The art of queueing up at Disneyland. Issue 1 (2nd January 2016) - Nelson, Emily
ABSTRACT: This paper traces the development of Disneyland's queue space design from Opening Day in 1955 to the end of the twentieth century. The theme park has earned renown for its imaginative theming and detail, yet little attention was initially paid to the reality of waiting to experience attractions. Switchback queues, outdoors, and exposed to the weather, with little to no obvious design related to their respective attraction left guests dissatisfied. As the standard of living rose in America, so did attendance and expectations at Disneyland. Disney's designers, called 'Imagineers', responded by increasing the level of comfort and design in the queue space. In the early 1960s, distractive elements such as abstract art, attraction murals, and props placated guests and competed with nearby parks. Later that decade, pre-shows and technological prowess divided queues into manageable sections, including a show to introduce the main attraction. Psychological studies in the 1970s–1980s concerning queues reassured Imagineers that including modern elements such as technological interactivity and social markers were essential for overall guest satisfaction. Near the century's end, Imagineers attempted to eliminate the queue altogether by instituting virtual queuing with the FastPass system with controversial results. This work follows Disneyland's reaction to political and socioeconomic changes in American by emphasising corresponding improvements in attraction queues.