The alarm startles you to wake… immediately your heart begins pounding and adrenaline is coursing through your body. What a way to wake up!
It’s go time.
Time to secure that most coveted boarding group using Disney’s virtual queue system so your family can ride the hottest and newest attraction offered in the Disney parks during your most magical vacation.
But pressure is on and you’re stressing! In fact, you have been stressing over this moment for months. You are more than aware of how important this ride is to your husband (or son, daughter, etc… insert name of the person you do not want to let down!)
And with new attractions popping up regularly and annually (take 2022’s Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind and the up-and-coming Tron debuting in April 2023 as examples), this virtual queue system is likely not going anywhere anytime soon. Once new rides open to the public, there is only one way to secure a boarding group number to allocate a potential time to ride – and that is through the My Disney Experience app when these virtual queues first open daily for guests to have their shot.
Take a breath – there is some excellent news. All that stress? Let it go (as Elsa would say…). The virtual queue does not need to be as complex as advanced physics. And it most certainly does not need to be something that keeps you up at night worrying you will mess up the trip if you do not snag a time!
After over 10 trips to Disney in the past two years using this system, I have figured out specific tried and tested strategies you can use to ensure you get your seats, all of which I will break down below. Not only will you get a seat, but you will likely get one of the very first boarding groups offered in using these tips!
1) WiFi is not your friend this morning!
This may or may not be a deal breaker, depending on which resort you are at. Either way, I recommend detaching from the resort’s WiFi!
For one, I have found there is differing quality of Wifi service at different resorts on property – even in different locations at these individual resorts! Your best bet is not using the WiFi and instead using your own phone’s data. Remember, loads of people at your resort – and all across Disney property – will be attempting to use the WiFi at the same time as you (whether that is to pick up a Lightning Lane or to try to grab their own spot in the virtual queue).
Also on this point, test out your phone’s data quality in your room before the big day. I have actually hopped outside my resort room and sat on a bench at certain resorts to ensure I have the best quality on the morning of.
2) Time is of the essence!
I am totally aware it is not ideal to have to set an alarm on vacation. I also know the first thing you want to be doing to start your day is likely brewing some of that Joffrey’s coffee you find in-room at Disney, but the absolute most key factor in securing a boarding group for these premiere new Disney rides is ensuring you are ready immediately as soon as the clock strikes the hour. You only have a couple opportunities during your visiting day when the virtual queue opens and spots are released to snag, and if you are even 30 seconds late, you very likely will be out of luck.
- 7:00 AM (To take advantage of this time, you will not be in the park but must have a theme park reservation for the park where the ride is located)
- 1:00 PM (FYI: Guests must have already been in the park where the ride is prior to 1:00 PM that day – so again, still need a park reservation)
- 6:00 PM (This last one is only available on select nights for registered guests staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort)
3) What’s on your phone?
When the time comes, there are two things you should have ready on your phone – and only two. Don’t clutter your phone with other open apps!
The first essential window needed, of course, is your My Disney Experience app. Ensure your app is up to date (do any installations and updates the night before!!) and then, about 5 minutes before the hour hits when you are trying to grab your boarding group, jump into the app to its front screen, locate where it indicates you can join your virtual queue, and go through the process of checking off the people whom you are attempting to grab the boarding group for. Be sure to unmark anyone who will not be accompanying you! The next screen is where you will be put in a holding pattern until it is truly time.
Simultaneously, there is a trick I swear by that you should also have pulled up on your phone (or on a nearby computer or alternate phone). The world/atomic clock is designed to measure the precise length of seconds, and it will show you the absolutely most accurate moment that time reaches the hour. This may sound excessive, but, I assure you, I have never failed to get one of the first groups when I have tracked time according to https://www.time.gov/. The key here is about five to ten seconds before the hour hits (by watching the seconds tick by according to the world clock), leave the web page, jump back into your app where you are in that holding pattern waiting for the virtual queue to open, and now begin hitting the refresh button at the bottom of your app’s screen. Keep hitting that refresh button over and over until it HITS and allows you to move to the next screen. Boom – you did it!
4) DO NOT READ A THING!
I know your natural inclination as you move through this process will be wanting to pause and look at the screens you are encountering, but this is the second most critical tip of all to your success. As soon as you have started the process…Do not stop. Do not look. Do not read.
As soon as you have entered the hour where the queue has opened, do not stop for anything or pause on any screen. These seconds are incredibly valuable. Just keep hitting the button at the bottom of the screen until you arrive at the end screen confirming your boarding group number! Once begun, it should actually only be two clicks (two screens) til you get to the end and finish your mission.
In the end, ensuring you have a spot to ride should not be that complicated! By following these steps, I have never once been assigned a boarding group less than 20 (out of over a 100 groups assigned in the course of a day). Acclimating yourself with the app, and where things are located is also very helpful, so I encourage you to tinker around in your My Disney Experience well before you arrive in Orlando.
5) One final tip to ensure your success – and possibly allow you to ride TWICE!
Once a week, both Magic Kingdom and Epcot offer something extra special called ‘Extended Evening Hours’ for guests who are staying at one of Disney’s premiere resorts in the deluxe category. Extended hours run for two full hours after the normal park closing hour, and strictly prohibits anyone else from enjoying the late night park rides and attractions outside of the deluxe attendees. Not only does this mean shorter wait times, it also gives one more opportunity for this limited group to join an additional boarding group for the day. In many, many cases, this means families can actually ride the attraction in discussion TWICE for the day – for free!
This is just one added benefit of the value of staying in Disney’s deluxe tier, and though a deluxe stay may seem out of reach for many, there are specific methods to bring down that cost! If interested, check out the strategies outlined on the best way to make a Disney deluxe stay affordable.
Moreover, a Disney vacation planner can really become an asset in helping you understand all park strategies (the virtual queue and beyond!), as well as plan a special trip while keeping the cost of your dream vacation within budget. Did you know that Disney actually has already included the fee of a vacation planner’s services in the cost of every package and resort stay they sell? Disney recognizes that planning a vacation to visit can be overwhelming due to the multitude of moving pieces and components involved, so they are more than happy to pay a travel agent to make their guest experience that much better. If a guest does not use this service? Sadly, they just keep the commission that was intended for a travel agent’s support! So please do yourself a favor and use the service you are already paying for – get the help of someone who can guide you through every magical in and out!
I am a Disney Vacation specialist with our sister company, Smart Moms Travel, and I am ready and excited to help you with all the details of your trip if you are looking for an expert who has been visiting since she was two years old (I now visit over six times a year between work and family vacations). From where to stay, to budgeting, to ride tips and tricks as outlined above, I have your back! Ready to get started? Click here to connect with us! If you are already booked with a Smart Moms travel planner, you’re in excellent hands, so be sure to reach out to them with questions and they will happily guide you in being the trip planning hero for your family!
