One of the best designed queue lines, at least as far as keeping you entertained, is found at Test Track

10 Best Disney Theme Park Queue Lines

by Kimberly Button

It’s a fact of life, just as inevitable as death and taxes….if you visit the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, you’re going to stand in lines, even on the least crowded of days. Even using FASTPASS or only experiencing attractions during the first couple hours of park opening, you’ll likely find yourself waiting in line for at least a minute or two before boarding the attraction. But if you’re brave enough to wait in the standard queue line for Expedition Everest during the middle of the afternoon on Christmas day, your wait time is going to be MUCH longer.

Some of Walt Disney World’s attraction queue lines can be fun and interesting, while others just make the wait seem that much longer. So, if you have to stand in line, which ones are the most entertaining? The following are the “10 Best Disney Theme Park Queue Lines,” queue lines whose theme and design can make the wait for the attraction or show just a little more enjoyable for everyone.

One of the best designed queue lines, at least as far as keeping you entertained, is found at Epcot’s Test Track where the Disney Imagineers designed a queue line which borders on automobile sensory overload. Everywhere you look there are car parts and testing mechanisms and explanations about automobile testing procedures. There’s something to see at every turn in this queue line, and you might just walk away with a little more automobile knowledge than you came with.

Another educational yet entertaining queue line is found at one of Disney’s newest attractions, Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Expedition Everest. The queue line is packed with authentic handcrafted items from Asia, imparting a feeling as if you really are visiting another continent. The queue also features an intriguing museum based on the legend of the Yeti which is quite interesting, and you might just find yourself wishing you could stand still in line just a few minutes more so that you can explore the artifacts and historical accounts.

Another queue line at Disney’s Animal Kingdom that is full of exotic items is the queue for Kali River Rapids. As you meander through the twisting queue line, be sure to appreciate the beautiful Asian decorations lining the path and keep an eye out for unusual items that wouldn’t typically be found in the United States.

The final Disney’s Animal Kingdom queue line that is worthy of “10 Best” status is the queue for It’s Tough to Be a Bug. Though most of the queue is located outdoors, it does wrap around the base of the Tree of Life, allowing guests to try to find some of the 325 animals that are carved into the theme park icon. Strollers are allowed through a portion of the queue line, which is a perk for parents traveling with small children, and it is kind of fun to enter the base of the Tree of Life in order to view this funny 3-D show. Be sure to check out the comical movie posters located throughout the inside portion of the queue which offer an insect-world twist on movie classics.

Heading back to Epcot, you’ll feel like you are truly at the beach in the queue line for The Seas with Nemo & Friends. The darkened, curvy queue line meanders along the ocean shoreline before you find yourself under the water with a small boat bouncing in the currents above you. The beach-like setting is a wonderful entry way to the underwater exhibits and attractions that can be found in the Living Seas Pavilion.

In the World Showcase, The American Adventure doesn’t have a typical queue line which is truly a delight for weary guests tired of standing in lines. Instead, the expansive waiting area is decorated with historical quotes and artwork that portray scenes and events from American history. An art gallery located in a nearby alcove offers a cultural respite while waiting for the next show, and no other queue line on Disney property offers guests the chance to listen to a live performance by The Voices of Liberty. If you schedule your visit to The American Adventure around one of the a cappella group’s show times, your wait will be truly be a delight as you listen to their amazing renditions of patriotic and folk music songs.

Another World Showcase attraction with an interesting queue line is the Maelstrom in Norway. Though the beginning of the queue is pretty dull, the murals decorating the walls close to the loading area are fun to look at, especially the enormous mural behind the boat boarding area that features a variety of intriguing scenes and hidden images from Norway.

At the Disney-MGM Studios, there is plenty of comic relief throughout the queue line for Muppet*Vision 3-D. Just as hilarious as the 3-D show is the décor and props lining the halls of the inside queue line, as well as the pre-show theater full of unusual Muppet items such as a barrel of banana puree.

The Star Tours queue line certainly isn’t comical, but it receives “10 Best” status for its ability to seemingly transport guests into the world of Star Wars. By the time you reach the Starspeeder boarding area, you might just think that you truly are on a voyage into space.

At the Magic Kingdom, just one queue line could be considered as one of Walt Disney World’s “10 Best” and that’s Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. From the sector maps displaying a hidden Mickey to the talking larger-than-life Buzz Lightyear encouraging guests to defend Earth’s supply of batteries, the bright colors and fun atmosphere throughout the inside queue line put guests in the mood to experience this addictive video game-like attraction.

Kimberly Button is the author of The Disney Queue Line Survival Guidebook, the only Walt Disney World® Resort theme park guidebook that features scavenger hunts, trivia questions, word puzzles and hidden Mickey searches tailored to each attraction to alleviate boredom while standing in lines. For more information, to read an excerpt and to order your copy today, visit www.disneysurvivalguide.com.