Forbidden Journey Locker Queue

[dave&di]

Whilst on another WDW site (sorry!) someone gave a 'handy tip' to avoid waiting half an hour just to queue for lockers, enter through the shop and enter the locker room that way and totally ignore the queue!

Am I the only one that finds this shocking, why am I queueing all that time for a locker when others are cutting in!!! Does any one else do this? Maybe the queues would not be that long if people weren't taking all the lockers by cheating!

 

[BigThunderMatt]

Well technically, you're not really waiting in line to get a locker. You're in a line because hundreds of people are bottle necked trying to get into the small space of the locker area. It's not like there's a locker selection screen at the end of the line.

 

[dave&di]

Well technically, you're not really waiting in line to get a locker. You're in a line because hundreds of people are bottle necked trying to get into the small space of the locker area. It's not like there's a locker selection screen at the end of the line.

Ok fair enough, but is it right to bypass people who are waiting! :shrug:

 

[maxairmike]

I find it hard to believe there would be a serious line outside the entrance just for the lockers. Yes, it can be absolute chaos in the locker area, but I've never seen a true line for the lockers. If there is, then that probably means the lockers are full and people are having to wait for people getting off the ride to free up a locker. If that's the case, then yeah, skipping through the store would be "wrong." If its just because it is so chaotic in there, though, nothing wrong with skipping the confusion and going through the store IMO.

 

[dave&di]

I find it hard to believe there would be a serious line outside the entrance just for the lockers. Yes, it can be absolute chaos in the locker area, but I've never seen a true line for the lockers. If there is, then that probably means the lockers are full and people are having to wait for people getting off the ride to free up a locker. If that's the case, then yeah, skipping through the store would be "wrong." If its just because it is so chaotic in there, though, nothing wrong with skipping the confusion and going through the store IMO.

We had early entry into WWOHP every morning for the 8 days we were there last Sept and yes there was a line for the lockers every morning, it went past the initial ride sign and standby time sign. Once in a while a member of staff would have to shout out that this was the queue for the lockers not the ride! There was no queue for the ride.

 

[maxairmike]

We had early entry into WWOHP every morning for the 8 days we were there last Sept and yes there was a line for the lockers every morning, it went past the initial ride sign and standby time sign. Once in a while a member of staff would have to shout out that this was the queue for the lockers not the ride! There was no queue for the ride.

If there was no line for the ride, then the line for the lockers was just because of the madhouse that is the locker area for that ride. There would have been plenty of lockers open. Even on opening day of the area with a line around the park just to get into the Wizarding World and over an hour line for the ride, there was no real line for the lockers. You just had to find an empty locker station and try to move to it. Maybe they had an employee or two in the locker area trying to keep the chaos minimized, but I've never seen that, either.

Edit to add: I'm not sure how I would have done it, but I think the entrance/exit/locker setup is a guest flow nightmare. When the ride is busy (99% of the time), its ridiculously hard to move around in that small area. Really surprised they did it that way.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Guess my experiences have been different. Been on the ride a bunch of times and have never waited for a locker.

 

[lilclerk]

I hate the whole locker situation in Universal, so I don't bring a bag there. The first time I went to WWoHP, we waited outside for 30 minutes before someone told us that was just the queue for lockers. We were able to go around and into the castle :hammer:

 

[maxairmike]

Long locker lines are very much a real thing. Sometimes the locker line is so long that its queue is extended all the way to the JP bridge It's the reason they're building all that new queue. As an attendant we're made aware of the necessity of getting the locker line moving as quickly as possible- that's why there's two (or more) people in the dungeons trying to make sure everyone is moving through and not jamming at those first few stations, as well as one or two locker attendants.

I agree that the design of the lockers is flawed. Way too many people trying to fit into a small, dark, confusing area with limited signage. I wish they had built a locker station outside as they did with DC.

I figured that new line they're adding was in preparation for Express...in 5 years. :lol:

I don't know how the line is getting that long (apart from the design issue). I've been there on some of the busiest days since its been open. It is true, though, that people don't realize the back half of the locker area exists. That's part of the unpredictability of crowds though. Suppose I better hope my lucky streak continues and I never have to wait more than a few people deep for a locker.

 

[dave&di]

At last other people are saying there are long queues for the lockers! Its not just me thats had it! The situation was so bad last Sept I actually left my bag at the hotel (Portofino) and returned an hour later to retrieve it and then returned the park I'd just left! Madness! :brick:

 

[nitch]

I've definitely had a huge queue for the lockers. Was lined up way outside the building and with no prior research on the attraction I didn't have a clue what would be going on up ahead. But yes, once we got closer we dumped our bags and walked straight through to the gardens.

Fooled me.

 

[Bairstow]

Ok fair enough, but is it right to bypass people who are waiting! :shrug:

Sure it is, considering that by going through the shop you're not adding to the congestion of the the front half of the locker room nor the line.
If anything, they're doing everyone a favor by not adding to the mess.

 

[dave&di]

Sure it is, considering that by going through the shop you're not adding to the congestion of the the front half of the locker room nor the line.
If anything, they're doing everyone a favor by not adding to the mess.

Rubbish! If people are joining a line BEHIND me which is how I believe a queue works then they are not adding to any 'mess' Jumping a queue which stops the queue moving is CREATING a mess.

 

[Bairstow]

[/B]

Rubbish! If people are joining a line BEHIND me which is how I believe a queue works then they are not adding to any 'mess' Jumping a queue which stops the queue moving is CREATING a mess.

That's the thing, though. The queue is there because of the bottleneck at the entrance to the locker room, and because people entering the locker room from the queue only tend to use the first half of available lockers. By going in from the rear and using the back half of lockers they're taking care of their own needs without slowing anyone in the queue down.

Because they're utilizing a different entrance and a different set of lockers, you could argue that they're not even using the things that the people in the queue are queued up for.

If you take a detour around a traffic jam that doesn't add to the jam, is that "cheating"?

 

[dave&di]

That's the thing, though. The queue is there because of the bottleneck at the entrance to the locker room, and because people entering the locker room from the queue only tend to use the first half of available lockers. By going in from the rear and using the back half of lockers they're taking care of their own needs without slowing anyone in the queue down.

Because they're utilizing a different entrance and a different set of lockers, you could argue that they're not even using the things that the people in the queue are queued up for.

If you take a detour around a traffic jam that doesn't add to the jam, is that "cheating"?

I can see your point and in the end the 'mess' is down to Uni as its badly organised. BUT to me its still not morally right to walk past a line of people who are politely waiting, I couldn't do it, but I will have a sneaky look next year just to evaluate the situation! Knowing my luck I would be the only person to get shouted at by an angry guest!

 

[Pioneer Hall]

According to Screamscape, it looks like your problem will be solved...

General Park News - (10/31/11) Local sources tell us that the ‘new’ queue area for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was tested out over the weekend at times and is expected to go into normal use starting today. The new queue is to the left of the current entrance, and all guests (except single riders and those just taking the castle tour) will be sent into the new area and ‘pulsed’ through the locker area to help solve the bottleneck problem.

 

[dave&di]

According to Screamscape, it looks like your problem will be solved...

General Park News - (10/31/11) Local sources tell us that the ‘new’ queue area for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was tested out over the weekend at times and is expected to go into normal use starting today. The new queue is to the left of the current entrance, and all guests (except single riders and those just taking the castle tour) will be sent into the new area and ‘pulsed’ through the locker area to help solve the bottleneck problem.

Nice one, hope to see some changes by next September!

 

[Goofygirl07]

Are there any other lockers elsewhere in the park that my fiance and I can stash our stuff instead of using the ones by WWoHP?

 

[dave&di]

Are there any other lockers elsewhere in the park that my fiance and I can stash our stuff instead of using the ones by WWoHP?

There are lockers you pay for near the entrance to the park, otherwise the only lockers are the ones outside rides but they have a time limit. The closest ones are outside Duelling Dragons (can't think what its called now!) but not sure how long you get before you get charged! This is the option I'm thinking of trying but if you only get 10 mins, its gonna be tight to get through the building, on the ride and back out again!

 

[jonnyc]

There are lockers you pay for near the entrance to the park, otherwise the only lockers are the ones outside rides but they have a time limit. The closest ones are outside Duelling Dragons (can't think what its called now!) but not sure how long you get before you get charged! This is the option I'm thinking of trying but if you only get 10 mins, its gonna be tight to get through the building, on the ride and back out again!

The 'free' locker time fluxuates with the line queue, so you should always have enough time to queue, go on the ride and then collect your stuff.