I’ve heard several sad tales of guests sauntering up to a Disney World ride only to be turned away because the ride doesn’t have a traditional standby line. While disappointing to the uninitiated, this isn’t an uncommon practice. Disney has several methods for accessing attractions, including a standby queue, Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, Lightning Lane Premier Pass and a virtual queue system.
A virtual queue is often used as an alternative to standard lines when a ride has newly opened. Rather than letting wait times climb to three hours or more, there are two specific times each day when guests can snag a virtual queue spot in the My Disney Experience app. If you are lucky enough to get a spot in line, you’ll receive a return time in the app. If not, your only option is to purchase a skip-the-line Lightning Lane pass (if they aren’t already sold out) or try again next time.
Since opening, both Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind have used a virtual queue; this meant there was no option for visitors to stand in line, even if they wanted to. That is all about to change, though.
Disney revealed Tuesday that it plans to remove the virtual queue from both rides Feb. 25. As of that date, guests will have the option to wait in a traditional standby queue or select these rides as one of their attraction selections when they purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Premier Pass.
Depending on how you prefer to do Disney, this could be a good thing or a bad thing. Many guests prefer the virtual queue system (probably the same people who don’t mind the Southwest boarding process); the process is intended to keep wait times manageable by limiting the number of people who can enter the queue at any given time. They enjoy the thrill of trying for a virtual queue spot and the convenience of planning their day around the return time.
Others — those who prefer to sleep in late or tour the parks with a less rigid plan — would rather look at the wait times and decide for themselves if it’s worth waiting in line for. Personally, I have a hard cutoff at the 60-minute mark. Other than on a ride’s opening day, I will not get in line for a ride that has more than an hourlong wait. But there are plenty of people who will wait two or more hours for a ride, and beginning Feb. 25, they have the option to do just that.
Personal preferences aside, the virtual queue doesn’t necessarily mean no queue. Even when I’ve received a virtual queue spot, I’ve sometimes still waited nearly an hour to get on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. With the virtual queue system, there is no posted wait time, so you don’t always know what you are in for when you step into the line.
With a standby queue, you will see a wait time in the My Disney Experience app and on signage posted outside of the ride. This leaves the decision up to you.
This also means there are currently no rides at Disney World that employ a virtual queue system, which removes one layer of complexity from planning your Disney vacation. That said, these are both still very popular rides, and it’s hard to say how long the wait times will be. If you are willing to put dollars toward convenience, you may want to purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass before your trip and try to get these as prearrival ride selections.
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Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve or Shades of Green can purchase Lightning Lane passes and make their first three ride selections up to seven days before their vacation at 7 a.m. EST for the entire length of their stay (up to 14 days). All other guests can do this three days before their visit.
For more on decoding Lightning Lane Multi Pass and other important Disney World planning tips, read these related stories:
