Hi Julie, welcome to planDisney!
Some things are worth waiting for, including a Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Speaking of waiting, when
Toy Story Mania opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008, I waited over three hours to experience this delightful attraction. As much as I enjoyed the extended hang-out time with Andy's toys, I would have preferred to spend my wait time enjoying a Mickey-shaped snack and a comfortable seat. Disney Imagineers heard my request and the first virtual queue was used in 2019 for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Virtual queues maximize the number of Guests experiencing brand-new attractions while minimizing their time spent standing in line.
Virtual queues are currently being used for two attractions at Walt Disney World Resort: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT and TRON Lightcycle / Run in Magic Kingdom Park. There are two opportunities to join the virtual queue each day: 7:00 a.m. from anywhere and 1:00 p.m. from within the desired attraction's theme park. You join a virtual queue using your
My Disney Experience mobile app (three small lines at the bottom right of the app's home page > Virtual Queues).
Now that we've established what a virtual queue is, Julie, let's talk about eligibility. Any Guest planning to visit Magic Kingdom Park can join the TRON Lightcycle / Run virtual queue and anyone planning to visit EPCOT can join the Guardians of the Galaxy/Cosmic Rewind virtual queue. Guests planning to visit one of the theme parks from now through January 8, 2024, must have a theme park reservation. The only exception to this that I'm aware of is the
4-Day, 4-Park Magic Ticket. Guests with a 4-Day, 4-Park Magic Ticket may join a virtual queue without a theme park reservation, much like all Guests with date-based tickets will join virtual queues after January 9, 2024. 4-Park Magic Tickets expire within 7 days of their first use or on September 29, 2023, whichever date comes first.
To make a theme park reservation for your October visit, Julie, start by making sure your ticket is properly
linked to your My Disney Experience account. Once it appears on the
"Tickets, Passes, & Memory Maker" tab of your account, proceed to the
theme park reservations page. Click "Make or Modify Theme Park Reservations" and "Book Park Reservation." Select the person(s) for whom you are making the reservation(s), select your desired date and park, and confirm the selections. Once made, a theme park reservation appears on your
Daily Itinerary as well as in the "Future Plans" of your My Disney Experience mobile app.
There's still plenty of time to get your theme park reservations sorted out before your visit, Julie. If I can be of further assistance, please contact me
directly and include as many details as possible about what you're seeing in your My Disney Experience account. Teamwork makes the dream, and the virtual queue, work!
Choose magic,
Jennifer