Theme Parks

Theme Parks

Drawing on past experiences of queues at amusement parks, and in particular, queues for roller coasters and rides, I have formed the following conclusions.

Queues for rides, and in particular the popular rides, can be very long.  During the busy period at amusement parks queuing times can often exceed an hour, which can sound very daunting!  The clever people behind designing the queuing system for these rides have introduced certain aspects to make the long wait more pleasurable.

To begin with, the queues often trail along the ride, allowing the queuing public to see what they are letting themselves in for.  This has the effect of generating excitement and anticipation for the experience to come and gives people something to talk about.  The line can meander through scenery that relates to and is part of the ride, creating a specific atmosphere of fear and excitement prior to getting into your seat.

Some queues have markers on display at intervals throughout informing the hyped up public how long until they reach the actual ride.  Knowledge is comfort, and the knowledge of progress is comforting when waiting in a queue.  Although the waiting times can exceed thirty, forty-five and even sixty minutes during busy periods, the trade off between time spent waiting and the thrill and excitement of the ride evens out.  The better the experience and pay-off, the longer we are willing to wait.

There is an option to pay more for access to a fast track queue system which shortens queuing times for ride enthusiast, freeing up more time to experience more of the park.  There is a trade off between paying more and experiencing more.