Open the MDE app and leave it on the main screen (with the AT-AT walkers). I even scroll the screen to align the white “Join” button from the main screen, with where the second blue “Join” button will appear on the “Join Virtual Queue” screen. (look up Fitts’ Law for the science behind it; UI / UX related)
Watch the clock (with seconds) from another device - I personally used https://www.timeanddate.com/ . During my practice runs before our trip, relying on the phone’s clock and/or switching between MDE and the clock app was just too dicey.
At 7:00:00am, click “Join” from the main screen, then “Join” from the “Join Virtual Queue” screen. On a few practice runs I tried starting off from the “Join Virtual Queue” screen and doing a refresh, but that seemed to take longer for me.
I have done this too during practice. It makes total sense! I considered giving this as a tip, but then thought Nah, people would really think I’m a total dork!
Indeed, and sub-seconds matter when trying to get BGs.
Heh, I had a similar thought when deciding whether to mention Fitts’ Law or not. However, I’ve learnt a bunch from this community, even on things non-Disney or TP related, so figured others might appreciate the pointer on why it makes sense.
Automatically. It allows everyone a fair chance without having to select manually which takes time. If for some reason they are not, just ignore it and continue to hit join. You can then see a CM and they will add the rest of the party.
Yes that’s good. But if you want an earlier time BG, you are better off not even looking at who is checked as that can potentially take too long to not get a BG at all.
Yes, the goal is to just keep clicking to get to the next screens as fast as possible.
For reference, I went back and looked at the timestamps from the screenshot image files on my device - for BG 20 it was 7:00:25am, for BG 1 it was 7:00:16am (note though that this also includes any delay after receiving a BG till when I invoked the screenshot function on my device).
I’m guessing they switched 2pm to 1pm just as a final backstop of preventing the casual visitor who might have only seen “2pm” for both hopping and BG without the fine print about hopping and park reservations, from still coming over to HS expecting a shot at RotR and then complaining about it.
Or, maybe just for CM’s to have some time between any BG issues to resolve and a wave of new people coming into HS in general.
Yeah I think both of those reasons are correct. They don’t want a 2pm rush for a BG to coincide with park hoppers and they don’t want to encourage people to hop to HS on the hope of getting a BG.
Does anyone know if you NEED to get your whole party in the virtual queue? From some websites I’ve looked at, it seems as though there are differing opinions. Has anyone just selected themselves, gotten in the virtual queue, and then their whole party was allowed in? We are not going for a couple weeks, but I’ve been practicing and every time I have taken the ‘extra’ step of ‘select all’, I have not made it. But sometimes when I just click join and then join again, I do make it (to the screen where I would be in the queue if I actually had tickets/reservations for that day). Obviously, I want to get into the queue, but wouldn’t be very popular if my wife and kids were turned away and only I was let in. Thank you!
(look up Fitts’ Law for the science behind it; UI / UX related)
