Ultimate Guide to Virtual Queues and Lightning Lanes

Make sure to visit our recently updated Lightning Lane guides to every Disney World theme park:

Does anyone remember the good old days of physical FastPasses at Disney Parks? You would walk up to a machine, usually located next to a ride, press a button, and receive a small ticket with the exact time slot for when you should return to the FastPass queue. It was generally easy to understand and intuitive, but there were a few problems with it as well.

First of all, on a packed day there was a good chance you would need to enter a line to try and grab a fast pass, to then use it to save time on another line. Crazy to think about it now, huh? You also needed to walk to each fast pass machine, which meant that you were losing valuable park time by just moving around in what many considered busywork. Let’s also not forget that Fast Passes were, for all purposes, a physical piece of paper, which meant that you could lose them and they cost Disney (and the environment) precious resources.

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With all that in mind, long gone is the age of physical Fast Passes. We have moved to a digital world, after all! Basically every perk you get at Disney parks is now done with the help of your cellphone and the touch of a button. Before anything else, you should definitely download the My Disney Experience app, through the Google Play Store or Apple Store. This app is used not only to link your park tickets to your account, but it’s also the way to pay for all the special perks you want to make your trip feel more special.

Here is a brief rundown of what Virtual Queues and Lightning Lanes mean.

Virtual Queues: used mostly for new attractions that lack a regular stand-by queue. Usually happens with attractions that have just been released or are only about one year old. You use your My Disney Experience App to request a spot in a virtual queue.
Lightning Lane: Lightning Lane basically means "express line". Most rides in Disney World have a Lightning Lane that saves you a lot of time and, to have access to them, you have to use your cellphone and buy a service either called "Lightning Lane Multi Pass" or "Lightning Lane Single Pass".

Virtual Queues

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The Virtual Queue is:

Available to every Disney theme park guest
You need to use your cellphone to queue for it at 7am or 1pm
Avaiable only for a few rides - typically the ones that are new or very, very popular.

Virtual queues are relatively rare and are usually implemented for rides and shows that have just opened or on particularly busy days for specific attractions. The concept of Virtual Queues began in 2019 with the launch of Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and proved to be a successful experiment. They offer a good solution for reducing physical lines and saving time - after all, if you are in a Virtual Queue, you can continue to enjoy the theme park rather than being stuck in a physical queue for hours.

As the name implies, attractions with a Virtual Queue usually do not offer a traditional stand by queue. You won’t be able to ride them without entering a Virtual Queue beforehand or buying a Lightning Lane Pass.

I know, you are probably asking two questions, and I will answer them here.

How do I know what rides offer a Virtual Queue?

Epcot Guardians Galaxy Ball.webp

That's easy! Log in your My Disney Experience app, click the hamburger icon on the bottom right menu and then select the Virtual Queue tab. You can now check which attractions and shows offer this service. As I said before, Virtual Queues are very rare, but if a big, hyped attraction just launched, you bet it will make use of this system.

Remember that the list of rides that use the Virtual Queue is always changing. Rise of the Resistance, Tron Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind don't use a Virtual Queue anymore, so you can just enter the regular standby queue or buy a Lightning Pass to get priority access.

How do I enter a Virtual Queue?

Thank you for asking, young Padawan. This mini-guide should help you!

1- Download the My Disney Experience app on your phone.

2- Make sure your park tickets are linked to your account.

3- Make sure you and your friends/family are in the same party. You want everyone together in the same group, so with a single click everyone will enter the Virtual Queue together.

4- You can only apply to a Virtual Queue on the day of your visit. The Virtual Queues are only available during two specific times per day: 7am and 1pm. If you are staying in a Disney Hotel, you might get an extra slot at 6pm for selectable attractions at Magic Kingdom and Epcot.

Disney Virtual Queue screen.png

Wake up early and log in your My Disney Experience app a few minutes before 7am. Click the Virtual Queue tab and choose the ride you want to go. Now it’s a matter of being patient and having a little bit of luck. There is a good chance that you will get a message that the Virtual Queue isn’t available yet, or the page will just take a while to load since there are a lot of users hammering the same button.

Don’t give up! Keep reloading the page and trying, and double your efforts the closer we get to 7am. Once you are in, you will receive a time slot for you and your party. For example, let’s say you successfully entered a Virtual Queue for a new ride and received a timeslot from 9am to 9:30am. That’s when you should head to the ride entrance, show your ticket/magic band and make your way to the physical queue.

5- Yes, even when you make it past the Virtual Queue, you will still need to face a physical queue. From my experience, they don’t take that long. Huh... around thirty minutes or so? Of course, this will vary a lot from ride to ride and the day of your visit. At least now you just need to wait a little and enjoy the ride!

Lightning Lanes

Star Wars Rise of the Resistance ship.webp

Lightning Lane is the name for the express line that exists alongside the standard line for most attractions. Access to these lines is typically available through purchasing either a Lightning Lane Multi Pass or a Lightning Lane Single Pass.

Disney decided to rename Disney Genie+ and the individual Lightning Lanes to the Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass on July 24, 2024. This change also affected how these fastpass options work, at least for Walt Disney World. Interestingly, while the fastpass names changed for Disneyland as well, their functionality remained the same. However, this is not the case for Disney World.

The Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a fastpass service designed to help you save time in line. You can purchase it through the My Disney Experience app. This optional, paid service aims to enhance your park experience by reducing wait times. Can you still enjoy Disney World without using it? Absolutely. But will the Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass make your visit even better? Definitely.

Let’s take a closer look at them!

Lightning Lane Multi Pass

The Lightning Lane Multi Pass is:

The standard FastPass option for Walt Disney World
A paid option that ranges from $18 to $35
Purchased and booked via your cellphone, with reservations available 7 days in advance for Disney Hotel guests or 3 days in advance for everyone else.
Valid for several rides
Not valid for some of the most popular rides, such as Tron Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

This is the main fastpass option at Disney. The cost varies depending on the date of your visit and the theme park, typically ranging from $20 to $35 in addition to your standard theme park ticket. If you're staying at a Disney hotel, you can book express lines for up to three attractions up to seven days before your visit. All other guests can book three attractions up to three days in advance.

Attractions are categorized into two different tiers, with the more popular rides in the first tier and others in the second tier. You can book in advance only one ride from the first tier and up to two (or all three) from the second tier. You can also choose your preferred timeslots (subject to availability) to better plan your park strategy!

Once you’re in the park and have used your first Multi Pass selection, you may be able to make additional selections.

Here is something to keep in mind: The Lightning Lane Multi Pass doesn't give access some of the most popular attractions in Disney World. You must either enter a Virtual Queue or buy a Lightning Lane Single Pass for them. At the time of this writing, these are the attractions that are NOT included with a Lightning Lane Multi Pass:

Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot
Tron Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios

As you can see, Lightning Lane Multi Pass isn't perfect, but it’s still incredibly useful, even more so for theme parks that are usually packed like Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

Lightning Lane Single Pass

Magic Kingdom Tron Lightcycle Run Entrance.webp

The Lightning Lane Single Pass is:

A FastPass option available at Disney World
Purchased and booked via your cellphone, with reservations available 7 days in advance for Disney Hotel guests or 3 days in advance for everyone else
Valid for a single ride, one time per guest
Available for some of the most popular rides at Disney World, such as Avatar Flight of Passage and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Let’s not forget about the Lightning Lane Single Pass, which is simpler and more straightforward. This pass is specifically for the most popular rides at Disney World, such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. These rides are not included in the Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and with the Lightning Lane Single Pass, you pay for a single express line access. Prices vary but typically range from $10 to $20. You can also purchase the Lightning Lane Single Pass in advance, just like the Multi Pass.

The Virtual Queue is separate from the Lightning Lane Single Pass. You can enter a ride thought the Virtual Queue and then pay a Lightning Lane Single Pass for it as well, considering both options are available for said attraction.

These are the rides with the option for a Lightning Lane Single Pass at the time of this writing: