Magic Kingdom Wait Times - The Tron Effect?

 

A few weeks ago, we posted about Tron: Lightcycle Run dropping its virtual queue (VQ) at the Magic Kingdom and going to a normal standby system.  Now that we have a couple of weeks worth of data, I wanted to see how this major change has affected wait times at the park as a whole, as well as whether Tron has become the new "big bad" at Magic Kingdom, with the highest wait time throughout any given day.

My supposition in that earlier post was that Tron would indeed become the attraction with the highest wait time in the park, supplanting Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and would probably remain this way for years, until at least the new Cars rides if not Villains Land opened.  I also posited that the average wait time at the park as a whole would increase, as heretofore there was no posted wait time for Tron, meaning that even if a lot of people rode it in any given day, it wouldn't get included in the crowd level posts because there was no way to simply wait for it.  Throwing a major ride to the top of the wait times board would likely raise the average wait time since then (or so I figured).

Tron Lightcycle Run Dropping Virtual Queue

 

Disney just announced that Tron Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom will drop its virtual queue (VQ) system starting on September 9, 2024, and having a standby line for the attraction for the first time.  At first glance, I wasn't sure if I needed to make a post about this (small?) change, but the more I thought about it, the more I had to say.  So this post will look at why it's being done, compare it to the other VQ rides that are currently in existence and try to speculate about how this will affect crowd patterns going forward.

If you are unfamiliar (though I suspect that's not the case if you're reading this), a VQ is one of the (many) ways in which you can experience attractions at Walt Disney World.  The first one was Star Wars Rise of the Resistance way back in 2019, and most new rides debut with a VQ, at least for a little while.  Essentially it's just what it says it is - a virtual queue is where you can have your place in line held for you until your return time, while you are free to experience other attractions at the parks.  It amounts to a "free" ride in the future, as there is no cost for the VQ, either in money or time spent (except perhaps trying to secure one at the start of your day).

Disney Villains Stage Show Coming to Hollywood Studios

Concept art courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

 

In a somewhat surprising announcement, Disney posted about a new villains-themed stage show coming to Hollywood Studios in summer 2025.  This post will talk about what little we know about the show, what it's replacing and how this fits into all of the recent D23 announcements for the future of the parks.

The actual announcement is light on details (and therefore subject to change before opening) but it says that Sunset Showcase will "transform" into the "mysterious, reflective realm of the Magic Mirror."  It also say that dozens of villains will be a part of the show, including Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook and Maleficent.