Walt Disney World has as soon as once more up to date its insurance policies on digital queues, reflecting one other manner large modifications are coming to the visitor expertise beginning on January 9, 2024. This publish covers how TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will work after that, plus our commentary about how this might impression crowds–and why WDW ought to retire VQs fully. Right here’s the announcement:
Occasionally, a digital queue—accessible through the My Disney Expertise app—could also be used for choose points of interest or experiences. When a digital queue is in place, you may request to take pleasure in that attraction or expertise later within the day, so you may take pleasure in different experiences whilst you wait. When the digital queue is in place, a standby queue won’t be obtainable, and Company should use the My Disney Expertise app to enter the attraction or expertise.
Beginning January 9, Company will be capable to be a part of one attraction digital queue at any theme park the place they’ve legitimate admission. Company could maintain one attraction digital queue at a time. Like at present:
- Choose admission sorts may additionally require a theme park reservation to affix a digital queue.
- Company don’t should be inside a theme park to request to affix the digital queue at 7:00 AM.
- Company should be contained in the theme park to request to affix the digital queue at 1:00 PM.
Said in another way, common tickets that don’t require reservations will be capable to try to affix the 7 a.m. digital queues with out restriction. Walt Disney World’s system will merely validate that you’ve got eligible park admission–no reservations might be mandatory. Not an enormous shock, as that is precisely the way it works with single-day tickets, the 4-park magic tickets over the summer season, and different choose ticket sorts that already don’t require reservations. We’ve by no means heard of anybody having issues becoming a member of the digital queue with any of these tickets.
Though not expressly said, the identical will virtually definitely be true for Annual Cross good-to-go dates. Walt Disney World’s system already can validate on reservations or park tickets, so presumably there’s an “off-switch” of kinds for admission sorts or instances that don’t require reservations. You by no means actually know with Disney IT–it’s at all times a wildcard–however they’ve been managing this efficiently for a number of months already. Protected to imagine it’ll proceed to work the way it has for choose ticket sorts.
One factor to notice–particularly as Park Hopping restrictions are dropped–is that Walt Disney World’s official insurance policies virtually definitely should not 100% appropriate. It has by no means been the precise coverage that you’ll want to be within the park for the 1 pm entry time. Everybody in your get together does must faucet into Magic Kingdom or EPCOT (because the case could also be) sooner or later earlier than 1 pm in an effort to “unlock” entry to the digital queue at 1 pm. Which means you can arrive for park opening, stroll over to Steakhouse 71 on the Up to date for lunch, and take a look at at 1 pm out of your desk.
Prior to now, not one of the digital queues have been geofenced or primarily based upon proximity—this performance has unlocked within the My Disney Expertise app for every visitor after they’ve bodily tapped into the park’s faucet/turnstiles. You’ll be able to go away after tapping in and nonetheless be a part of in the course of the afternoon entry time out of your lodge room or wherever–you can actually be inside Magic Kingdom or Manitoba, it wouldn’t matter.
The digital queue system solely validates whether or not you’ve tapped into the park the place you’re attempting to affix a VQ (that means Magic Kingdom or EPCOT), not your present location. It may truly be advantageous to depart the park noon, as that’s when crowds and wait instances are worst. In case you’re like us, you additionally could favor to do lunch at a Magic Kingdom space resort fairly at Walt Disney World’s worst meals park.
Going ahead, we additionally see plenty of eventualities the place we’re bouncing backwards and forwards between EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and that ought to make the 1 p.m. digital queue simpler.
Talking of technique, a number of readers have requested how we expect this may impression crowds and/or demand for digital queues. That’s a superb query, however my reply is just not actually in any respect. A few of you might be taking part in 4D chess whereas the vast majority of Walt Disney World visitors are struggling simply to seek out their checkers items.
It’s undoubtedly a “energy person” thought to suppose like this. The reasoning can be that, should you’re shut out of the 7 a.m. digital queue, you shortly pivot to a distinct park. That manner, as an alternative of placing all of your chips into the 1 p.m. digital queue, you may attempt the 7 a.m. VQ once more on a distinct day, and making certain a spot within the VQ earlier than you even enter the park.
It’s good theoretical logic. The issue, I feel, is that the one individuals who truly suppose this fashion are extremely more likely to be excellent at becoming a member of digital queues, and thus, they won’t be shut out within the first place in any significant numbers. Said in another way, the particular person gaming this out is at just about zero danger of being shut out of the digital queue.
By and huge, those that do get shut out would by no means take into account doing this within the first place. It’s not only a talent subject–the kind of planners who’re extra inclined to care sufficient to pivot in all probability have ADRs and different issues locking them into particular parks on particular days.
This dynamic could possibly be totally different on Annual Cross good-to-go dates. A much more possible situation than the above is APs solely visiting Magic Kingdom or EPCOT in the event that they’re in a position to rating a spot within the digital queue for TRON Lightcycle Run or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Nevertheless, good-to-go days are going to be ones the place the attendance forecast is decrease for the parks in query and there’s extra capability for Annual Passholders with out reservations. So there’s the sensible actuality of that and the nonetheless relatively-low chance of a excessive variety of APs revolving visits round digital queues.
As such, my reply is that this digital queue change can have a negligible impression on attendance and crowds. At most, we’re in all probability speaking about fewer than 100 folks per day who would pivot. Except all of these folks have a meet-up and by some means queue up in entrance of you for each single experience, it’s not going to impression you.
One other higher query is perhaps whether or not it is best to pivot should you get shut out. Additionally no.
Once more, I feel there’s a low likelihood–in all probability lower than 10%–that any of you who’ve learn our pace technique are getting shut out of the 7 a.m. digital queue. The most definitely situation the place it occurs is a tech glitch–and people undoubtedly do happen. There are additionally nonetheless some days the place, even with quick fingers and all going in line with plan, you lose out on the VQ at 7 a.m. However that’s occurring much less and fewer.
Extra importantly, there’s nonetheless the 1 p.m. digital queue even when one thing goes improper with the 7 a.m. entry. The 1 p.m. VQ is now a lot, a lot simpler to affix on the overwhelming majority of days. Final time we checked, it was open for a number of minutes over 85% of the time for each Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle Run. In different phrases, the percentages are very a lot in your favor–particularly as an influence person.
I perceive that ~85% continues to be not 100%, and that leaves ample room for uncertainty. The issue, although, is that the remaining 10-15% of dates are very busy, and you actually ought to have ADRs and, ideally, Lightning Lane reservations on these days (not less than for Magic Kingdom). So a method or one other, you in all probability shouldn’t alter your plans!
I’ll guess lots of you opened this publish considering that the large change for 2024 can be Walt Disney World eliminating digital queues. After I first noticed the blurb about digital queue expertise updates, that was definitely my hope.
Truthfully, we’ve been anticipating the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind digital queue to be retired for some time. We first wrote in regards to the declining demand for it final July, and predicted it might be retired by the beginning of the August low season. When that ended up being improper, we moved that prediction to mid-January…then shortly earlier than TRON Lightcycle Run’s opening.
At this level, we’ve resolved ourselves to the Cosmic Rewind digital queue by some means nonetheless current when Megatron is tall sufficient to experience. Every time it looks as if it’s about to occur–like this summer season, when Walt Disney World arrange an outside overflow that become a seating space–the plans are deserted for no matter motive. (Additionally this summer season, we obtained a survey with main questions that, I feel, was despatched to bolster the preordained conclusion that visitors need digital queues.)
Truthfully, I like digital queues and am selfishly, not-so-secretly (since I’m posting about it right here) completely satisfied to see them proceed. Nevertheless, I can even respect that I’m not the typical visitor and that what’s good for me is just not good for the park-going public.
I like digital queues as a result of I’m excellent at them. Which may sound like a humblebrag, however at this level, you’re in all probability fairly good at them too. In case you’re studying this weblog through the pc in your pocket, you’re within the high 5% of the park-going public by way of expertise or information. That applies even should you’re planning your first journey!
Digital queues are nice for folks like us as a result of they perform equally to how free FastPass used to work–though the return strains have gotten worse this 12 months. At minimal, they’re extra environment friendly than ready in a standby line and/or are cheaper than shopping for an Particular person Lightning Lane.
I’ve talked about this elsewhere, however I’ve gotten to the purpose the place I solely be a part of the 1 p.m. digital queue and hesitate for a bit (often round 1:05 p.m., however it’s crowd-dependent) so I get a callback time later within the night when the return line is nearly at all times shorter (except there was important downtime earlier).
Utilizing this methodology, I’m doing TRON Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind virtually each single time I go to Magic Kingdom or EPCOT–even on days which might be “only for enjoyable” with no technique or analysis agenda. The one different headliner attraction I experience as a lot as these two is Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare (can’t resist on the finish of the evening when it’s a walk-on). That almost all undoubtedly wouldn’t be true if the rides have been posting 90+ minute standby wait instances–and each would however for the digital queue.
I do know I’m not alone on this, and a whole lot of different Annual Passholders and locals who would in any other case balk at excessive standby wait instances are doing Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle Run each single go to. The factor is that experience capability is a zero-sum recreation. If the digital queue is filling up with a bunch of APs and locals who would skip a 90-minute standby wait, these spots are coming on the expense of another person (assuming that the points of interest are working at or near 100% effectivity–and they’re).
The losers on this situation are possible disproportionately first-timers and different low-knowledge or technology-averse visitors. Whereas these folks usually are oblivious to digital queues or are unable to affix for no matter motive, lots of them are in a position or extra inclined to attend in an extended standby line. The balking level is greater for them–they’ve by no means carried out the experience and its advertising and marketing would possibly’ve been one of many causes they booked the Walt Disney World journey within the first place!
These are the very demographics that, for my part at the same time as a biased and self-interested Annual Passholder, Walt Disney World needs to be favoring. It’s in all probability higher for the sake of visitor satisfaction and creating new followers to make issues simpler for these folks, and eradicating one layer of friction.
This would possibly sound loopy to a few of you. In case you booked a visit after seeing advertising and marketing for Cosmic Rewind or TRON Lightcycle Run, wouldn’t you do the requisite analysis to make sure you’ll give you the chance experience?!
But it surely’s necessary to do not forget that not everyone seems to be such as you. It’s additionally straightforward to underestimate how a lot information you’ve gathered over time, and simply how daunting or unintuitive all of that is to the uninitiated. For just like the thousandth time, there’s a motive why we are saying that should you can grasp visiting Walt Disney World, you may journey wherever. Language limitations, prolonged worldwide instances and time zone modifications don’t have anything on the complexity of WDW!
Perceptions of digital queues amongst Walt Disney World followers have modified a ton since late 2019 when the system debuted for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. For some time, our strategizing for that attraction was probably the most common subject on this weblog. There was a lot concern, uncertainty, doubt–and thirst for solutions. That way back ceased to be the case, as most you studying this grew to become comfy with digital queues and began leveraging them to your benefit.
Give followers sufficient time to discover ways to exploit one thing, they usually’ll study to like what they as soon as hated. (Save this sentence for when first-reactions roll in for Lightning Lane advance-booking, and instantly a bunch of Genie+ followers come out of the woodwork!)
Each winners and losers nonetheless exist with digital queues, as capability is finite. That has not modified. What has modified is that you simply studying this are actually usually the winners as an alternative of potential losers. So your notion of digital queues has largely modified–or on the very least, it stopped being entrance of thoughts.
As most of us have complained in regards to the quantity of display time and overreliance on expertise in visiting Walt Disney World, we must always likewise proceed to help the retirement of digital queues. They could profit us on a person degree, however total and in mixture, they’re a adverse for the visitor expertise. Digital queues add one more pointless layer of friction and make issues overwhelming and intimidating for inexperienced and older visitors.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on the digital queue modifications for TRON Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind? Glad or disillusioned about this? Assume this may have any impression of attendance, crowds, or the dynamic with VQs? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation of digital queues being guest-unfriendly as a complete? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
