Virtual queues are not commonly used at Disneyland, but when they are in use, it's usually to help maintain demand for new or popular rides and experiences. As of Nov. 26, 2024, one show utilizes a virtual queue and one ride. Haunted Mansion Holiday no longer uses a virtual queue. Tiana's Bayou Adventure does. (Both rides are available on Lightning Lane Multi Pass).
Every day of operation, you can join the free virtual Disneyland queue for World of Color — One at Disney California Adventure. The virtual queue is not absolutely necessary to view the show, but it does help and is highly recommended. The Disneyland virtual queue gives you access to the best free reserved viewing areas for World of Color — One at Disney California Adventure.
Fantasmic! and fireworks do not utilize a virtual queue.
Before we get into the details of how to join a virtual queue, let's go over some important information regarding when to join and eligibility to join.
Am I Eligible to Join the Disneyland Virtual Queue?
When there are both rides and entertainment offered on a virtual queue, guests need to enter those virtual queues one at a time. Guests may enter a virtual queue for one attraction and one entertainment at the same time. Now that there is only one ride with a virtual queue, no worries!
Let's simplify this based on your park ticket and the park you are visiting:
- 1-Park Ticket for Disneyland — You are eligible to join the virtual queue for Tiana's Bayou Adventure once daily at 7 a.m., 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- 1-Park Ticket for Disney California Adventure — You are eligible to join a virtual queue for World of Color at 12 p.m., as long as you have entered that park that day. Not eligible for Tiana's Bayou Adventure in Disneyland.
- Park Hopper Ticket Starting at Disneyland — You are eligible to join a virtual queue once daily for Tiana's Bayou Adventure at 7 a.m., 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. for Tiana's as well as World of Color at 12 p.m., as long as you have entered a park that day.
- Park Hopper Ticket Starting at Disney California Adventure — You are eligible to join a virtual queue for World of Color and Tiana's Bayou Adventure at 12 p.m., as long as you have entered a park that day. For Tiana's Bayou Adventure, you can also try at 4 p.m. as well if you did not join at noon.
If members of your party have not scanned into their first park by the noon or 4 p.m. joining time, you will want to remove them from the party before joining the queue. You do not have to have entered a park for a 7 a.m. joining.
Can I get a virtual queue for two rides at the same time?
There is only one ride on a virtual queue at the moment. There are are two, you can only hold one ride virtual queue at a time. Once you redeem the first one, you are eligible to join a virtual queue for the other ride. If you haven't ridden the first ride by noon, you cannot join the other when the joining period opens.
Disneyland Virtual Queue for Haunted Mansion Holiday
Haunted Mansion Holiday opened in July with just a virtual queue. As of Nov. 26, 2024, it's back to a standby line and a Lightning Lane. No more virtual queue for that ride.
Virtual Queue for Tiana's Bayou Adventure
Tiana's Bayou Adventure has virtual queue along with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. The Disney World version also opened with both a virtual queue and Lightning Lane Multi Pass. You can use the Lightning Lane Multi Pass instead of the virtual queue, or book a virtual queue and a Lightning Lane to ride twice in a day! There are three opportunities a day to join the virtual queue each day. Upon arrival to the ride, people in the virtual queue wait in one line, and people with Lighting Lane Multi Pass get to use the faster Lightning Lane. Single Rider has not been operating yet.
Here is how to join a ride virtual queue at Disneyland:
- Check Availability: Log in to the Disneyland app before one of the distribution times (we set alarms for about 5 minutes ahead of join time). Select Virtual Queues on the home screen, choose the park and then tap Join Virtual Queue. Make sure you have a good phone signal. We turn off the park's Wi-Fi (when in the park) and make sure we have a full cell signal.
- Enroll Your Group: Make sure you've linked all tickets to your Disney account (everyone must have valid admission and park reservations for the park you will visit). Edit your party if necessary and enroll everyone in the virtual queue at the same time (subject to availability). We pull up a world clock or watch the second hand on an Apple watch to count the seconds to join time. We tap the refresh button repeatedly and the Join Virtual Queue as soon as it appears.
- Watch for Notifications: You'll receive a notice if you are able to join a group. Watch for your group to be called to the ride. If your boarding group is called to return, you’ll receive a notification via the Disneyland app. Then, head over to the entrance of the experience within your designated return window.
What if you miss your boarding group?
People who join at 7 a.m. may be far away from the park when they join. You have no control over how early a group you get. What if you get an early boarding group and can't make it? We got Group 1 once — Ribbit! — but could not make it in time— Croak! Our group was called by park opening and we had to ride within 52 minutes. We were late that day due to traffic and lines. We had to try to join again at noon, which we did. But, you should go ask at the ride anyway. They may be able to accommodate you.
In the afternoon, you have to have entered a park to join the virtual queue, so traffic and arriving at the park should not be an issue. But you could run into other issues such as a dining reservation conflict or a different ride breaking down. If that hoppens, talk to a cast member at the ride entrance. Joining a virtual queue does not guarantee riding the ride.
Tips for Joining
Virtual queue spots go so fast. Join sessions fill up in a second or two. You need fast fingers and to be in a spot with full bars of cell signal, away from other guests. We turn off Wi-Fi in the park. Edit your party in advance and keep the virtual queue page open. Have someone count down the seconds from the World Clock (on a different phone or follow an Apple watch, which is pretty close to the World Clock). Rapidly and repeatedly tap the refresh button starting about half a second before join time and keep tapping so that you also tap the join button (which appears in the same spot as the refresh button). Rapidly tapping will help you get it faster. Tap until you hopfully see a Boarding Group number.
Keep track of the boarding groups under My Day in the Disneyland app. As your group number approaches, head towards the ride. If the ride is temporarily closed, you'll see it say that boarding is paused.
How to Join the Virtual Queue for World of Color
The virtual queue for this show does not move too quickly, so it's about the least stressful virtual queue we've experienced. If they change the show or Disney offers a new version, then it will move more quickly. Here's what you need to know:
- The World of Color virtual queue opens at noon daily.
- You can join the show queue even if you have a ride virtual queue.
- All members of the party who wish to watch the show and make a virtual queue selection must have entered a theme park by this point to be eligible to join the virtual queue.
- You can join after entering Disneyland (with a park hopper) or Disney California Adventure (depending on your ticket).
- You must have an eligible ticket or Magic Key pass and theme park reservation: You can either have a 1-park per day ticket that starts in Disney California Adventure, or a Park Hopper or Magic Key pass that starts in either park. If you have a 1-park ticket with a reservation starting in Disneyland, you are not eligible to join the queue or watch the show on this day. May we suggest Fantasmic! or the fireworks or projections show instead? You don't need a virtual queue to watch those nighttime spectaculars.
- Boarding groups for a virtual queue are limited, subject to availability and are not guaranteed. Not all boarding groups may be called to return, based on the availability of the experience.
If there are two World of Color shows that day (showtimes vary), you will not get to choose the show you watch or the entry area. Show boarding groups could disappear more quickly at peak times. If you do not get to join the virtual queue, don't give up. There are other ways to see the show by standby (arrive 45 minutes early), dining packages and dessert parties. You can read all about them in our World of Color post.
Step-by-Step Guide to Joining the Virtual Queue
We have these tips for when the virtual queue moves quickly. So, here's how to prepare:
- Download the latest version of the Disneyland app.
- Bring a portable charger with you to the park.
- Set an alarm (we usually set ours five minutes early to give us time to prepare).
- Join from home or your hotel at 7 a.m.
- Use your ticket to enter a theme park before the noon virtual queue opens (the Monorail entrance counts as a theme park entrance).
- Make sure all tickets in the party are linked to the person or people trying.
- Get off the park Wi-Fi if you can and find a good cell signal with full bars.
- Close out all other unnecessary apps.
- Have someone pull up a world clock to count down to join time (we use the second hand on our Apple Watch, which works pretty well. It's about a half second faster than the world clock.
- A few before noon, open the Disneyland app and scroll down to the Virtual Queues box.
- Tap Join Virtual Queue.
- Then select the park at the top of the screen only if there are virtual queues offered in each park.
- Confirm your party. Tap Confirm Your Party. You can tap Edit if you need to make adjustments (remove any guests who have not yet entered the park).
- There should be a Refresh button at the bottom of the screen. You can repeatedly tap that as the joining period approaches. Or pull down to refresh until the blue Join Virtual Queue button appears. We wait until 11:59:58 to tap Refresh. Then we keep rapidly tapping until the Join Virtual Queue button shows up, and we keep tapping until we see Done.
- Tap Join Virtual Queue as soon as you see it appear. Use your speedy fingers to tap it ASAP! That's why we rapidly tap until it shows up. If you take the time to look for it and read it, it could be too late! We go a few seconds slower when we want the second World of Color show.
- Hopefully, you get a ride boarding group or get assigned a show time.
- The app will indicate when there is no availability for a specific distribution time, or if a backup group is available. We got lucky and scored the first show, but it automatically assigned it. We did not put in a preference.
- If you join a boarding group, it should tell you or let you know which show. When your boarding group is called, you'll receive a notification 45 minutes before show time to tell you which color entrance point to use (Blue or Yellow).
- You can locate your show time by tapping Virtual Queues in the app.
- Check back throughout the day. One time we joined the 10:15 p.m. show, but then we received a notification that we were moved to the 9 p.m. show!
If you do not have a smartphone, ask a cast member in the park about your options for getting a ticket. There are no longer distribution machines.
You do not get to pick your show time for the shows. The virtual queue assigns people to the first World of Color show automatically. Once that is full, it assigns them to the second show (if there is one). You'll be directed to a screen that shows whether you were added to the queue or not. If you cannot join the queue, you may be able to view a performance via a standby area. Or you can upgrade a meal at a restaurant to take advantage of a dining package. You can reserve the World of Color Dessert Party in advance. It includes treats, drinks and a place to sit during the show.
Hopfully, we've answered your questions about the Disneyland virtual queue system. If you still need Disneyland tickets, you can save some green when you purchase discount multi-day tickets through your favorite froggy friends.
Related: How to Use Disneyland Mobile Order Service
Keep hopping!
