Disney World’s Biggest New Change Faces First Real Test Next Week

Spring break is almost here and with it comes immense crowds at the Walt Disney World Resort. With a new change in motion, the parks are about to be tested.

The Florida Review wrote that the busiest spring break period is March 1 through March 23, and new data shows that Orlando is a top search destination for many looking to head out on vacation during this time. It’s no secret that the Central Florida theme parks are extremely busy during spring break, and Disney World looks to be gearing up for heavy crowds with its tell-tale sign of raising Lightning Lane prices.

While the Lightning Lane Multi, Single, and Premier Passes will be an important factor in navigating the Walt Disney World Resort this spring break, a major change may get guests rethinking their action plan. Last week, Disney revealed that it would be eradicating its remaining virtual queues at the resort. This means that both Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind are no longer available to board via the virtual queue system.

Instead, Disney World has opened standby lines for the attractions in their respective parks, Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. No longer will guests be required to wake up before 7 a.m. to book their slot in line, however, will the alternative be much different?

After adding Cosmic Rewind to the Early Theme Park Entry lineup, guests will need to rope drop the ride in the hopes of catching the queue at its shortest–that is if they even qualify for the early entry perk.

On its first day of operation without the virtual queue, Cosmic Rewind quickly soared to a 170-minute wait. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on the other peaked and then petered off. The latter will likely never feature a line quite as long as the Guardians of the Galaxy ride due to it being water-based and thus affected by the weather and not being half as popular with guests.

With guests clamoring to experience Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind with its iconic soundtrack and reverse launch in such droves on its first day with standby, it only stands to reason that its line will be one of the longest at the Walt Disney World Resort when spring break crowds officially hit the Sunshine State’s leading theme parks.

Not only will Guardians of the Galaxy’s standby opening bring crowds to EPCOT, but the park’s annual International Flower & Garden Festival also commences early next month on March 5. The event brings new experiences to the park, as well as exclusive merchandise, food, and beverages.

To manage crowds at EPCOT, Disney has implemented a new entry process that allows guests without early entry perks to wait near Spaceship Earth before the park officially opens.

How are you going to tackle your upcoming vacation at Walt Disney World? Will rope-dropping Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind be part of the plan? Let us know in the comments down below!