Best queue ever?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Disney seems to be testing a whole new queuing concept, starting with Rock 'n' Roller Coaster in Florida.

Details (http://www.gadling.com/2010/04/09/no-lines-at-walt-disney-world-theme-park-tests-new-queue-less/)

Studios Central (http://www.studioscentral.com/) says that the test at the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster worked like this: Guests were assigned the group number, then led to a tented standby area where there was a DJ and video games (such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero.) There was also merchandise on sale in the standby area, which is not surprising. This is Disney, after all.

The waiting system that was tested this week isn't a scheduled appointment to ride where you could leave the ride and come back later. You are expected to stay in the designated waiting area. Signs warned that if you weren't there within 5 minutes of your group being called, you would lose your place in the queue.

[Alex]

Hmm....the description leaves plenty of questions but an interesting thought.

It seems to me the big problem from a park management perspective is that it balloons the amount of space needed for those waiting to ride. Imagine a Pirates queue on a crowded day and give all those people a space in which they can mill around, shop, play games, etc.

From the perspective of me, a lot would depend on where I"m expected to wait. Spending 90 minutes watching people play rock band over and over (playing is fun, watching strangers play is torture) through they day would quickly drive me to mass shooting.

[Pirate Bill]

Last line in the article: "It's hard to corral kids in a hour-long line."

No, that's easy. Corralling kids in an open space like a play-place or Innoventions is a pain. And even if not dealing with kids, but just a big group, rounding everybody up when you're number is called can be chaotic.

[CoasterMatt]

This also is another excellent excuse for Disney to NOT go with themed, interestingly designed queues.

[Morrigoon]

This will be a disaster. Every group will have guests who wander off, miss their time, then get pissed off that they waited around in a freaking tent for an hour only to miss it and INSIST that you accommodate them.

Any system that requires educating the public on how to use it creates guests who fall through the cracks and get their day ruined by the complexity of the system.

[Ghoulish Delight]

This also is another excellent excuse for Disney to NOT go with themed, interestingly designed queues.
Hmm, i was kinda thinking the opposite. I mean, even in this test version, they had Guitar Hero/Rock Band in the waiting are for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. Of course, slapping in a couple existing video games in isn't ideal, but again this is just a test, and it at seems to show they're putting some thought towards theme. The right way to do it, if there is a right way, would be to create an elaborate interactive pre-show area that might conceivably keep your attention.

[Morrigoon]

Just wait till you can't get your kid on the ride because he's been standing in line to play Guitar Hero.

[innerSpaceman]

Nope, the best queue is barely-themed at all. It's the Matterhorn queue, and it's the best queue because it's constantly moving and all you need do is spend a few quality moments chatting with friends and you've gone from the "back" of the Matterhorn to your very own bobsled.

Milling around for an appointment will never be as good as those well-designed queues that constantly flow.

There are less of those now that FastPass has stopped the constant flow on many. And this milling-about just sounds like their second shot at what FastPass was hoped to accomplish, i.e., more people buying things instead of wasting non-spending time trying to get on one of those pesky rides or attractions.

[Morrigoon]

You make EXCELLENT points, Steve. The sensation of progress definitely contributes to guest happiness while waiting. Whereas just sitting around not knowing how long until your group is called will lead the wait to feel like forever.

Then there's that whole cattle corral thing...

[Kevy Baby]

I want a queue where I am placed into a comfortable horizontal (as in: laying down) slot where I am pulled out when it is my turn. That way, I can turn wait-time into nap-time!

Or Nap time.

[flippyshark]

Everything Steve said. If I hadn't already left park operations, this system would guarantee me handing in my walking papers pronto.

[Ghoulish Delight]

To me it all depends on execution. As described in the article, not so much. But they are targeting, at least initially, Fantasyland. Given the choice between waiting 45-60 minutes in line for Peter Pan vs. spending 30-40 minutes playing a carnival game of throwing foam rocks at a Wendy bird, learning lyrics to the movie's songs from a sing-a-long display, and watching rubber-head Hook futilely chase Peter in a short street performance, I'd take the latter.

Again, it relies on solid execution and a focus on making it a pre-ride themed environment vs. a holding pen with sh*tty merch and a cash register. Optimistic to expect as much from Disney? Perhaps, but a boy can dream.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Nope, the best queue is barely-themed at all. It's the Matterhorn queue, and it's the best queue because it's constantly moving and all you need do is spend a few quality moments chatting with friends and you've gone from the "back" of the Matterhorn to your very own bobsled.

Milling around for an appointment will never be as good as those well-designed queues that constantly flow.

There are less of those now that FastPass has stopped the constant flow on many. And this milling-about just sounds like their second shot at what FastPass was hoped to accomplish, i.e., more people buying things instead of wasting non-spending time trying to get on one of those pesky rides or attractions.Agreed, agreed, agreed. Insightful post. I didn't even think of the Matterhorn until you mentioned it.

To me it all depends on execution.The most themed queues are also pretty irritating to stand in because of the NOISE of all the people stuck in the cavernous line with you. Indy, Roger Rabbit. The idea of being stuck in an arcade with a bunch of kids for an hour or more sounds like hell. Parents don't put up with Chuck E Cheese more than a couple times a year. Can you imagine waiting in more than one of these "lines" in one day?

The ideas you mention are intriguing but all I can think of is the noise, noise, noise.

[Alex]

Given the choice between waiting 45-60 minutes in line for Peter Pan vs. spending 30-40 minutes playing a carnival game of throwing foam rocks at a Wendy bird...

How many people are in a 60 minute Peter Pan ride? 500-600? Can they possibly create a themed interactive area that keeps that many people occupied? Or do you just end up waiting in line to do something instead of waiting in line to ride?

How many people can Innoventions interactively entertain at once?

Then mix it with shopping? Put the Buzz Lightyear queue in the Star Command store instead, how much bigger does the store need to be?


I'm sure if they're testing it, the Imagineers have something in mind and have done plenty of math. But I'm not seeing it based on that article.

[Pirate Bill]

I keep thinking about how much I hate wondering around the mall for an hour while I'm waiting to be paged at the Cheesecake Factory. I've stood in 2 hour lines and had more fun.

[flippyshark]

I'm sure if they're testing it, the Imagineers have something in mind and have done plenty of math.

Oh, I really have to recuse myself from this topic, but ... possibly not enough math has been done. (scampers away)

[Stan4dSteph]

Actually it's being developed for the Dumbo queue, and I think it's a great idea in that context: little kids who don't always get the concept of queueing. They will be able to play in the area until their group is called. I saw it being test at RnR when I was there last year.

[scaeagles]

Kids should learn to grasp the idea of waiting their turn. If they are old enough to get the concept that this is something cool, they should get the concept that they have to wait for the others that were there first to do it first.

I don't see how there could possibly be enough space to to allow for something interesting to do. Pirates handles what....1200/hour? On really crowded days with an hour wait, where the hell will they put 900 (or so) people so they have room to roam about and wait? Will they close off the waiting area at a certain size and then have a line waiting to get into the queueing area?

At first thought I don't see how it can be done logistically. And the thought of having a waiting area similar to walking down main street on a saturday afternoon in the summer doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun. Sounds awful.

[Ghoulish Delight]

How many people are in a 60 minute Peter Pan ride? 500-600? Can they possibly create a themed interactive area that keeps that many people occupied? Or do you just end up waiting in line to do something instead of waiting in line to ride?
I don't know how many that is, but 500-600 seems high. I'd be surprised if there are more than 200 people in that line at any one time. I could be wrong. And it obviously wouldn't work in Disneyland's Fantasyland as currently configured. But with a ground-up design as they seem to be doing in Florida, I think there's potential for a successful re-think of the queue concept.

But then, Pan may not have been the best example. As Steph pointed out, Dumbo makes a better candidate, I just used Pan because the interactive concepts jumped into my head.


I don't see how there could possibly be enough space to to allow for something interesting to do. Pirates handles what....1200/hour? On really crowded days with an hour wait, where the hell will they put 900 (or so) people so they have room to roam about and wait? Will they close off the waiting area at a certain size and then have a line waiting to get into the queueing area.
It wouldn't make sense to do it with every ride. Pirates, Matterhorn, Haunted Mansion. Those are all huge people-eating rides with queues that move steadily because. Rides like Dumbo whose design is such that everyone in line just stands still during the duration of other people's ride would make more sense. Especially in the context of grouping people.

I surely don't see this replacing the concept of ride queues park-wide, or even in an entire land. But for a select few attractions I think it has potential.

[Stan4dSteph]

Kids should learn to grasp the idea of waiting their turn. If they are old enough to get the concept that this is something cool, they should get the concept that they have to wait for the others that were there first to do it first.They still have to wait their turn. They just don't have to do it trapped between metal bars.

I don't see how there could possibly be enough space to to allow for something interesting to do. This is at Walt Disney World. They're redoing Fantasyland at WDW. The queue will be specifically designed to handle the expected crowds in this manner. http://www.mouseplanet.com/8976/Walt_Disney_World_Resort_Update#news1

[CoasterMatt]

There's plenty of kids that should be waiting BEHIND metal bars :D

What happens when the game or whatever they do for the queue is more interesting to the kid than the ride they're waiting for? Gonna be some fun family moments there, for sure.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I'll have to see it work before I give it a stamp of approval. Sounds good on paper, but like others have said: noise, losing members of your party, overrunning the cool stuff while waiting, and being stuck in the area... I don't know.

Better to just keep the queue moving. I don't care as much what it looks like so long as it keeps moving. Things happening alongside the queue might help... mini movies, street style skits, something like that periodically.

[Alex]

I used 500-600 for Pan because a quick search said that was the hourly capacity of the ride. So I assume an hour long line would be about that long.

But yeah, whatever the number if it is very high I don't see how it would work, especially without an area that had been specifically designed for it. But if it is just for Dumbo where that is happening then I'm sure it will be fine (though it is moot for me as it is likely I'll get through life without ever riding Dumbo again).

I am curious to know how many people had something to do at any one time.

However, couldn't essentially the same thing be accomplished (though without the extra entertainment) by changing the FastPass rules so they give a narrower time of return and you're required to use it in that window?

[€uroMeinke]

Don't people mostly pull out their phone/gamneboys when waiting in line? Does this just provide seating? that might be nice.

Or how about bringing entertainment to the queue - buskers, mimes, street musicians?

[Alex]

I'll admit that just standing in line with three or four friends talking **** for 40 minutes waiting to ride Pirates is the best Disneyland stuff there is. The more distraction, the less I enjoy the line.

I wonder if the eventual step of not waiting in lines will be that you can make reservations for your rides before leaving home and just show up for your designated group.

[€uroMeinke]

Yeah, I was wondering about doing the complete restaurant reservation route, or appointments with the DMV

[Prudence]

I prefer the visible "progress" of moving forward in line. Waiting until my group is called in some holding pen, unable to discern whether other groups Disney values more are jumping the queue? Not my thing. Sure, fastpass and plaid escorts already do that, but at least there's some measure of visibility. This system seems to set the stage for much more involved shenanigans.

Or, perhaps my tinfoil hat needs adjusting.

[Alex]

In that regard, the article had a photo of the sign which appeared to show the progress of each group to the front of the line. I'd think suddenly having another group number show up ahead of you would create unrest so they probably wouldn't do that (though they could always put VIPs into a group about to go on).