Queue toilets for very long waits

I was thinking about some of the long line conversations happening about Steel Vengeance and other new attractions. I've never seen a queue offer a little side path that had a couple of porta johns. Yeah, you don't want them blighting a themed attraction or fouling up a main path, but a pit stop area with a merge point back to the main queue seems like a nice quality of life improvement for new attractions with long waits. It could even just be a temporary gesture—rent them for a ride's opening year or a notoriously busy time, and plan it into a new queue. Set them at an interval that would break up a 3+ hour wait. You've got TV screens, app games, vending machines, mist fans, music, DJs, drink/food kiosks, and skip-the-line passes brainstormed and implemented to ease arduous waits (and make $), but when it comes to toilets, you have to just "hold it" or leave the line.

Even if you have a Superman bladder of steel or use Fast Lane, "you just gotta hold it" seems like one of those out of date things that we still tolerate in this context but not in many others. We expect periodic stops along highways, but not in four-plus hour waits in the sun for a roller coaster. Oh, and stay hydrated. I've seen people bail out of lines because they've needed to go or their kids have spoken up, and, unfortunately, I've also seen a few people go publicly during long waits, which seems preventable and far trashier than having a few porta johns off the beaten path when lines are several hours or more. Years ago, I remember a few coaster nerds complaining that vending machines would ruin line efficiency, but as we know it didn't end society.

Is this a halfway decent idea, or have I gone bonkers?

Wodan at Europa Park have toilets and a drink shop halfway through the queue so it's certainly possible to have it

I've seen this at Europa Park, and I thought it was a nice idea then - I'm surprised I've not seen it at some of the more popular rides at some of the more popular parks. I suppose building them and cleaning them is more money than it's worth for the small number of people who will use them.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g488293-d482615-i111504639-Europa_Park-Rust_Baden_Wurttemberg.html

I think there's too much of an "honor system" aspect, and could definitely see the system being heavily abused in the US for line jumping as well.

I think there's too much of an "honor system" aspect, and could definitely see the system being heavily abused in the US for line jumping as well.

Merlin has shops in most of their queuelines and this happens sometimes, not often but it does happen - some staff members try and stop it usually when I buy something i just get my group to completely block the path so nobody can even try to overtake. Its quite nice honestly as for Saw:The Ride half the queue between the shop and station entry is empty often so you get a nice walk to break up the queuing. I think toilets would be hard to manage really, they could maybe make the exit to the toilets come out like 10 metres further down the queue allowing people to rejoin their group.

Maybe I'm weird, but if I were to buy something from a queueline shop or use a queueline khazi, I don't think I'd expect the people behind me to wait. I would just let people continue queuing and pass me, and then I would just merge back into the new place in the queue (ie, further back) once I've finished. I'm not really that precious about 'my place' in the queue, and would be too self conscious to expect everyone to wait.

People would bitch and moan about you stepping in front of them (despite aleady being there) when you return to the line. That's America in a nut shell

Maybe I'm weird, but if I were to buy something from a queueline shop or use a queueline khazi, I don't think I'd expect the people behind me to wait. I would just let people continue queuing and pass me, and then I would just merge back into the new place in the queue (ie, further back) once I've finished. I'm not really that precious about 'my place' in the queue, and would be too self conscious to expect everyone to wait.

That's the way it should happen! But in Canada, I'd believe it, to see it happen like that. Which I fully expect, won't happen like that.

Or, trusting us, we'd keep apologizing, and apologizing, and apologizing about it,

and eventually numb the queue into letting us in, wherever we wanted, HA!

Wodan at Europa Park have toilets and a drink shop halfway through the queue so it's certainly possible to have it

Cool!

And it's interesting to think of different cultures being more/less receptive and civil toward the idea. It might not go over so well everywhere, but I think some major parks and the GP are now more accustomed to merge points without society totally breaking down. A park might even sell more drinks to its captive audience if guests know that they can stop halfway through a long queue without having to be uncomfortable or totally leave the line.

It's an interesting idea but the honor system wouldn't work. The one way I could see something like this working is having an employee stationed somewhere in the queue, giving you a ticket, and then allowing you to re-enter the queue at that point almost like a Fastpass merge point.

But the number of days/circumstances this would be useful for is probably isn't worth the effort.

Riverside Park in Agawam Ma had at least one queue line restroom; there might have been another but the one I remember for sure was Cyclone had one at roughly the halfway point. You'd just rejoin your party afterwards. I will say you had to be in pretty dire straits to brave it, the park apparently saved some money by never hiring anyone to clean them!