How to entertain DCs on long theme park queues?

[RealEstateNovelist]

We’re taking our DCs ages 3, 5, and 8 to a theme park in a few weeks. Unfortunately my DH can’t take off work on a weekday so it has to be a weekend, when it’s likely to be quite crowded. It looks like the waits could range from around 15-45 minutes. My kids whine and fight if the queue at the supermarket is more than 5 minutes. WTAF am I going to do so that we all come out of this alive??

If they moan too much about the queue they can get out the queue, depends how much they want to go on the ride! You're not forcing them to go on the rides

Why have you got to think of ideas, why can't they? 5 and 8 year old should be able to.

Play heads up on your phone. Used it during long queues at Disney

Mine are usually happy just to chat and watch others on the rides. It's a treat for them to go to a theme park not me, if they were whinging and messing about then I'd take them home!

Play the 5 seconditions rule game, naming as many things beginning with a certain letter or name 3 vegetables etc. I spy, who or what am I. Yes no game. Hum a tune first one to guess goes next? Guess what jobs the people in the queue do. Even charades. These are all things I do when travelling with my youngest on long journeys which could work in queues.

Save all snacks for the queues. Do a bit of research into which part of the park to go when, to avoid the worst queues.

We just separated and took 1/2 kids each. Eliminates most of the squabbles. Identify which 2 are best together or which one is better one to one and go with that. Meet up after doing some rides to swap stories and tips.

Most theme parks sell really expensive add-ons which can reduce queuing times in various ways e.g. give you times to return and jump to the start of the queue.

Other than that, you can try some games like i-spy, 21 questions, "I went to the shops and bought" etc. You can take an ipad with a pre-downloaded film from Netflix? Some small colouring books and crayons?

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I like the suggestions of
games to play. Obviously I will threaten them with going home if necessary, but even if they’re not moaning I still don’t want them to be bored. We’ve never done anything like this before so I’m glad to know that many kids manage it without a problem.

For the people who have 5 and 8 year olds who can consistently and reasonably quietly entertain each other on 30-45 minutes queues for a full hot day of rides then my hat’s off to you.

My advise is get there as the gates open and do the biggest queues first. Teens don't get up till lunch. Then hit the least popular rides later.

Agree phones and headphones and games. Mine were always ok in queues for rides tho. Even tho the argued normally. The excitement warded it off.

Eat your picnic

My advice is: don't go to a theme park in the UK!
We usually go while on holiday somewhere in Europe, after researching the local school holidays. No queues, no stress, often a bit cheaper and happy children as they can go twice on some rides...

Food! The only time we eat at a theme park is in a queue

I also think 15-45 mins is likely to be at the lower end of queue times for UK Theme Parks at a weekend in the Summer. The bigger (not toddler) Rides at Chessington/Thorpe Park will often have a queue time of 90mins plus at the weekends.