Credit: Bastien Nvs, UnsplashOne Disney park has (finally) axed an unpopular virtual queue.
Love them or hate them, virtual queues have become a familiar part of Disney operations over the past several years. Introduced to manage crowds for major new attractions, the system allows guests to secure a boarding group through the app rather than physically waiting in line for long periods.
Rides like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and TRON Lightcycle / Run all launched with virtual queues. These often phase out once crowds stabilize (Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind took longer than most), though many guests find them stressful during the high-demand period when availability disappears within seconds.
Boarding groups have remained one of the most divisive systems in the parks. While they can save time, guests frequently complain about the pressure of booking windows and the disappointment of missing a coveted slot. For some, it removes the spontaneity of the theme park experience, much like the Lightning Lane system.
At Disneyland Paris, the virtual queue system primarily covers character meet-and-greets. Instead of waiting in long, slow-moving queues, guests can reserve a return time for popular characters. Locations like the Princess Pavilion, Meet Mickey, Olaf, Jack Skellington, Santa Claus, and the Hero Training Center have all used the feature.
Now, however, the park has finally phased out its virtual queue for one character meet-and-greet.
Disney Phases Out Unpopular Virtual Queue
Good news for Star Wars fans visiting Disneyland Paris — you no longer need to join a virtual queue to meet Darth Vader at Starport: A Star Wars Encounter in Discoveryland. The experience has quietly returned to a traditional standby queue.
The virtual queue was introduced at Starport in spring 2025, following its initial debut at the Hero Training Center in 2022. Guests accessed Darth Vader meet-and-greet slots via the Disneyland Paris app at 9:45 a.m. or 2 p.m., then waited for a return alert.
Disney has now deactivated the virtual queue entirely at Starport. Guests can simply join the line when the Discoveryland meet and greet is open, no app required. The shift brings the experience more in line with traditional character encounters across the resort.
This move likely reflects the fact that Starport does not draw the same demand as other character locations. The queue space outside the building is also large enough to accommodate typical crowds without significant congestion or safety concerns.
Another factor is that while it features other Star Wars characters for special occasions (namely Star Wars Day, when the line to meet Rey and Chewbacca has hit over three hours in the past), Starport features Darth Vader exclusively. Character locations with rotating or surprise encounters tend to generate repeat interest from guests, whereas a single-character location can have more predictable attendance patterns.
Other character experiences at Disneyland Paris continue to use virtual queues for now. These locations primarily manage high indoor demand or limited-capacity spaces, and the resort appears to be reviewing usage on a case-by-case basis.
The update arrives during a wider period of change at Disneyland Paris. Walt Disney Studios Park is undergoing a massive transformation right now, having already debuted Avengers Campus and with plans to open World of Frozen next spring.
The park is also welcoming a new lake area for nighttime spectaculars (seemingly featuring plenty of drones, if recent testing is anything to go by), Tangled and Up rides, and a new character dining experience.
Are you a fan of virtual queues at Disney parks?