Guide to Virtual Queues at Disneyland
With the free Disneyland virtual queue service, you can use the Disneyland app to request a future return time for certain attractions and shows. Virtual queues are free and sometimes the only way to experience a new attraction.
Spots in the virtual queue can run-out quickly, especially for new attractions, so we recommend getting comfortable with the process before your visit. Keep reading for our guide on how to book a virtual queue at Disneyland.
December 10, 2024 UPDATE: As of December 10, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure no longer uses a virtual queue. The Haunted Mansion virtual queue also closed a short time ago. World of Color is currently the only virtual queue in use at Disneyland Resort. We have kept Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in this guide to provide examples for how virtual queues work for attractions (rather than shows). We have also included reminders that these examples are from the recent past and not relevant today. Thanks again for reading, and on with the show!
Guide to Virtual Queues at Disneyland Resort
Come along with us as we take you through the steps for using a virtual queue at Disneyland Resort. If possible, we recommend starting this process BEFORE your visit. Virtual queues are included with park admission, and you can preview the process in the Disneyland app even without admission.
Get the App
Be sure to download the Disneyland app prior to your visit and make yourself familiar with its use (this is an all-around important tip: the Disneyland app is a great tool beyond virtual queues). We suggest that you turn on notifications for the Disneyland app, because the app will use notifications to alert you to when your virtual queue boarding window opens. In the case of new attractions, these windows can be unpredictable and wait estimates can fluctuate dramatically.
Click Around
Look for the “Virtual Queue” section by scrolling through Disneyland app’s homepage or in the app’s menu. Click through it. Don’t worry, you will not be able to actually reserve a spot if you are not visiting the parks today. In the case of new attractions, virtual queue availability can disappear quickly once it has opened, so it is best to get comfortable with the process in advance.
Confirm Your Party
If you have not done so already link your ticket and park reservation to your account in the Disneyland app. If visiting with a group, link your group’s park tickets or passes together. You can navigate to “My Tickets and Passes” in the Disneyland app to take care of this.
You will want to link your group together and confirm your party. This will allow you to enroll everyone in the virtual queue as one party rather than each person joining individually.
Check Distribution Times
Check the app’s virtual queue section before 7:00am on the morning of your visit to see what attractions will be using virtual queues that day and what time those queue spots will be distributed.
Disney offers virtual queues for popular shows and new attractions. It is not available for the vast majority of attractions. As of December 10, 2024, Disneyland is no longer running virtual queues for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or Haunted Mansion in Disneyland Park. The only virtual queue in use is to reserve access to the priority viewing areas for the nighttime spectacular at Disney California Adventure Park called World of Color.
Joining a virtual queue for one attraction does not automatically enroll you in other attractions’ virtual queues. Disney’s current rule is that you can enter a virtual queue for one attraction and one entertainment offering at the same time, or two entertainment offerings. (Again, World of Color is currently the only virtual queue offering, so this rule is not particularly relevant in late 2024 and early 2025, but there it is.)
You will need to be aware of individual distribution times. We like to set an alarm on our phones for those distribution times.
A note on eligibility to join a virtual queue:
Disneyland policy at the time of this writing is that guests booking a virtual queue during a morning distribution time need to have valid admission and a park reservation for the park with the attraction. In the case of afternoon distribution times, guests need to have already entered the appropriate park that day OR have entered the other park with a park hopper ticket. To use an example from recent months: if you are trying to book a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure virtual queue in the morning, you will need a ticket and park reservation for Disneyland Park (the location of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure). If you are trying to book a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure virtual queue in the afternoon, you will need to have entered Disneyland Park already OR have entered Disney California Adventure Park with a park hopper ticket (or Magic Key).
Join
Have the Disneyland app open at the designated distribution times. Be ready to quickly click through the virtual queue prompts when the app says you can join. The app will let you know when the distribution opens (you can refresh the app right at the designated time). It will also let you know if all spots have been assigned and if a waiting list type “back-up group” is available.
Get Your Boarding Group
If you are able to successfully join the virtual queue, you will be assigned a “boarding group.” You are not able to choose a specific boarding time or even showtime: these are assigned. In the case of a show like World of Color, you will be assigned a showtime and maybe a designated entrance. Go enjoy other attractions or experiences while you wait for your boarding group to be called. The app will give you an estimated wait time, but be prepared for this to fluctuate.
Guests are able to enter a virtual queue no more than once per day for each experience. Again, an example from recent months: you could book a virtual queue for both World of Color and for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. If you successfully book these, you cannot then reserve another spot for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on the same day. Even if you miss your boarding group arrival time for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, you cannot book another virtual queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on the same day
Didn’t Get a Boarding Group?
If you tried to join a boarding group and were unsuccessful, you may have another chance. Check the app for future scheduled distribution times. You can try more than once per day as long as you have not already been assigned a boarding group.
Experience!
Your Boarding Group has been called!
When your boarding group is called, head to the attraction. If you have notifications enabled on the Disneyland app, you should receive an alert. The app will show you an arrival window of time for your boarding group. At the attraction, you will scan (or show) your app screen to enter. You might need to wait in a line when you arrive at the attraction. Still, if you have come this far, you should count yourself as lucky, because some boarding groups never get called.
If your Boarding Group is not called…
Sorry, Disney does not guarantee that everyone with a boarding group will be able to experience the attraction. When Disney is debuting new attractions, sometimes they are still working out operational issues, and this can lower expected ride capacity for the day. Unfortunately, sometime this means that your boarding group will not get to ride. You can try again on your next visit.
Final Thoughts on Virtual Queues
We like using Disneyland’s virtual queues because they allow us to experience popular attractions without extra cost and without a lengthy wait in line. Now that we understand the booking process, using a virtual queue takes minimal effort and improve our visits. We hope this guide helps you make the most of them too.
If you are interested in Disneyland Resorts paid service for making attraction reservations, check-out our guide to Lightning Lanes here. For a step-by-step guide through the planning process for a visit to Disneyland Resort, take a look here. Thank you for reading!
