An unavoidable disadvantage of some amusement parks and airports is the seemingly endless, winding line before enjoying each ride or confronting the passport inspector. Changing the switch-backed queue to a labyrinth would relieve some of the monotony.
The queuing herd would individually choose to wait in a standard line or enter a maze with the same average wait time. In the maze, quick and clever citizens would arrive at their destination faster, and all the participants would be challenged and chuckling.
Labyrinth lines used several times by the same public would be varied during the day, and they would be made easier when lines are shorter.-- FarmerJohn, Dec 10 2003 Q-Bot: http://www.sixflags...rkinfo/fastlane.aspAmuse yourself elsewhere while electronically holding your place in line. Unfortunately, you have to wait in line to get this device, and again to get rid of it. [Amos Kito, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004] wb. +1
mine's a tour..-- po, Dec 10 2003 Just about anything would be better than looking at all the people ahead/behind you. Some might worry about loved ones getting lost in a maze, though. How about an in-line bingo game?-- phoenix, Dec 10 2003 There are those people who always manage to push-in in queues - they would have to be frisked on entry to the maze to make sure they had no chainsaws to create their own quick exits!-- dobtabulous, Dec 10 2003 In the newer theme parks (MGM, Animal Kingdom, etc), Disney has gotten quite good at this sort of thing. They put all sorts of interesting distractions along the route the queue takes, so you feel like you are already seeing the attraction instead of waiting in line.-- krelnik, Dec 10 2003 I want to take the labyrinth now, but I'm going to wait for a Minotaur too.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 10 2003 However, citizens that aren't as quick and cleaver are lost forever in the maze ... Would the labyrinth come with a monster? Some frighteningly large monster with red eyes and a weapon?-- Letsbuildafort, Dec 10 2003 My image was more of a family maze with waist-high barriers. One thinks one can see the correct route or is following someone in the know, but some trial and error would still occur.-- FarmerJohn, Dec 10 2003 Still a great idea, [FJ] ... perhaps arround halloween time then ...-- Letsbuildafort, Dec 10 2003 Hurricane warning!-- RayfordSteele, Dec 10 2003 The problem with this idea, of course, is that unless each person who finishes the maze is immediately put on the ride (which you couldn't - otherwise you wouldn't have a line in the first place), you'll have the same problem as the regular line as each person who solves the maze (and doesn't immediately get on the ride) has to wait for the next ride. The line will eventually get backed up further and further until the line reaches back to the starting line - and anyone that wanders off to explore the maze will lose their place on the line.-- politely, Dec 10 2003 I disagree. By stating that the maze would have the same average wait time as the standard queue, I mean it would swallow the same number of people, without backing up. Like a winding queue where sections are added or deleted to reflect the load, the maze size and complexity would be adjusted to avoid filling up or slowing the flow too much. Any queuing at the end of the labyrinth would mean it’s too small/easy.-- FarmerJohn, Dec 10 2003 They should have these everywhere. +-- sartep, Dec 11 2003 Would *Jack* from *The Shining* show up with his ax?-- thumbwax, Dec 11 2003 If your passport's valid, you'll be spared.-- FarmerJohn, Dec 11 2003 What about the line for the labyrinth? I mean the attraction, the labyrinth? How do you know you've finished the waiting part and are in the attraction part? Or do they just have a rollercoaster for people in line for the labyrinth?-- oxen crossing, Dec 12 2003 now thats an idea you should have sketched for us! +-- nomadic_wonderer, Dec 12 2003 For busy days, add a few spike pits and possibly a minotaur...-- Deadlock'd, Feb 03 2004 I'm assuming that the blueprints would change at regular intervals to retain the level of difficulty for regular users. Pending this, (+)-- Cunninglinguist, Apr 21 2004 random, halfbakery