How to Occupy Queuing Thrill Seekers over the Busy Summer

1. HOW TOOCCUPY QUEUINGTHRILLSEEKERS OVERTHEBUSY SUMMER Summer is fast approaching and theme parks up and down the UK are preparingthemselvesforthebusyschoolholidayseason. We’ve all experienced that nervous anticipation of waiting patiently for three minutes of adrenaline (vertigo not included), but when soaring visitor numbersmeanqueuing gets out of control, what can parks do to keeppeoplekeentowait theirturn? Someof themost popularridesacrosstheUKattract longqueueslasting half anhour or more. Here’show some of the best manage toentertain thepublicduringthewait, andkeepvisitorscomingbackformore.

2. 1. 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. 2. 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 excitethemforwhat istocome. 3. 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 keeppeople happy – aslong asit doesn’t encouragequeuejumpers! 4. 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 isleft togo– andkeepvisitorsmotivatedtostick withit fora fantasticexperience. 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, parksand attractionscanensure visitorsenjoy themselves regardless of peak season, and encourage them to return year after year.