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A Line Too Long: Quest for the Best Queues in the Country

Compiling a list of the greatest queues ever created and the worst queue makeovers.

From Jeff Chandler
Posted September 26, 2010 at 10:45 PM
Okay, so nothing is worse than standing in the hot sun for hours and seeing nothing but lines of people walking back and forth waiting for a three minute ride. We all know the feeling. However there are a few queues out there that defy the standard line and actually make getting to the ride almost as (and in some cases more) fun than the ride itself. What is your favorite queue in the entire country? In addition, which is the most depressing queue makeover you've seen? Please include what you like about the queue or what you hate about the changes.


Comments in chronological order. Most recent at the bottom. Scroll down to respond.

From M. Ryan Traylor
Posted September 26, 2010 at 10:57 PM
Favorite queues: Indiana Jones @ DL, Splash Mountain, Terminator @ SFMM, Loch Ness.

Worst queues: Peter Pan's Flight @ DL, Goliath @ SFMM, Tatsu, X2

From Jay Finch
Posted September 26, 2010 at 11:16 PM
Best:
Harry potter and the forbidden journey is amazing! Indiana Jones at disneyland, Haunted mansion at dl. Tower of terror at Dca, Terminator salvation is pretty good, simpson's ride at USH has funny videos playing. MIB at USO.

From Nick Markham
Posted September 27, 2010 at 6:22 AM
Here are some of my favorites ranked:

1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

2. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (WDW)

3. Indiana Jones Adventure

4. Terminator Salvation: The Ride

5. Expedition Everest

6. Men in Black: Alien Attack

7. The Simpson's Ride

8. Dragon Challenge

9. Poseidon's fury

10. Test Track

Worst queues is impossible to do, as every single ride that has a queue with absolutly no theming automatically qualifies.

From Tim Odom
Posted September 27, 2010 at 7:38 AM
Best I have seen is Manta down in Sea World Orlando (however, I have not been to Harry Potter yet, which I assume is better.)

From Joshua Counsil
Posted September 27, 2010 at 1:55 PM
Best, without a doubt, is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios (though I have yet to visit Harry Potter). That queue amps me up like no other, plus it's chock-full of Twilight Zone memorabilia for fans like myself.

I think the worst may be Millennium Force. It remains consistently long throughout the day, the fans are often not operating, and they play terrible music in both the line and station platform.

From Amanda Jenkins
Posted September 27, 2010 at 4:45 PM
I believe E.T.'s at Universal Studios Florida is one of the best. I love walking through the woods at night.

From Victoria Jurkowski
Posted September 28, 2010 at 3:19 AM
worst: farenheit at hershey park. long slow moving line in the sun, with misters that look like they would cool you off but they really don't. no shade. and did i mention its slow moving? then they have these workers walking through the line selling ice cold lemonade and slushies for like ten bucks a cup... it's cruel.

From Rob P
Posted September 28, 2010 at 3:14 AM
In no particular order because there are those that have more of a "pre-show" than an actual queue:

Indiana Jones Adventure ( Disneyland )
Tower of Terror ( Orlando )
E.T ( Universal Orlando )
Men in Black ( Universal Orlando )
Expedition Everest ( Animal Kingdom )
Back to the Future ( Universal ).....sadly missed.
Terminator ( Universal )
Muppets ( Hollywood Studios )
Alien Encounter ( MK )
Spiderman ( IOA )

From Donna McKay
Posted September 28, 2010 at 5:30 AM
Best is (in my opinion) Expedition Everest at AK. Simpsons at Universal is great too (although I do miss the "Back to the Future" music!) Worst would be Hulk at Universal. When I queued in May, it was hot, stuffy and worst of all- dirty! There was chewing gum everywhere (and the trains were going half full even though there was a 40 minute wait)

From Terry O'Neal
Posted September 28, 2010 at 9:03 AM
Haunted Mansion - the best

From Scott B
Posted September 28, 2010 at 11:08 AM
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is pretty amazing with one exception, the greenhouse. To go from a nice air conditioned area back to being in an outdoor queue is hard to handle.

Oh and on a sidenote, does anyone find it weird that they sell beer in line on the Forbidden Journey? At the opening to the Greenhouse there was a vendor selling drinks including bottles of Heineken. I was confused, bewildered and because I was hot, I couldn't buy one fast enough.

From Formula 40
Posted September 28, 2010 at 3:05 PM
The lines I like:

Amazing Adventures of Spiderman - Walkin through the Daily Bugle, the different details in the office are pretty fun, even though they play the same cartoon over an over again.

Soarin [epcot] - They have that "hand game" thing. Keeps you entertained.

From M. Ryan Traylor
Posted September 28, 2010 at 6:22 PM
I've got another bad queue. Roger Rabbit at DL. Although well themed, you get that tease of the loading platform upon entering and then walk forever before returning to it.

From Jeff Chandler
Posted September 28, 2010 at 8:51 PM
My favorite queue is Tower of Terror. I think its the only queue I have ever just walked through without actually riding the ride. I love the detail put into it. Before the opening of harrypotterland, and the repurposing of Dueling Dragons, I would have listed that queue, however it has become one of the top disappointments in queue reinventing. It has become so barren and a mere shadow of its former self. My other major disappointment is one that is going to have a lot of people disagreeing with me, the Mummy queue at USF. The complete lack of a contiguous theme in not only the queue has left me rather unhappy. Don't get me wrong, its a great ride but what are they going for? Is it a movie set? Is it a burial chamber? It's like they couldn't decide and just went with both. This is also sad in the fact that on the whole, save for a few specialty attractions, Universal is about the immersion into the movies and not the cop out of "this is a movie." I feel that it was a major missed opportunity on behalf of USF. The building facade at the entrance of the Mummy is the museum, how easy would it have been to set it up as a "New Exhibit - Ancient Egyptian Artifacts of Imhotep."or something like that and make it look like a museum that as you go through, signs of a curse start showing up. I dunno, just one suggestion.

From Thomas Crain
Posted September 28, 2010 at 11:06 PM
I agree with Jeff on missing Dragons. I loved walking through that old castle...

I'm gonna go with Everest as my current favorite, just in terms of pure story-telling. No videos, no audio clues, etc. As you go through the office, the shrine, and the supply store, the entire thing just gives off authenticity.

Then the gorgous Yeti Museum (with the trashed remains of the Lost Expedition and their photographs) seeming to end with the question as to whether or not the Yeti exists.

Then you turn the corner... and you see the cast of the footprint. That massive, massive footprint.

I get chills just thinking about it.

Can't really pick a worst. Although Hulk coul use some more themeing.

From Donna McKay
Posted September 29, 2010 at 9:43 AM
Actually Jungle Cruise is kinda like Everest. I think they probably just worked out how to improve the concept they started with the cruise and did that for Everest

From Derek Potter
Posted October 1, 2010 at 5:16 PM
I always enjoy talking to people in line for a ride. It's a bit of a past time for me to talk to the people who are around me. A lot of themed queues just don't allow for that. Some of those Disney/Universal queues are pretty cool, but I'm not going to rag on your standard ride line just because it didn't cost a million dollars. As long as there's some shade and it moves at a decent pace, it's no big deal.

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