Queue Theming

[Mr. Bungle]

After my second-ever visit to DL and DCA during the D23 Expo, I noticed that the theming of the queues seems to be better(?)/more in-depth at WDW. I noticed this especially after someone pointed it out to me in line for POTC, and I thought about it myself after riding Splash Mountain.

Is this because there is more indoor queue to work with due to rainy Florida days, or because these rides were later additions at WDW than at DL? Also can anyone think of other examples for either park?

[DisneyIPresume]

It's because themed ques are a fairly recent development. In Walt's day most of the ques consited of simple switchbacks outside ofthe atttaction. It wasn't until ATIS and HM that they really started theming the que and it was about this time thar wdw was developed.

So you see a lot more detailed ques in wdw than at dl simply because of dl's longer history.

[Mr. Bungle]

Makes sense!

[MarkTwain]

You could also say that WDW has the luxury of having plenty of room for things like highly themed queues. Disneyland, by comparison, has to conserve space veeeery carefully.

[GraceysGirl]

I agree with MarkTwain. The Disney company had so much more room to work with in FL that there was plenty of space for all new ideas. Another thing to look at is take an older ride with a queue theme like POTC and compare it to Everest. Pirates is cool to walk through and there are things to see but Everest is swamped with things to look at. Every time you go you spot something new. Personally I think that the queues are getting more themed because people as a whole are more impatient. We are used to getting things immediately and don't take well to waiting. Honestly is there anything as boring as standing in line for Peter Pan?

[KISSman]

I think it varies between the two resorts, but I do think that the extra space and the weather considerations probably played a factor in some of the more thought out queues in WDW.

Saying that, Indiana Jones has the best Disney queue I've ever been through.

[Daisy'sno1fan]

Compare the 2 TSMMs. They were built at the same time and opened fairly close together. Yet at DL the line is switchback for the most part and if it gets long, crosses the walkway outside. At WDW, theming is extensive and amazing. This is why Walt wanted the wide open spaces of Florida.

[Mr. Bungle]

I haven't been on the WDW TSMM yet, but I'll be checking it out in October! I just rode the DCA version for the first time during the D23 Expo.

[Kidgenie]

Great observation. It is mostly due to weather. I have sometimes wondered if the que's are also partly the reason WDW gets the lesser version of so many cloned attractions. The added expense of an indoor que means they cut some corners on that attraction itself. But that is only me wondering. But I have read were WDW had more elaborate ques because of the weather, and Disney being Disney, they aren't going to switch back you inside a grey box.

You may all notice that DL has far more alfesco dinning than MK. Again weather.

[Dlandclub33]

Its mainly due to Space limitations in CA. Weather has nothing to do with it. For example if ytouv'e noticed in Indiana jones and Roger Rabbits cartoon spin they werte allowed to break the rules and come up with great ques because both attractions are beyond the berm.

Anyways Are we gona hear a trip report from you Mr. Bungle!? I'
d love to see one!

[Koutesu]

Weather might be a reason to take a queue indoors, but not necessarily the reason.

To theme a queue can have other factors. Not many people would think of the Fantasyland queues at Disneyland as having theme to them. There are details that give theme to the queue or area, but they may not be on the same level as Indiana Jones where you are entering a temple and the queue resembles as such. Snow White pre-83 had no themed queue. The version we have now has the queen glaring down at you at the attraction entrance (similar to queen you see when entering the show building at WDW). You have the apple at the queue entrance that, when touched, sets of the Queen's cackle. You walk through a passageway where you see the "Sleeping Death" page of a book and you can see a silhouette of the Queen's raven. You also hear the Queen conspiring against Snow White. There are chipmunks and squirrels in the details of the columns at the front of the queue structure. Ever notice the railing leading to the loading station has apples in the design?

How much does it take to theme a queue?

[TDLFAN]

I personally do not think that queue theming at WDW, and especially the MK, is all that special. I think most of the other DL parks, with some exceptions at HKDL, have the MK park beat by a mile long and a smile wide. Anything nice.. like the POTC queue, were built before Eisner cheapened the experience. Even TS Mania's queue is, imho.. subtandard to what Disney is capable of. One Eisner exception: Splash Mt, but even when you compared it to TDL's.. this one is only adecuate to say the least.
Then the flip side.. at DAK, where Kali River Rapids is a crappy ride, but offers a very detailed and quality queue that sadly, many run thru to get on the stupid ride. Over at Everest, it's a good thing that Fastpass slows down the standby queue to such horribly torture-like speed...because that is one of the best and most "tokyo-like" queues in the entire expansiveness that is WDW.