Star Wars Land Virtual Queue for Disney World!
Walt Disney World has confirmed that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios will use a virtual queue and boarding pass system beginning August 29, 2019 and continuing indefinitely, as dictated by demand. In this post, we’ll share how this will work, offer tips using Star Wars Land’s virtual line, and offer some predictions.
This should come as great and very welcome news to many of you who were fearing the worst out of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World. This means no multi-hour waits in the sun or a long line wrapping throughout Grand Avenue just to get a peak inside Star Wars Land.
Now, this virtual queue and boarding pass system could mean larger crowds elsewhere at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but there are plenty of air-conditioned spaces around the park. Plus, if worse comes to worst with the crowds at DHS, you could always just use World Showcase and the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival as the de facto “waiting room” for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But we’re betting it won’t come to that!
This news of a virtual queue and boarding pass system comes thanks to fliers that have been quietly distributed in guest rooms at Walt Disney World resort hotels today. If you’re looking for an official confirmation via the Disney Parks Blog, you’re out of luck. In fact, we would not be the least bit surprised if Walt Disney World doesn’t publicly announce the virtual queue and boarding pass system, period.
If you’ve followed the saga of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge crowds (or the lack thereof) out west, you probably aren’t surprised by this. In case you’ve “muted” all news about Galaxy’s Edge until now, we’d (once again) recommend reading our Why Are Star Wars Land Crowds So Low? post.
Basically, one of Disney’s concerns is that their own constant stressing of reservations, attendance, boarding passes, and other crowd control measures at Disneyland with “Batuu West” played a big role in scaring guests away. In other words, hype of crowds caused fear of crowds…which caused people to stay at home…which caused low crowds.
That’s a very reductionist explanation and only part of what has happened with Batuu West. Nevertheless, it’s why Walt Disney World has more or less been mum about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for the last couple months. In fact, since the Huge Hollywood Studios FastPass+ Changes (which were caused by Star Wars Land), it’s been pretty much radio silence in terms of operations at DHS.
Moving on to the logistics of the boarding group system, Walt Disney World has released zero details, but it’s almost certain to work identically to the Batuu West version. That worked really well (when it was necessary) and it would make zero sense for Walt Disney World to reinvent the wheel. However, it’s always possible there will be slight differences in the boarding pass/virtual queue process at Walt Disney World…
First, you’ll want to download the My Disney Experience app before arriving at Walt Disney World. If you already have it, be sure you’re updated to the most current version. (Functionality for the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge virtual queue and boarding pass system was actually added to the app code last month.)
Also prior to entering, you’ll want to link everyone in your party together on the My Disney Experience (MDX) app to request the same boarding group for your entire party.
NOTE: If you already have reservations for Oga’s Cantina, Savi’s Workshop for Handbuilt Lightsabers, or Droid Depot, you almost certainly will *NOT* need a boarding pass. Walt Disney World has not confirmed this, but we’re 97% sure this will be the case.
Check the app or in-park signage the day of your visit to find out if you will need to be part of a boarding group to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge that day, and also which boarding groups are currently being admitted into the land.
Unless you’re heading to Star Wars Land right at rope drop, it’s highly likely that Disney’s Hollywood Studios will utilize the boarding group system–at least for the opening weekend of Galaxy’s Edge. (We wouldn’t be surprised to see it used for a longer period of time at Walt Disney World. Unlike at Disneyland, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has less “other stuff” to soak up crowds.)
The boarding group will save you a virtual spot in line during which time you can do other attractions, dining, etc. Think of it just like FastPass, but for the land itself (hence it being a virtual queue to enter the land). As with FastPass, you may use the My Disney Experience app to request to be part of a boarding group after entering Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
For guests not using the MDX app, a boarding group may be obtained with a park admission ticket at select FastPass locations. Walt Disney World has not yet announced where these will be, but temporary kiosks have been spotted around the park. Expect something at the front of the park, on Grand Avenue, and near Toy Story Land–at the very least.
We highly recommend that you go the in-app route, which will save you precious time when entering the park. We also recommend allowing or enabling push notifications on your mobile device for the MDX app so you will be notified when it is time to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Otherwise, you’ll need to incessantly refresh or check the MDX app or digital signage in the park to see when you’re up. Once your group is called, you’ll have up to two hours to enter Galaxy’s Edge.
In terms of strategy, it’ll take us a couple weeks of assessing crowd-flow and demand, but some of you who are visiting sooner might not have that luxury. Since we’ve already done everything in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and have a pretty good understanding of Disney’s Hollywood Studios touring efficiency, here are a few preliminary recommendations…
First, arrive before rope drop. This should be a given. We’re expecting that for at least the first few weekend, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will quietly open the park before the published opening time. Arriving early helps you beat the crowds and also prepares you for that.
Second, consider doing something else at rope drop. I know this seems contrarian, but there’s only one ride currently operating in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and that is where everyone is going to head straight at rope drop, causing an early morning spike at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Lines will peak for that early in the day, and drop thereafter.
By contrast, other attractions around Disney’s Hollywood Studios are likely to see their wait times of the day at rope drop and climb gradually over time. This is exactly what we saw play out at Pandora – World of Avatar…and also in Batuu West. Plus, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run has an incredibly engaging queue. Waiting in line 90+ minutes in that interesting queue is far better than several 60 minute waits in uninteresting queues.
We’d recommend starting in Toy Story Land, then moving to Sunset Boulevard for its two thrill rides. While doing the attractions elsewhere at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the morning, keep your eye on the MDX app and snag a boarding group for later in the day. Don’t wait too long, as these might very well ‘sell out’ early in the morning for the entire day.
Finally, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is best at night. Hence our recommendation for evening reservations for Savi’s Workshop or Oga’s Cantina. The other upside to these reservations for these experiences is that’s your guaranteed ticket into Galaxy’s Edge!
If you enter Star Wars Land around 6 p.m. and experience Savi’s or Oga’s Cantina (or both), you’ll be there Galaxy’s Edge transforms at sunset and comes alive at night. Additionally, you can stick around until the bitter end as the crowds clear out…when Smugglers Run should once again see its shortest waits of the day.
Of course, this is far from a fool-proof strategy and there are a lot of unknowns since the boarding pass system hasn’t debuted as of the time of this post. (And even once it does, there will likely be adjustments made to get it working smoothly.) However, this is what we’d recommend–and will be doing ourselves–for now.
As for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge crowds at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we’re still of the belief that September 2019 will be the best remaining month of 2019 to visit Walt Disney World. We made that prediction back in April (before Batuu West opened), and have stuck to it since. Opening weekend will undoubtedly be busy, but we just don’t see heavy crowds after that. What we do expect is Halloween through Christmas to bring progressively higher crowd levels.
With those holiday celebrations, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opening on December 5, 2019, and erroneous belief that Star Wars Land’s popularity will “die down” after a few months, October through December are probably looking more attractive to a large segment of the potential guest population. Of course, we were wrong about the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge out west, so we could once again be totally off in terms of September crowds. Just don’t expect to “wait out” the crowds by visiting in December. It’s hard to envision any scenario where this Christmas is less busy than this September. But we shall see!
If you’re planning on visiting the new land, you’ll also want to read our Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Guide. This covers a range of topics from basics about the land and its location, to strategically choosing a hotel for your stay, recommended strategy for the land, and how to beat the crowds. It’s a good primer for this huge addition. As for planning the rest of your trip, we have a thorough Walt Disney World Planning Guide.
Your Thoughts
Are you planning on visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge now that the boarding pass system is debuting? Do you agree or disagree with our preliminary strategy for best experiencing Star Wars Land at Walt Disney World? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I visited Galaxy’s Edge during the Annual Passholder Preview last week and according to a CastMember at our resort (so, NOT a Galaxy’s Edge CastMember) who went to the CastMember Preview, you WILL have to have a boarding pass even if you have reservations within Galaxy’s Edge. They said be sure to give yourself plenty of time before your reservation because your Oga’s reservation (which is what we were specifically talking about) could possibly not coincide with your boarding pass if you don’t arrive in enough time. They also said if you missed your reservation it was their understanding no fee would be charged.
I’ve not seen this documented anywhere, nor have I seen the contrary where a reservation will allow you to skip a boarding pass. Take it with a grain of salt I guess, but that is what we were told by a CM.
Were they saying that if your boarding pass does not coincide with your reservation time that you won’t be allowed in for your reservation? I hope that’s wrong. It would be extremely hard to get a boarding pass for the same time as any reservations if the passes are given for random times, not specific times you can choose.
Yes, they said without a boarding pass you would not get entry and
yes, you would miss your reservation (but not be charged). That is why they recommended checking in with plenty of time to get a boarding pass time before your reservation to make sure you are in the land before your Oga’s reservation.
Again, this may change or be misinformation so I’d maybe call ahead if you’re going to be there during the first few days of opening as I’m sure we will see reports about this from guests once it opens.
We are going opening weekend and have done a lot of planning (and spreadsheeting) about when to go where.
Our current plan has us there rope drop opening day and then the next evening, after a reserved wine event at Epcot. How do we arrange arrival times to coordinate with our already established plans. We can’t ‘’wing it” entirely as we have dining reservations and fast passes at other parks and resorts. It the queue customizable enough that we could ‘enter’ it within the few hours before we intend to head over, and we should be able to get in within that window? Or is it like a fast pass where we have to get an ‘assigned time’ that day or earlier?
Side questions…
What time do you think is wise to arrive fit rope drop opening day?
And
Will the skyliner be running?! We followed your lead and booked Pop!
It is my understanding from talking to a CastMember you have to physically check in to get a boarding pass “day of” to keep the virtual queue from being flooded by people who may not show.
Oof. Well. I guess we could go over on our way to Epcot, but we have FPs at Epcot too so if we get in ‘earlier’ than we had planned going…this seems counter intuitive to all the advance planning we’ve done.
I hope we get in to see it at night but I guess if not we will stick with our EEMHs on the other days.
I already have plans for Christmas. I have never been at Christmas and Im thrilled except, of course, for the crowds. I am looking forward to future posts on how this has worked and what to expect. Thanks!
If Reservations at Oga’s and Savi’s would be enough to get into Galaxy’s Edge, I’m assuming Droid Depot reservations would also allow admission. However, would the “guest” of the droid builder be allowed in as well? Not sure how that would work.
Yes, same deal with Droid Depot reservations. I simply forgot to include Droid Depot before. Sorry for the confusion!
I have a reservation at the Droid Depot for me and my son, my 2 nephews and their dads — total 6 of us. However, there are 10 other people in our group.
Two questions:
1. The Droid Depot wasn’t listed as an exception for needing a virtual pass to get in. Will that reservation guarantee us admission?
2. If it does guarantee us admission into the land, would the other 10 people need a virtual pass or will they get in on our Droid Depot reservation?
thanks.
We are heading there Sunday as our last day, staying at CbR and will arrive by 5:00. We hoped to leave the park by noon, would you still suggest waiting to do GE after the other attractions to avoid millennium falcon waits or should we just head there first. We don’t want to miss out, we already had a full day at HS yesterday.
Does the boarding pass only grant you a certain amount of time in the land? Like a 2 hour limit?
Nope, once you are in SWGE you are free to stay as long as you’d like.
Thank you for the info! We head down to WDW on Sunday. Staying on property.
My question is perhaps redundant, however how are those who have reservations handled and will we need to get on virtual queue? Obviously those with reservations will need to come ready with identification and proof, but wish to be ready. Thanks.
We are staying at Wilderness Lodge now and the Roaring Fork quick service dining (as well as the quick services at the other resorts) are opening at 2:30 am on Thursday August 29th
I have a reservation for Oga’s Catina at 4:15 and Savi’s Workshop at 6:30 on Dec. 13. I wonder how the virtual queue will work when you already have reservations? You may have answered this but I am still confused.
I just added this note to the post based upon some early questions, but in case anyone misses it…
“NOTE: If you already have reservations for Oga’s Cantina or Savi’s Workshop for Handbuilt Lightsabers, you almost certainly will *NOT* need a boarding pass. Walt Disney World has not confirmed this, but we’re 97% sure this will be the case.”
Thank you 🙂
As always, you have the most informative and well written posts of all my favorite disney planning sites!! Yours is always the best 🙂 Thanks for helping me plan my best vacays!!!
🙂
Any Idea on how Reservations will work at GE? We have reservations for the Cantiena and Light Saber build, will this garentee us access to the Land?
Sorry, Didn’t read rhrough the entire post, reservations garentee access!
Are you able to request a boarding pass before you’re in the park. For example, if you’re staying at one of the resorts around WDW, will you be able to login first thing that morning and get your boarding pass, thus allowing you to sleep in or go somewhere else to start the day and not rush to HS?
No, according to the cast members yesterday they said you must be in HS to be able to get your boarding pass.
Thanks, I saw Tom’s note as well. I have friends that will be there in a month and wanted to make sure I got them the correct info.
Two questions: does my entire party have to physically enter HS to be added to my boarding group? And can we leave the park, go to EP, and then return to HS during our boarding time without losing our spot? Thanks!
Yes, the entire party has to have entered DHS on that day for you to add them to a boarding group (however, they can still be added to a boarding group after leaving the park). Once you are in a boarding group, you are free to do whatever you want (Epcot, Gatorland, outlet mall), you just have to show up at SWGE within 2 hours of your boarding group being granted access.
Are you going to update in next couple of weeks? We’re going in mid September, and rope dropping is probably out of the picture bc we have very young kids and 6 am opening is just not feasible. What is the likelihood they do a similar virtual queue just for smugglers run? Also, what if you’ve already gotten reservations for Oga’s? Will you automatically get into galaxy’s edge with or without a virtual pass for that time?
Definitely keep an eye on the blog. If things play out in Orlando like they did in Anaheim, this entire virtual queue/boarding pass system may disappear by mid-September. To answer your questions:
-Smuggler’s Run is standby-only for the foreseeable future, no fastpass or virtual queue (it does have a single rider line, though)
-If you have a reservation for Oga’s (or Savi’s or Droid Depot), you will be guaranteed access to the land at that time, regardless of the boarding pass system.
Do you think having a reservation to Oga’s means you can get into the land without a boarding pass?
Thanks for the updates! How will reservations for Olga’s, Droid Depot, or building lightsabers factor in a virtual queue if visitors already have confirmed reservations? Thanks again!
This may be a silly question, but if we have a reservation for Oga’s Cantina for 6pm on Thursday, we wouldn’t need to obtain one of these virtual boarding passes for the land, correct? Since we already have the reservation, that should suffice I assume? 🙂
Aaahhh! So many unknowns. Thanks for this report. On the days they do implement this pass, do they keep the crowds low? Or do they just try to keep from being insane?