This is an entry for “queue” in our Disneyland 101 Glossary: Disneyland Resort definitions in under 101 words, from Mouse Brief. For an overview of queue types at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, please keep reading after the entry.
A queue is another name for a line or staging area where you wait for your turn to experience an attraction. You will see the entrances to queues marked with signs also showing estimated wait times. There may be more than one queue for an attraction and some serve distinct functions like Single Rider or Lightning Lanes: these will be marked. Standby queues are free for all guests. Others are accessible only through a paid service like Multi and Single Pass Lightning Lanes. Virtual queues utilize the Disneyland app and are often used for new attractions and popular shows.
Thanks for reading this entry for the term “queue,” for more Disney definitions in under 101 words, see our Disneyland 101 Glossary. And for more on queues at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, please keep reading.
Different Queue Types at Disneyland Resort
A queue at Disneyland Resort is a designated area where you wait your turn to experience an attraction. Cast members will generally direct guests onto the attraction in the order in which they have arrived. You stand behind the people who entered the queue prior to you and enter the attraction after they do.
The outdoor queue areas at Disneyland Resort are usually marked with stanchions and ropes or low railings. Once you enter an attraction building, you might be waiting in themed passageways. The entrance or “end” of the queue area generally has a sign marking that entrance along with attraction advisories and wait time estimates.
When you approach the entrance, you may notice that there are actually several entrances for the queue. Let’s examine these different options.
Standby Queue
The standby queue is the standard line for the attraction. At some attractions this is the only queue option. You enter the standby queue at the marked entrance. You wait behind the people who entered before you did, and those who entered after you will wait behind you. As the line moves along, you will board the attraction in this order.
The standby queue area is usually marked with a sign showing the amount of time you can expect to be waiting in the queue. This time is an estimate.
For attractions that are shows, like Mickey’s PhilharMagic or Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, the queue area might be a little looser. Instead of switchback lines, you may find yourself in a waiting area with others who will see the next show. In this case, the estimated wait time is usually the time until the next show. When it is time to enter the theater, a cast member will welcome you in as a group.
Single Rider Line
Select attractions at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park have the option of a Single Rider Line. Enter this line if you are looking to lower your wait time and do not mind riding the attraction wideout other members of your party. You can read about how that all works here: Single Rider Line, Disneyland 101 Glossary
You do not need to be alone to enter this line, you can wait with members of your group, but you will probably be separated from them at boarding.
Lightning Lane
A Lightning Lane is a priority access queue. It is an alternative lane to the standby lane. Think of it sort of like a toll road. You pay a fee to access the Lightning Lane and you can expect a shorter and quicker-moving (less traffic) experience than you would have in the standby queue. You can access the Lightning Lane by purchasing a Lightning Lane pass matched to the attraction.
Entering a Lightning Lane with a Multi Pass
Some attractions do not have Lightning Lane at all. For the ones that do, most of them allow you to use a Lightning Lane Multi Pass in order to enter the Lightning Lane queue. The Lightning Lane Multi Pass gives you access to a large selection of Lightning Lanes, and you can read all about that here: Big Guide to Lightning Lane Multi Pass at Disneyland Resort.
Entering a Lightning Lane with a Single Pass
A much smaller number of attractions allow access to their Lightning Lanes with a Lightning Lane Single Pass. At the time of writing just one attraction in each park is using Lighting Lane Single Pass. You can read about Lightning Lane Single Pass here.
Entering a Lightning Lane with a Premier Pass
All Lightning Lanes can be accessed with the most expensive Lightning Lane, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass. While Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass require you to reserve a specific time to enter an attraction’s Lightning Lane, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass allows you to do so at will… op a point. You see, all three Lightning Lane passes allow you access to an attraction’s Lightning Lane only once per day. You can read about all of the particulars here: Disneyland Lightning Lanes: How to Super-Charge Your Visit.
Other Uses of Lightning Lane
Sometimes the Lightning Lane entrance will be used to provide access to someone using another type of pass like Rider Switch or Select Experiences Pass.
Alternative Accessible Entrances
Some attractions offer alternative accessible entrances or queues for guests who need them. If you think this may apply to you, we recommend speaking to a cast member before your visit and reviewing accessibility resources available on the Disneyland Resort website.
Virtual Queue
This last type of queue is kind of an oddball one, because it does not represent a physical area. A virtual queue is a system put in place by Disneyland Resort to allow guests to “line-up” for popular attractions virtually. You join the virtual queue using your mobile device and are assigned a boarding group in relation to when you joined. When your boarding group is called, you report to the attraction entrance and ride!
A virtual queue reduces the need for a physical queue, though there is still usually a short wait. Accordingly, it allows Disneyland Resort to manage the waits for new or popular attractions (or even attractions with queue areas under construction). Virtual queues are also nice for guests, because you can enjoy other attractions while you wait for your boarding group to be called. To make good use of this free service during your Disneyland Resort visit, please explore our Disneyland Virtual Queue Guide.
How to Reduce Your Queue Wait Times and Maximize Your Disneyland Visit
So, that’s a lot of different queues. The good news is that you can almost always just jump in a standby queue (except in some cases when virtual queues are being used) and just go with the flow… line. The problem is that lines in Disneyland Resort can also get frustratingly long. To address that problem, we have this guide: Maximize Your Disneyland Experience: Beat the Lines & Save Time, which is part of our larger Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. That guide will take you through all the different queue types and how to fit them into your visit as well as other strategies for reducing wait times.
Thanks for reading this post on queues, and do not forget that we have plenty of other entries in our Disneyland 101 Glossary. Thanks again!