VIRTUAL QUEUE'S WHAT IS THE POINT?

[Smugpugmug]

The Guardians virtual queue line is inconsistent each time I've done it. Sometimes, it's a walk on to the preshow and other times I've waited 50 minutes. Most times, it's a 30-40 minute wait. I will 100% take that over waiting 2-3 hours. During the AP preview, the line went outside and had a few switchbacks that were in direct sunlight. No umbrellas or anything. It was pretty bad and would be the reality for most people if there was a standby line as the indoor queue cannot handle 3+ hours worth of people.

I do agree that the virtual queue rewards those with "fast fingers" and those that understand the tips and tricks of obtaining a group. I've been in the park trying to get a 1 pm time and overhearing people around me having absolutely zero clue how to get a boarding group.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

if there was a standby line as the indoor queue cannot handle 3+ hours worth of people.

One thing is that over at WDW it's hard to know just how long a line would be. Everyone quotes FOP but FOP always had FP+ as well, from day 1.

Disney just doesn't give opportunities to really know how long a line would be if there was no other thing interacting with it as in a way to bypass a line. And VQ may be "saving" your spot but it's still an artificial manipulation of the line as opposed to an organic way of people walking up and determining if they want to enter the line or not.

I was there for the DVC preview and yeah it was rough with the sun. I can't remember did they end up adding in umbrellas after the fact?

**Just jumping off your comment not commenting on your comment as a personal thing, I read it over and over on the Boards.

 

[Smugpugmug]

One thing is that over at WDW it's hard to know just how long a line would be. Everyone quotes FOP but FOP always had FP+ as well, from day 1.

Disney just doesn't give opportunities to really know how long a line would be if there was no other thing interacting with it as in a way to bypass a line. And VQ may be "saving" your spot but it's still an artificial manipulation of the line as opposed to an organic way of people walking up and determining if they want to enter the line or not.

I was there for the DVC preview and yeah it was rough with the sun. I can't remember did they end up adding in umbrellas after the fact?

**Just jumping off your comment not commenting on your comment as a personal thing, I read it over and over on the Boards.

I think during big peak seasons like Easter and Christmas, the line would be 3+ hours. I was there Christmas week and Remy was 2+ hours. FOP and Rise were at the 3-4 hour mark. Guardians definitely has the demand (in both IP and the actual ride experience) to have a wait time like that. The existence of ILL wouldn't help the standby ratio either, just as Fastpass+ absolutely wrecked FOP's standby queue.

I think they did add umbrellas but my AP preview had none of them. Granted I was only in the outside portion for 15 minutes but it was very sunny that day and it wasn't enjoyable. It's okay, I didn't take this as personal. This is a message board so I expect responses when I post my opinion.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think they did add umbrellas but my AP preview had none of them. Granted I was only in the outside portion for 15 minutes but it was very sunny that day and it wasn't enjoyable.

I'm pretty certain I got sunburnt from standing outside for ours lol even as I was reapplying onto my face probably was too late for that.

I absolutely think the rides have the demand just have no idea how long in timing would actually be if it was a natural ebb and flow. I do think about it from time to time though what would it be like.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I'm pretty certain I got sunburnt from standing outside for ours lol even as I was reapplying onto my face probably was too late for that.

I absolutely think the rides have the demand just have no idea how long in timing would actually be if it was a natural ebb and flow. I do think about it from time to time though what would it be like.

This is entirely a prediction based in nothing but speculation but I think Guardians' wait time would ebb and flow similar to Hagrid's at IoA. Super long (2-ish hours) in the morning, then it would drop off in the middle of the day and then spike upwards when the 9-5ers get off work and come to the park. I see FOP work like this now during normal seasons and not peak times.

 

[DavidNYC]

Right, I agree - I'm sure they want people to show up during their boarding group to make the process work. In the OP's case, her boarding time was moved UP (the first I've heard of this, if anything I thought a boarding time could only be moved back). Since her family wasn't prepared for this based on where they were physically at, they had to scramble to make to the attraction in time.

No - her time was not moved up. You are not given a time. You are given a boarding group which are called in order. The screen clearly states that the time they give is an ESTIMATED time based on how fast the boarding groups are being called which can ebb and flow during the day. This is a matter of someone wanting to do something but not spending a couple minutes in advance to look up how it works which they could have easily done on right on the app or many other places.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This is entirely a prediction based in nothing but speculation but I think Guardians' wait time would ebb and flow similar to Hagrid's at IoA. Super long (2-ish hours) in the morning, then it would drop off in the middle of the day and then spike upwards when the 9-5ers get off work and come to the park. I see FOP work like this now during normal seasons and not peak times.

So the only experience I sorta have is Smuggler's Run over at DL. We rode it when there was no VQ, only SB 2 weeks after it opened up. SB line quoted 30 mins at 1:30pm and we were in in 27 mins to the main room where they had you wait before getting into your vessel and where you got what your position would be. Was happy to get a quick photo op at the round table.

Rode it again 2 days later at about 10:50pm 20 min wait.

Just giving info based on what I've got and DL is different than WDW so not trying to say they are exactly the same. Smuggler's Run won't ever have the same demand as Rise or Guardians though.

 

[parasail_of_congress]

Actually that is the opposite of what VQ does. With SB every guest has the opportunity to join the line up to the time the parks close. It happens on rare occassions they cut off the line a tad earlier than right up to parks close. With VQ if you don't get a Boarding Group OR your Boarding Group wasn't called you don't get to ride. Disney notifies you when you join the VQ that your Boarding Group may not be called.

It's true that guests can join SB late and (theoretically) be able to ride, but the more important aspect of my comment is that VQ gives everyone one chance to ride the ride. If you are depending only on SB, guests can get back in line.

Sure, VQ does give some people an advantage if they have quicker fingers, better Internet, etc. And there's nothing wrong with preferring one over the other. But from a capacity perspective, VQ does a better job at managing the number of people who can ride once. I'm not sure how you can suggest it does the opposite of what it was designed to do.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's true that guests can join SB late and (theoretically) be able to ride, but the more important aspect of my comment is that VQ gives everyone one chance to ride the ride. If you are depending only on SB, guests can get back in line.

Sure, VQ does give some people an advantage if they have quicker fingers, better Internet, etc. And there's nothing wrong with preferring one over the other. But from a capacity perspective, VQ does a better job at managing the number of people who can ride once. I'm not sure how you can suggest it does the opposite of what it was designed to do.

No, not everyone gets a chance to ride once. Not everyone gets a chance to ride at all.

This isn't really a debatable point with all due respect.

We can all give our opinions on this or that but unless you secure a VQ boarding group, your boarding group is called or for the present moment pay for an ILL (which can also run out) you don't get to ride Guardians. That is not at all the definition of everyone much less a chance for everyone.

Don't get me wrong I get the points being made but if you're talking about fairness of the masses SB option is the fairest way. It may not be desirable if it reaches beyond what someone wants to wait but everyone is given the option to ride it not have to do xyz just to even get an opportunity to even enter the line. People intermix their willingness to wait in a line with opportunity to wait in line but they are separate. We wouldn't wait more than 20-30 mins for Rise because we aren't impressed with it really. But if my only opportunity to ride it was via VQ or ILL that is not giving everyone the chance.

 

[HerzerHerrick]

That's very interesting for Tron to be that way, totally expected IMO for Guardians just didn't expect it for Tron.

Tron is still new and shiny

 

[HerzerHerrick]

Virtual Qs reward those who do their research and plan their trips.(like me) so I like them. But for those people who just like to buy a ticket and show up without any planning.(you know them at EPcot they are using wait in line at Spaceship Earth at rope drop) I imagine those folks hate to hear they can't ride the best ride in the Park because they found out about it too late. I also wonder about the old timers who don't really do apps or smart phones, they basically have no chance to cut the line or ride Guardians or Tron. So in short planners like most people on these forums may love them, but to your casual visitor I imagine they aren't loved.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Tron is still new and shiny

The PP had said (at that time) the 1pm VQ was still available for Guardians and Tron. I was commenting that I was surprised that the 1pm VQ for Tron (at the time of that quote) was still available. I expected that for Guardians because it has been open for more than 11 months but Tron just opened a month or so ago so it was surprising to see the 1pm slot still be available, yes for a new and shiny attraction for the VQ to still be available instead of gone quickly was surprising to me, suggesting perhaps it may not have the same lure as other rides, only time will tell for that one.

 

[HerzerHerrick]

The PP had said (at that time) the 1pm VQ was still available for Guardians and Tron. I was commenting that I was surprised that the 1pm VQ for Tron (at the time of that quote) was still available. I expected that for Guardians because it has been open for more than 11 months but Tron just opened a month or so ago so it was surprising to see the 1pm slot still be available, yes for a new and shiny attraction for the VQ to still be available instead of gone quickly was surprising to me, suggesting perhaps it may not have the same lure as other rides, only time will tell for that one.

Also really slow time of year. I am taking my son next week for his birthday and I nabbed a Disney hotel on Priceline for 110 bucks. Also I imagine the 48 inch height requirement is hard for some of the clientele of MK as that is definitely the place for the smallest mousekiteers. Guardians with its 44 inch requirement is much more accessible.

 

[Smugpugmug]

So last week I wrote about how the virtual queue wait can really vary. I went to Epcot recently and rode Guardians twice; virtual queue and the ILL. With the virtual queue, I waited about 30 minutes. When I rode again with the ILL, I saw that the virtual queue line was so long that it went outside and past the scanners. That was around 4:30 pm so I wonder if more people wait until later in the day to ride, even when it's past their time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Also really slow time of year. I am taking my son next week for his birthday and I nabbed a Disney hotel on Priceline for 110 bucks. Also I imagine the 48 inch height requirement is hard for some of the clientele of MK as that is definitely the place for the smallest mousekiteers. Guardians with its 44 inch requirement is much more accessible.

Basing off of my trip last year around this time (like literally this time last year) it was not slow then, not insanely crowded but not sloowww either. What you got 3rd party doesn't really matter as far as being slow. Hotel occupancy is never tied to the actual crowds in the parks and getting it for cheap 3rd party isn't either. But that sounds like a nice deal you got.

Height restriction doesn't really impact the availability of VQ of Rise, Guardians or Tron IMO because there would typically be someone taking a family's place all are popular with enough adults to fill the lines if there was a draw for them. Remy perhaps that one more applicable because the theming draws more families and there is no height requirement.

Wasn't really looking to find all the possible reasons, just commented I was surprised. If anything the draw for Tron is for the evening.