A virtual queue is a digital waitlist system that allows guests to reserve a spot in line for a popular attraction or service without physically standing in a crowded queue area. When you join a virtual queue—typically via a mobile app like My Disney Experience or the Universal Orlando App—you are assigned a "Boarding Group" or a specific return time. Behind the scenes, the system's algorithm calculates the ride's capacity and throughput to estimate when your group will be called. While you "wait" in the virtual queue, you are free to explore the rest of the park, eat, or enjoy other attractions. When your turn arrives, you receive a push notification on your device, giving you a set window (usually one hour) to return to the ride's physical entrance. This "Boarding Pass" is then scanned at the gate. The benefit for the theme park is that it reduces physical crowding in the park's walkways and allows guests to spend more time in shops and restaurants. For the guest, it minimizes the "dead time" of standing in a 200-minute line, though it often requires a fast fingers and a stable internet connection to "secure" a spot in the queue at 7:00 AM or 1:00 PM.