Queue times in the World of Warcraft are extremely painful. I know in the past I would just run around in a circle in Dalaran for a queue to pop. Since I no longer play on a PVP server, I’ve found other activities that are far more productive.
First, most people will say that while leveling, you should combine questing with dungeons. I absolutely agree. I’ve found instance grinding to be the fastest way to level. But depending on your level and the time you start a queue, things can take anywhere between 5-10+ minutes. So rather than just sitting in Orgrimmar looking pretty, you can hit up quests. I prefer to do quests that have higher XP and loot rewards. Also, I try to do things where I run lower risk of being attacked once I leave a queue. Make sure that you’re not in a place where some mobs will spawn right on top of you once your instance is finished.
Alternatively, you can go farming. For this activity, you can do it with any level toon. This is particularly effective once you hit 85. I tend to run around Twilight Highlands with my miners and herbalists while waiting for queues to pop. If I want to max out my Valor Points for the week on a single toon, I find myself spending maybe 1-2 hours while waiting for queues to pop. As a result, I can get up to 200-220+ worth of ore/herbs. With the ore, if I smelt and vender everything, I can easily gain between 300-900 gold.
For tailors and skinners, it’s a little tougher since you have to find a good farming spot. In the case of my tailor (an enhancement shaman), I hit up the little dwarf towns and just kill the mobs. I usually can take them down in 2-3 shots and the respawn rate in that zone is pretty high. For my skinner (a BM hunter), I’ll go to Tol Barad and kill spiders until a minute before my instance pops.
I like this strategy because I am able to procure a lot of materials and not feel bored just farming. Having the queues around gives me time in between instances to gradually gather up materials as opposed to being bored out of my mind doing each activity separately.