The queue

A common place for complaining in a theme park is the long queue line on a hot day. No one wants to be there. What is the best solution? Some parks, such as Disney, Universal, and Six Flags have used different variations of a "Fast Pass" system. In this system guests are assigned a time to arrive at an attraction to ride. This method allows guests to avoid waiting in line and allows them to be enjoying other areas of the park while they would otherwise be stuck waiting. One solution I have considered is to make he line part of attraction's experience. This has be used in many themed rides, as animatronics begin to interact with guests as they enter the line. However, I wish there was a greater use of story used in queue lines. If it was great enough, guests wouldn't feel like they were in line, they would believe the "ride" had begun. Expedition Everest, at Disney's Animal Kingdom is an example of suing a queue line to tell a story. Throughout a guest's wait they are informed that they are about embark on a climb of Mount Everest. Guests walk through Everest architecture and through a yeti museum before they arrive at the ride. In theory the story should not pause between the wait the the ride. In fact the ride should have a beginning after the line, the "story" should be experienced from beginning to end of the experience. How can the line be taken advantage of by designers? How could this part of the attraction be as fun as the "ride"? Could it even be more fun? The future will tell.