Waiting at entrance gate strategies/etiquette

[swamp_mule]

I have a question regarding being an "early bird" and getting to the DL gate early to get a head-start on the day. Is it advantageous or fair to send one family member to wait at the gate (basically reserving their place in line) allowing the rest of the family (for e.g. Grandma/Grandpa DW and DS2yrs) to get ready, eat and get to the gate at their leisure? Or is this "cheating"?

Thanks!

 

[Raindown]

Generally in lines I don't mind one or two, but when the whole family rolls up it is a little . However, it only really bugs me in attractions lines. At open more *meh.*

This is just personally speaking, not sure if there is a protocol per se. I don't mind when a group sends a person out for fastpasses.

 

[HydroGuy]

Like just about anything at DLR that involves waiting in line, including rides, it is poor etiquette to have one person hold a spot in line for a larger group. To have a larger group hold a spot for maybe one or two people is fine with me and I think most others.

Do people do it anyways? Yes, a few do it. But it steals some magic from everyone around them. It is negative energy.

 

[swamp_mule]

These are precisely the opinions I'm looking for. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[LuLusApple]

I don't care for it in lines or at the gate or at counter service. I think it's rude to have one person hold for more than maybe one and a child. If it's a large group already I can tolerate 1 or 2 stragglers. But when one person is standing there and the line has formed, squeezing in more than a couple people is downright aggravating; well excuse me while we all make way. sorry this is really my petpeeve.
I am happy you asked tho

 

[tchull]

Hoping I can jump in here and ask another question. So from what I've read when you arrive early at DL you need to wait at the security tents (even if they haven't started check people in yet), instead of waiting at the turnstiles. Is that correct? Is DCA basically the same?

 

[Mugglemama]

I am SO surprised to see people write that they are annoyed by people holding a place in line for family members at the entrance. We've only done it once, and it was my 2 daughters plus myself, waiting for DH to come along with our 2 sons. He dropped us off just to go park, though, so he was along in about 20 minutes. Typically we all park together and ride the tram in together, but actually, we were following advice we'd gotten HERE on the boards that specifically suggested having the driver drop others and then catch up. We'll be doing it on our next trip as well, because we'll have my MIL with us and she'll be in a wheelchair, so it will take longer for DH and his parents to get to the gate from the parking structure than it would take otherwise, so I'm going to have him drop me and the kids off to run and get in line, while we wait for them (we've never had to get a wheelchair onto a tram before so we're not sure what to expect).

Personally, I think absolutely nothing when a group in line has a few more people meet up, because I totally understand parents using a "divide and conquer" method to accomplish certain tasks. It certainly doesn't steal any of my "magic" personally, to have a couple extra people get in line. Now, when it's one person holding a place for a huge group of friends, then yeah, that's a bit annoying (and it happens nearly every time we are waiting in line for opening), but still, I mean, they have every right to do it. We never hold places in ride lines, but in line at the gates? Yeah, we've definitely done that (3 of us waiting, for the remaining 3 to catch up after they parked).

 

[HydroGuy]

I am SO surprised to see people write that they are annoyed by people holding a place in line for family members at the entrance. We've only done it once, and it was my 2 daughters plus myself, waiting for DH to come along with our 2 sons. He dropped us off just to go park, though, so he was along in about 20 minutes. Typically we all park together and ride the tram in together, but actually, we were following advice we'd gotten HERE on the boards that specifically suggested having the driver drop others and then catch up. We'll be doing it on our next trip as well, because we'll have my MIL with us and she'll be in a wheelchair, so it will take longer for DH and his parents to get to the gate from the parking structure than it would take otherwise, so I'm going to have him drop me and the kids off to run and get in line, while we wait for them (we've never had to get a wheelchair onto a tram before so we're not sure what to expect).

Personally, I think absolutely nothing when a group in line has a few more people meet up, because I totally understand parents using a "divide and conquer" method to accomplish certain tasks. It certainly doesn't steal any of my "magic" personally, to have a couple extra people get in line. Now, when it's one person holding a place for a huge group of friends, then yeah, that's a bit annoying (and it happens nearly every time we are waiting in line for opening), but still, I mean, they have every right to do it. We never hold places in ride lines, but in line at the gates? Yeah, we've definitely done that (3 of us waiting, for the remaining 3 to catch up after they parked).

I did not see anyone here question your situation. The OP was asking about one person holding a space for their extended family including grandparents. That is different than three people holding a space for three others - especially when it is a mother and father divided and each with kids. I think it also depends on the age of the kids. In general when there are small children involved people are much more forgiving. For bigger kids and teens it is more of an issue.

In a case like yours I would tend to send all kids to the gate and have DH do his thing alone - unless you had a good reason to send kids with him (maybe a need to help carry something?). That is what we do on day trips - all kids to the gate while I park and then rejoin them.

 

[HydroGuy]

Hoping I can jump in here and ask another question. So from what I've read when you arrive early at DL you need to wait at the security tents (even if they haven't started check people in yet), instead of waiting at the turnstiles. Is that correct? Is DCA basically the same?

Yes. And DL and DCA share a common security entrance - for the regular entrance. The special GCH entrance to DCA has its own security check.

 

[tchull]

Yes. And DL and DCA share a common security entrance - for the regular entrance. The special GCH entrance to DCA has its own security check.

Thank you for that confirmation. We're staying at PPH, so we'll most likely use the GCH entrance to DCA.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I don't care for it in lines or at the gate or at counter service. I think it's rude to have one person hold for more than maybe one and a child. If it's a large group already I can tolerate 1 or 2 stragglers. But when one person is standing there and the line has formed, squeezing in more than a couple people is downright aggravating; well excuse me while we all make way. sorry this is really my petpeeve.
I am happy you asked tho

It will be interesting to see the etiquette that develops if there is a line at DCA for those holding showpassess for WoC. While it is very common for part of a party to stake out a spot for F! at DL, I would expect that people would be discouraged from queing with showpass in hand for WoC untill all the members of the party were present. -- Suzanne

 

[pixiewings71]

The only way we've done this is to have DBF meet us someplace. We've done that quite a few times but then it's 1 person meeting the 3 others who are already there. That's very different from 1 person holding a spot for the other 3 or more. I can understand if it's a parent/child (or similar) meeting another parent due to a potty break but I really don't appreciate it when it's a bunch of people.

 

[toddbushman]

I would have to say I am of a different opinion than most here. I see absolutely nothing wrong with having a waiter at the entrance gates (rides is a different matter unless of course it is that someone ran to the bathroom, etc...). For example, I always go wait out at the security entrance at least a 1/2 hour or an hour before they even open the esplanade, and then am always first to one of the entrance gates, and wait there for an hour. Usually 20 minutes or so before the gates open my wife and 2 very young children join me in line. Their patience level would not last for much longer than 20 minutes and would be a much greater disruption to the line if they were with me the whole time. I tend to actually talk to the people in line behind me though, so they know my family is coming (I am not even a talkative guy normally, but there is just something about the excitement Disneyland brings that gets me chatting about rides, parades, etc...). I wouldn't care if anyone was upset either though, because, come on, you're at Disneyland the happiest place on earth are you really going to start you're day off grumpy because a father got up 2 hours early to get into the park first for his family, while maintaining a happy family. Besides, there is too much judgment in this world. You never know why a family might do this strategy. Perhaps the kids have disabilities that aren't apparent to you and their kid can't wait in lines. Perhaps that is just the culture from where that family comes from. Basically, I think it is up to each individual family to craft their entrance strategy to what works for that family. Of course, I am typically a pretty laid back easy going guy (got that growing up in Oklahoma I guess), and there really isn't a point in allowing someone else to determine what your attitude is going to be, especially when you're on an awesome Disney vacation! Too much to be excited about and to do! So sorry if I am ever "that guy" in front of you who stood in line up to 2 hours before the park opened by myself (yes I know that is weird to many, but that is what I enjoy doing at Disneyland) and my family shows up in rented strollers 15-20 minutes before the gates open (I always stand first in line and ensure that there is plenty of room for my wife and kids to show up) and you get grumpy, but Grumpy only belongs in Snow White's ride and on T-shirts, hats, and sweaters at Disneyland!

 

[lostatdisney]

I think the key is to show courtesy to those around you, many of whom are waiting with their entire families. When we were in DCA this March, our family was waiting at the gates to head to Toy Story Mania. We hurried back when the park opened and were about forty people or so back. After we had been in line for about ten minutes, I noticed three teenage girls and two adults jumping over the ropes. They joined the group in front of us, and my DS15 said, "Really? Really? You're just going to cut in line like that?" One of the adults who had cut turned to him and said, "Chill, honey, everybody does it!" before her husband could move her to the front of their group and away from us. Now I was not at all happy at my son for having spoken that way to an adult, but I was shocked at her behavior and attitude. And it ALL has to do with courtesy and respect. If they had said, "Do you mind if we join our group?" or "So sorry to cut in, but we would like to join the rest of our friends," in a polite way, we would have happily let them in! Also, I wonder what example this woman thinks she is setting for her teens. If "everybody does it" it's okay? In our family, we usually wait for the entire group before we get in line. But the bottom line is - if you are courteous, most people are happy to let you in.

 

[skiingfast]

I think it is wholly different when 1 meets 3 waiting in line than 3 meeting one. The first case is one who is catching up from where ever. The other is 1 person holding a spot so 3 can cut in line. I mean we all learned that cutting is wrong when we started school.

I'd consider this to be so inconsiderate, that while normally calm and quiet, I would speak aloud about thier action in a manner to shame them.

 

[AmericanItGirl]

Like a number of other people said, it really depends on the age/other characteristics of the people coming late. It's different if a parent (or grandparent) is coming with one or two very young children than if it's a group of able-bodied teens coming late because they couldn't be bothered to hurry up and knew they could take their sweet time because one person was willing to go ahead. Same with if it's 2 holding a spot for 2 or 3 others or 1 holding a spot for 5 or 6.

 

[issapowers]

I think it's a matter of opinion and situation. I don't mind if so much if one person hold a place for a couple other people. I don't mind it during ride lines, waiting to get in or so forth where it goes real quick. But I have had a couple situations that have annoyed me. Once we were waiting at the tram on a busy day. the trams seem to take forever! I got inline behind one man waiting there. right before the tram drove up, he called over for his 10 to 15 school group and they all cut in front of me and got on the tram. I had to wait for another tram. I was not happy! Another time is during parades. One person holds a space for 5 other family members, and doesn't even lay out jackets or make it obvious. Our family sees an available area and sits down then 5 other family members Squeeze in next to me and are rude about it. I even try to avoid parades because I always feel squeezed in like a sardine.

 

[tholczer]

I think the key is letting those behind you know that you are expecting a large group. Every family has their own particular needs, and no one has the right to judge that. Just do what you think is best for your family.

Tracy

 

[pixiewings71]

I would have to say I am of a different opinion than most here. I see absolutely nothing wrong with having a waiter at the entrance gates (rides is a different matter unless of course it is that someone ran to the bathroom, etc...). For example, I always go wait out at the security entrance at least a 1/2 hour or an hour before they even open the esplanade, and then am always first to one of the entrance gates, and wait there for an hour. Usually 20 minutes or so before the gates open my wife and 2 very young children join me in line. Their patience level would not last for much longer than 20 minutes and would be a much greater disruption to the line if they were with me the whole time. I tend to actually talk to the people in line behind me though, so they know my family is coming (I am not even a talkative guy normally, but there is just something about the excitement Disneyland brings that gets me chatting about rides, parades, etc...). I wouldn't care if anyone was upset either though, because, come on, you're at Disneyland the happiest place on earth are you really going to start you're day off grumpy because a father got up 2 hours early to get into the park first for his family, while maintaining a happy family. Besides, there is too much judgment in this world. You never know why a family might do this strategy. Perhaps the kids have disabilities that aren't apparent to you and their kid can't wait in lines. Perhaps that is just the culture from where that family comes from. Basically, I think it is up to each individual family to craft their entrance strategy to what works for that family. Of course, I am typically a pretty laid back easy going guy (got that growing up in Oklahoma I guess), and there really isn't a point in allowing someone else to determine what your attitude is going to be, especially when you're on an awesome Disney vacation! Too much to be excited about and to do! So sorry if I am ever "that guy" in front of you who stood in line up to 2 hours before the park opened by myself (yes I know that is weird to many, but that is what I enjoy doing at Disneyland) and my family shows up in rented strollers 15-20 minutes before the gates open (I always stand first in line and ensure that there is plenty of room for my wife and kids to show up) and you get grumpy, but Grumpy only belongs in Snow White's ride and on T-shirts, hats, and sweaters at Disneyland!

But the difference is you are letting those who come after you know the situation. AND you have small children, it's much more acceptable to us (as a family) when it's a Mom and younger kids who are joining up with Dad, especially if Dad has mentioned that 3 more are coming. Small children don't typically do well with long waits so that situation is understandable. What makes me crazy is what a PP described, we all wait in line together, right before it's our turn the 1 guy in front of us says "my group is over there, we have 8 people", not cool dude, your group needs to be in line with you...and what makes it worse is it's adults or kids over the age of 10 who should be fine in line. IF someone has a disability of some kind that makes it hard to wait in lines (autism & aspergers come to mind quickly) then those family should get the disability card that allows them to enter thru the disabled lines for shorter wait times.

 

[tkitty]

I agree with the masses for the most part. I feel that in most cases, the whole party should enter the line together. If one needs to hop out for any reason with a child, or to use the restroom, get water, whatever that's fine. They have been waiting like everyone else.
I would love to just have one of my party run on ahead and save us a place in all the lines, so we could take our time with the kids, but would never think of doing this.
At the front gate, getting dropped off and getting in line, and having one or two people meet up with you is fine. I always apreciate it when someone says " I have a couple more on there way".
There is so much disrespect when you go to anyplace with crowds these days. So many don't give a p**p about people around them. (OK I'm done)
It's nice to see the OP wants to know how others feel about this.