Queueing Experiences 2017

[Hotchilidog]

Got the coach to Gate A and queued about 30 mins or so around 12.30ish, pretty smooth for once. it was only once I was in that things went south, heatstroke putting up my tent; realising I'd left  my phone charging cable at home (the horror!!!); finding somewhere that sold them and then discovering I did not have my wallet on me; panic; stagger back to tent in the heat; find wallet, phew relief!; head back to shop buy cable; find nearest available shade, sit down crack open a beer.....and.......relax....

[evilduck]

Last year was actually the worst queueing I've done at Glastonbury. We had a b&b in Frome and arrived at about 5:30am at D, got put into Pink parking so it was a fair trek over to the already massive queue, then I don't think we got in til about 11:30am. It was a brutal slow slog in the heat. Luckily the rest of our group had arrived on coaches so had got in before us and secured our camping area, plus they came to collect us at the gate with a trolley!

This time I've got a b&b in Glastonbury so I'll aim to get to D earlier. I don't mind a bit of an early hours queue if you aren't moving and its not boiling hot!

[shuttlep]

17 minutes ago, evilduck said:

Last year was actually the worst queueing I've done at Glastonbury. We had a b&b in Frome and arrived at about 5:30am at D, got put into Pink parking so it was a fair trek over to the already massive queue, then I don't think we got in til about 11:30am. It was a brutal slow slog in the heat. Luckily the rest of our group had arrived on coaches so had got in before us and secured our camping area, plus they came to collect us at the gate with a trolley!

This time I've got a b&b in Glastonbury so I'll aim to get to D earlier. I don't mind a bit of an early hours queue if you aren't moving and its not boiling hot!

should get a B & B in Wells

[Keithy]

Easiest ever last year.

6:30am coach from Bristol, arrived at site about 8am. 30 minutes in the queue at most. Pitching tent by 9am

It felt quite disorientating to be honest.

[marathonsteve]

I wouldn't put any of that plastic wrapping / sheeting / clingfilm around your bags or stuff or security will just ask you to remove it before they do their bag search

[Havors]

No queue whatsoever for us... Worthy View  

 

[The_Amazing_Oblong]

Got the coach for a change up last time. Easiest thing ever. Forget the exact timings but got there around lunchtime and walked straight in, no queue, no search. Friends arriving earlier had already set our tent up so from getting off the coach to sat outside the tent supping was about a half hour, all of that was spent walking from Gate A to Oxlyers.

 

[Guest]

I got ferried in on a minibus due to disabled access.

[shoptildrop]

2017 was probably the longest queuing experience I've had at Glastonbury!! 

Camped local the night before, unfortunately got put in Pink but parked up at 6.30 then it took 5 hours through Alton towers queue hell in rather hot weather to get through Gate D. Trudged up to Dairy where friends had saved space, nearly died putting the tent up in 30+ degree heat and took hours to cool down again..

Though those 1st Brothers bar ciders around 7ish didn't even hit the sides  

Didn't enjoy last year's queue tbh 

[shoptildrop]

9 hours ago, evilduck said:

Last year was actually the worst queueing I've done at Glastonbury. We had a b&b in Frome and arrived at about 5:30am at D, got put into Pink parking so it was a fair trek over to the already massive queue, then I don't think we got in til about 11:30am. It was a brutal slow slog in the heat. Luckily the rest of our group had arrived on coaches so had got in before us and secured our camping area, plus they came to collect us at the gate with a trolley!

This time I've got a b&b in Glastonbury so I'll aim to get to D earlier. I don't mind a bit of an early hours queue if you aren't moving and its not boiling hot!

Sounds similar to our experience too  

[Pinhead]

The queue in 'experience' is possibly the one thing that might make me stop wanting to go in the future, or choose to work every one at any rate.

[dingbat2]

Been trying to avoid these forums for a while, because of the fear of T-day but finding myself being sucked in again....

Have arrived Thursday every year for last 10 Glastos. Queueing to get in getting easier and easier each year, no queues to get in at all these days. Finding a spot to camp becoming more and more difficult every year (also dependent on weather). Never failed, always heading to Gate A and scan the perimeter of Rivermead/Pylon. West 54 car park has been my friend for the last few Glastos, really easy leaving, never taking too long to get on to decent road

If successful on T-day might try and go Wednesday next year, what is it like to get in on Wednesday afternoon, say 3pm?

 

[Starscreenbass]

I've been 3 times (so far). The first time we set off about 10am got into the queue at PGA and took about and hour or so to get in. We were all set up by 2pm.

Set off at the same time the next year and we were stuck in traffic from about 11am till 6pm. no queue at gate, but the walk through the mud to the gate nearly killed me. I still have no idea how I got my trolley up the hill as I'm not the strongest person ever. Friends trolley broke so left them there set up camp and then went back to help. set up by 9pm.

Third year set off at 7am. Easy to get into site but Trolley of another friend broke. As is tradition now we leave fallen members, set up and come back for them. We were in the queue from 10am till 12pm in the baking sun. The stewards passed water round but still really hot. Set up as a sweaty mess of a group by about 4pm.

Hope I can add to these stories this year. Probably go back to 10am set off x

[luke2]

queued for longer than I can ever remember...

192.168.1.1

Edited September 14, 2018 by luke2

[Walker2295]

Came into PGA from Train Shuttle Station around half 1. I just remember a pretty small reasonable flowing que. I'm sure I was through and band clamped in by 2 pm

[Crazyfool01]

1 hour ago, Starscreenbass said:

I've been 3 times (so far). The first time we set off about 10am got into the queue at PGA and took about and hour or so to get in. We were all set up by 2pm.

Set off at the same time the next year and we were stuck in traffic from about 11am till 6pm. no queue at gate, but the walk through the mud to the gate nearly killed me. I still have no idea how I got my trolley up the hill as I'm not the strongest person ever. Friends trolley broke so left them there set up camp and then went back to help. set up by 9pm.

Third year set off at 7am. Easy to get into site but Trolley of another friend broke. As is tradition now we leave fallen members, set up and come back for them. We were in the queue from 10am till 12pm in the baking sun. The stewards passed water round but still really hot. Set up as a sweaty mess of a group by about 4pm.

Hope I can add to these stories this year. Probably go back to 10am set off x

perhaps a purchase of a decent trolley might be in order ?  

 

[giantkatestacks]

We must have arrived at PGA early afternoon on the Weds and didnt see much of a queue at all. I am quite shocked by that photo upthread. Where are those snaky queues? I havent paid any attention to it as we go to the crew box, get wristbanded then go up to the gate.

[Sasperella]

My assessment would be: nowhere near as bad as we thought it was going to be

Given the email about bag searching, I was expecting it to be a total nightmare. Plus on the coach down we were getting messages from a friend who got there when the gate opened and was stuck for hours. It took us about an hour or maybe less from coach arriving (at about 1pm I think) to getting wristband on...it was crazy hot though, so the hour was quite long enough, and it was still way longer than my coach experience in 2014 when I just waltzed straight in. 

On balance though, putting the tent up in the 30 degree heat was the bigger ordeal ?

Edited September 14, 2018 by Sasperella

[Laurenkfj]

Worst one ever for us, arrived around 7.30am, was around a 4-5 hour queue in the baking heat - it felt like we were cattle being herded through a never ending queue - every time you turned a corner and thought you were at the front, there was another queue in front of you. 

We were really prepared for the heat and still found it awful, there were people being pulled out and having panic attacks all around us

[Ex_ollie]

Did anyone find out what kind of machine was in those shipping containers at gate A? When we arrived it seemed it was scanning peoples bags, but when we came through after queuing with stop-start moving every few minutes (impossible to get any sleep) we just walked right through. 

 

[Ged Devereux]

Think we arrived just after 12:30 on the coach, there was a bit of queue but as we got to it they opened another lane we and pretty much went straight in! 5 years on the coach and I think the longest we’ve queued was 30mins, 12:30 being the earliest we’ve arrived! 

[Zoo Music Girl]

On 9/9/2018 at 9:24 AM, stuartbert two hats said:

I arrived about 2ish by coach on the Wednesday. Joined a fast moving, windy queue, a bit like getting into the SE corner, took 10-20 minutes max, probably less. The worst queue I've ever had this century when arriving by coach. 

 

On 9/9/2018 at 11:24 AM, Quark said:

Mine was about the same as Stu's. Rocked up on the coach about 3ish, was through the gate with no bag check by 3.30. Water and a hat were definitely my friends.

These sound like my experience, arriving from London by coach about 2 or 3pm. Queue wasn't actually that bad and our bags weren't even checked. By that point the heat was intense and we were a sweaty mess after being on the non-air-conditioned coach for hours so was glad they seemed to be doing all they could to keep it moving. Free bottles of water and a man with a sprinkler helped!

[Mardy]

Just now, Zoo Music Girl said:

Free bottles of water and a man with a sprinkler helped!

Hehehe, the fella with the sprinkler was ace. Just what we needed after the journey. Absolutely perfect 

[Zoo Music Girl]

5 minutes ago, Mardy said:

Hehehe, the fella with the sprinkler was ace. Just what we needed after the journey. Absolutely perfect 

Still my hero of the festival!

[Zoo Music Girl]

On 9/13/2018 at 7:37 PM, dingbat2 said:

Been trying to avoid these forums for a while, because of the fear of T-day but finding myself being sucked in again....

Have arrived Thursday every year for last 10 Glastos. Queueing to get in getting easier and easier each year, no queues to get in at all these days. Finding a spot to camp becoming more and more difficult every year (also dependent on weather). Never failed, always heading to Gate A and scan the perimeter of Rivermead/Pylon. West 54 car park has been my friend for the last few Glastos, really easy leaving, never taking too long to get on to decent road

If successful on T-day might try and go Wednesday next year, what is it like to get in on Wednesday afternoon, say 3pm?

 

See my post with quoted posts above. I find the queue around that time from the coaches is a lot easier than earlier in the day. We've done that the last couple of years and camped in Bushy as I'm not arsed about camping in the busy areas. Used to get there before gates opened and while we secured what was then a better spot to my mind, it didn't add loads to my festival experience overall. 

I was properly shitting myself about the security queues being horrific (taking hours and fully searching all bags etc) but agree it was just PR. Barely saw anyone checked in the end.