There are so many changes going on in Disney World!
From new lands coming to the parks to permanent closures and more, there is almost always something going on in the parks. Now with the major changes to virtual queue, your rope drop strategy is about to change!
Disney recently announced that virtual queues are going away! In Disney World, two attractions still utilize virtual queues, Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. On February 25th, 2025, both of these queues are going away!
These virtual queues have been in place for several years, as Disney typically puts a virtual queue in place when a new attraction opens to help with lines and crowd control. It started when Rise of the Resistance opened in 2019! This attraction was the first to utilize this system but as the newness wears off, the virtual queues are eventually removed. This also happened with Tron Lightcycle / Run in Magic Kingdom.
The queues required guests to join at 7 AM or at 1 PM on the day of your visit to the parks so we won’t be too upset that we won’t have to battle with the queue for a while. (Assuming new rides will utilize them in the future.) While we’re excited to sleep in a bit, how is this going to change your trip to the parks?
The biggest change you’re going to see is in your rope drop strategy! In EPCOT, we typically head to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Frozen Ever After but it seems like we’ll be heading to Cosmic Rewind now. This ride is super popular so we’re eager to see what the initial wait times will look like once the virtual queue is removed.
If it’s anything like Rise of the Resistance, this might be a scenario where waiting to ride until the end of the night is best for shorter lines, but you know we’ll be putting it to the test!
Over in Magic Kingdom, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will also be joining the VQ graveyard so what will rope drop look like now? Typically our best rope drop strategy for maximizing is what we call the “Adventureland Sweep.”
We like to start off with the Jungle Cruise before heading to Pirates of the Caribbean and making our way to Big Thunder Mountain (when it’s open). On our best days, we even make it down to Haunted Mansion before the lines get too long. With Tiana’s change coming, we think we might start off in Frontierland!
Hitting up Tiana’s first might make for a more soggy morning but it can help avoid the inevitably long lines this ride will bring. While we won’t know for sure what to expect just yet, it’s a safe bet to assume a lot of guests will be fast-walking to the bayou.
Remember, rope dropping can be a huge help on your Disney vacation when it comes to avoiding long lines and having productive mornings. (If you like to sleep in though, we get it!) We can’t wait to see how this will impact our theme park mornings. Don’t forget to keep following AllEars.net for all of your Disney tips and tricks!
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Are you excited to see virtual queues gone for now? Tell us in the comments!
I am wondering if you would have any tips for how to go about extended evening hours at Epcot now that the virtual queue is going away. We have a trip scheduled for the first Monday after the virtual queue ends. I really appreciate any advice you have.