Disney Ends Virtual Queue for Two Major Attractions at Walt Disney World

Big changes are coming to two of Walt Disney World’s most anticipated attractions. Beginning February 25, 2025, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom Park will no longer require a virtual queue for access.

Instead, both attractions will transition to a traditional standby queue, allowing guests to wait in line without needing to secure a boarding group in advance.

What This Means for Guests

Since its opening, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind—Disney’s first-ever backward-launch roller coaster—has used a virtual queue system to manage crowd flow and reduce excessive wait times. Similarly, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which will replace Splash Mountain, was expected to follow a similar queue strategy upon its debut.

With this change, guests will no longer need to log into the My Disney Experience app at 7:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. to secure a boarding group. Instead, they can enter a standby line at any time during park hours—just like traditional attractions.

However, Lightning Lane access will remain available, meaning guests looking to skip the line entirely will still have a paid option.

Why the Change?

The decision to eliminate the virtual queue suggests that Disney is confident in both attractions’ ability to handle high guest demand without overwhelming the park. While Cosmic Rewind has operated under a virtual queue since its debut in May 2022, the system was always intended to be temporary.

For Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, this decision marks a significant shift, as new attractions typically launch with virtual queues to help control initial crowds. Disney has not provided details on what influenced this change, but it could indicate that they anticipate a manageable wait time based on ride capacity and guest flow.

NEW: Starting on Feb. 25, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World will no longer use a virtual queue and a traditional standby queue will be offered. pic.twitter.com/whJOT7Yp5f

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) February 18, 2025

What to Expect Moving Forward

For guests visiting EPCOT or Magic Kingdom after February 25, this change means more spontaneous ride opportunities without the stress of waking up early to grab a virtual spot. However, it also means potentially longer wait times, especially during peak park hours.

While Disney has not announced any additional changes to its queue management strategy, guests should keep an eye on My Disney Experience for real-time updates on wait times and Genie+ availability.

As the standby queue system takes over, only time will tell how well these attractions will manage demand—and whether the virtual queue could return in the future for peak seasons. Would you prefer the return of virtual queues, or would you like to have a traditional standby line? Let us know in the comments!