Disney World Enforces Mandatory Virtual Queue Process at Hollywood Studios
Walt Disney World Resort is bringing back a virtual queue next month — but not for a ride.
The system will return as part of Star Wars Day, which takes place every year on May 4 and has grown into one of the busiest dates on Disney’s calendar. The fan-driven holiday, built around the phrase “May the Fourth be with you,” now centers heavily on limited-time merchandise releases.
In recent years, those releases have drawn significant crowds, particularly at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, home to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Guests often arrive early, with lines forming well before park opening for exclusive items tied to the franchise.
That demand has led Disney to test different ways of managing crowds.
How Disney Is Handling Star Wars Day Crowds
Virtual queues have proven divisive in the Disney park community. Some guests see them as a way to avoid hours-long standby lines when high-demand attractions, such as TRON Lightcycle / Run, first opened.
Others argue they create added stress, require early wake-up times, and leave access to in-demand rides feeling limited and unpredictable.
Fortunately, Disney World is currently virtual queue-free for attractions, having switched Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure from virtual to standby lines in early 2025.
That change removed one of the more controversial systems from daily operations — at least for rides.
Virtual Queue Returns for Limited Merchandise
Walt Disney World Resort has confirmed plans for a virtual queue at one theme park next month.
Both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs will receive new virtual queues in May.
The queues are for those hoping to purchase May the 4th (aka Star Wars Day) merchandise.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the queue will open at 7 a.m. ET, with access restricted to guests with valid park admission and, if required, a reservation. Distribution will take place at the Mickey Shorts Theater.
The theater typically shows Vacation Fun – An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie, but it will close temporarily from April 29. No reopening date has been confirmed.
A second virtual queue will open at Disney Springs at 9 a.m. ET the same day, allowing guests without park tickets to access the merchandise.
At Hollywood Studios, Disney will also offer mobile checkout through the My Disney Experience app. Guests can scan items and pay on their phone, which is expected to reduce congestion inside stores.
Disney has used similar systems before. In 2025, Star Wars Day merchandise was sold at the Stage 1 Company Store in Muppets Courtyard, which later closed on June 7 to make way for a new Monsters, Inc. land.
The same location was also used for the 2024 event.
Earlier this month, Disney confirmed another merchandise-based virtual queue for the 2026 runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend, suggesting the approach is becoming more common.
On the West Coast, guests attending Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite on April 28 and 30 will get early access to the collection. Additional items will also be released online through DisneyStore.com.
Are you visiting Disney World for Star Wars Day?
