Another SG story from my recent trip

[mattdbower]

This is the second story from my recent trip to the World. [the first one can be found here: http://www.stupidguesttricks.com/showthread.php?t=7913 ] This one also takes place at Splash Mountain, this time in the standby queue.

I know that there are a lot of crazy line jumpers out there: from people who jump in partway through the line after they exit to large groups who think that they are entitled to rejoin the one person left in their party after taking a break to get ice cream, but this one was ridiculous because of how obvious it was.

So, we are waiting in line when we suddenly jumped because of a sudden and startlingly loud voice quite a way behind us in line (so far back that we couldn't see the person yet). There was a lady behind us repeatedly shouting at the top of her lungs "JAMES!!!, JAAAAAMES!!!, JAMES!!!" The shouting continued and we did our best not to stare at her / cast disgruntled glares at her. We heard the voice grow even louder as she moved up through the line, apologizing in a British accent that she needed to find her husband (James, I presume). What's more, she was pulling a chain of at least 6 people holding hands behind her.

Seriously, I know many have posted before about line etiquette, but I would like to present to you now:

An SG's Guide to Line Etiquette

1. You are more important than everyone else in the queue
2. Everyone else in the queue knows and believes that number 1 is true
3. Your place in line is held indefinately
4. The line begins wherever you get in
5. By standing in the queue, you have the authority to allow any family or friends to enter the line at any point you choose

Now my guide to line etiquette:

• line jumping is wrong - assisted line jumping is also wrong - not line jumping is not wrong
• by leaving your position in the queue for any reason, you acknowledge that you forfeit your position in said queue
• attempting to reenter your forfeited position in such a queue constitutes line jumping
• allowing any party not currently occupying the queue position directly behind you to enter the queue position directly in front of you constitutes assisted line jumping
• accepting such an offer as listed above constitutes line jumping
• entering the queue in any location other than the officially marked entrance constitutes line jumping
• if a party of two or more persons becomes separated in the queue, for the person(s) further back in the queue to pass fellow queuers to rejoin the rest of their party constitutes line jumping: the further forward person(s) should allow fellow queuers to pass him or her until the party is reunited.
• moving through the queue in any pattern other than the obviously marked intended path constitutes line jumping
• moving or altering the queue path in order to more quickly reach your goal constitues line jumping
• moving or altering the queue path in order to allow others to more quickly reach their goal constitutes assisted line jumping

That's all I've got.

[lady ulrike]

An SG's Guide to Line Etiquette

1. You are more important than everyone else in the queue
2. Everyone else in the queue knows and believes that number 1 is true
3. Your place in line is held indefinately
4. The line begins wherever you get in
5. By standing in the queue, you have the authority to allow any family or friends to enter the line at any point you choose

Make some changes and you can rename this the SG's Guide to Life

1. You are more important than everyone else in the world
2. Everyone in the world knows and believes that number 1 is true

That's pretty much how they view the world.

[goofy1978]

My wife and I will stand side-by-side and not let anyone past. They glare at us, but we just ignore them. If they try to push past, we look at them and ask why do they think they are more important than anyone else that has been waiting in this line, and if there is someone up there in line already, they should have come in at the same time. Now to caveat that. If it appears that someone was in a longish line, and a young child had to use the restroom, we would let them back in. That is an understandable exception.

[Teddykeiko86]

Although the one time I tried not letting somebody pass (an adult alone) they got angry with me when I told them it was line jumping and their family also was angry that I wouldn't let them pass. So I was like whatever, I'll never do that again. That was the wrong battle to fight. However large groups, no way. I'd say something to the CM at that point. But in my experience most CMs say "I didn't see it so there is nothing I can do about it".

[NemoRanger]

I honestly do not have a problem with one person meeting up or one adult and small kid. As more then once I have been in the middle of a long line with my little niece or newphew when they just HAVE to go potty right now.

I will not let groups pass me. I tell them no way. They can wait behind me and if they have family up ahead then the family can wait for them.

Does Disney have anything Official on this?

[Goofyernmost]

I honestly do not have a problem with one person meeting up or one adult and small kid. As more then once I have been in the middle of a long line with my little niece or newphew when they just HAVE to go potty right now.

I will not let groups pass me. I tell them no way. They can wait behind me and if they have family up ahead then the family can wait for them.

Does Disney have anything Official on this?

Ever since the introduction of Fast Pass, Disney's policy is unmistakable! Let's do whatever we can to make a small number of people happy and piss off and/or frustrate the hell out of large groups of paying customers.

So following that logic...holding back a single or group in line to prevent "line cutting" will result in the following. The group/individual will complain to management that rude people in line wouldn't let them join up with their families therefore ruining their vacations completely and will be compensated for their pain by being given a handful of Fastpasses and a tee-shirt. Such is the way of the current Disney organization. The gospel according to Goofyernmost...verse IV.

[PatchOBlack]

Ever since the introduction of Fast Pass, Disney's policy is unmistakable! Let's do whatever we can to make a small number of people happy and piss off and/or frustrate the hell out of large groups of paying customers.

Oh, no, not the "FastPass is unfair" thing again....

Basically, my feeling is that the FastPass is no more unfair than a popular restaurant allowing people to make reservations, or even calling in to be put on a waiting list. FastPass doesn't let folks skip to the head of the line whenever they want (they have a time on it when they are valid), and if I understand the system correctly, they only allow a certain amount of FastPasses to be issued for certain times of the day to avoid having a situation where the line for "walk-up" riders has to stop while a constant stream of Fast-Pass holders fill up all the seats on an attraction.

[seeing_eye_child]

Oh, no, not the "FastPass is unfair" thing again....

My feeling on it is that it's available to EVERY ticketed customer on a first-come, first-served basis. If Disney is making more money off of it by allowing people to spend more time in shops...while I'm spending more time on more rides, it's a win-win situation.

What usually gets me is the various ways Disney is encouraging guests to pay extra for a better experience by taking away from other guests' experience. I'm still bitter about the day we went to the Adventurer's Club, only to find THE WHOLE BUILDING closed for a private event. I won't risk enraging fans of the hard ticketed events by airing my opinions there.

In this vein, I was initially disappointed by the rumors that XPass will be a paid add-on to a ticket, allowing people pre-scheduled FP's (taken out of the pool of previously equitably available FP's) and access to prime, roped-off viewing for fireworks and parades. People get to pay extra for a service that limits real estate and FP's available to typical guests.

But seen through the lens of SGT, I'm thinking XPass has one key advantage. Disney is creating a roped-off space for the entitled people who think "I paid 80 bajillion dollars for my vacation, so everyone else should get out of my way!" They can fight amongst themselves and leave me alone.

[Goofyernmost]

Oh, no, not the "FastPass is unfair" thing again....

Basically, my feeling is that the FastPass is no more unfair than a popular restaurant allowing people to make reservations, or even calling in to be put on a waiting list. FastPass doesn't let folks skip to the head of the line whenever they want (they have a time on it when they are valid), and if I understand the system correctly, they only allow a certain amount of FastPasses to be issued for certain times of the day to avoid having a situation where the line for "walk-up" riders has to stop while a constant stream of Fast-Pass holders fill up all the seats on an attraction.

I didn't say it was "unfair" in the sense that you are defending. What I mean is that the end result, fair or unfair, is that a few are happy and a lot are not. What would the difference be, in this case?

[mattdbower]

But seen through the lens of SGT, I'm thinking XPass has one key advantage. Disney is creating a roped-off space for the entitled people who think "I paid 80 bajillion dollars for my vacation, so everyone else should get out of my way!" They can fight amongst themselves and leave me alone.

That reminds me of the idea of CMs giving away a "free gift" to SGs they encounter that consists of a "limited edition" free t-shirt with the condition that they must immediately put it on. Other CMs would then see the unique SG shirt, recognize the SG as an SG and be able to avoid them / mentally prepare to deal with them. This could be even better! Give them a roped of "prime viewing location" that requires them to arrive early, getting them out of everyone else's way for a short (but refreshing) period of time.