Hagrids virtual queue

[chimoe]

We are heading to USO next week. I know the new virtual queue website is up but was wondering when can u Start booking? Is it at park open, prior?

 

[Mr. Drauer]

It's only when they open the queue, which is not every day, and when it opens, there are only a certain amount of times and it closes again until a later time.

 

[chimoe]

So no way to know what time of day it opens?
We will be there on Saturday, Sunday. Does it usually open then? If so in the AM?

 

[DoryGirl1963]

So no way to know what time of day it opens?
We will be there on Saturday, Sunday. Does it usually open then? If so in the AM?

Recently it has seemed to open mid morning on Saturdays between 10 & 11 - IF it opens at all - and not at all on Sundays.

 

[Mr. Drauer]

So no way to know what time of day it opens?
We will be there on Saturday, Sunday. Does it usually open then? If so in the AM?

its completely related on the crowd levels, and when the standby line fills up. If you are in the park - they put the VQ signs out near the line entrance when it opens, or you can check on the UO app and it will list it.

 

[mom2rtk]

Is there an easy way to know, other than looking for that specific ride on the app? Do they do push notifications?

 

[DoryGirl1963]

Is there an easy way to know, other than looking for that specific ride on the app? Do they do push notifications?

Don't think so, at least not that I'v eever seen/received.

 

[mom2rtk]

Don't think so, at least not that I'v eever seen/received.

That's too bad. So are people just hovering over the app on weekends hoping it goes virtual?

 

[DoryGirl1963]

I think most folks that want to ride it just go to the ride and ride it or utilize the VL if they see it's gone to that when they get to the ride entrance - that's what we do.

 

[cfoxga]

Unless they are really controlling the VL better than they did in our last trip in Feb, it seems like the wait would be shorter if there is no VL. VL going active means the lines have gotten too long...

 

[Claki]

That's too bad. So are people just hovering over the app on weekends hoping it goes virtual?

Nobody is hoping it goes virtual. As others explained, the virtual queue is used when lines are longer. So you're better off just waiting in stand by. If the virtual queue is activated, it means you are assigned a time to go wait in line, it won't save you time off of a day where you wait in stand by without virtual. I don't think it will be virtual at all next week.

 

[mom2rtk]

Nobody is hoping it goes virtual. As others explained, the virtual queue is used when lines are longer. So you're better off just waiting in stand by. If the virtual queue is activated, it means you are assigned a time to go wait in line, it won't save you time off of a day where you wait in stand by without virtual. I don't think it will be virtual at all next week.

I'm thinking more in terms of going first thing before it goes VQ but trying to add an extra ride if it does. We don't go until early January, but it will be on the weekend.

 

[cschaaf]

Here's my observations:

• For Early Entry hours, I don't think they've used VL (at least not recently)
• Once the park opens, they may switch to VL and may not. If it's anticipated to be a busy day, it's more likely to go to VL
• Seems rare anymore, but in the past, we've seen the ride switch to VL later in the morning

My recommendation is to ride in EE hours, if possible. If not, start checking the VL link and the Universal app ~5-10 minutes before regular park opening.

If your plan is to try to ride it as early as you can, keep checking the VL link and app while you walk towards the ride. If if switches to VL, grab a time. If not, get in line.

There are no push notifications letting you know if/when the ride makes any switch between VL and 'regular'. If you do get a VL, it will give you a return time, but that time frequently 'changes' - and there is no push notificatoin for that, either. You just have to keep checking the VL link and it will tell you your return time. IF it moves up and is too soon, you can push it back. Then the game starts over again, it will move up, and you can push it back.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Unless they are really controlling the VL better than they did in our last trip in Feb, it seems like the wait would be shorter if there is no VL. VL going active means the lines have gotten too long...

Nobody is hoping it goes virtual. As others explained, the virtual queue is used when lines are longer. So you're better off just waiting in stand by. If the virtual queue is activated, it means you are assigned a time to go wait in line, it won't save you time off of a day where you wait in stand by without virtual. I don't think it will be virtual at all next week.

They ARE controlling the VL better than in February, which is why many of us actually do hope it goes virtual.
I visited under the “old” VL (through the app) in April, and found waits were still pretty long-ish when we returned. We'd come back for our VL, and then wait an hour to ride. But over the summer, the VL platform changed to the online/QR scan, and reports are the waits are significantly shorter when you return to the line. I personally experienced a 45 minute wait on a Saturday in August, but then we had another wait that was closer to 25. With the new VL, the return time is more dynamic, so instead of a fixed return window, the site updates and the window might move on you. It's a little more work because it requires a bit of monitoring, but it does seem to result in shorter waits, and if your VL time moves too early for you, you can modify it to a later time without the need to start a new booking.

 

[cschaaf]

They ARE controlling the VL better than in February, which is why many of us actually do hope it goes virtual.
I visited under the “old” VL (through the app) in April, and found waits were still pretty long-ish when we returned. We'd come back for our VL, and then wait an hour to ride. But over the summer, the VL platform changed to the online/QR scan, and reports are the waits are significantly shorter when you return to the line. I personally experienced a 45 minute wait on a Saturday in August, but then we had another wait that was closer to 25. With the new VL, the return time is more dynamic, so instead of a fixed return window, the site updates and the window might move on you. It's a little more work because it requires a bit of monitoring, but it does seem to result in shorter waits, and if your VL time moves too early for you, you can modify it to a later time without the need to start a new booking.

On our July trip, we never got a VL time that worked for us. We kept trying to move it out, but it would keep moving it up to times we couldn't make it. Or we'd try to move it and it wouldn't let us.

On our trip two weeks ago, we ride twice at rope drop and once with VL. Our rope drop waits were 18 and 16 minutes. Out VL wait was 90 minutes, but at least half of that was due to ride downtime.