How long should a q line be?

The Beast has a large q line, but on busy days the line will stretch out past the entrance but they never have any q`s actually open(just straight into the station with no criss-crosses) Only about maybe three or four days have I seen the criss-crosses on the Beast open and I`ve riden the Beast more than a hundred times!!

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Long Live KCKC (1973-2000)

The beast also has that white walkway with the footprints, that begins midway thru the park. This could also be used as a temporary q line.

Switchbacks can be chains, ropes, or even permenent railings that go back and forth "switching" back and forth. An example for those of you in the midwest are those on Millenium Force. For those of us on the west coast and example is Ninja at SFMM or the exterior queue on Space Mountain at Disneyland.