POTC right vs left line

[bcla]

We rode on Thursday and it just seemed so bizarre right after fireworks. There was a huge left line out to the entrance, but no right line. When we got in the right line I did a double take thinking it must be closed, but someone else there said it's just because nobody was there after fireworks for some reason. We just kept on moving through the queue until we got inside. We didn't even have to stop until we were indoors.

Is this normal? The front entrance said a 35 minute wait, which seemed accurate for the left line, but we literally boarded in 5 minutes.

 

[nutshell]

I’ve seen that happen before. Sometimes people see a group in line and gravitate to that side not realizing the other side is wide open.

 

[Where's Wall-E]

Usually, the left is the way to go at POTC. However, that's if the two lines are fairly even going into that split. If there's virtually no one to the right and it's open? That should be a no brainer.

 

[Cfiiitz]

I feel like this is a weird human nature thing. The crowd draws people in - it’s like people don’t think about the other line or think it’s somehow wrong or worse because no one is standing there. I see this all the time in retail - there are a variety of tills open on different sides of the shop and one line will grow while the other is empty. Humans are weird.

 

[Mousequake]

I feel like this is a weird human nature thing. The crowd draws people in - it’s like people don’t think about the other line or think it’s somehow wrong or worse because no one is standing there. I see this all the time in retail - there are a variety of tills open on different sides of the shop and one line will grow while the other is empty. Humans are weird.

Yep, and then an even weirder part of human nature: when somebody DOES go to the empty line, other people yell at them and get angry at them that they're "skipping the line."

 

[RobertaMomof2]

We went last week. Every time the right side was opened we took it. ALWAYS a shorter wait and line. The CM's at the front even said often THE RIGHT SIDE IS ALSO OPEN!!! But no, people wanted to go in the left and wait in the line. Like you we walked straight up to the front...

 

[ironband74]

Same experience. The right side seems to always be the shorter wait. Even when both are full, I think the left side wraps around the entry more and so is longer.

 

[Where's Wall-E]

Same experience. The right side seems to always be the shorter wait. Even when both are full, I think the left side wraps around the entry more and so is longer.

Opposite is true, actually.

 

[MonocularVision]

Opposite is true, actually.

Are you sure? When we went last month, we did the left and was surprised to find it wraps quite a bit on the left side of the building now. I don’t remember that before.

 

[Where's Wall-E]

Are you sure? When we went last month, we did the left and was surprised to find it wraps quite a bit on the left side of the building now. I don’t remember that before.

It wraps around the side of the building (where people knock on the doors and get people in line on the inside to knock back), but in our experience 100% of the time always loads faster into the building than the right side. This is saying that when you get to the split point, the lines are even. We find someone who is "next" to us when the line splits and follow them (by watching their place in line on the right). We always enter the building first and never see them again, indicating we get on the ride faster.

 

[Pamela M]

This happens on Jungle Cruise and Indy where at some point you pick a side. I've easily passed 50 people just because I know that there are 2 sides and I just get in the shorter line.

If people aren't paying attention they just follow the person in front of them even if the cast memebers are continually telling that there are 2 sides.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

Usually, the left is the way to go at POTC. However, that's if the two lines are fairly even going into that split. If there's virtually no one to the right and it's open? That should be a no brainer.

Interesting, I've always chosen the right side if they're at the same length, thinking that wrapping toward the side of the building on the left would take more time. Has someone around here actually timed it out?

 

[SeaDis]

Interesting, I've always chosen the right side if they're at the same length, thinking that wrapping toward the side of the building on the left would take more time. Has someone around here actually timed it out?

I think this used to be the case, but the "courtyard" chains were reconfigured Fall of 2018 to even out the lines. That is why there is a single entrance now with a split point just under the bridge. The courtyard area used to be more evenly split. Now the right side takes up most of the courtyard while the left side goes back along the side of the building. You would have to assume they measured it out when moving the chains around, right?

But I agree, I think they created a new "decision point" at the split. The right side does U-turn and goes back under the bridge which feels like back-tracking. So in a sudden decision, maybe people just prefer to keep moving forward (left)? I don't have opinion on which is faster when both lines are full. So far my experience is even. But obviously if one has fewer people, go go go.

There is FBD video when the change was first made. Will see if this link works: