Best queue ever?
 

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

Details

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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...

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.