Virtual Queue Unnecessary Restriction

[DisneyDefenders]

After experiencing it first hand today, I am convinced that restricting guests to 1 virtual queue at a time is not only unfair but also not a smart business practice.

After being lucky enough to win the 7 am virtual queue lottery for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, my group was not called to board until well after 1 pm. Because attendance at EPCOT was much lower than usual today, the Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind virtual queue stayed open for several hours after 1 pm, and then it began to pour rain.

Tiana's was closed because of the weather, while Guardians was not, but because I still had an active virtual queue, despite the ride being down for several hours, I missed out on the opportunity to get into the virtual queue for Guardians. And yes, I imagine a Guest Services Cast Member could have removed me from the virtual queue for Tiana so I could join the Guardians virtual queue, but why put guests through that???

Any guest who is lucky enough to have a low boarding group out of the 7 am group, has an opportunity to get into the virtual queue at 1 pm for another ride, but if your luck gives you a boarding party that gets called late in the day, and that ride goes down, you pretty much get your opportunity to ride the newest rides completely ruined.

I can understand limiting guests to 1 virtual queue for the 7 am window, but if your boarding group has not been called by then or something happens that prevents you from riding the attraction for your 7 am virtual queue, you should be able to join an additional virtual queue after 1 pm. Leaving guests locked into what the virtual queue lottery gave them at 7 am for over 5 hours is not only unfair, but it may also cause guests who might be willing to park hop and keep spending money, to just call it a day and leave the parks and thus is a dumb business decision.

 

[SingleRider]

After experiencing it first hand today, I am convinced that restricting guests to 1 virtual queue at a time is not only unfair but also not a smart business practice.

After being lucky enough to win the 7 am virtual queue lottery for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, my group was not called to board until well after 1 pm. Because attendance at EPCOT was much lower than usual today, the Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind virtual queue stayed open for several hours after 1 pm, and then it began to pour rain.

Tiana's was closed because of the weather, while Guardians was not, but because I still had an active virtual queue, despite the ride being down for several hours, I missed out on the opportunity to get into the virtual queue for Guardians. And yes, I imagine a Guest Services Cast Member could have removed me from the virtual queue for Tiana so I could join the Guardians virtual queue, but why put guests through that???

Any guest who is lucky enough to have a low boarding group out of the 7 am group, has an opportunity to get into the virtual queue at 1 pm for another ride, but if your luck gives you a boarding party that gets called late in the day, and that ride goes down, you pretty much get your opportunity to ride the newest rides completely ruined.

I can understand limiting guests to 1 virtual queue for the 7 am window, but if your boarding group has not been called by then or something happens that prevents you from riding the attraction for your 7 am virtual queue, you should be able to join an additional virtual queue after 1 pm. Leaving guests locked into what the virtual queue lottery gave them at 7 am for over 5 hours is not only unfair, but it may also cause guests who might be willing to park hop and keep spending money, to just call it a day and leave the parks and thus is a dumb business decision.

If they didn't have this restriction the VQs would go much faster than they do today. You can leave any VQ via the app in order to obtain one for another attraction.

 

[DisneyDefenders]

If they didn't have this restriction the VQs would go much faster than they do today. You can leave any VQ via the app in order to obtain one for another attraction.

That logic is flawed. The only people who are not eligible to make the VQs go much faster are those who get unluckly enough to not have their boarding group called by 1 pm. So you're saying that the guest experience for those who get unlucky enough to not be in one of the first boarding groups of the day doesn't matter, because you don't want that small group of peepple encroaching on your ability to get into a VQ at 1 pm.

 

[Eric Graham]

That logic is flawed. The only people who are not eligible to make the VQs go much faster are those who get unluckly enough to not have their boarding group called by 1 pm. So you're saying that the guest experience for those who get unlucky enough to not be in one of the first boarding groups of the day doesn't matter, because you don't want that small group of peepple encroaching on your ability to get into a VQ at 1 pm.

Ive heard that it has had its share of problems. Was the ride worth it?

 

[SingleRider]

That logic is flawed. The only people who are not eligible to make the VQs go much faster are those who get unluckly enough to not have their boarding group called by 1 pm. So you're saying that the guest experience for those who get unlucky enough to not be in one of the first boarding groups of the day doesn't matter, because you don't want that small group of peepple encroaching on your ability to get into a VQ at 1 pm.

You would have had to scan into Epcot before 1pm to be eligible for the VQ on Guardians anyway.

 

[DisneyDefenders]

You would have had to scan into Epcot before 1pm to be eligible for the VQ on Guardians anyway.

I was at Epcot before 1 pm because my boarding party had not been called and that is my point.

I just learned that they already do this for extra magic hours ayhow...if you get into a virtual queue at 1 pm that has not been called by 6pm, you can still get an additional virtual queue for any ride that is available at 6 pm, so why block your day guests who may stay and spend for a longer period of hours?

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

While I agree mostly with you, it is possible to remove yourself from a VQ if you are hopping to a different park.

It is important to also add that it is a bit unclear/not well explained. It isn't exactly hard to cancel a VQ, but it also isn't exactly clear either, and it is wrong that we need to do that, especially given how unreliable Tiana is.

I have mixed feelings on the VQ. If a ride like GoG had a 2-hour wait, and no other option, I'd probably just skip it.

On the other hand, if I get a VQ, then I shouldn't ALSO have to wait in an hour-long queue. The VQ system is a very messed up system when WDW is ALSO selling ILL's as a way to make the VQ wait longer/make more money.

Welcome to 2024. Just one more thing that is seriously messed up right now.

 

[TalkToEthan]

You would have had to scan into Epcot before 1pm to be eligible for the VQ on Guardians anyway.

unnecessary complications

We should be able to spontaneously pull into Epcot, drop in line at Guardians at will, Skyline over to Studio at 11:17am if we like and then much later, if in the mood, go watch a Halloween parade at MK


This modern day Disney has woeful customer service with its extra costs and day planning

 

[RoadiJeff]

There is no lottery for the VQ - it's all a matter of how FAST you can tap the button at precisely 7:00am, based on the atomic time clock, not what is shown on your smart phone. Either that, or find one of the entrepreneurs who wrote an app to instantly let you join a VQ at exactly 7:00am or 1:00pm. I've heard they charge $5 per person for that service.

I think this is why the VQs have frequently been filling up less than 2 seconds after 7am or 1pm lately.

 

[jaklgreen]

unnecessary complications

We should be able to spontaneously pull into Epcot, drop in line at Guardians at will, Skyline over to Studio at 11:17am if we like and then much later, if in the mood, go watch a Halloween parade at MK


This modern day Disney has woeful customer service with its extra costs and day planning

I don't blame them for having a VQ. It seems that people have forgotten the insane Avatar area opening and those lines. People were waiting up to 5 hours with the queue stretching all the way into the Africa area.

 

[nickys]

There is no lottery for the VQ - it's all a matter of how FAST you can tap the button at precisely 7:00am, based on the atomic time clock, not what is shown on your smart phone. Either that, or find one of the entrepreneurs who wrote an app to instantly let you join a VQ at exactly 7:00am or 1:00pm. I've heard they charge $5 per person for that service.

I think this is why the VQs have frequently been filling up less than 2 seconds after 7am or 1pm lately.

More fool anyone who pays for it when there’s a free one available.

 

[NickMaio]

After experiencing it first hand today, I am convinced that restricting guests to 1 virtual queue at a time is not only unfair but also not a smart business practice.

After being lucky enough to win the 7 am virtual queue lottery for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, my group was not called to board until well after 1 pm. Because attendance at EPCOT was much lower than usual today, the Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind virtual queue stayed open for several hours after 1 pm, and then it began to pour rain.

Tiana's was closed because of the weather, while Guardians was not, but because I still had an active virtual queue, despite the ride being down for several hours, I missed out on the opportunity to get into the virtual queue for Guardians. And yes, I imagine a Guest Services Cast Member could have removed me from the virtual queue for Tiana so I could join the Guardians virtual queue, but why put guests through that???

Any guest who is lucky enough to have a low boarding group out of the 7 am group, has an opportunity to get into the virtual queue at 1 pm for another ride, but if your luck gives you a boarding party that gets called late in the day, and that ride goes down, you pretty much get your opportunity to ride the newest rides completely ruined.

I can understand limiting guests to 1 virtual queue for the 7 am window, but if your boarding group has not been called by then or something happens that prevents you from riding the attraction for your 7 am virtual queue, you should be able to join an additional virtual queue after 1 pm. Leaving guests locked into what the virtual queue lottery gave them at 7 am for over 5 hours is not only unfair, but it may also cause guests who might be willing to park hop and keep spending money, to just call it a day and leave the parks and thus is a dumb business decision.

Get rid of them all and go standby que.
Especially for GOTG

 

[NickMaio]

unnecessary complications

We should be able to spontaneously pull into Epcot, drop in line at Guardians at will, Skyline over to Studio at 11:17am if we like and then much later, if in the mood, go watch a Halloween parade at MK


This modern day Disney has woeful customer service with its extra costs and day planning

The ONLY reason virtual exists is to force people to pay to ride great rides again.
That's it.
It's sad...uni is not doing this nonsense to their customers.

 

[DisneyDefenders]

There is no lottery for the VQ - it's all a matter of how FAST you can tap the button at precisely 7:00am, based on the atomic time clock, not what is shown on your smart phone. Either that, or find one of the entrepreneurs who wrote an app to instantly let you join a VQ at exactly 7:00am or 1:00pm. I've heard they charge $5 per person for that service.

I think this is why the VQs have frequently been filling up less than 2 seconds after 7am or 1pm lately.

How fast you are on the app has very little to do with it as I have seen on multiple occasions that due to their servers being overwhelmed, clicking join queue at exactly 7 am or 1 pm often will not work and takes a couple of extra attempts to get in, thus it is more like a lottery in that luck plays a major role just in getting into a virtual queue. Then you are subject to a further lottery system waiting to get lucky enough to get your boarding group called. When you consider that the way the system is currently setup, only the people who are in boarding groups that get called before 1 pm, have a realistic opportunity to join a second virtual queue, it's even clearer how much the system is based on luck and the guest experience should be as fair as possible and not based on a system purposefully blocking guests from experiencing new attractions purely based on luck.

 

[RoadiJeff]

More fool anyone who pays for it when there’s a free one available.

Hmm... where exactly?

 

[RoadiJeff]

How fast you are on the app has very little to do with it as I have seen on multiple occasions that due to their servers being overwhelmed, clicking join queue at exactly 7 am or 1 pm often will not work and takes a couple of extra attempts to get in, thus it is more like a lottery in that luck plays a major role just in getting into a virtual queue. Then you are subject to a further lottery system waiting to get lucky enough to get your boarding group called. When you consider that the way the system is currently setup, only the people who are in boarding groups that get called before 1 pm, have a realistic opportunity to join a second virtual queue, it's even clearer how much the system is based on luck and the guest experience should be as fair as possible and not based on a system purposefully blocking guests from experiencing new attractions purely based on luck.

Knowing precisely when to tap on the button in the app has everything to do with it. I got BG #1 on consecutive days for TRON and Guardians when we were there last fall by watching the atomic clock time on my PC with the NIST website pulled up in our rental house while my finger hovered over the Refresh button in the Disney app. There was no luck involved.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I don't blame them for having a VQ. It seems that people have forgotten the insane Avatar area opening and those lines. People were waiting up to 5 hours with the queue stretching all the way into the Africa area.

It was fine… haha. I survived.

 

[NickMaio]

It was fine… haha. I survived.

The good ol' days.......

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The good ol' days.......

Exactly. I’ve done both…. I much prefer flight of passage days to VQ. I had a choice, I wasn’t playing iPhone roulette and wondering if I would be “allowed” to get on an attraction, and I could plan the rest of my day around when I wanted to wait in line.

So when someone tells me this is better I’m like… no I’ve done them both.

 

[NickMaio]

Exactly. I’ve done both…. I much prefer flight of passage days to VQ. I had a choice, I wasn’t playing iPhone roulette and wondering if I would be “allowed” to get on an attraction, and I could plan the rest of my day around when I wanted to wait in line.

So when someone tells me this is better I’m like… no I’ve done them both.

Seriously.....
Many of us sometimes travel a long distance just to experience the new ride, because we are repeat customers.

To be blocked out is quite simply ridiculous.
The worst customer service possible.......oh wait
If you get blocked out you can totally pay extra to ride ONCE.
4 people 100 US Bux......WTH.

Of all the sleazy ways to make a buck.