Must-do Standby Queues

Are there any attractions where the standby queues are so good that you'd prefer spending time in the queue over using the lightning lane? Conversely, are there some queues that don't add to the experience at all, and you would always opt for the lightning lane? I'm wondering about attractions across all the WDW parks.

4 answers0 replies

Comments (4)

Jonny 5

Jul 19, 2024

Unless the wait is say 20 mins or less, I wouldn't say it's worth experiencing the standby line. They can certainly be cool, but not usually worth waiting in for a long period of time.

It's definitely worth going for the Guardians virtual queue as you may as well, we had a really mixed experience. We were through it in around 20 mins one time, but another over an hour.

Craig Culp

Jul 18, 2024

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Good question! Personally, I won’t wait in standby if I can get a LL, but there are some amazing queues out there! Some of the ones that are enjoyable are:

Magic Kingdom

Peter Pan (Only if you can rope drop or there's a short wait)

Dumbo (for kids especially. There’s a playground while they wait!)

Haunted Mansion (Part of the outdoor queue is really fun)

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Epcot

Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind

Frozen Ever After (It’s not much, but you do go through Oaken’s shop!)

Hollywood Studios

Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run (Okay, this MAY be one I would willingly wait in standby, it’s VERY cool for Star Wars fans!)

Toy Story Mania (Although you still get a good feel for the queue in the LL. I can’t remember if you can see the Mr. Potato Head animatronic in the LL.)

Animal Kingdom

Avatar Flight of Passage (This queue is pretty amazing and VERY long!)

Expedition Everest

Are there any specific rides you are curious about? I’d love to hear other Scouts’ opinions!

Kiran

Jul 18, 2024

Replying to

Thank you, this is very helpful. I am trying to determine the best strategy for deciding which attractions I should prioritize for lightning lanes, and which ones I should do virtual queue, early entry, end-of-day, or plain old standby. I thought that the standby queue experience is an important factor that often gets overlooked. For example, do I book a single pass lightning lane for Guardians ahead of time, or do I hold off and try for virtual queue on the day? If the standby queue is an important part of the ride, then I might go with virtual queue. Similarly I might not use the lightning lane for Avatar Flight of Passage, and do it during early entry instead so I can enjoy the queue experience. This also comes into play when deciding which tier 1 attraction to book ahead of time on the multi-pass lightning lane system. If Peter Pan's Flight and Tiana's both have enjoyable queues, then I'll try for early entry for Peter Pan, and virtual queue for Tiana's, bringing my choice of tier 1 down from 5 to 3. I'll probably go with Jungle Cruise. For similar reasons I will probably go with Slinky Dog instead of Millennium Falcon for my tier 1 at Hollywood Studios.

Craig Culp

Jul 18, 2024

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Replying to

I think you have some good plans! Guardians is my favorite ride right now so I usually try for both a SPLL AND a VQ. It’s a must ride for me. Sometimes I will get a VQ and cancel it if I don’t feel like waiting in a long VQ line (They are still pretty long lines). Tbh, the queue at Guardians isn’t all that great unless you are a fan of the films. In general, you can find YouTube videos of most queues along with the actual ride. I hate spoilers, but it’s not like the queues offer any big ‘surprises’. The nice ones just give you something to do/look at while you wait which is greatly appreciated! Just stop the video before the ride starts!

After purchasing LLs for Flight of Passage for several visits, I finally did early entry once and rope dropped the ride. It was great! The line moved pretty much the whole time but I still got to see all the queue has to offer. I remember that was on Halloween day. It was dark when we arrived so Pandora looked amazing all lit up! By the time we got off the ride, the sun was up and it was gorgeous! Rob and Erick did a great early entry video for AK if you haven’t seen it.

As far as your MK plan, that sounds good to me, but I’m going to say I’m 99% sure Tiana will no longer have a Virtual Queue and will just have standby and LL multi pass lines. I actually think VQ will end on July 24 when the new LL system goes live, but that’s purely my own opinion/prediction. You should have a good idea on what wait times will be like for your trip by then by checking the My Disney Experience app.

Also sounds good for the Studios. Don’t forget to ride Runaway Railway! (A personal fave!)