTM no problem they have you enter next or stand to side for next train.
- RnR no problem
- EE no problem
- Splash, our odds are good for a front so we don't ask but other than tightness of platform why not
- Pirates .... seen people ask and been refused ... get in
- GMR ... used to ask for particular scene and they had us stand to the side if it wasn't that next tram
- ToT are good about placing you, we normally ask for back now to avoid anyone behind DS screaming

Few others we have asked due to DS issues but not sure they would do otherwise

 

[DisneyOma]

I remember requesting not to ride in the front of BTMRR at WDW - it was soon after the deadly accident on its sister mountain in Disneyland. The CM was not very nice about it, but I was nervous at the time, not trusting that they 'fixed' the issue. He did let us wait a cycle and move to the back.

I will request center section of Soarin' from now on, as the sides get warped views of some of the film.

 

[TulipMom]

I find it obnoxious, but my DH does it often, on many rides. CMs have always been very accommodating. If they're annoyed, they're good as masking it. DH is one of those people who is excellent at talking to people and making them like him, though, so his charm helps, I think.

 

[Rowlf the Dog]

Even at the season during Christmas and New Year I never had an issue to ask for front or back row at any of the coasters (RnRC, EE, BTMRR, 7DMT, Splash, Space). Hardly wait one cycle and than I could go....
But I would be interested, if wishes in Soarin, ToT - both Top Middle???? - as well as FoP are fullfilled?!

 

[Fangorn]

It has never been an issue for us on Soarin', or anything else for that matter. I'm very tall, with long legs. I used to try to remember the locations for the seats with the most legroom for things like Pirates and IASW, but I've learned to just mention my need to the CM and they have always been more than accommodating to seat me in the best seat for my comfort.

Steve

 

[NH-to-FL]

We also request to sit near the front of the Safari truck as it is a bit less rocky.

 

[ajfd]

If they didn't want me to ask to fly B1 each time on Soarin' they shouldn't have made the Eiffel Tower look like it has osteoporosis from everywhere else.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

My opinion is that it depends on the queue.
7DMT and BTMRR don't have a ton of space for you to just wait for the next train if where you'd like to sit has already been loaded.
Soarin' however is easy to just stand against the wall while you wait and let others pass.
I have requested the center section top row several times and the CM's have no problem with it.
No harm in asking since the majority of people don't care where they sit.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I'm ashamed to admit I occasionally do this. Primarily on 7DMT, BTMRR, Barnstormer. CMs mostly just smile and have you stand off to the side, no issues.

I asked to be on the front row on FEA this last trip because I was tired of our ride photos on that ride being so terrible (my young kids were always buried behind adults in front of us and not visible). I could tell the CM was annoyed with my request that time.

I do try to be selective when I do as to not be totally obnoxious.

 

[barbliny]

We do it sometimes (always on Soarin') - and have never been met with anything other than 'okay, just wait here' or ' go wait at the last car, you will have to wait for the next train'. I just ask nicely and am willing to deal with a 'no'. If we are approaching the loading area and see a line at the last car for BTMRR we just won't ask.

And the exact position you want in Soarin' is Section B, Row 1 (or B1). It is a common request - no warping and you don't have people's feet dangling above you.
As a matter of fact, when we rode Soarin' a couple of weeks ago and we requested B1 and had to wait for the next 'ride' - the CMs loaded the ride in a way I had never seen done before. They had the people who had skipped the last load because they requested section B line up against the wall and assigned us our spots. Then they loaded section A allowing those who asked to go over to B, then loaded section C leaving section B open for those who requested it and row B1 (where we requested, and were standing as we watched the 'loading dance') was left for those who specifically asked for that row, until they filled the rest of B and putting the final people into row B1. We and the couple next to us were fascinated watching this - neither of us had seen the ride loaded like that before.

On my last ride on Flight of Passage I even made somewhat of a request. Yes, we've been lucky enough to ride it enough times to realize that the ride is very different from different rooms. I now think I have it figured out for our next trip in December where we were when we had a couple of our best flights - and where I don't want to ride anymore. It's infinitely harder to make requests on this ride though.

 

[North of Mouse]

I frequently see mention of requesting a seat or location on a ride. I'm usually afraid to do this because I hate to inconvenience the cast member. Is it generally acceptable or is it frowned upon?

Most folks didn't make requests when I worked in Space Mountain, unless they really didn't understand that it was a single seat ride and continued to say "they didn't want to be split up."

I'm thinking of BTMRR and 7DMT (the back) or the sweet spot in Soarin (which I still don't remember off the top of my head). Would this extend my wait and/or inconvenience others? I'd like to avoid both things.

We do this every time for 7DMT as I need the front seat for the least movement. Never has been an issue, in fact have never seen anyone else request a certain seat when we're there.
They've always been very pleasant and accommodating about it.

Also, for Soarin' we've waited more than once for the first row, but usually don't specify the center section even though it's the best IMO. Don't won't to be too hard to please! LOL

 

[barbliny]

I asked to be on the front row on FEA this last trip because I was tired of our ride photos on that ride being so terrible (my young kids were always buried behind adults in front of us and not visible). I could tell the CM was annoyed with my request that time.

And I like to ask for 'not the front row' because every time I sit there I get wet from water coming over the side on the last drop. Just rolled with it in November when I got placed there and sure enough

I'm going back to my request! Plus, I did always feel bad being in front of little kids. I do agree that the CMs are not as amenable to requests on FEA as they are on other rides.

 

[Pdollar88]

I failed to mention. I’ll also be a single rider for this trip. I’m going to ask - I only have a small number of requests.

 

[skyblue17]

I failed to mention. I’ll also be a single rider for this trip. I’m going to ask - I only have a small number of requests.

I did single rider twice for RnR. The first time, I was placed in the last car of the limo and it was not super comfortable, my head was kinda doing that bounce around thing even though I was trying to keep it back. I decided to try again, because I had remembered loving the ride when I was younger (it was about 15 yeas between rides!) and when I got to the front of the single rider line, I was about to be placed in the last car again and I simply asked if I could wait to avoid being in the very back and told the rider behind me that he could go. When the next limo came, I was in the 2nd car and my ride was much better!

I actually was surprised by how few "first car" lines there are in general though. I feel like they are much more prominent in non-Disney parks.

 

[Cinderella94]

We do this in Soarin, for B1. My brother likes to do this for BTMRR, Mine Train, Everest, RNR. He always wants to be in the back. No one's ever batted an eye about it. Usually it does increase our wait by one or two vehicles- we often have to wait behind someone else who has requested the same thing. We request the front rows in Splash too, so anyone in front of us that might put their arms up doesn't block us in the picture.

 

[North of Mouse]

I asked to be on the front row on FEA this last trip because I was tired of our ride photos on that ride being so terrible (my young kids were always buried behind adults in front of us and not visible).

Actually didn't think to ask for this ride - but will next time! Our pictures were ruined when a tall teen with Mickey ears was in front of DH. You could not see him at all - looks like I rode alone!