When "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance" opened at Disney World's Hollywood Studios in December 2019 and at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., in January 2020, Disney implemented a virtual-queue system as an answer to anticipated massive crowds.
The virtual-queue system was meant to reduce long queue lines and wait times and allow guests to enter the ride in a more orderly manner.
Disadvantages of the Virtual Queue System
One of the disadvantages of the virtual queue system was that, because of such high demand, reservations for the ride would be full and unavailable not long after the reservations opened each day, usually at 7 a.m. Reservations would go fast when the virtual queue open up again later in the day. The parks shut down in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and when they reopened, the virtual queue continued for the ride.
Disney World reopened in July 2020 after being closed for about four months, while Disneyland was closed for about 13 months before reopening in April 2021. Both parks continued the virtual queue for the ROTR ride, but Disney's Hollywood Studios in September 2021 removed the virtual queue option and returned to the traditional standby queue. Disneyland kept the virtual queue a little longer before ending it in November 2021.
Three days after Disneyland lifted the virtual queue option, this reporter waited over 90 minutes in a standby line to get on the "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance" ride.
Disney World's Epcot implemented a virtual queue reservation system when the "Remy's Ratatouille Adventure" ride opened in October 2021 but ended that option and converted to the standby queue on Jan. 10.
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Disney Prepares for High Demand for Attraction
Now, Disney is opening another much-anticipated attraction that is sure to generate massive interest and long lines with the debut of the "Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind" rollercoaster ride at Epcot on May 27 at Epcot. And the Mouse House thinks it has an answer for anticipated long lines again -- another virtual queue or the purchase of a Lightning Lane entry on the My Disney Experience app through Disney Genie. The standby queue option will not be available and there's no estimate of when standby might be allowed.
For guests hoping to get a chance to ride "Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind," which is Epcot's first-ever rollercoaster, at 7 a.m. on the day of their park reservation, guests with a valid ticket or pass and a Disney Park reservation for Epcot can make a reservation in the virtual queue for an available boarding group through the My Disney Experience app, according to the Disney Parks Blog.
Guests, who might get shut out of getting a reservation during the 7 a.m. virtual queue window, may try again with another opportunity to enter the virtual queue at 1 p.m. Remember this, guests must already be in the Epcot park at 1 p.m. to access the second virtual queue opportunity.
If you really enjoy the ride, you'll have to make plans to return to Epcot on another date if you want to ride "Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind" again. Disney says that in order to give as many visitors as possible an opportunity on the ride, each guest may enter the virtual queue no more than once per day during regular park hours. The Mouse House notes that joining the virtual queue does not guarantee the ability to experience the ride.
Registered guests at Disney Deluxe Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa Resort and other select hotels have an additional chance to join the virtual queue at 6 p.m. on select dates during extended evening park hours. These hotel guests don't need to be in Epcot to request to join the queue. Guests need valid admission and park reservation for extended hours.
