A couple of weeks ago, we talked about waiting in lines, specifically, how long is too long to wait, and I was scrolling through the replies to questions that I had asked of you all. I was interested to see how long people would admit to waiting for their favorite attractions when I saw a reply that caught my interest. A Facebook fan of The DIS replied, saying that they didn’t mind waiting in line because that is where some of their best memories were made in the parks.

And at that moment I realized, she was right.

It’s easy to spend upwards of four times the length of the attraction you are waiting for in the line before you get on. This got me thinking about the time we spend in the parks actually interacting with our traveling family. It occurs to me now that much of this takes place in line.

It’s the downtime between the excitement of rides; the waiting that we try to avoid at all costs. But upon reflection, I think about the moments spent coming up with silly games to fill in time, making quizzes and singing songs, people around you playing rounds of Heads Up that everyone ends up joining in on, it’s all part of the same common thread: connection.

Disneyland was built on the fundamental idea of connecting with one’s loved ones, family, or friends. So, if you change your thinking about waiting in lines, they no longer present as the disappointing lulls in your vacation, instead, an opportunity to practice patience and appreciate the personal contributions each person in your group has to offer.

All of these memories hit me at once, discussing the mechanics of attractions with my son and planning the day ahead with my daughter, those are the very moments that make our Disney experience magical. I’ve told you all about my belief that the parks don’t make the magic, we do, and our time in the line is no exception.

Queuing areas are where we are forced to interact with each other. If you take away our sudden obsession with electronic devices, all we are left with is the company of those around us to pass the time.

How many of you have cute videos of your children recapping their day, friends making jokes and mucking about, or end up having hilarious discussions about some of the silliest topics you can think of? Personally, between my children and my sister, I have had moments in line that were so funny we could all barely breathe.

That is the stuff memories are made of.

I genuinely love that many of you have inspired my epiphanies about Disney parks, and this one was definitely up there in terms of game-changers.

Let me know where your memories are made and where your magic is created on your Disney vacations. Does your time in line create those memorable moments or perhaps shared dining experiences? Maybe that seated wait for the parade camping out for the best spot on Main Street U.S.A does the trick or even the 30 minute wait for rope drop in the mornings?

And if you are up for it, let me know where you have learned to stop and smell the churros, as such, remembering to make the most of the time that seems to be wasted.

** Feature image photo by: Michelle Perrin-Crawford