Top 10 Theme Park Queues

We are here this week to tell you that there ARE theme park attractions with amazing queues as well as amazing rides. And, while it is possible to by-pass the queues in some instances, we think you’ll miss out on some of the essential experiences if you do.

It probably won’t surprise anyone to know that each of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld all have wildly creative rides. It’s simply what we have come to expect from these entertainment giants over the years.

Places like the Magic Kingdom have set the standard and all the other parks have followed that lead for attractions that are genuine immersive experiences, and it starts as soon as you enter the queue (or “the line,” as they like to say in the US!).

Therefore, when it comes to riding, say, Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, there is almost as much to see and enjoy in the extensive queuing area as there is on the roller-coaster itself.

So, with all that in mind, we thought we would highlight our Top 10 of the very best queue experiences that you should definitely make a note of for your next (or first) visit to Disney and Co:

10. Revenge of the Mummy

Fans of the Mummy films will lap up this themed treat at the Universal Studios park, which develops from being on the set of a follow-up movie with Brendan Fraser – with the hint of a recently-unveiled curse for those on the set – to a full-scale archaeological encounter, with several hands-on opportunities from various “historic artefacts” to liven up the queueing process.

9. Expedition Everest

The authenticity throughout the long queue for this particular Animal Kingdom attraction is hard to beat, as Disney’s Imagineers went to amazing lengths to ensure the look of this “village” on the outskirts of the Himalayas is as genuine as possible. To that end, they brought back hundreds of original pieces of art, symbols and general bric-a-brac to ensure there is plenty to admire before you enter the realm of the Yeti!

8. Men In Black Alien Attack

Back in Universal Studios, get ready for a secret initiation into the world of the Men in Black, as your visit to see a retro-themed exhibit from the 1964 World’s Fair takes a sudden turn for the unexpected. At the opening of false lift doors, you are now inside the MIB inner sanctum, with terrific movie-like reality as you walk through the main operations room and are briefed for the task ahead – an MIB training simulation that also takes a strange turn!

7. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Welcome to the Xandarian Pavilion at Epcot, an intergalactic portal presented by those peaceful folk from the planet Xandar. Guests enter the “Galaxarium” to discover a series of clever models and video screens that present the culture of the alien world. Spaceships and cities are all on clear display, along with various references to Epcot, before things become singularly dramatic with an elaborate pre-show that leads to the ride itself.

6. Avatar: Flight of Passage

This hugely detailed – and extensive – Animal Kingdom queue is set after the conclusion of the first film and takes visitors inside a disused technical facility of the rapacious Resources Development Administration, now converted to the Pandora Conservation Initiative. Look out for the full-scale Avatar in one of the testing labs, and prepare for another clever pre-show that sets you up for the ride itself.

5. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

When this ride opened in Disneyland in 1987, it set new standards for the way we experienced the build-up to the attraction itself, with a sense of realism and film-immersion unlike anything else. The Disney’s Hollywood Studios version is virtually identical to the original and genuinely surrounds visitors with the sights and sounds of the Galaxy far, far away, including those squabbling droids C-3PO and R2-D2.

4. Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts

For jaw-dropping spectacle and sheer unadulterated fun, the lead up to Universal Studios’ most startling ride takes some beating. The entryway into the fabled Gringotts Bank is thrilling enough, but then the queue leads on and on into a truly realistic underground world that really ups the ante for film-set recreation.

3. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run

Star Wars fans are certainly in their element at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where a life-size version of the Millennium Falcon is just the start of a major adventure. The sense of realism is again overpowering, and there is so much to see and marvel at before you reach the ride itself. There is another engrossing pre-show that sets the scene in vivid style, but the big bonus is a chance to sit at the Dejarik table from Star Wars: A New Hope where Chewbacca played R2-D2.

2. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

There’s still no more immersive ride experience for Harry Potter fans than the journey deep into the campus of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. From entering through the iconic gates to reaching the Sorting Hat, visitors are bombarded with the feeling of being “in” the films. And, while the Single Rider queue will certainly save you time, it will miss much of the essential detail here, which would be a great shame.

1. The Haunted Mansion

“Welcome, foolish mortals…!” Okay, we make no excuses for rating this true Magic Kingdom classic our top queue experience, as it’s simply a triumph of theming throughout, but especially in the build-up to the ride itself. Not only is it suitably spooky on the outside, once you get to walk through the entrance doors to the interior section, it quickly becomes a mysterious adventure of epic proportions before you catch a glimpse of the Doom Buggy vehicles. “Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination — hmm?” Yes, it’s an absolute barnstorming delight, which perhaps isn’t surprising, as it was originally designed as a walk-through attraction before the Imagineers added the conveyor-belt ride section. There is also more to see as you exit the ride, making this arguably the most complete attraction experience in the Disney pantheon.

Do you have a favourite queue in any of Orlando’s theme parks? Tell us about them on our Facebook, X and Instagram pages.