This is a silly question, but I feel compelled to ask it. If it doesn’t belong in the TP forum, I apologize, I couldn’t see a real appropriate forum for such a question.
Suppose we were on a tight schedule and DD and DW needed a bathroom break. I proceed to the next line, they take their BRB and then join me in line, however far as it has progressed. At a later time, I do my BRB and they head to the line. How many of you see one person holding line for 3 as an abuse of others’ time?
The same question would hold for RD, if I hoofed it to get to the line and let them catch up and join me…
If someone needs a bathroom break before you get in line, you should wait and all get in line together. Everyone has things they need to do between rides. If there’s a bathroom emergency while you’re in the line, that’s different and people will be understanding of some of your party leaving the line and re joining it. Sometimes that can’t be helped, especially with toddlers.
That said, most people won’t try to stop people who say they are meeting up with someone already in line. But if someone won’t let them past, they will be stuck.
This question has been asked many times and you’ll get many different answers. Most people make exceptions for toddlers . It also depends on how many people are trying to catch up, also if it’s an inside or outside queue. Inside queue would be more difficult. As @missoverexcited said most people won’t say anything but you could run into someone who won’t let you pass.
I am going to agree with @missoverexcited. You should all go to the bathroom before you get in line. If your child then has to go yo the bathroom again- everyone will understand. I will say as a 55 year old woman- I have never walked past a bathroom in wdw. I always stop between attractions. I am sure you do not think your time is more valuable than everyone else’s in the line- but that would be the inference I would be making. I fully understand that this is my issue but I just want to share another perspective.
About the only time leaving the line to take a potty break is not likely to cause a fuss , it when a parent is taking a small child back down the line, making the “excuse us , potty, excuse us, peepee emergency” as they exit. Then when they return, those people in line will remember them. However, understand, it is possible that the remaining family will have already ridden by the time the potty people return.
But it s never okay for an part of a family to enter the line, hold a space until others hit the bathroom and catch up. You all need to enter the line together.
As an earlier poster said, you are going to get varied responses to this.
Scenario 1: Dad and daughter in line for 5 minutes, all of a sudden mom and son start "excuse me"ing their way up the line to join them, perhaps from a bathroom break.
Scenario 2: Dad, mom, son and daughter in line for 5 minutes, all of a sudden dad’s brother’s entire family start "excuse me"ing their way up the line to join them.
I’m honestly good with scenario one, but will lose my **** with scenario 2.
I would view any of these scenarios as an abuse of others’ time. Time is money when you’re in a theme park, and therefore everyone is on a “tight schedule” in my opinion. Think of it this way: what if EVERYONE did this? The queue might only represent about 25-50% of the people who were actually going to ride. It would be impossible to post waiting times, and you would have a constant stream of people passing you to reach the rest of their parties ahead of you, so much so that you would probably have to move backwards to make room for them. If it doesn’t work for everyone to do it, then you are asking for a special privilege that others who paid the same money for their ticket can’t have. And where do you draw the line? Can the rest of your party shop for souvenirs, get a snack, pop in to another meet and greet while you wait in line? The point is, everyone’s time is valuable, and unless someone in your party has a valid reason for not being able to wait in line (such as a disability, in which case there is a system in place for return times), everyone planning to ride should wait in line. Obviously, I would consider it a valid exception if the 3 year old who has waited in line for 20 minutes needs a potty break…that’s an unpredictable situation.
I tend generally to agree with you, catdrj, particularly about the slippery slope and where the line would be drawn. My query really regards the case of a kid needing a pit stop on the way to the line, which would probably involve 3-4 minutes lag. Also, it goes beyond 3 years old. I wouldn’t allow my DD7 to go to the bathroom alone, so I would depend on mom to escort her. I do like the idea of getting in line together, and waiting at least 20 minutes to establish that we are in line and waiting, and then having them pop over and then return to me in line. I would agree that, “hey, I’ll hold the line, and you can go shop for 40 minutes and then meet me at the front.”
The RD part of the question I added as a sort of a “where do you draw the line” type distinction. I think it’s as bad as the moms I see (in videos) holding their toddlers and sprinting at RD because their time is more important than everyone else’s, in fact too important to show up in time to be right on the rope.
If someone needs a pitstop WHILE already in line - I feel it is ok to step out, do what needs to be done and be able to return. I do have an issue where one person “HOLDS” a place in line while others pit stop having NOT already joined the line. If someone needs a pitstop prior to getting in queue - you all wait.
You are on vacation - you are not having to rush off to perform heart surgery.
I think if your kid needs a 3-4 minute pit stop on the way to the line, you should all wait to get in line together. In my mind, that’s different than waiting in line together and then needing to get out of line for a few minutes because of an unpredictable need to take a BRB (whether 3 or 7 years old, until your child is age appropriate to predict bathroom needs.) And yes, some people are disgraceful to the human race the way they act at rope drop. Recently at rope drop we were on our way to 7DMT in front of a couple of older ladies who were complaining that the people they were with were “racing” and they just couldn’t keep up. When we got to the line, I saw the other 2 people in their party several groups ahead motioning for the ladies behind us to join them. What a disgrace. If you care enough about these people to take a vacation with them, why would you just leave them in the dust so you could have 5 less minutes of wait time in a line? We have had a few situations in the past where we have been inadvertently split up on the way into the line, and when we notice, the part of the group further forward steps aside and allows people to pass until we can rejoin the rest of our group. That is the respectful thing to do, not to skip ahead.
I quite often write answers that do not convey what I mean and I am sure that is what happened here. Sometimes we post questions looking for people to confirm what we want to do. I think almost all of the responses here are trying to tell you that your family should always plan to go to the bathroom before you go into line. Planning on waiting 20 minutes cannot be your plan? Conflict in lines is a terrible thing to see. Many people do not say anything but any time others seem to feel as if their time/feelings/wants out weighs everyone else’s it can be upsetting.
I agree. It’s very easy to take your kids to the bathroom before you get in line, versus planning ahead to send them at 20 minutes into the line. Plus if your plan is really well done, you won’t be waiting long enough that a break at the 20 minute mark would be successful. The waiting party would already be on and done. I totally support small children that need to go on an emergent basis, but to plan to do it is in bad taste.
I think you have to ask yourself what you would gain by saving a spot in line while others go to the bathroom. I mean, it’s a couple of minutes at most and if you all go at the same time, that’s not going to put you too far off your schedule. Really, a schedule that won’t allow for a 3 minutes out of sync is really going to be messed up if one line is longer than anticipated or if there’s a slow moving crowd in front of you as you walk from ride to ride. Give yourself breathing space and bathroom time.
As for holding places, sure, when there’s an emergency there are limited choices. Also, I get saving a spot for the person parking the stroller or is 5-10 paces behind you. Excitement gets to everyone in the moment. But again, even if you wait for that minute or two, how many people are going to be in front of you?
People passing through lines is the #1 magic killer for me. Cost, waits, ECV or stroller assaults, refurbs, food issues, crowding, all are no problem. Well, maybe the stroller assaults.
[quote=“mcrotty1, post:16, topic:20918, full:true”]
People passing through lines is the #1 magic killer for me. Cost, waits, ECV or stroller assaults, refurbs, food issues, crowding, all are no problem. Well, maybe the stroller assaults.
[/quote]What’s a stroller assault? Like parent with strollers nipping at your heels? Or have you seen more aggressive stuff?
Very well stated, catdrj. Thank you! My biggest pet peeve is people who think they are more important than others around them, whatever form that takes. Really makes my blood boil. I am so excited about my family’s upcoming trip (48 days!), but I am going to have to learn to “Let It Go” when it comes to people with no common sense or basic courtesy. Don’t want the jerks to ruin our trip.
Thanks for all the feedback. We’ve never actually done what I inquired about at DL (this will be our first WDW). The question came to me because I have seen what appeared to be this type of thing in DL lines (it didn’t bother me and didn’t happen often), and I wondered if people actually plan for this, and if so, if I actually planned for it, what the response would be. I can say the reaction is pretty much what I expected. And about the slippery slope argument, that is absolutely correct. If it happened more often that it did, I probably would have started to become an obstacle.
I am sure you do not think your time is more valuable than everyone else’s in the line- but that would be the inference I would be making. I fully understand that this is my issue but I just want to share another perspective.