Have you heard? Rocket, Groot, Drax, Gamora, and Star-Lord — the Guardians of the Galaxy — need YOUR help to save the galaxy! And YOU can accept the mission in EPCOT!

How, you ask? By hopping on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in World Discovery! Sounds easy enough, right? Well… there’s more to it than you might think when it comes to boarding the popular attraction to begin with. From Virtual Queues to Lightning Lanes to a few tips and tricks, we’re going to walk you through everything you need (like, seriously NEED) to know to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind!

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the second-newest attraction in EPCOT (followed by the fall 2023 opening of Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana). When the attraction opened in World Discovery, it brought a lot of “firsts” along with it: Cosmic Rewind is EPCOT’s first roller coaster, it features the first ever reverse launch on a Disney coaster, AND it’s the first Marvel-themed attraction in Disney World.

You could say it’s kinduva BIG DEAL. And, for that reason, ever since its opening day on May 27th, 2022, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has utilized a Virtual Queue as a line management tool for this in-demand ride.

In fact, Cosmic Rewind does not offer a traditional Standby Line at all… at least, not at this time. So, let’s talk about the ins-and-outs of everything you need to know to nab a spot in the Virtual Queue (known as a Boarding Pass) before you go!

Learn MORE about Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind HERE!

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind — Virtual Queue

First, some Virtual Queue basics: Cosmic Rewind is not the first attraction in Disney World to utilize a Virtual Queue. The system, which debuted along with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and is also currently in use with TRON / Lightcycle Run in Magic Kingdom, is a line management tool that Disney has used since 2019 for new attractions during their opening months.

As is the case with Cosmic Rewind, the Virtual Queue can remain in place far longer than a ride’s initial operating months.

Joining a Virtual Queue is entirely free with your park admission — though you do need some additional free tools to access it, which we’ll discuss below. That said, it is also REQUIRED to ride Cosmic Rewind (unless you purchase a Lightning Lane, which we’ll also discuss today). So, let’s dive in…

How to Get a Spot (a Boarding Pass) in a Virtual Queue

A Virtual Queue is a tool available through the My Disney Experience app which allows guests to reserve a space in line for the most popular park attractions — in this case, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. This space is referred to as a Boarding Pass for use within an assigned Boarding Group.

You will need to set up the following things in advance to enter a Virtual Queue in Disney World:

• A FREE registered account on the My Disney Experience app;
• A Park Pass reservation for EPCOT if you’re an Annual Passholder and it’s before 2PM (which can be reserved once you have valid park admission) for the Disney World theme park which houses the specific attraction. (Cosmic Rewind is located in EPCOT.)

You can attempt to join the Virtual Queue through the app at exactly 7AM EST by selecting the Join Virtual Queue button on the home screen of the app. (Be aware that you can register for the 7AM Virtual Queue opening from ANYWHERE (even off Disney World property — you do not have to be inside the park.)

From here, move quickly through the prompts to land that coveted Boarding Group spot! You’ll want to be quick — boarding passes often disappear in seconds.

The app will notify you immediately if you have successfully booked a space in the Virtual Queue!

You will simultaneously be assigned a Boarding Group Number. At any time throughout the day, you can monitor which groups are currently boarding within the app, or on Information Boards posted throughout the park.

Let’s say you’re grabbing a bite at Connections Eatery when your Boarding Group is called. Typically, you will have a one hour return time window. Sometimes, late arrivals may be accommodated. We have had much more luck being able to board with a late arrival to Cosmic Rewind than Disney World’s newest attraction, TRON Lightcycle / Run. (You can read more about that here.)

Find out everything you need to know to score a Virtual Queue in Disney World!

Oh, no! I Didn’t Get a Spot in the First Virtual Queue!

If you miss the morning opportunity, you can try again to enter the Virtual Queue at 1PM, once you’re inside EPCOT. Unlike the 7AM opening, you must have scanned into the park in order to try for a boarding pass in the afternoon.

Now, you CAN try to access the second Virtual Queue opening in the afternoon if you are Park Hopping from another park (or if you are a Disney World Annual Passholder who is eligible to enter a park without a park pass reservation starting at 2PM, with a few exceptions); however, be aware that Virtual Queue spots are quite limited. Since you can park hop at any time, though, you have a higher chance of snagging that second virtual queue. 

One More Chance to Join the Virtual Queue… for Select Guests

There’s an EXCLUSIVE additional sign-up opportunity for select guests on certain days. An additional chance to join the Virtual Queue is offered at 6PM on select dates when Extended Evening Hours are offered at EPCOT.

The Extended Evening Hours perk is only available for those staying at a Deluxe Disney Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa, and select other resorts. These are only offered on select days in EPCOT — typically Monday evenings — for those guests who qualify.

Find Out MORE about Extra Park Hours for Disney World Resort Hotel Guests!

Tips and Tricks to Scoring a Boarding Pass

Now that you know the steps, here are a few tips to up your Virtual Queue game and raise your chance to score that Boarding Pass!

Tip #1: BE UP, AT ‘EM, AND READY FOR THE 7AM opening of the Virtual Queue! We cannot stress this enough… This is one of the factors you actually have control over when trying to secure a Boarding Group, so be sure to double-check those alarms! (And remember, you can try for a Boarding Group from anywhere at 7AM (you do not have to be on Disney World property), so you won’t need to stress about getting into the park right at opening. You, DO, however, have to be awake. 😉 Join that queue IMMEDIATELY when your phone hits 7AM. (Checking out the official time on time.gov on another device can be quite helpful as well.)

Tip #2: Disney World’s complimentary WiFi can be spotty; therefore, you DON’T want to rely on it when you want to get a Boarding Group! In most circumstances, we have heard that folks have an easier time working off of their regular cell service when joining a Boarding Group.

Tip #3: Did you know that everyone in your travel party can attempt to join a Boarding Group at the same time? Yep! So get everyone with a phone involved to try to get a group! You won’t take an extra space from any other guests this way — as long as your entire party is linked together when you grab your Virtual Queue, it will only grant each of you one spot.

Tip #4: To that point just mentioned above, everyone on your friends and family list who is eligible for a boarding group at the time you’re requesting one will be automatically selected as a part of your party, so you don’t have to select each one manually. Better yet? You can take care of confirming your party PRIOR to 7AM. Once you’ve already confirmed your party, you may REFRESH the next screen (or click on “Join Boarding Group” again) at the appointed time to make the process move a little quicker!

Tip #5: This is just a lil’ extra hint to make your day easier… Once you have a Boarding Group, make sure your Push Notifications are turned ON for My Disney Experience to make sure you know when your Boarding Group is called. Again, you can monitor your return time within the app as you like throughout the day, but this offers a little extra insurance that you won’t miss your Boarding Group call.

Purchase an Individual Lightning Lane

Okay, worst case scenario: you did NOT land a spot in the Virtual Queue. Or hey, how about just a regular ol’ scenario: If you want to avoid the stress, anxiety, and hassle of the Virtual Queue, there IS another way to ride Cosmic Rewind.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind offers pay-per-ride access via a Lightning Lane through Individual Attraction Selection on the Disney Genie tool in the My Disney Experience app. Individual Attraction Selection allows guests to select return times to enter the Lightning Lane for a maximum of two specific, more popular attractions in the parks.

You may select a Preferred Time from the available slots and will be given a return time with a window of 1 hour to go on the ride. The price for the popular rides “a la carte” varies depending on the date, attraction, and park (the more in demand the ride and the higher the crowds on the date, the more it will cost to ride). For Cosmic Rewind specifically, we have seen a range of $14 – $17 (cost is PER PERSON).

Please note that you cannot modify your reservations for the Individual Attraction Selection (pay-per-ride) rides once they’ve been made — they cannot be changed to a different ride OR canceled. If you don’t show up for your reservation, you will NOT receive a refund. However, if the ride goes down during your time, you may be refunded IF the reservation can’t be rescheduled or the ride remains down for the rest of the day.

(Note that you may need to speak with a cast member at Guest Relations if you have any concerns regarding refunds if a ride breaks down during your reserved Lightning Lane time.)

Click HERE for everything you need to know about Lightning Lanes in Disney World!

And THAT’S everything you need to know to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Now go get ’em… the galaxy needs you!