Disney in a Minute: What is a Queue?

We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!

What is a Queue?

If you plan a trip or travel to Walt Disney World, you’re almost certain to encounter the word “queue” (pronounced like “cue” or the letter “Q”). More common in British parlance, a queue is what most Americans would, in other circumstances, call a line – as in a line of people standing in a row waiting for something. If you said, “The queue for Space Mountain starts on the left,” or “The line for Space Mountain starts on the left,” and you’d be making synonymous statements.

Queue can be noun (as in “The queue is forming now”) or a verb (as in “Queue to the right for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train”). The phrase “queue line” is redundant–choose one word or the other, but not both.

Because the world of theme park planning is rarely straightforward, you will also encounter the term “virtual queue” when you’re at the Disney parks. A virtual queue is a line, but not a physical one. You are most likely to encounter virtual queuing when attempting to experience the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Demand is so high for this relatively new experience that a physical queue might stretch fully through the park and require wait times in excess of several hours. To avoid the bottlenecks and bellyaching this would inevitably create, a virtual queue system is in place. At an appointed time (often 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.) guests log into the My Disney Experience app in the park and ask for a place in electronic “line” for the ride. The app will keep you apprised of your place in the queue, though you may move freely around the park, shopping, dining, and experiencing other attractions until your turn comes.

Let us know what Disney topics you think need just a bit more explanation.