If you read our recent Disneyland Update, you know that even though the parks are serving a very limited number of guests, the queues can still back up and overflow into tight pathways around the park. To counter that, Disney will begin testing a virtual queue system at Indiana Jones tomorrow, May 11th. Here’s what you need to know about the new system, how it works, and why we think the test should be conducted on other rides as well.
Indiana Jones Current Queue Issues
Indy is a popular Disneyland attraction that can quickly develop a line approaching an hour in length. However, due to social distancing requirements, the amount of space needed for that line far outstrips the available space at the attraction. To add to the problem, no indoor queuing is currently allowed at Theme Parks in the state. Since the bulk of Indy’s queue is indoors, that leaves guests sprawling out into pathways and even overtaking the unused Jungle Cruise queue (Jungle Cruise is closed for enhancments).
Both the upstairs and downstairs portion of the Jungle Cruise queue are being used for Indy’s guests.
However, keeping guests 6′ apart means that queue space has to be used very inefficiently.
Indy’s highly switchbacked exterior queue just won’t hold very many guests on its own.
However, Indy won’t be able to use the Jungle Cruise queue for much longer as that attraction is set to reopen this summer with highly anticipated changes of its own. And that means that something needs to be done to control Indy’s lengthy line.
Indiana Jones Virtual Queue Details
To help bring the India queue under control, Disneyland will be testing a virtual queuing system at the popular attraction. While the idea will be similar to Rise of the Resistance, the implementation of the virtual queuing system will be quite different.
First, during this test, both standby and virtual queuing may be available. Guests will add themselves to the virtual queue via the Disneyland app.
And don’t worry, you can hold virtual spots for both Rise of the Resistance and Indy at the same time.
Here’s what you need to know about the new Indy Virtual Queue:
- This is only a test. It may be changed at any time and may only be in use at certain times of the day.
- To see if the Virtual Queue is in use, visit the Disneyland app. The attraction listing in the app will show if the attraction is currently using Virtual Queue or standby line.
- To add yourself to the Virtual Queue, just click the Virtual Queue button in the Disneyland app (I’ve circled the option in the image below).
- Guests will only be able to join the Virtual Queue for this attraction once per day. However, if standby is available, you can wait in that line as often as you’d like.
- As always, joining a virtual queue does not guarantee you’ll actually get to experience the attraction. Just like joining a regular line, rides can break down, or the line may get too long to serve all guests before the end of the business day.
Where Else is Virtual Queue Needed?
We noted in our Disneyland Update that the Pirates of the Caribbean queue has been spilling out into New Orleans Square at certain times of the day, causing almost all walkways in the land to be used as a giant queue. This makes navigating the area confusing and frustrating. At some pinch points, guests will find dining tables and strollers blocking more than half of the only open pathway, forcing two way traffic into a space far too tight for current conditions.
We’d like to see the virtual queue system tested at Pirates at times when pathways might need to be shut down otherwise for queuing.
What are your thoughts? Do you like the idea of the Virtual Queue system? While regular queues are still needed, guests would otherwise just be wandering around filling up pathways between rides, the system does offer some options for park management and allows guests to limit their time in an otherwise overly long line. Where could you see Virtual Queuing being used effectively (Snow White, Peter Pan, and/or Haunted Mansion perhaps)?
(Our hearty thanks to Andy Castro for the gorgeous Indiana Jones photos)
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