Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Theme park queue jumpers

137 replies

Luckycatyellowsky · 14/04/2023 16:20

I took the kids to a theme park today. We knew it would be busy as it’s school holidays. One ride the kids were desperate to go on had a 60 minute queue. We joined the end of queue and waited. About 20 mins in three women pushed past everyone behind us and tried to come past us. When I said no she claimed she had to come past as her kids were further up. I said her kids were welcome come back to join her where she was. She swore at me and carried on up the queue to her group of teens about 10 people in front of us. They then spent the rest of the queue time loudly complaining about how I wouldn’t let the pass! ( not that I was able to stop them- I’m not going to physically restrain someone!) Aibu that everyone has to join the back of the queue and wait? Or is sending a teen in to save a place ok? I heard no one else in the queue behind us confront them- although as was about 20 mins worth of queue I doubt would have heard people much further back.
yabu: it’s fine to save a place in theme park queue
yanbu: it’s pushing in and unfair

OP posts:
Inthebathagain · 16/04/2023 06:57

Reading this has made me glad my kids are done with theme parks. I took them so much when they were growing up, they didn't see them as a treat when they got to mid teens.

Justalittlebitduckling · 16/04/2023 07:32

I think this is one of the many, many examples of how behaviour has deteriorated since the pandemic. See also people being rowdy in theatres. People just seem to have less regard for others. It’s like the unwritten social contract has been broken.

DangerousAlchemy · 16/04/2023 07:59

IamSuperTired · 15/04/2023 21:44

I think u were a bit ridiculous OP! Maybe she needed the toilet and told the others to go on ahead and she'd catch them up. Maybe she had to take stuff back to the car and said she'd catch them up? Maybe she was in a phone meeting and told them to go on ahead and she'd meet them in the queue as soon as she'd finished!

I think it's fine and you were 'that' person.

If one person had been in the queue ahead of you, and 20mins later 6 of their friends rocked up.to join them I might be a bit miffed, but one person catching up with the rest of their group? No issue!

@IamSuperTired but OP has already said 3 women pushed past- not 1

Pebstk · 16/04/2023 08:27

You sound like a total pain tbh - what’s it to you, one person joins a group slightly later

Morph22010 · 16/04/2023 08:55

Pebstk · 16/04/2023 08:27

You sound like a total pain tbh - what’s it to you, one person joins a group slightly later

Op has already said it was three women, where would you draw the line on the number you thought was acceptable to join others further up?

ThuMuClu · 16/04/2023 09:16

I would leave my teens in the queue and then come and find them - I don’t go on the rides for medical reasons, so I hold their stuff. I wouldn’t feel I had to explain this to some self righteous stranger though.

NameInUseAlreadyAgain · 16/04/2023 09:24

We buy fast passes if we go. At AT last year was great. It costs a lot but we didn’t spend all day queuing. However as we’ve been to theme parks twice in 18 years it’s not like we go every holiday so not bad cost wise

Irritateandunreasonable · 16/04/2023 09:25

JOD74 · 14/04/2023 16:21

How do you know they didn’t need to nip to the loo or something?

That doesn’t change anything.

Qilin · 16/04/2023 10:08

JOD74 · 14/04/2023 16:21

How do you know they didn’t need to nip to the loo or something?

I'm afraid you are then expected to go to the back of the queue, especially if adults. Three adults all leaving and returning together - not in.

Queue jumping isn't usually allowed. In some parks it is actually. monitored but less and less these days with cost cutting and less staff.

Talkingfrog · 16/04/2023 10:34

Ynbu. I have had people do the same to me at disneyland paris and put my arm on the barrier so they couldn't go past without actually pushing me out of the way.
They said their daughters were up ahead. My response was to tell them that if they wanted to ride together they should join the queue together otherwise it was queue jumping.
They didn't push it any further and he phoned the daughter to say that someone wouldn't let them pass. He then also said to the person he was with that he could see my point.
The daughters ended up waiting for them to catch up. They looked about 15 so older than lots of other children in the queue. They weren't quite as polite as the father and were sarcastic when we got there, which got them nowhere.
I van understand I'd someone needs to leave because a child wants the toilet but that was not the case.

If everyone held places for others the listed wait times would go out of the window. They are not more important than anyone else so unless they have whatever type of pass is issued for disability, or have paid for a pass to jump the queue, thry wait like everyone else.

Dontworkmondays · 16/04/2023 12:29

You sound very petty and it’s probably not just at theme parks. Yabu

LotsOfBalloons · 16/04/2023 12:53

It's not petty. It's the actual rules at merlin type parks and paultons. The rules are displayed everywhere. I get some people may not understand that if they aren't theme park goers but it makes queues twice as long if people do this - so it's not allowed!

TheKobayashiMaru · 16/04/2023 13:02

There's always been queue jumpers, issue is most people say nothing so they continue on.

Mumof3girks · 16/04/2023 13:51

Merlin have a no queue jumping policy but not enough staff to police it.

Theme park queue jumpers
toobusymummy · 16/04/2023 14:40

we were really lucky to manage a trip to disney last year and this one time really stood out - this women was clearly allowing her very small child to run through the legs of the people waiting in line and then following after half heartedly shouting to the toddler to come back closely followed by another 3 or 4 people who I'm guessing were in her party all profusely apologising for 'having to get the baby back'. Thing is, whenever the toddler stopped for Mum to catch up, mum would suddenly find something to do like 'check' her family were still there or (in one case) tie her shoe lace until the toddler started off again, I saw this happening through the windy cue as not much else going on and just after she passed us the toddler actually turned back to her - at which point she bent down whispered in the kiddos ear and off they went again. People being people, they just moved out of the way for them but can you imagine - managing to push the entire cue on all the busiest rides and also entertaining your toddler too - pure genius even if it was the lowest form of pure cheek I've ever seen displayed! To answer your question, not the arse - every one cues or everyone waits until everyone's ready!

Melomelop · 16/04/2023 15:57

My family and I are big theme park fans. We have Merlin Annual Passes and used to have annual passes for Paultons Park plus have been to most UK theme parks and Disneyland Paris. None of the theme parks ‘allow’ queue jumping, but some are better than others at dealing with it. The worst experience I had was at Alton Towers. My husband and I were queuing for Oblivion behind a group of about 4 or 5 teenagers. The queue time had said about 45 mins. We’d been queuing for at least 20 mins when the teenagers in front started talking on their phones to friends and telling them to come up the fast track queue (which is right next to the main queue) and join them, so they didn’t even have to ‘push past’ anyone in the main queue. For about 10 mins, more and more teenagers came up the fast track queue and joined the group in front of us, until there were about 20 teenagers in the group. We were so fed up about it, we went online and bought a fast track ticket just for that ride (didn’t cost much for one ride), slipped into the fast track queue and went straight to the front. We told the people operating the ride what was happening, but they didn’t seem too bothered about it. I don’t think they did anything about it but I wouldn’t know as I just went on the ride! I do wish they’d change the queue layout on that ride though as you shouldn’t be able to get from the fast track queue into the main queue. YANBU

Daisyb1080 · 17/04/2023 18:03

How is her behaviour childish?! I think it’s extremely rude to push past others because you are too entitled to queue. If you need the loo then go before the ride or hold it like everyone else!! Drives me bonkers.

Scotslass171 · 17/04/2023 18:13

Apparently Disney are going to do something about queue jumpers at their theme parks.

PeachyPeachTrees · 17/04/2023 18:14

I was at Chessington World of Adventures during Easter too. There are big clear signs at the rides saying no queue jumping, no leaving queue and rejoining where you were and no holding places for people to join you after not queueing. There is an option to pay for queue jumping but very expensive.

Angebot · 17/04/2023 18:44

Its never ok.it pi me off with any queues for however long.
I was In a pub restaurant the other day and 2n'd in queue. Some people pushed to the front *I guess they thought it was ok as they were a group but 4 of them man and I was one person.
There have been times I have pulled people about this kind of behaviour but sometimes I just don't have the energy

Creamcrackersandricecakes · 17/04/2023 19:04

Gosh, just reading through this thread, it's very easy to spot all the CF's who obviously do this all the time, isn't it? WinkWink
Ps. I love their air of self righteousness - 'what's it to you?' 'Who made you the queue police?' etc

Toomuchtrouble4me · 17/04/2023 19:42

SellFridges · 14/04/2023 16:26

It’s not ok to leave a theme park queue and come back. I’ve never heard such nonsense.

Of course it is - it’s always when you’re close to the front having queued for an hour that the youngest needs a pee and can’t wait. You leave someone holding your place - it’s fine.

MissMaple82 · 17/04/2023 20:09

I think you're the cheeky one, telling her the entire group can get to the back! Like frig!

maddy68 · 17/04/2023 20:10

She probably went to the loo it's fine she rejoined her kids

Jeannie88 · 17/04/2023 20:18

It depends, i was on a shool trip abroad and was needed so had to leave the queue then go back and join the other staff. While I was doing this I was shouted at by a couple, so I just said sorry but I had to leave for 10 mins. I actually felt a bit peeved, like a naughty child and thought it was OTT, one person rejoining my friends!