Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Virtual Queue- How to Get a Boarding Group!

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the brand new attraction at EPCOT in Walt Disney World. This new Marvel themed rollercoaster is already a guest favorite and has been given rave reviews. 

This omni-style rollercoaster is based on the Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel films and features rotating soundtrack… and a rotating ride vehicle!

Currently, there is no standby line offered meaning you can only ride by purchasing Individual Lightning Lane access or by successfully joining a boarding group. Virtual queues at Walt Disney Word initially became famous when Rise of the Resistance opened as a way to successfully prevent enormous lines for that ride. It was used again when Remy's Ratatouille Adventure opened in October 2021.

Our guide provides all our best tips for how to use the virtual queue and ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind without having to pay for Lightning Lane access.

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Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Virtual Queue

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind does not offer a standby line and is only available for puchase via the Disney Genie+ Individual Attraction selection or through the virtual queue. This means that this ride is not included in the general cost per day for Genie+ but is available at a separate cost.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Individual Lightning Lane typicall costs around $14-$17 per person which is roughly in line with pricing for Rise of the Resistance.

If you're staying on-site at a Walt Disney World hotel then you can purchase your access to the ride beginning at 7AM which gives you an advantage of other guests as those staying off-site will have to wait until they enter the park to purchase Lightning Lane access. These reservations can sell out so don't wait to book yours!

If you want to avoid paying to ride, then your best bet is to join the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind virtual queue.

How To Use Virtual Queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

There is currently no standby line offered so aside from purchasing Individual Lightning Lane access, your other option to ride is to get access through the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind virtual queue via the My Experience App.

You have two chances during the day to join the virtual queue:

• Starting at 7AM, guests with an EPCOT park reservation can access a boarding group via the My Disney Experience App. Guests can access this virtual queue from their hotel room.
• Starting at 1PM, there will be another opportunity to join the virtual queue for those that didn't get a chance to access the boarding group at 7AM. Guests must be inside EPCOT to access the 1PM virtual queue.
• Guests will only be able to access Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind once per day.

Virtual queue during extended evening hours

Guests staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa Resort or other select hotels will have an additional opportunity to join the virtual queue at 6PM on select dates during extended evening theme park hours. Guests do not need to be in EPCOT to access the virtual queue for this time slot but will need theme park admission with a park pass reservation to EPCOT or a park hopper ticket.

How to Get a Boarding Group to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

• First, make sure you have the My Disney Experience app. Double check that all your tickets are linked to your app and that you have a valid Park Pass Reservation for EPCOT.
• A few minutes before the official time (7AM or 1PM) log into the app and click on the ‘join' button for “Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Virtual Queue”- I would do this a few times going back and forth, I found this helped my phone load the page quicker when the time came when we used this trick for Rise of the Resistance. This is also a good time to ensure you are logged in so I would make sure you log out and log back in, just to be safe.
• Wait until exactly when the clock hits 7AM, click on ‘join'- this brings you to the main screen where you will click ‘join' again and then a screen will show your party- no need to stop to select them, they will be preselected, and then hit join again.
• This process should literally take 1-2 seconds- groups go fast, be ready to push those buttons quickly!
• Make sure push notifications are turned on for My Disney Experience so you will be alerted if your group is called to return. You’ll have up to an hour from the time of the alert to go to the entrance of attraction
• Please note that joining the virtual queue does not guarantee the ability to experience Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

For more on how to maximize your time in EPCOT, check out our Epcot morning strategy for touring tips.

You can see a step by step process in the video below:

Extended Evening Theme Park Hours

An additional opportunity to request to join the virtual queue will be available at 6:00 PM on select dates during extended evening theme park hours, a benefit for registered Guests staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa Resort or other select hotels. Guests with this benefit do not need to be in EPCOT to request to join at that time.

These Guests will need valid admission and a theme park reservation for the same park on the same day to experience extended evening hours—or, they may experience extended evening hours if they have a ticket or Annual Pass with the Park Hopper option and first enter the park for which they made their reservation.

You can read more about Walt Disney World extended evening hours in our guide.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Frequently Asked Questions

What is a virtual queue? A virtual queue is just a way to stand in line virtually through the Disney Parks app. You will then be notified via the app when it's your turn to ride.

What is a Boarding Group? The term Boarding Group is used by Disney to designate the groups of people throughout the day that will ride the attraction. The number of your Boarding Group determines what time of day you will ride.

For example, if you receive Boarding Group 3 you would be one of the first groups on the attraction that day. A Boarding Group of a higher number would ride later in the day. The app will sometimes give you a time estimate so you can plan. But if you receive a low number, plan on being at the park right at start of the day so you don't miss your time.

I got a backup Boarding Group, what does that mean? If you get a backup Boarding Group, this means you're not predicted to ride the attraction, but that you're on a virtual waitlist. If some folks no show or the ride gets through its existing Boarding Groups successfully then they will start calling those in the backup groups. Usually this means, if you do get called, it would be later in the day.

What time do I get my Boarding Group? Guests can access the virtual queue at both 7AM and 1PM from the app.

Can I ride the attraction more than once? Guests can only receive one Boarding Group per day bur you can also purchase Individual Lightning Lane access for the attraction if you want to ride more than once!

What if I'm at a restaurant when my Boarding Group is called? Just find a cast member and explain the situation to them, they will accommodate you if you're in the middle of a dining reservation.

How long do I have to make it back to the ride when my Boarding Group is called? You have a one hour return time but if you're in the middle of a dining reservation or other reservation and you're worried you may be late- talk to a cast member.

What if I miss my Boarding Group time? You can ask a cast member if you can be put in a later Boarding Group but there's no guarantees- do not miss your Boarding Group time!

What time will I get to ride if I get a Boarding Group? The Disney app will give you an estimated return so you can plan your day.

How long will I have to wait in line when my Boarding Group is called? It varies but the general rule of thumb is the earlier your Boarding Group is the shorter your wait might be.

Can I get the 1PM Boarding Group from outside the park? No, you need to be scanned into EPCOT

What if I have problems with the app? If you have any glitches with the app, take screenshots, and see a Disney Guest Experience Team (blue umbrellas and blue shirts) to see if there's anything they can do. There's no guarantee but can't hurt to try.

If multiple people in my family are trying to get a Boarding Group do we need separate Disney accounts? You can all use the same account.

Will me and my family all get the same Boarding Group? Yes, everyone in your party will be in the same Boarding Group.

Will the app automatically select those from my Family/Friends list when I try for a Boarding Group? Yes, the app will usually auto-select those that have a park reservation- do not stop to check as this will slow you down and you'll miss your chance!

Should I use wifi or cellular data? Guests can have success with either option. You can run an internet speed test from your phone using a free website to see which is faster.

What cellphone model and carrier is best? There doesn't seem to be any significant advantage when it comes type of cellphone or carrier. It's assumed that guests with newer phones, which likely have faster speeds, tend to do better than older models. But this isn't always true- sometimes it's just random.

Someone on my group list didn't show up when we got our Boarding Groups, now what do I do? This is a glitch that does happen frequently, just go talk to a Disney Guest Experience Team member and they can add them to your Boarding Group party.

Can someone from home help me get a Boarding Group? Actually, yes they can! If they have your log in information for your Disney app so they can hep you get a Boarding Group. Since the app uses your Park Pass reservation to confirm the 7AM eligibility and that you've scanned into the park for 1PM, someone else could try using your log in.

Is there a way to get an earlier Boarding Group? Not really, they disappear too fast! The goal is just to get what you can get!

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