Do people wait in lines anymore?

[5kidsmommy]

I've been seeing a lot of threads lately talking about how they didn't get this fp or that fp and lamenting the fact because it will make their trip less enjoyable. Granted I've only been once with fp+ and I didn't fully utilize it because that's not how we like to spend our time at Disney, we like to wander and not really follow touring plans of any sort. And when they had the old fastpass we would use it if we were there but would never run for the kiosks.

I guess when I go to an amusement park I assume I will be spending a good amount of time in line along with the other people there. But I'm sensing now that people don't want to wait in line.

And how long are the lines? Granted I do not travel during heavy times. I've been in January, May and September. I never remember huge lines, occasionally we would see a line that was an hour long and we'd pass. Growing up in Southern California I spent many, many days at Disneyland and Space Mountain was usually close to a 2 hour wait and that was pre-electronics, so we just waited and waited and waited. Have lines gotten so horrible or are people just not wanting to wait more than 15 minutes?

 

[SM101]

Does anyone ever WANT to wait in line for an hour plus for a 90 second ride?

Honestly - waiting in line for two hours would make me a crabby person for most of the day. We do rope drop, fast passes, back in the evenings, and visit off season (most of the time) and get plenty of time to ride what we want plus down time just enjoying being there. But I would rather hit up a few rides in the morning before the parks get crowded then leave to enjoy some pool time, rather than muscle through waiting waiting waiting....

 

[amcnj]

Given a choice I am sure the consensus opinion would be to not have to wait in any lines. So the next best thing is to minimize them when possible, using FP+ and planning strategies. Like you, if I see a really long line I skip past it. Now some of that comes from having been there before and figuring I'll try again later, another day, or even another trip. But I am sure there are still a lot of first timers who want to see as much as possible in their visit and thus don't have a lot of choice in the matter. Personally I would have no problem if all lines were always just 15 minutes!

 

[Meriweather]

I won't wait in any line if it is too long. I have been enough and go often enough to just skip it and try again another time.
I do rope drop and go for the headliners then.
Get FP+ for those hard to get rides....if I can get with them.
We just like to roam too, so pretty much go with the flow.

 

[ciera321]

Yes! But with good planning, arriving before rope drop, single rider lines and the use of FP+, we don't wait in lines longer than 20 minutes. The folks waiting in those 75 minute lines, are many times, the ones who don't do their homework, IMO. We spend a lot of money for our Disney vacations, so even after 25 trips, I still plan, research, and plan some more. It always amazes me that every trip we seem to see a family walk into the park, open the map they just grabbed, and try to figure out where a certain ride is. If that's your style, that's fine, but you will be waiting. I don't plan out every ride, but I plan the first few, so that we can ride the most popular rides that will have those long lines later in the day. Waiting is definitely something to expect at Disney World, but you don't have to wait in those crazy long standby lines.

 

[JoshuaShaw]

You see more threads lamenting not getting a Fastpass because now people find out two months before their trip that they didn't get a Fastpass. People are no more or less patient, they just have foreknowledge of what's to come.

 

[MischaOz]

I don't find the lines to be too long and have never waited more than 15-20 min. That being said, I try to tour smartly. We don't RD, but we arrive early, take an afternoon break, and stay late. I utilize crowd calendars and FP. I don't follow an itinerary at all (except for FP times), but I do have a general idea of which attractions tend to have longer waits and do those early or late, saving the less popular attractions for the busier time of day.

 

[5kidsmommy]

I don't find the lines to be too long and have never waited more than 15-20 min. That being said, I try to tour smartly. We don't RD, but we arrive early, take an afternoon break, and stay late. I utilize crowd calendars and FP. I don't follow an itinerary at all (except for FP times), but I do have a general idea of which attractions tend to have longer waits and do those early or late, saving the less popular attractions for the busier time of day.

That sounds like us. We are not early risers (I have 5 teenagers), but we do stay late and we usually wait 15-30 minutes max for lines. We do the big rides during off times. And the past trip, the first one where we had fp+ we got everything we wanted but ended up not having to wait long for those rides anyhow. We usually have no problem doing the rides we like numerous times. Maybe I'm just seeing threads of people going at busy times and I guess fp+ would certainly be more important then but heck at busy times I suppose you'd be dealing with lines all day long anyhow.

 

[Jennasis]

We generally won't wait longer than 25 minutes for any ride, and yes, there are times during the year when lines for everything are pretty horrible (we don't go at those times).

I said right from the outset of FP+ (which I don't like at all) that I survived WDW before there was ANY type of FP and I'll survive now going without FP of any kind. I refuse to stay up to midnight or 1am, I refuse to hunt down those elusive kiosks, and I refuse to be a slave to my cell phone all day checking what time our next FP is trying to move things around.

I'll just ride what I can.

 

[KorieDWnut]

I don't wait longer than 45 mins for any ride. I get my FP and then deal with a 40/45 min wait for anything else. Ive never left unsatisfied or feeling like I missed out on anything. I just got back from WDW this past Sunday. Lines werent too too bad until the weekend, then it was common to see 90-110 min wait times, which is crazy, nothing is worth that, although Ive been so many times so I dont mind having to skip anything.
This trip, the only ride I didnt get to go on because I couldnt get a FP was Soarin, and Ive been on it too many times to justify waiting for 2 hours.

So yeah, 45 mins, Ill wait without issue but nothing else.
We rode Everest 6 times in a row!! If you are at AK within a half hour before closing, its very possible to go on it over and over without a wait at all.

 

[Rusteze]

I agree with the others, we don't heavily use FP+ except when we really need to (I'm looking at you TSMM). Usually just roam around with only a general plan and if we need to, come back and try to ride at a different time. Gone are our commando days of trying to squeeze every little thing in.

 

[JennyDrake]

I am just back lat week) and if you weren't at rope drop and you don't want to wait in lines, you would not ride much of anything. Movie type attractions had little waits; in contrast Kali had a 90 minute wait and the safari had a 60 minute wait at 11:00 am.... MK had waits of 30-50 minutes for everything by noon.

 

[5kidsmommy]

I am just back lat week) and if you weren't at rope drop and you don't want to wait in lines, you would not ride much of anything. Movie type attractions had little waits; in contrast Kali had a 90 minute wait and the safari had a 60 minute wait at 11:00 am.... MK had waits of 30-50 minutes for everything by noon.

The crowds, lines and heat are all part of the reason I will never do Disney (or Florida) in the summer. September is hot enough for me. I do understand it's the only time some can go but no thanks, I am so not a fan of the heat or humidity. You are a trooper for going in August.

 

[Triple Trouble]

We occasionally wait in lines, but it is for 2nd or 3rd times through favorite rides (POTC mainly). However, for 7DMT or A&E, it looks like even at RD you can end up in a 1 hour line . I am unsure what the line for A&E is after RD now, but last time we were there it was 4 hours+. The fast pass or RD are the only reasonable options if these two attractions are on your list....and considering how long the lines are...they are on lots of lists!

 

[Disneyliscious]

I remember back in the day, there were no fastpasses. We stood in line for 3 hours to see the Indiana Jones show in DHS. Not just us. Everyone. You either stood in line or you didn't see an attraction. We survived.

Over the years, with the increase of technology, we have become an instant gratification society. We want everything now. Yesterday. Along with that, Disney does not WANT people waiting in line. Take our 3 hour line wait at Indiana Jones.....if we had been out pilfering in the park (like FP allows us to do) we would have bought something. Thats money in Disneys pocket and they like money.

So its not just us. If Disney could devise a system where no one ever waited in line they'd implement it. Because that would keep people out of lines and into shops and restaurants.

 

[jolene63]

We went last June and never waited more than 15 minutes for a ride. We love FP+ and really took advantage of it. We also toured MK at night and got a lot done. If a ride has a long wait, we just skip it and come back to it when the wait is shorter. We are going next month and I hope that our trip is as successful as ours was last year.

 

[MammerJammer]

Touring Plans is saying that today is a 9 out of 10 I'm really hoping crowds drop next week

 

[smiths02]

I've been seeing a lot of threads lately talking about how they didn't get this fp or that fp and lamenting the fact because it will make their trip less enjoyable. Granted I've only been once with fp+ and I didn't fully utilize it because that's not how we like to spend our time at Disney, we like to wander and not really follow touring plans of any sort. And when they had the old fastpass we would use it if we were there but would never run for the kiosks.

I guess when I go to an amusement park I assume I will be spending a good amount of time in line along with the other people there. But I'm sensing now that people don't want to wait in line.

And how long are the lines? Granted I do not travel during heavy times. I've been in January, May and September. I never remember huge lines, occasionally we would see a line that was an hour long and we'd pass. Growing up in Southern California I spent many, many days at Disneyland and Space Mountain was usually close to a 2 hour wait and that was pre-electronics, so we just waited and waited and waited. Have lines gotten so horrible or are people just not wanting to wait more than 15 minutes?

I probably could have written this. I see people on here talking about waiting 45 minutes for POTC. In the 90s at DL, that would not be unheard of. I waited an hour or so for HM at Disneyland before. Star Tours and Indiana Jones were insane waits when those rides first opened. This was pre-legacy FP. This is probably why I don't like parades and fireworks...that is when you go on rides.

In my trips to WDW-2003, 2009, 2011, 2015. All during June/July...we really haven't waited. Nothing more than 15 minutes. We are rope drop people, and we made *some* use of legacy FP or FP+. If you get there at Rope Drop, do all the rides that get crowded later but you didn't want to use a FP+ on.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Lines are part of the game but where they get ridiculous is when there are 30 to 45 minute waits to ride Journey Into Immagination. If you're unwilling to wait in lines your day is going to consist of maybe 4 rides and then lots of visits to the Country Bears, Tiki Room, Hall of Presidents and the Tree House. Of course if Disney adds FP+ to those you can chalk up a 30 min or more wait for those as well.

 

[ars0525]

I sort of base getting my FPs on which lines I don't care to wait in line for. And that I base on my comfort level. I don't care to wait in line where there is no air flow or shade. For me the standby line for Splash Mountain looks horrible...I stood once in that area & I felt like I was suffocating/crowded. Won't do it again so I only ride it with a FP or when there is no line (1am tends to have a short wait). Same for the old Peter Pan line. It just seemed too crowded together & not enough air flow for me. The new line goes inside though & is probably a lot more tolerable plus it's got fun stuff.

I don't mind waiting in line, but not more than 20 minutes unless it's something I REALLY want to do. Of course I come frequently enough I have adopted the "ok next time" thinking so it's not a once in a lifetime visit which for some people I understand is. I do miss the paper FPs...if I saw somebody on what appeared to be a once in a great while visit I would give them my FPs knowing I would be coming back soon.