This is one of those fascinating topics that I think is like the questions people ask random surveys - like "Have you ever stolen anything" and the survey reports that 99.9999% report they have never stolen and yet we are told that 1 out of every 3 have stolen something in their life or something like that. I.E. you get the feeling what people say in a survey is not reflective of what they do.
I say that because without vary, almost everyone on the boards will universally answer 20-40 minutes and guarantees that they will never wait over 40. And yet - there are lines that are over 60 / 90/ 120/ MORE. And sometimes the entire dang park is that way. So SOMEONE is waltzing past that line entrance going "hmmm. 120 minutes. That doesn't sound too bad!" and hoping in line. Either none of these people are on DISBoards OR people tend to understate on the board when they do in practice.
As for me? I used to wait about 60-70 minutes. Generally not longer (although I do remember standing in line for space mountain for 2 hours once - but that was 20+ years ago). Now that we are DVC members, we honestly pull fastpasses for anything we care about and anything else better be short or we will just catch it the next time around. However, that's only been the last few years. That said - whats short? I like to see under 30. Is that a hard cutoff? No. 35... sure. 40...? Depends. Longer? what's going on? How tired am I? When did I last see it? Do I care? Who is with me? if it's just DW and I - doubt it. If we are taking a friend and it's a headliner they really should see - I might wait it out.
I can't see doing 120 these days... too old.
I don’t think it’s surprising at all that most people on a Disney message board don’t wait more than about 20-25 minutes in a standby line. The people who are on Disney message boards (either here or elsewhere) are planners and/or researchers (that’s why they’re here!) so they know, for the most part, that if a ride has an unreasonable wait time (whatever that may be for them…45 minutes….60 minutes…whatever) there is probably a better time or way to ride that attraction. Do it at rope drop; do it at park close; get a FP for it; try it later in the day; etc.
My guess is that many of the people who are standing in those long lines (60+ minutes) fall into a few categories:
1. Don’t know how to use the FP system effectively or aren’t even using it at all because they think it costs money or aren’t comfortable with technology.
2. Haven’t done any research about Disney so they don’t know the benefits of FP, rope drop, and park close.
3. Spend a lot of time at other amusement parks and think there is no other option but to wait in a 2-hour line.
4. They couldn’t (for whatever reason) get a FP for the ride so they budgeted a few hours to wait in the standby line in the middle of the afternoon since many queues are air conditioned. I could understand off-site guests taking this option --- it’s easier than going back to their hotel/house, but still gives them an extended break in the a/c (though they’re standing the whole time)
I’m sure there are other reasons, but those were the ones that came to mind quickly. We don’t stand in lines over about 25 minutes because we use rope drop, FP, and late nights to our advantage. There’s no reason for us to stand in a long line. If the ride breaks down while we’re in the FP line and we can’t get a replacement/use-any-time FP for that ride, we’ll probably just stay put – especially if it’s in the a/c (we travel to Disney in late June).
