Wednesday queue

[Anon12465]

Taking the kids this year for first couple days. Don’t really want to be doing the usual 6am arrival making them stand in a queue for 3 hours. What’s a good time to arrive weds for light queues? Guessing there’s an evening rush with people who work on weds or those who have a long journey etc would the morning queues have died down by 11am to mid day? Or am I better off giving it another couple hours until 2pm?

[Crazyfool01]

1 minute ago, Anon12465 said:

Taking the kids this year for first couple days. Don’t really want to be doing the usual 6am arrival making them stand in a queue for 3 hours. What’s a good time to arrive weds for light queues? Guessing there’s an evening rush with people who work on weds or those who have a long journey etc would the morning queues have died down by 11am to mid day? Or am I better off giving it another couple hours until 2pm?

Last year we pretty much walked straight in at 11am gate A bus queue , couldn’t see any carpark queue either 

[midlifecrisis]

We walked straight in through Gate D at about Midday last year. No zigzags either which was bliss!

[Spindles]

Any time after midday and you're probably golden.  Last time I went (22) I arrived at 1pm and it took about 10 mins from getting off the coach to being through the gate.  I used to do the overnight queue thing, but have switched to arriving later in the day Wednesday by coach for the hassle free entry. 

[gooner1990]

3 minutes ago, Spindles said:

Any time after midday and you're probably golden.  Last time I went (22) I arrived at 1pm and it took about 10 mins from getting off the coach to being through the gate.  I used to do the overnight queue thing, but have switched to arriving later in the day Wednesday by coach for the hassle free entry. 

 

What are your camping options by that point?

 

I'll be getting up at 3am to get to site this year (and a decent pitch) but it might be my last year of being bothered enough to do that.....

[Spindles]

Well, I have camped in Darble with the camp solo crew every year since 2015, always able to find a space for a small tent.

[ravermum]

22 hours ago, Anon12465 said:

Taking the kids this year for first couple days. Don’t really want to be doing the usual 6am arrival making them stand in a queue for 3 hours. What’s a good time to arrive weds for light queues? Guessing there’s an evening rush with people who work on weds or those who have a long journey etc would the morning queues have died down by 11am to mid day? Or am I better off giving it another couple hours until 2pm?

Are you aiming for Wicket Ground, family camping near Woodsies? If so, Gate A from early afternoon onwards to Wicket will work well for you, queue-wise. I have taken my child three times and - though it's a short walk for us adults used to the mission - it's a long way from the car park to Wicket for little legs. You will likely be parked in one of the further fields at that time too, so more of a walk to the queue/gate. I've learned to give them nothing to carry and make sure they have drinks and snacks and stop whenever they complain, rather than trying to push them on. I learned this one the hard way! Age-dependent they will not be able to carry more than a light daypack rucksack for that long and, when the sun is beating down, as it can be in the afternoon, it has been really tough on both them and me - because I've ended up carrying their all stuff as well as mine and the tent. After our last afternoon get-in, I swore I would come in early evening only with a small child in future. There will be space in Wicket still and everyone will be happier and you can eat something, chill and go to Kidzfield when it opens Thursday. Now my child is big enough to carry more stuff than I can, it's a lot easier!