Occupy queuing thrill seekers over a busy summer

Summer is fast approaching and theme parks up and down the UK are preparing themselves for the busy school holiday season.

We’ve all experienced that nervous anticipation of waiting patiently for three minutes of adrenaline (vertigo not included), but when soaring visitor numbers mean queuing gets out of control, what can parks do to keep people keen to wait their turn?

Some of the most popular rides across the UK attract long queues lasting half an hour or more. Here’s how some of the best manage to entertain the public during the wait, and keep visitors coming back for more.

Savvy screen time – Distraction is key, and carefully positioned screens showing engaging videos on a rotational basis are sure to keep queuers entertained. Whether it’s visuals of other rides within the park, letting people know dates of seasonal events, or promoting special offers to increase park revenue, there are lots of ways that technology can engage queuers.

Get into costume – If parks have capacity, there’s no reason why staff can’t get involved in queue management and keep visitors entertained along the way. For the scarier rides for example, staff in costume engaging visitors can ramp up the thrill factor and excite them for what is to come.

Think about queue layout – Long queues can be agony for older legs. Being mindful of anticipated queue times can help plan layouts to cater for all ages and abilities. Benches, rails and lean posts are a great way to keep people happy – as long as it doesn’t encourage queue jumpers!

Keep people updated – There’s nothing worse than waiting and waiting without any knowledge of how long is left to be patient. Using experience of how long queues tend to get for each attraction, careful wayfinding and signposting can indicate how long is left to go – and keep visitors motivated to stick with it for a fantastic experience.

A trip to a theme park should be a fantastic day out, full of thrills, bravery and laughter. With these top tips for managing queuing during busy periods, parks and attractions can ensure visitors enjoy themselves regardless of peak season, and encourage them to return year after year.