Disney World to Finally Restructure its Virtual Queue System

Disney World has announced a significant restructuring coming soon to its parks regarding how guests can get in a virtual queue for rides. Here’s what you need to know.

Related: Walt Disney World to Make Critical Changes in 2024

How the Current Disney World Virtual Queue System Works

Disney’s virtual queue allows guests to request to join the line for an attraction later in the day. Guests can use the Disney app to receive a notification when it’s their group’s turn to get in line. Once guests receive a message, they have one hour to get to the attraction or experience. Here’s how the virtual queue works:

• On reservation day, guests can secure a virtual queue boarding group number.
• The Disney app will notify the guest’s group when it’s their turn to get in line.
• Guests can join multiple virtual queues at the same time. For example, guests can be in the virtual line for Journey of Water and Cosmic Rewind at the same time.
• Guests can enjoy other rides and attractions while they wait.
• Guests late to their virtual queue reservation may be allowed to ride after scanning their park ticket at the attraction’s entrance. Disney offers a late arrival grace period of around one hour, but guests arriving outside that time have usually been denied entry.

The virtual queue is free, but the Individual Lightning Lane will vary in cost per person. The Disney experience involves the Disney virtual queue, where guests can access the Disney Genie+ app to get on several rides throughout the Walt Disney World Resort parks. You can click the “join virtual queue” option on the Disneyland Resort or Disney World app. This system is also in place alongside the controversial Disney Park Pass reservation system. Now, Disney is totally changing its virtual queue system in 2024.

Related: New Poll Reveals Democrat, Republican Stance on Disney Films

2024 to Bring About Change

According to Disney insider and reporter Scott Gustin on social media, starting January 9, 2024, some significant changes will come to guests looking to make virtual queue reservations through the official Disney World app. Per Disney, in 2024, guests will be able to join the one attraction virtual queue at any theme park where they have valid admission. Guests will hold one attraction virtual queue at a time.

What won’t change will be the following:

• Select admission types may also require a theme park reservation to join a virtual queue.
• Guests do not need to be inside the theme park to request to join the virtual queue at 7 a.m.
• Guests must be inside the theme park to request to join the virtual queue at 1 p.m.

A Disney World guest with a date-based ticket after January 9 can attempt to join the virtual queue for Tron Lightcycle / Run. If they fail, they can try to join the queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

Related: Disney Theme Park Overrun as Thousands of Guests Run Through Gates

Before, guests were only allowed to make a reservation for Cosmic Rewind if they had a date-based EPCOT ticket, and guests wanting to ride Lightcycle / Run had to have date-based access to Magic Kingdom Park. This seems to be going away in 2024 after January 9.

Some guests are already complaining about this new system coming next year, indicating that things are getting more complicated for folks visiting the theme parks.

Why is EVERYTHING about this place so confusing and complicated? Every aspect of going involves layers and layers of tips and things you absolutely need to know, and even those change 2-3 a year.

No wonder more and more Florida families are switching to cruise ship vacations. https://t.co/otmrBbemaI

— Chris Wakefield (@wakefieldreport) December 19, 2023

Why is EVERYTHING about this place so confusing and complicated? Every aspect of going involves layers and layers of tips and things you absolutely need to know, and even those change 2-3 a year. No wonder more and more Florida families are switching to cruise ship vacations.

– Chris Wakefield on X (formally Twitter)

Regardless, Disney is committed to ensuring the guest experience is constantly upgraded and worked on to allow for a smoother time while vacating at their theme parks worldwide. Your Disney World tickets will grant you access to the “standby queue, ” allowing you to ride various Disney World attractions throughout its parks.

Stay tuned to Inside The Magic, as we will monitor this news closely and provide updates when possible.

This post is originally appeared on Inside the Magic.