Wait! Read This!

Wait! Read This!

Waiting in Line at Disney

Do you ever hate having to wait? We all do at one time or another. But what makes waiting in one instance worse than another? That is the question to ponder, especially for those who have done their fair share of waiting in line at Disney.

Now, management will tell you that one of the things that park guests hate most about going to Disney is waiting in line. That’s why Disney’s Fastpass was developed. But they’ve been thinking about queuing a long time at Disney. And sometimes, when I think back to my experiences growing up at Disneyland, waiting in the queue was some of my most outstanding memories, believe it or not.

So today, let’s head to the “Happiest Place on Earth” and identify the seven key challenges and solutions affecting the perception of wait time.

Challenge #1: Unoccupied time feels longer than occupied time

On opening day—known in Disney lore as Black Sunday—park guests waited in line at Disneyland. They waited in line for food. They waited in line for merchandise. They waited in line for restrooms. They waited in line to go on rides. They waited in line to get in the park. They even waited so long just to get into the parking lot that first day that some of them were taking a bathroom break on the streets of Anaheim waiting to get in! With it came the Disneyland’s first criticism. So they immediately went about creating a solution.

Solution: Occupy their time. How does Disney occupy your time? There are ways too innumerable to mention. But here are some of the most common—and some of my favorites:

• Theme – Oh and how Disney themes! Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain all come to mind. Immersive settings that make you feel like you’re part of the attraction rather than waiting for the attraction. No one does or will ever theme like Disney.

• Switchback – A long straight line from the castle heading directly to Peter Pan’s Flight is shorter than a line that switches back and forth several times over. But it looks longer! And when you change direction in the switchback, the view changes. Long live the switchback!

• Entertain – A giant clock goes off every 15 minutes showcasing the time and creating a procession of dolls. Banjo and guitar players entertain guests waiting to board the Mark Twain Riverboat. Mountain climbers scale the mighty Matterhorn. All serve to entertain.

• Educate – Not as popular as entertaining, but it still works. It might be a video about pineapple harvesting at the Enchanted Tiki Room. How about America The Beautiful? With the hostess pointing upward along the ceiling, how many flags could you guess while waiting to enter the theater? Before Walt Disney Story premiered, how many remember the slide show that gave you Lincoln’s own narrative about his life? I don’t recall it being very interesting (and frankly I prefer the exhibit space that has long since replaced it), but I do remember the amazing weave of rails that funneled guests through the pre-show. Even that kept my attention while waiting. In short, occupy their time.

We should mention that Disney didn’t invent occupying people’s time while they were waiting. I think that credit probably goes to a doctor’s office filling out paperwork while waiting to be seen, or to a supermarket check-out stand with its magazine rack. What Disney has done is to take the queuing experience to a whole new level and maximizing the wait experience. And others are imitating. For instance, note the video screens that play infomercials while you are pumping gas. Not only do they occupy your time, they utilize it as a sales opportunity. Maximizing the wait time is a big opportunity for business these days.

Challenge #2: Preprocess waits feel longer than in-process waits

For example, we all enjoyed the Golden Horseshoe Revue with Slue Foot Slue and the gang. But does anyone remember the wait on the porch outside The Golden Horseshoe for getting inside the restaurant? On a warm, sunny day, the wait seemed interminable, especially if you were in the stand-by line. You just stood in the sun in one place waiting for someone to let you in. In truth, it wasn’t as long as the wait inside the restaurant waiting for the show to begin. But they kept you occupied inside by having you order your lunch.

Speaking of restaurants, that’s the beauty of sit-down dining. Waiting at the bar for a table seems shorter than waiting outside for entry. The appetizer serves to occupy you while waiting for the main entrée to be prepared. Coffee or dessert serve to occupy you while you are waiting for your bill to be prepared.

Solution: Get them in the process immediately. When you feel like you’re doing something, time goes much quicker.

This works well with new phone technologies. For instance, if I can provide key information via an electronic operator when calling about a hotel reservation, it saves me from having to spend that time on the back end when an actual operator comes on the line. It also occupies my attention and makes it feel like I’m not waiting as long. The downside of it is, if I provide information up front while I’m waiting for someone to answer, it’s frustrating if I’m being asked on the back end by the operator to repeat the same information or numbers.

Challenge #3: Anxiety makes waits seem longer

How long before we get there? The anxiety of traveling from Phoenix to Anaheim is still palpable to me. Thank goodness for Mom. She made sure there were lots of games, activities, and food to eat. She settled our anxiety by busying us whenever possible.

Solution: Settle their anxiety. Admittedly, there isn’t much at Disneyland that creates anxiety. But when it happens, one has to address it. If you’ve ever waited in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle past the posted time for fireworks but didn’t see anything happening, know that you are having a shared moment with thousands of other park guests in the park. Far better is to have the voice of Disneyland—Jack Wagner—or some other host announce a temporary setback. The same occurs in the Haunted Mansion, when our Ghost Host kindly explains that, “Prankish spirits have interrupted our journey; remain seated in your ‘doom buggy’.” Any time someone is anxiously waiting, it’s best to settle their anxiety.

I was a passenger on an airline not too long ago that was over an hour late boarding passengers. Then the plane spent nearly another hour waiting for room to pull out of the gate, and nearly another hour on the tarmac waiting its turn to take off. Passengers were frustrated and tired. I appreciated the flight attendants on board who decided to start the in-flight movie while still on the ground. It made everyone much less anxious as they passed the time.

Challenge #4: Uncertain or unexplained waits feel longer than known, certain waits

It’s not hard to figure out how long the line is when one is standing in front of King Arthur’s Carrousel or in front of the Mad Tea Party. It’s fairly obvious, because you can see everyone who is waiting, and you can see roughly how many tea cups or horses. This challenge is when you really aren’t certain how long the wait really might be (think Space Mountain here). Or, you really don’t understand why the wait is taking as long as it is (think Submarine Voyage here).

Solution: Provide certainty or explanation where possible. The anticipated wait time listed in front of any attraction is one of the best ways Disney approaches this. And when they set the expected time to be a little longer than the actual time, it also keeps the previously mentioned anxiety from building while waiting in the actual queue. Having a greeter out in front of attractions like Space Mountain (where the entire queue is not in view in any one location) to explain the length for boarding longer-wait attractions also really helps. They can explain how long the wait may be and what options may exist (Fastpass or otherwise). In the case of the submarines, they can educate park guests that it takes longer to board the submarines than other attraction vehicles.

This principle works very well when I’m on hold waiting for the next available call center attendant. I love it when the system actually explains approximately how many minutes you can anticipate before your call will be answered.

Challenge #5: Unfair waits feel longer than equitable waits

When customers feel they have to wait longer than others might have to they become very impatient and irritable. That’s why “butting” in line angers so many. It’s also why many queues in Fastpass attractions have created walls between the Fastpass queue and the stand-by queue. The more stand-by passengers can see others walking in front of them and passing by more quickly than they are the more likely they will become irritable. It also suggests why utilizing Fastpass more than the average park guest as a benefit or extra to those occupying more expensive rooms, etc. may not be in Disney’s best interest long term. Park guests will put up with the idea of others being gifted a Fastpass as part of some giveaway like the Year of a Million Dreams campaign, but they won’t tolerate a system where some get the privilege over others.

Solution: Make it as fair as possible. This simply makes sense. Create a culture and a queue that don’t reward butting in line. It’s also why it’s a great idea that Disney has started making a queue that is wide enough to accommodate park guests with wheelchairs. Over time park guests would acquire or hijack a wheelchair so they could easily get to the front of the line. The right direction for Disney to go in addressing this was to simply make the queue wide and accessible enough to allow everyone in that wheelchair party to move together through the queue rather than cutting that party to the front.

We understand how angry people get when it’s not fair. Take for instance a merging road where a driver will go around or ahead of others. Such instances quickly anger others. So we create ways to make it as fair as possible. The system of taking a number or ticket to be served by the butcher or baker (but not necessarily the candlestick maker) is a process that’s been around a long time. Being told while on hold that your call will be answered in the order it was received, allows us to feel that we’re being treated fairly. All these systems serve to help it feel that we’re being treated fairly.

Challenge #6: Solo waiting feels longer than group waiting

Interacting with another individual is one of the best solutions for occupying time. It is also a great way to share any anxiety as it occurs.

Solution: Provide access to loved ones. This is another reason why the queue is better when it’s wider. Why? Because you can talk to your friends and family while you’re moving forward in line. Better yet, when you’re in a holding area such as the train station or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, you are then able to just cluster together and talk. All of which makes the wait seem much less.

Hospital waiting rooms are an obvious example of why it’s better to wait with someone you care for, than being by yourself. Remember when the dad-to-be used to wait it out while mom had the baby? Well, maybe you don’t go back that far in time. But times, they sure have changed. Now they place sofa beds in the room for dad when he gets tired. And the end result is a completely different, shared experience when that baby is born. Providing access to loved ones while waiting has many benefits.

Challenge #7: Waiting at all is longer than not waiting

Solution: Shorten the wait. We can all thank Dick Nunis for that. He always pushed for rides and attractions that would maximize the capacity and move park guests through more efficiently. So Omnimover vehicles were a wonder back in the days of Adventures Through Inner Space! And creating larger bateauxs (excursion boats) at Pirates of the Caribbean moved park guests quicker as well. Transporting park guests to the Moon of Endor? Make sure you have plenty of simulators on hand to get everyone there in a reasonable time.

Of course all of this pales to the beauty of Disney’s Fastpass. Despite what critics say about adding to the flow of park guests out and about the park because they don’t have to wait in line as long, it did decrease the wait of those holding such a lucky ticket and it made the overall experience of waiting in line at Disneyland not such a bad thing after all. And it seems that anything that could promote such ideas would make park guests a lot happier.

Outside of the Happiest Place on Earth I enjoy the benefit of not having to wait to pay a toll when heading down the highway. First it was simply a matter of slowing down going through a toll booth rather than stopping. Now, technology lets me bypass the toll booth altogether and head down the road at freeway speeds noting the toll electronically as I pass through. Anything that lets us not wait any longer than we have to is a boom to our busy lives.

Of course, this article is not so much about the magic of Disney, but rather, the magic in your business or organization. What can you do for those who wait upon the products and services you offer? What are you doing for your internal customers (employees) as well as for your external customers? Is there something you’re already doing that’s working? If so, please share with us. We’d like to share with others.

As for me, I’m off to the Magic Kingdom to wait in line at the Jungle Cruise. Seeing the anticipation in my son’s eyes as he anticipates lions, elephants and giraffes is all I need while I’m waiting. Perhaps that’s why waiting in line provided some favorite memories as a kid. Anticipating a Disney experience is like anticipating Christmas morning, or anticipating the next Star Wars movie. It’s about what you anticipate for as well as what you anticipate.

Until again, here’s to anticipating the magic in your business.