Disney Parks Virtual Queue Guide - What You Need To Know!
So, you’re heading on a Disney vacation. Congratulations! We know you’ll have a blast experiencing the magic of Disney and all the amazing rides that the theme parks have in store.
Going on your first Disney trip — or your first Disney trip in a while — can come with its own set of obstacles. Disney is magical, but it can be overwhelming! Not to worry, though, because People Mover Travel has got you covered.
We’re here to answer all of your questions and share our tips and tricks to ensure you have the best trip ever. If you’re like us, you’re already daydreaming about all the incredible attractions you’re going to ride when you head to Disney. That brings us to this guide — our ultimate guide to using Disney’s virtual queue system.
Some of the most popular attractions at the Disney theme parks offer a virtual queue. But what is a virtual queue, and how do you use it? In this guide, we’re sharing our tips for how to use Disney’s virtual queue, including what you need to know before your upcoming vacation.
The virtual queues at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida are similar. Here’s what you need to know about joining the virtual queue on your next visit to The Happiest Place on Earth.
PEOPLE MOVER TRAVEL TOP TIP:
DOWNLOAD THE MY DISNEY EXPERIENCE APP BEFORE YOUR VISIT TO WALT DISNEY WORLD AND THE DISNEYLAND APP BEFORE YOUR VISIT TO DISNEYLAND. THE MOBILE APP IS THE ONLY WAY TO JOIN THE VIRTUAL QUEUE AT EACH THEME PARK DESTINATION (PLUS, IT WILL TELL YOU THE THEME PARK HOURS, ATTRACTION WAIT TIMES, AND MORE OPERATIONAL UPDATES). BE SURE TO HAVE NOTIFICATIONS ENABLED FOR EACH APP, AS WELL.
WHAT IS A VIRTUAL QUEUE?
All of this Disney jargon may be a little intimidating, but let’s break it down! So, what exactly is a virtual queue at a Disney theme park?
A virtual queue is an attraction’s mobile waitlist that you can join via the Disneyland app at Disneyland Resort or My Disney Experience app at Walt Disney World Resort. It works very similarly to a FastPass in that it allows a guest to wait in a virtual line instead of a standby queue so that they can spend more time exploring the theme parks.
It’s important to note that you can only join on your mobile device during a certain time of day, and a spot in the virtual queue is not guaranteed. When a virtual queue is activated for an attraction, a standby queue will not be available.
Also, note that the virtual system is not the same as the Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane system, the paid version of FastPass. Read more about Disney Genie+ on the official Walt Disney World website here and on the official Disneyland website here.
VIRTUAL QUEUE AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
Heading to Walt Disney World, The Most Magical Place on Earth? Here’s how this resort is handling virtual queues!
As of fall 2021, only one attraction at Walt Disney World Resort utilizes a virtual queue system: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT. (Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was the first ride to implement a virtual queue, but Disney has since paused the use of a virtual queue and now offers both a standby line and paid Lightning Lane access for the attraction.)
In order to join the virtual queue for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, you must have a theme park reservation and valid theme park admission for EPCOT. Guests without a Park Pass reservation for EPCOT on the day they are visiting the park are unable to join the virtual queue for that attraction.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
There are two distribution times for the virtual queue for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure: 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Here is your step-by-step guide.
1. Anytime between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on the day of your Disney Park Pass reservation for EPCOT, you can confirm your party within the My Disney Experience app. This will ensure that everyone in your group who wants to ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure can be added to the queue together when it is time to join.
2. Within the My Disney Experience app, select the main menu in the bottom right corner, and then select “Virtual Queues.”
3. Select “Join Virtual Queue” and then click “Confirm Your Party.” From here, you can make sure that everyone who wants to ride the attraction is selected to be in your party, and if anyone is missing, you can make sure their ticket is linked to your My Disney Experience app. You can add or remove people from your party as needed.
4. Watch the clock! Immediately, at 7 a.m. (seriously, the SECOND 7 a.m. strikes), tap “Refresh” to start the boarding group process and join the virtual queue. Within seconds, you should either receive a boarding group number, or your screen will state that you did not make it into the queue.
There may be a situation in which you want to arrive at the park late, or you didn’t get a boarding group in the first round. Don’t worry! There is still another opportunity to join the virtual queue at 1 p.m. Just note that, unlike the 7 a.m. virtual queue process, the 1 p.m. process requires all members of your party to scan into EPCOT before joining the queue. Be sure to enter EPCOT with enough time to spare before 1 p.m. so you can refresh the Join Virtual Queue page within your My Disney Experience app and hopefully obtain a boarding group.
Remember that access to a boarding group is subject to availability and not guaranteed, and you can only join the virtual queue once per day. If you want to avoid the virtual queue altogether and still experience Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, you can purchase Lightning Lane access for the attraction within the Disney Genie platform in the My Disney Experience app.
VIRTUAL QUEUE AT DISNEYLAND
If you’re on your way to The Happiest Place on Earth, here’s what to know about virtual queues.
Just like Walt Disney World, Disneyland has a virtual queue system. However, there are only two attractions that utilize it, and it is only on an as-needed basis. Both Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Disneyland park and WEB-SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure in Disney California Adventure park will now only utilize a virtual queue if Disney deems it necessary (based on crowd levels or other factors). So, it’s best to check the Disneyland app on the day of your visit — both before 7 a.m. and later in the day once you’re in the park — to find out if you will need to join a virtual queue to ride or if a standby queue will be offered instead.
Even though you are likely to be able to use the standby queue for all Disneyland Resort attractions, there is a chance that a virtual queue will be required for Rise of the Resistance or WEB-SLINGERS, so here’s what you should know!
The process of joining the virtual queue at Disneyland is very similar to the process at Walt Disney World. Just note that instead of having the option of joining the virtual queue at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. like at Disney World, at Disneyland, the boarding group process is now only activated as-needed. (When the virtual queue was in place, guests could join at 7 a.m. or 12 p.m.) Currently, this means that if Disney decides to turn on the virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance or WEB-SINGERS, they will likely do so later in the day, and guests will actually need to be in the theme park in order to join the queue. If you do need to join the virtual queue at the beginning of the day, note that the Disneyland app will say so.
PEOPLE MOVER TRAVEL TOP TIP:
DISNEY CAN DECIDE TO PAUSE THE USE OF A STANDBY QUEUE AND GO BACK TO A VIRTUAL QUEUE AT ANYTIME, AND EVEN REVERT TO THE OLD SYSTEM OF ALLOWING GUESTS TO JOIN THE VIRTUAL QUEUE AT 7 A.M. AND 12 P.M. WITHIN THE DISNEYLAND APP. SO, IF YOU’RE HEADING ON A DISNEYLAND VACATION, JUST BE PREPARED FOR ANY SITUATION AND STUDY THESE TIPS BELOW JUST IN CASE!
Remember that just like in Florida, in California, in order to join the virtual queue, you must have both valid theme park admission and a valid theme park reservation for the same day.
To recap:
1. If a virtual queue is activated for any Disneyland attractions, the Disneyland app will say so, so check the app ahead of time and make sure app notifications are enabled on your mobile device.
2. Within the hour before it is time to join the virtual queue, click “Confirm Your Party.”
3. A few seconds before joining the queue, repeatedly click “Refresh” at the bottom of the Join Virtual Queue page. As soon as the “Join Queue” button appears, click it.
4. From there, you will know immediately whether you and your party obtained a boarding group for the attraction.
5. If you did not obtain a boarding group and an individual Lightning Lane selection is available for the attraction you want to ride, you can pay to ride the attraction on the day of your visit. (You can also purchase Lightning Lane access, if available, on the morning of your visit and skip the entire virtual queue process altogether. Check the theme park’s app for more information on the day of.)
Again, make sure you have notifications enabled for your My Disney Experience app or Disneyland app to stay up-to-date on when your boarding group is called.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DISNEY’S VIRTUAL QUEUE SYSTEM, REACH OUT TO YOUR PEOPLE MOVER TRAVEL AGENT! AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WHILE YOU’RE ON VACATION, YOU CAN ALWAYS ASK A DISNEY CAST MEMBER AT THE FRONT DESK OF YOUR DISNEY HOTEL OR AT GUEST RELATIONS, LOCATED IN EVERY DISNEY THEME PARK.