As an Orlando local and Florida native, I’ve come to pride myself on learning how to navigate the Walt Disney World Resort. From the age of thirteen, I was tasked with planning theme park visits and studying all the tips and tricks like my life depended on it (which, in my detail-oriented family, it probably did). That episode of The Middle where Sue had a binder of all things Disney? I had one to match, though mine lacked the stickers. So, when the Walt Disney World Resort introduced the Virtual Queue system in 2019 with the opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, I started to study once more.

Today, that studying has paid off. The Virtual Queue system has been used for all new attractions since 2019, starting with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, then Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and most recently: TRON Lightcycle / Run – Magic Kingdom Park’s newest attraction since 2014. This brand-new attraction is one of the fastest in any Disney theme park, launching Guests at nearly 60 mph on a ride vehicle that’s designed to make Guests feel like they’re riding on the Tron equivalent of a motorcycle. It’s fast, unique, and sure to make you feel like you’ve just taken off on a race for your life. Not to mention, it’s the newest attraction in Tomorrowland since Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, which means Guests are lining up in droves to experience this thrill ride.

Only one small problem – the line is harder to get into than it used to be.

Prior to 2019, if a Guest wanted to ride a new attraction, all they had to do was head over to the ride entrance and wait the posted wait time – even if that wait time was a projected three hours or more. Take for example the opening of Avatar Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom Theme Park’s Pandora – The World of Avatar. When opening in 2017, there wasn’t only a wait for the ride, but a separate line to get inside the land. Droves of people waiting for their chance to experience the wonders of Pandora crowded up walkways, leading to congestion and chaos. I was there on opening day in 2017 and waited nearly six hours in total to ride Avatar Flight of Passage. Was it worth it? Yes, absolutely, that ride is phenomenal, and I can’t recommend it enough. Was it practical for either Guests or the Walt Disney Company? No.

That level of people, all crammed close together in the Florida sun is a recipe for disaster, something Disney surely saw. So, when it came time to open Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’s star attraction: Star Wars: The Rise of the Resistance, Disney took a new approach. Using the My Disney Experience app, Disney introduced the Virtual Queue, a way for Guests to wait for their turn to ride, without physically standing in a line for hours on end. The process seems simple – hop on the app, hit Join Virtual Queue, and then wait until your boarding group is called. The reality is that many Guests who are new to the Disney Parks may not even know this app exists, let alone the Virtual Queue that’s needed to ride TRON Lightcycle / Run. If you’re having trouble navigating the Virtual Queue process, not to worry, you’re not alone. It can be confusing, but with the following steps, it doesn’t have to be.

Set an Alarm
As of now, there’s only two times that most Guests have the chance to join the Virtual Queue, either 7:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m., so set your alarm clock and hope you don’t oversleep. I recommend waking up at around 6:50 a.m., so you have enough time to prepare.

Open the My Disney Experience App
The good news about the 7:00 a.m. Virtual Queue is that you don’t have to physically be in Magic Kingdom Park to snag a spot. This queue time can be joined from anywhere, if you have a reservation already booked for Magic Kingdom that day (note: reservations are required for all the Disney Theme Parks at this time). So rather it be from the comfort of your resort bed, or the drive-thru of a Starbucks, as long as you have the My Disney Experience app open and ready to go, you can join the queue.

Find the Virtual Queue
Once logged into the app, scroll down on the homepage until you see the section labeled “Request Access with Virtual Queue”, then click “Join Virtual Queue.”

Confirm Your Party
From here, you’re going to ensure that every member of your party is listed. If anyone is missing, you may need to check to make sure they have a valid theme park ticket linked to the My Disney Experience app, as well as a reservation for Magic Kingdom Park. Once every member is listed, you’re good to proceed.

Check Your Internet Connection
Now, it’s just a waiting game for that 7:00 a.m. time slot. The best thing to do now is ensure that you have a solid internet connection. I recommend running an internet speed test to see which runs faster, your Wi-Fi or data. Use whichever is faster, as once 7:00 a.m. hits, the spots are filled almost instantaneously.

Refresh the Virtual Queue Page
At around 6:58 a.m. you’re going to want to start refreshing the Virtual Queue page on the My Disney Experience app. This will make it easier to click the join button once it becomes available, as well as get you used to the refresh rate of the page.

Use a Clock
To ensure you refresh the page right at seven, use a second clock to count down to 7:00 a.m. If you have a second phone or digital device available, I recommend going to: https://time.is, which counts time to the exact second. You’ll want to refresh your page at the 57-59 second mark, so that the page loads when 7:00 a.m. hits.

Join the Queue
You should now be ready to join the queue. Once 7:00 a.m. arrives, select the “Join the Virtual Queue” button at the bottom of the Virtual Queue page. Make sure you do this as quickly as possible, even a slight delay may mean you miss your chance.

You’re In!
Once you’ve selected “Join Virtual Queue” and received a Boarding Group confirmation, you’ve claimed your spot in the line. Your next step would be just to get to the park! One thing to keep in mind is that once your Boarding Group is called, you only have one hour to make it to the TRON Lightcycle / Run attraction. If your time expires, you may run the risk of not being able to ride at all.

Additional Notes
If you miss your chance to join the 7:00 a.m. Virtual Queue, not to worry, another spot will open at 1:00 p.m. Unlike with the 7:00 a.m. drop though, you will have to be in Magic Kingdom Park at 1:00 p.m. to join this queue.

Furthermore, if you’re looking to ride TRON Lightcycle / Run at night, for your chance to experience the attraction with the canopy lights lit up, you either must wait for the 1:00 p.m. Virtual Queue, or you’ll have to buy a Lightning Lane for the exact time that you’re looking to ride. A Lighting Lane for TRON Lightcycle / Run may be purchased on the My Disney Experience app for $20 per person (note: this is a base price which may fluctuate based on several factor). Guests may purchase Lightning Lane spots at the time of Magic Kingdom Park’s opening.

The Virtual Queue can be confusing, but it provides Guests with the ability to wait in a virtual line while continuing to experience other Walt Disney World Resort attractions. It saves time and ensures that you get the most out of your Disney vacation. After all, with all that the Walt Disney World Resort offers, the last thing you want to do is spend hours waiting in a line.

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