Securing a boarding group for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind can cause more heartache and tears during a Walt Disney World vacation right now more than anything else. But it doesn’t need to!

If you’re not familiar with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot, it’s one of the most technologically advanced theme-park attractions ever built with a unique ride vehicle engineered specifically for the experience. And, in terms of storytelling, it’s one of the finest. We would wager it is probably the most anticipated theme park experience in existence today.

That said, you can imagine how disappointing it would be for your family to spend thousands of dollars on a Disney vacation, and then not be able to secure a boarding group to actually ride it. That’s why we have a video that doesn’t just tell you, it shows you how to secure a boarding group for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Or, as Disney calls it, using Virtual Queues.

1. Know When You Can Enter the Virtual Queue

Currently, there up to three designated times that park guests can enter the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind virtual queue to secure a boarding group, depending upon the day and their resort category:

• 7:00 a.m. EST – You do not have to be inside the park, but you do need to have a Park Pass Reservation for Epcot.
• 1:00 p.m. EST – You must be inside Epcot in order to enter the virtual queue.
• 6:00 p.m. EST – Select days during which Epcot has extended evening hours for Deluxe Resort Guests which includes guests staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa Resort or other select hotels.

2. Find a secluded area to secure your boarding group.

The more people you’re around, the more cell phones you’re around. And the more cell phones there are, the worse your cell phone signal will be. This critical step is the single biggest reason why families fail to secure a boarding group for Guardians of the Galaxy.

If you’re at your Disney resort in the morning, be sure you’re someplace away from a high traffic area — like restaurants, shops, or the pool. While we’d love to say your room is a great location, that completely depends on your cell phone signal. Not every resort room as a great cell signal.

If you’re trying for the second or third boarding group release times, try not to be in a ride queue, inside a restaurant, or seated at a show. Do your best to find a spot away from all the people. It will make things much smoother.

3. Turn off your wifi.

While it’s great that Walt Disney World has free wifi, it’s highly unreliable — especially when you’re trying to secure a boarding group for Guardians of the Galaxy during the afternoon and evening when everyone else inside Epcot is trying to do the same thing.

In this instance, it’s better to turn off your wifi and use your 4G or 5G signal instead. Hopefully, you have a reliable carrier. And an extra battery pack for juice!

4. Make sure you have the latest version of My Disney Experience.

If your MDE app on your phone isn’t up to date, you run the risk of app not working properly, forfeiting your chance to enter the virtual queue and securing a boarding group.

We also recommend that you sign out and sign back in/refresh the app about five minutes before the virtual queue opens. If it’s in the morning, you want to ensure that your My Disney Experience app has registered that you have park pass reservations. If it’s in the afternoon or evening, you want it to know you’re actually in the park and that your ticket (or magic band) has been scanned.

While it does sometimes work without doing this step, we still recommend it to be safe. (Again, just make sure you do this about 5 minutes before “go” time.)

5. Make sure your entire party is properly linked in My Disney Experience.

This is another easy step that families miss. But you want to make sure that everyone in your family is linked together — both ways. That way, when the time comes, every single person in the party can try to get a boarding group simultaneously for everyone. You will increase your chances exponentially.

6. Make sure your phone’s clock is properly synched to the World Clock.

Never heard of the world clock? That’s okay. We hadn’t either — until Disney started to use virtual queues with Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The World Clock is the official time that the Walt Disney World® resort uses to for their virtual queue times (and pretty much everything else too). So, you’re gonna want to make sure that the clock on your Android phone or iPhone is properly synched to that time. If you’re not sure how to do it, just do a quick google search and it’ll populate every device and carrier.

And if you want some expert help planning your next Walt Disney World Resort vacation, schedule a complimentary consultation here.