How To Keep Children Occupied in Long Lineups at the Magic Kingdom
Even visitors with a great touring plan visiting Walt Disney World still get caught in long lines, here are some boredom-busting tips for waiting in line.
Many visitors to Walt Disney World ensure they get to the four theme parks early and have a touring plan at hand to make sure they make it around the attractions with minimal wait times. However, even the most efficient park visitors get caught in long lines that can’t be avoided and that then leaves the question of what to do when waiting in line to keep the party occupied.
Whilst this isn’t too much of a problem for adults touring without children those who are visiting Walt Disney World as a family or with children may want to find a way to keep their little ones entertained during a long wait. Children and long waits don’t go together and after the huge lines associated with Orlando International Airport, many parents can’t bear the thought of their kids complaining of being bored, making distractions an essential part of waiting for attractions.
Use Technology to Distract Kids from Disney World’s Long Lineups
In recent years a number of handheld electronic products have been released that are specifically aimed at children. Two of the major devices in recent years have been the Nintendo DS and the Sony Play Station Portable. Both of these handheld gaming devices have the potential to keep children entertained for hours, perfect for long lines in the park. This isn’t to say guests with children should go out and spend a considerable amount of money on one of these devices, but if visitors have children who already have these gaming systems then it’s well worth taking them.
Another electrical item that can be used to keep children entertained is a camera. Children tend to love taking photo’s and Disney’s highly detailed queue lines offer lots of great photo opportunities. Buying a disposable camera is also economical as cameras with large numbers of shots are incredibly cheap. Many electrical stores also sell child-friendly digital cameras with padding in case it’s dropped and waterproofing perfect for those rides where there’s water in abundance such as Splash Mountain. On top of these visitors who do give their children a camera will have lasting memories of their visit from a child’s perspective.
Guests visiting attractions like Soarin’ and the recently refurbished Space Mountain may also want to try their hand at the interactive games in the queue lines. Soarin’ has a selection of games tens of people in the line can join in with which keep the whole family entertained at least for a little while. Although not many people have had the chance to test the latest interactive games over at Space Mountain in The Magic Kingdom those that have tried them out have said they’re great fun and a real boredom buster for all ages.
Walt Disney World’s Imagineering Field Guide
One of the most effective ways in which to keep children and adults alike entertained in lines is by playing ‘I Spy’. It’s been a tried and tested method by theme park fanatics for years at Disney Parks. Whilst it may not work at a run of the mill amusement park the queue lines at Walt Disney World, or at least the majority of them, are highly detailed and offer a lot towards the overall story of the attraction. This makes them an ideal place to play a game like ‘I Spy’ or similar as there are simply lots to pick up on in the various attraction lines around the parks.
Many guests who visit Walt Disney World also like to take an Imagineering Field Guide with them to the parks. These guides written by experts in the theme park design give a little insight into some of the most interesting attractions in the park, from ride systems all the way down to small details in the lines at various attractions. Imagineering Field Guides provide some little bits of information about various lines around the four theme parks which are both interesting and informative and make waiting in line that little bit more entertaining.
Card games are often popular amongst seasoned visitors to Walt Disney World. Whether it be a traditional card or newer games such as Top Trumps many visitors to Walt Disney World enjoy a quick game whilst waiting in line. This can be a bit tricky at times, especially trying to play a card game in a quick-moving albeit long queue. However, card games can last for hours, and at busy times so can some of the lines at Walt Disney World so card games are certainly worth taking into consideration.