Hi Stephanie, welcome to planDisney!
My family takes
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours into account when planning our Walt Disney World Resort park days, too! This generous gift of time available to Guests of Disney Deluxe Resorts, Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts, and select other hotels promises small crowds and big fun.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT can currently be experienced by joining the
virtual queue and/or purchasing an
Individual Lightning Lane. With a theme park reservation for Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, you are ineligible to join the 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. virtual queues, but you are encouraged to join the 6:00 p.m. virtual queue on nights that Extended Evening Theme Park Hours is scheduled.
You do not need to be in EPCOT to join the 6:00 p.m. virtual queue, Stephanie. You can join from Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, your Disney Resort hotel, or even a Disney bus. My best tip for securing a boarding group is to confirm your party by 5:55 p.m. in the My Disney Experience mobile app (three small lines at the bottom right of the app's homepage > Virtual Queues). Make sure everyone in your party is connected as Family & Friends and know that it doesn't hurt to have multiple people trying to secure a boarding group for your group at the same time. As soon as the clock strikes 6:00 p.m., immediately click "Refresh" and "Join Virtual Queue." I often have a friend count down the seconds while looking at the World Clock.
I most recently tried to join the 6:00 p.m. virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind while enjoying dinner with my boss at Ale & Compass Restaurant. I got wrapped up in conversation and clicked "Refresh" ten seconds too late. I don't want to scare you, but I want to make clear that seconds count when trying to experience the most thrilling attraction at Walt Disney World Resort.
When you confirm your virtual queue party in the My Disney Experience mobile app, your linked resort reservation should automagically qualify you to join the 6:00 p.m. virtual queue. I say "should" because technical glitches are a part of life, and one was a part of my attempt to join the 6:00 p.m. virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy last April. I clicked to confirm my party from my bed at Disney's BoardWalk Inn and was surprised to see that my family members were listed as eligible but I was not. I took a screenshot of the problem and secured a boarding group for my family members at 6:00 p.m. When their boarding group was called, I explained the situation to the Cast Member at the entrance of Guardians of the Galaxy and showed them my screenshot. They acknowledged it's a known problem some Guests experience and assured me it was in the process of being fixed. They were very understanding and allowed me to experience the attraction with my family. I don't want this story to scare you either, Stephanie, but I want you to be prepared in case something similar happens to you.
I'm confident you have all the information you need to succeed, Stephanie. My last tip for experiencing Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT is to use a ponytail holder if you have long hair. Your Disney PhotoPass attraction photo will thank me!
Plan magic; planDisney.
Jennifer