Every kid, and even many adults, can get bored waiting in lines. Even at the Happiest Place on Earth, waiting in lines is not a favorite of most! In recent years Walt Disney World has helped to rid us all of boredom in lines with the addition of interactive queues. The interactive queues can be great fun and help that wait go by so much quicker. Unfortunately not all of the lines have an interactive queue, or sometimes your child doesn’t respond to the interactive queue, what do you do then? Here is my list of my top ten favorite line boredom busters!
1. Handheld Device – iPad/iPod/iPhone, DS etc. Although some people may not be for these devices, especially when we can be experiencing the world around us, they can be a great option for an impatient preschooler, a “too-cool-for-school” tween or a child with special needs.
2. Stickers and notebooks. Stickers are a big hit with our daughter. We bring a notebook along for her to put the stickers in. This is a great plan, of course, she would much rather stick the stickers all over herself and us. 🙂 But it makes her happy so we are good with it!
3. Notebook and Crayons. She may not use that notebook for her stickers but we can still get use out of it for coloring.
4. Bubbles. Who doesn’t love bubbles? There may be other children in line that would love to participate in this activity as well. However, be sure to be considerate of others around you!
5. Snacks! Pack some of your favorite snacks in your backpack or under the stroller. Sometimes just having something to snack on can help pass the time.
6. Search for Hidden Mickeys. Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets is a great book to get you started on this scavenger hunt of sorts. The book is a fun way to keep older children from complaining too! It’s always exciting to discover Hidden Mickeys! 
7. I Spy. This “old school” game is great fun for the whole family and can go hand in hand with finding Hidden Mickeys.
8. Pipe Cleaners. Disney is the perfect place to let your imagination go wild! Families can take turns creating things with the pipe cleaners to see if others can guess what they are. So simple, yet can keep kids busy for a good amount of time.
9. Lacing Boards. These are a lot of fun and great for working on those fine motor skills.
10. Last but not least, Maps. Not only is this fun but can be a great learning experience as well. When you are picking up a map at the front of the park, be sure a grab one for your little ones too. You can also pre-order customized maps from Disney themselves prior to your trip. They can include all your child’s favorite attractions or the ones they are most looking forward to.
Planning some activities and packing your bag full of goodies are great ways to have less meltdowns and complaining about boredom in lines. This in turn leads to a much happier vacation at the Happiest Place on Earth!
Tabitha has been a Travel Specialist with Wishing Well Travel since 2012, you can contact her at Tabitha at wishingwelltravel.com, find her on Facebook or Request a Quote from her online.
