What is the difference between standby and virtual queue?

Virtual Queue Basics Basically, instead of standing in a regular standby line, you'll try to get a spot in a virtual queue that holds your place in a virtual line with other guests. If a ride has a virtual queue setup, that means there will NOT be a “standard” queue you can just stand and wait in.



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A standby queue will not be available. Each Guest can request to enter this virtual queue no more than once per day during regular park hours. Before requesting to join a virtual queue, Guests must have valid admission and may need a theme park reservation depending on the type of admission and date of their visit.

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In most cases, guests who have been late to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind have been allowed to ride after scanning their park ticket at the attraction's entrance. Though this may not be the case for every day, especially during the parks' busy seasons.

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Lightning Lane is simply the name for the line you use to skip standby! These attractions are selected one at a time using the My Disney Experience app, beginning as early as 7:00 AM. You don't choose all your rides for the day at that time, though!

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There are only two attractions at Walt Disney World Resort that don't have a standby line, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle / Run, but you do not need to purchase Disney Genie+ service to join the Virtual Queue for either of those attractions.

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Disney Genie+ is a paid service that allows you to skip the standby line and use the Lightning Lane entrance at select attractions. Guests can book their first Genie+ ride selections starting at 7 AM on the day of their visit. This applies to both those who stay at a Disney Resort Hotel or stay off-property.

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Among the four parks at Disney World, Hollywood Studios has the longest wait time per attraction at 41 minutes, while Epcot has the shortest wait time at 26 minutes. The park's newest ride, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, has the longest average wait time at 127 minutes — or more than 2 hours!

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Splurge on after-hours events In 2023, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom are selling tickets for dates early in the year at prices that rival a full day's admission. “That is an enormous time saver,” said Jeffrey Merola, a Walt Disney World guidebook author and owner of Mouse Vacation Planning.

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On average the lightning lane will always have a much shorter wait time compared to the standard Disney World line, but it usually combines with the regular line before the ride. As a result, it's common to have a wait time of around 5-10 minutes, even when using the Lightning Lane.

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The Lightning Lane will generally be a much shorter wait than the regular line, but it merges with the regular line usually a few minutes before you board the ride. This means a wait of around 5 to 10 minutes is very common, even with Lightning Lanes.

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You can enjoy a Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane entrance once per day. If you'd like to re-ride an attraction or see a certain show again within the same day, you are welcome to use our regular standby line. Disney Genie+ prices vary by date and prices are posted the day of.

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Yes! Just because you join a virtual queue and “virtually” wait for your boarding group to be called doesn't mean you won't have to wait in an actual line once your group is called. Usually, once your boarding group is called and you join the actual, physical queue, you will experience a bit of a wait.

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I am happy to report that you can make both a Lightning Lane reservation through Disney Genie+ and try to obtain a Boarding Group through a Virtual Queue at the same time.

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REMEMBER: When the Virtual Queue is running, it's the only free way you can ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. If you don't get into the Virtual Queue, the only other option is paying to ride using the Individual Lightning Lanes which is part of the new Disney Genie system.

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