Could someone explain London Eye queues to me please?

[TooStressyTooMessy]

Apologies if this is easy to find elsewhere but I have done a search on here and also found the official London Eye site fairly unhelpful. We are planning to go on the London Eye on a Saturday in a few weeks time.

We can’t afford fast track tickets for all of us as I am planning to use Tesco clubcard vouchers or the train offer to buy the standard tickets. I am so confused about what time we arrive. On the one hand it says that your time slot is when you join the queue but on the other hand it says get there 45 mins early. I can’t find any up to date guidance about what to expect on the day on their website. I am planning to get the first available standard tickets which are at 11am. Possibly everyone else is planning to do the same thing . We would hope the queue wouldn’t be more than an hour??! An hour and a half at worst?

It will be me, DH and two kids. That would be fine, we are prepared to wait and prepared for a lot of whinging from DC while we do - they do really want to go on it! My concern is that my parents will also be coming who are super stressy and tend to inflame any kid stress until everyone is very stressed. Hence my attempt to prepare.

Tldr: what time should we arrive and will it be horrific?

You all won’t get in the same pod if only some of you have fast track. The fast track queue moves very quickly. Took us 10mins on a Sat in May (it was expensive but worth it to not listen to the whinging etc)
For normal tickets you buy a time slot and join the queue. It took friends at Easter 45mins to actually get on.

Enjoy your trip.

Thanks, we will definitely all get the same ticket. Not planning on fast track as just can’t afford it.

Do you join the queue at the actual time on your ticket or before that?

The time slot you select is your planned boarding time for the Coca-Cola London Eye, however this doesn't guarantee that you will be on the London Eye at the time selected, but are within our boarding area.

We recommend arriving 30 minutes prior to your time slot, so that you have plenty of time to collect your tickets and visit our 4D Cinema experience which is included in your ticket.

That's from the website OP. If you have a printer, print the tickets at home and then just join the boarding queue when you get there.

I’ve been a couple of times, it’s never been a drama-just turn up in the vague vicinity of your time slot, join the queue (I don’t remember it ever being an issue) and have a lovely time.

Thanks all. I wouldn’t be stressing if it wasn’t for the issue of my parents being with us. They are not the calmest .

I just wandered along one day and bought a ticket there and then. I think they keep a supply for wanderers like me.

I would love to be a wanderer but am far too stressy for that!

The London Eye wasn't that bad when we went on it a few years ago - I think you get to see a film on the way round in the queue, dive bombing pigeons?! It was good, I'd recommend it.

There are often different queues for prebooked tickets or vouchers, compared to the standard queues. If you use the Tesco vouchers you often have to pick a time and there will be a limit as to how early you can join the queue. We've used Tesco vouchers for loads round London (not the Eye actually, but the aquarium nearby which is very crowded) and would recommend them.

There is a play park really near the queue if I remember correctly, might be worth getting one adult to take the kids there initially if the queue is obviously going to be ages?
Then have them join you again when you reach the barrier.

Thanks Chic, think we are going to just book an early slot and hope for the best. Watching a film on the way round seems promising.

Sushi, that would be amazing if we could do that!

We went on it and to be honest it was a total let down. We had Tesco tokens and paid for the upgrade to fast track when we got there. Still say today that it was the crappiest ride we have ever been on.

On the other hand, we climbed The Monument, got to see loads from the top of it and got a certificate when we got to the bottom again. Really enjoyed this, which was just basically climbing a lot of stairs to the top of a tower :)

Oh dear. At least the day wasn’t a total letdown for you then!

I'd go on the cable car in the docklands rather than the London eye. Much cheaper and definitely more fun.

I’ll look into the cable car... sounds interesting.

If you do go on it, get one of the guides. I think I was the only person in my capsule who didn’t know what the different buildings around us were.

We were there a week past Thursday. Our time slot was 10:30 but we got there around 10am, we asked if we could join the queue or had to wait until 10:30 to join but they said to go right on and join. We were on and off by 10:45am

We booked a two attraction ticket so we did the London Eye and the aquarium.

If you do go on it, get one of the guides.

In pod, is a map pointing out the buildings.

TBH, I've been on it several times, and I think it's an anti climax. Better views of London from Severndroog www.severndroogcastle.org.uk/index.html which is a well kept secret

I think it’s s bit shit too

Thanks everyone!