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You’ve done it; you’ve spent the money, made the drive, departed the plane, checked into your room, and are on your way to a nice, relaxing Walt Disney World vacation. qIt’s time to take in the scenes at your favorite Disney Park! There’s nothing to worry about moving forward. You can ride whatever you want, eat all the food, and spend the day with Mickey Mouse and pals as you take in the magic at Walt Disney World. There’s no care in the world unless you hope to experience Tron Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT. N Of course, this is assuming you’re like us and experience Disney on a strict budget. If that’s the case, there are no Individual Lightning Lanes for you, and maybe we jumped the gun on the relaxation talk. The two newest attractions at Walt Disney World require some finesse and perhaps even a little pixie dust to enjoy. Getting that extra wink of sleep may not be as easy as you think when attempting to navigate Disney’s virtual queue system!
A Vacation Should Include Sleeping In: How Virtual Queues Work
There’s nothing like going to bed without an alarm. Breaking free from the chains of schedules SHOULD be what a Walt Disney World vacation is all about. However, that’s not the case anymore. If you’re looking to book either of Walt Disney World’s newest attractions, you might want to set the coffee to brew earlier than expected. Both Tron Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind require a virtual queue booking if you are not purchasing Individual Lightening Lane. These bookings are made available through the My Disney Experience app twice daily. The kicker is that the first opening of boarding groups for either attraction beings promptly at 7 a.m. This means that instead of sleeping comfortably in Disney Resort bed, you’ll be frantically refreshing the virtual queue page in hopes of riding.
There are many dedicated tips to getting these highly sought-after boarding groups, many of which are helpful, and some are frankly ridiculous. You can do everything right and still not get a boarding group for either ride. That’s okay, however, as Walt Disney World has a safety net. Tron Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind both offer a second chance at a boarding group later in the day. You must physically be in their respective Park (EPCOT or Magic Kingdom, depending on which ride you want to experience) to enter the boarding group queues. In my experience, these boarding groups seem more competitive as more people are awake, in the Parks, and trying to snatch one. It also seems there are fewer available compared to early morning boarding groups. If you’re not getting up for that 7 a.m. boarding group, this is the route you want to try.
Disney/ Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Virtual Queue
Credit: Disney
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the newest attraction at EPCOT in Walt Disney World. This high-speed thrill ride placed you right alongside the unlikeliest group of heroes, the Guardians of the Galaxy, as they tear their way through space fighting a Celestial. The ride vehicles for this attraction are one of a kind; although it is an actual coaster, you’ll find yourself spinning through the cosmos as you jump from portal to portal! Of course, it wouldn’t be a Guardians of the Galaxy-themed ride if an excellent mix didn’t accompany it.
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The only superhero-themed attraction at Walt Disney World opened in May of 2022 to much-deserved fanfare. It’s an exciting experience worthy of the Avenger counterparts, and it sits perfectly placed over in World Discovery at EPCOT. As mentioned, there is no standby line for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. You’ll either shell out extra cash for an Individual Lightning Lane, or you’ll have to get up bright and early and try your hand at Disney’s virtual queue. For many, including us, it’s a must-do during your day at EPCOT.
Disney/ Tron Lightcycle Run Virtual Queue
Credit: Disney
If you’ve visited Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World anytime in the last few years, you’ve surely noticed the monster construction going on near Space Mountain. Of course, this is Walt Disney World’s newest attraction, Tron Lightcycle Run. The semi-covered coaster opened in April of 2023 and takes Guests through a heavily-themed digital race on a Lightcycle. That’s right; instead of sitting as you’d typically do on a Disney coaster, this ride mimics the feel of a futuristic motorcycle. Unlike Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Tron opened to mixed reviews. Many felt that the intellectual property was not well-known enough and that Tron was too short. Although immaculately themed, I, alone, agree that Tron leaves a lot on the table and isn’t worth the ride unless you just want to say you’ve done it. It’s neat, the launch is out-of-this-world, but outside of that, there’s nothing grabby about Tron.
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Much like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Tron Lightcycle Run operates solely on Individual Lightning Lane and virtual queues. This means that to experience the ride, it’ll cost you, or you’ll have to try and get up early. If all else fails, you can try your luck at the 1 p.m. boarding group roulette wheel. Tron is a less thrilling coaster, but this may suit the needs of your traveling party, as younger children could find Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind a little too exciting.
Get Up Early For Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Sleep In For Tron
Credit: Disney/ Canva
You’ve done your first day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Your feet are hurt, and you’re most likely just looking for sleep. You’ve got a Park reservation for Magic Kingdom tomorrow, but you really want to sleep in. What do you do? The short answer is whatever you want, but if you’re stuck between deciding between the Tron Lighcycle Run virtual queue and the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind virtual queue, go with the latter. Although Tron is fun in its own way, there’s something about the unique experience that Disney was able to create for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. So, if you’re going to get up extra early to fight for one of these boarding groups, I highly recommend this one.
Although both attractions are well-themed, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is a fresher, more appreciated intellectual property (plus it has Terry Crews). Most people have not seen Tron (1982) or its sequel (2010), while just about everyone is familiar with Starlord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot, and Drax. Although the queue does a beautiful job of explaining the premise of the attraction, it doesn’t hold a candle to the design and entertainment at Guardians of the Galaxy. Although Tron Lightcycle Run does its best to incorporate you into a story, it doesn’t work as well for me as Guardians. I feel strongly that this is most likely due to familiarity with the brands associated to their respective rides.
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The rides themselves are entirely different. Although Tron is billed as thrilling, outside of the initial launch, it gives little excitement the rest of the way. Some interesting special effects take place along the walls in the interior section of the attraction, but other than that, it falls short, literally. Many have complained about how short the ride is and feels. Although timed at around 3 minutes, this includes the lull of getting onto the ride and pulling up to the launch station. I didn’t time it, but I’d safely assume that the fast portion is a maximum of a minute. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has a run-time of around 3 minutes, but it feels longer as a lot is happening around you, and there are short portions of the ride that are slow, so you can appreciate the visual story being told.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is simply a better experience. It’s a unique ride vehicle with popular characters, a real story you feel part of, all galvanized with fantastic music. So, if you’re trying to decide on which Park day you’ll get that extra shut-eye, go with Magic Kingdom instead of grinding in that virtual queue for a boarding group. If you have to make a choice, make Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind your priority; you can always purchase Individual Lightning Lane or try the 1 p.m. virtual queue for Tron.
