I am a person that gets annoyed by waiting times and queues a lot. When I think of fun activities that are connected with possible long waiting times, my brain instantly pictures a scale with the fun part on one and the waiting part on the other side. As a result I mostly decide not to do the activity or if possible do it on working days where the queue is expected to be much shorter. Disney’s virtual queuing approach might change my perception of amusement parks.
Disney started to introduce virtual queues to some of their most popular attractions at Disney World in order to avoid enormous queues and waiting times. Through an application, the visitors are able to request a boarding pass and will be assigned to a specific boarding group. The app also displays the remaining waiting time which gives the visitors the opportunity to visit other attractions, go shopping or have lunch in the meantime. In theory this new approach is adding value to the visitor’s experience by enabling them to spend the waiting time for their favorite attractions with more fun activities than waiting in line. In reality Disney has some difficulties with the implementation because some customers are resisting the change. For me personally, virtual queues offer huge possibilities to enhance the customer experience in activities that are connected with large queues and I already see myself planning and scheduling every minute of my visit at an amusement park…
You can find very detailed information about Disney’s virtual queues here.
The blog of Logistics at MGEPS at UPV 