What do you do to make time in lines go by fast?

[smithmom]

I have 3 & 4 year old boys and I'm a bit nervous of how they'll handle long lines for rides. If I can hold their attention they'll do great - but no entertainment means they'll get antsy and, well, you know...

I was thinking of creating some trivia cards to bring down. I've also heard pipe cleaners make great improv, but I think that might bore them after the first day...

Anyone have good ideas for passing the time in line...

 

[DollfieDreams]

we bring games. your little ones are bit too small for mad libs, which is what we do.

but why not bring little flash cards? you could make them with easily recognizable disney characters and ask questions (ie: she swims under the sea, and her best friend is a little yellow fish name flounder. do you know who it is?) i played this game with my little nephew when i took him to wdw and he loved it, i included a gummy bear as a "prize" for getting it right but thats obviously not necessary.

my group of friends and i are all in our 20's and we enjoy playing the disney trivia games. youd be surprised how many people get involved in playing with you when your line is way long.

 

[Scurvy]

Well first (and I know this is obvious) try to avoid the lines whenever possible. By using Fastpass and EMH or being at the parks when they open you can minimize the time you spend in line. It's amazing what a difference even a couple of hours can make in the crowd levels each day, so try to get to the parks early.

For my family, I Spy worked wonderfully. Especially with all the theming of some of the lines, there's plenty to see and talk about. Pointing out the details or playing I Spy was enough to keep our son occupied most of the time. They also have books and websites devoted to Hidden Mickeys, and some of those are visible from the lines. They can be really fun to search for.

Also when you're trapped in line is a good time to talk about your trip - What was your favorite thing so far? Why? What do you want to do next? Talk about your plans for the rest of the day, talk about what to expect on the ride you're in line for. . . that sort of thing.

When my son was small we didn't really take things for him to play with in line, but he did have a toy camera he enjoyed using in the parks. As he got older he got a kid's camera that he loved taking pictures with.

It's also a fun time to scroll back through the pictures on your camera to let the kids look at them, if you have a digital one with a display.

(And just because someone usually suggests them in a thread like this. . . please don't bring bubbles to use in line. They get on glasses and camera lenses and can stain some clothing, and apparently some people are even allergic to them. Plus they actually make some kids more keyed up since they float all over the place and kids want to chase them, which they can't do while they are stuck in line.)

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Twenty questions is also good for in line.
Not Disney-themed, but Namits is game that's easy to take along. (There's a jr. version too) http://www.namits.com/products.asp


It's a good time for a little, non messy snack. (I make up bags of trail mix with cereal, nuts, a few M&Ms) I've also been known to have an emergency ration of Tootsie pops when we just reach a breaking point in a line.

 

[williamson_ja]

Short Disney movies on the ipod. You can buy them from itunes for $1.99 each. They have all the good old Disney shorts. I love watching these! This is what I grew up on.

Generally though, we just try to avoid long lines like the plague. Last trip, our only long lines were to meet Mickey in toon town, and Toy Story Mania. Both were under 1/2 hour. TSM has cute things to look at while you are in line. My dd loved just watching Mr. Potato Head. lol. Meeting Mickey in toontown seemed to take forever though and this is when we got out the ipod with movies on it for her.

 

[cmaee]

Our boys were 4 & 5 on our first trip and 5 & 6 on our last trip. We do a lot of I Spy and Rock Paper Scissors in line. I also made sure I had mini-fans in my bag so that they could cool off standing in line...espically if we were in the sun. I also brought fruit snacks (gummy ones..not real fruit) and passed those out when we were close to mealtime and were in line. We really try to avoid the lines at all cost. We would arrive at rope drop and collect Fastpasses throughout the day. We would get all of the slow loading rides done first before the crowds arrive.

 

[monorailsilver]

We don't do anything special.

If it is around snack time I might break out some snacks I have to give them plus a drink.

Otherwise there is so much to look at that the line just moves right along.

 

[kaliope]

We use the BrainQuest games, they have them for all ages and test all kinds of skills in a really fun way. My 4 yr old LOVES to play this (we always shout BRAINQUEST when he gets everything on the card right...maybe not the best thing while waiting in a line...)

 

[Mouse House Mama]

You should get them 2 light sabers and let then duel.

Seriously we just talk to each other and look at our surroundings. We also talk about the ride or what we are going to do next.