Queue entertainment keeps guests busy before the main attraction

It still manages to get 20-30 minute lines during busy times, but yes, they really didn't *need* that much space.

bjames said:

ApolloAndy said:

It can remove people from the queue faster than they can enter.

And my point was that Universal must have predicted that dozens of people would be entering the line every minute. lol.

You misunderstand. When DD is running optimally, people physically cannot enter the queue fast enough. Like, even if you had 100,000 people outside the castle and they all wanted to get on the ride right now, they would physically not be able to enter the line as fast as the trains removed them from the line.

According to Dave (who knows everything), 2400 pph can physically enter a line. DD running optimally can remove 3600 pph from the line.

I don't recall ever seeing six trains run at any given time, so that point may not matter.

Once they went with "staggered" dispatches, DD's capacity decreased. They've worked it out a little better over time to get some of that back. Of course, it doesn't NEED the capacity it had pre-Wizarding World.

As for the queue, I'm not understanding why the dragon theming it had couldn't have been left, or maybe "Potterized" somewhat. When you go thru what was previously Ice Dragon's room, it's barren. That was some of the finest queue theming ever, and now it's empty. Dragons exist in J.K. Rowling's world, maybe do a little bit of Potter-specific stuff like Quidditch or something (so much room in that castle). For Pete's sake, Hagrid loses a dragon in Forbidden Journey, why take dragons OUT of the attraction next door?

On to Disney, I love everything I saw with regards to queue entertainment, from Pooh to Dumbo to Haunted Mansion....makes the waiting time go infinitely faster.

I saw something on the WDW site about something in the Soarin' queue, but it's not clear what it is. And I'm not going in a 90-minute queue to find out.

Meh. I still don't get Soarin', so I won't go in a 9 minute queue to find out.

I am kind of sad that I've never had enough time to play the games in Space Mountain's queue.

I didn't quite get Soarin' either. The ride vehicles were pretty cool, but other than that, I can go to an IMAX theater and get the same experience or better. It was nice, but I can't see waiting in line past about 10 minutes for it again.

In regards to DD, I have noticed that with Universal attractions, they feel incomplete in some way. Like you'll have a wonderfully themed room while waiting in line, and then the attraction itself lasts all of 30 seconds. Or you have a big castle that looks quite convincing, except that there is no decor indicating what the theme is referring to. They've gotten better with this, and I still find their attractions to be much more immersive than most, but I'm kind of not surprised that the interior of DD is (at this point) lacking.

I don't understand what the big deal is about keeping yourself entertained in queues. All you need is an iPod and a towel...

Woo woo!

Does he finally use an iPod, or is it still that CD player?

Soarin's queue has an interactive game projected on the wall where motion sensors allow you to control a flying bird or something. I'm fuzzy on the details, but I remember it was infinitely less interesting than it sounds. It was also one of the first interactive queues, so I'm not surprised it's rather lackluster.