TicketSignup gives events powerful tools to manage long lines and create a better on-site experience. Timed Entry Ticketing spreads out arrivals, while the Ticket App makes scanning and check-in fast and easy for large teams. And now, with Virtual Queuing, events can eliminate long physical lines altogether while improving the guest experience and increasing revenue.
Haunted Forest in American Fork, Utah
The Haunted Forest in American Fork, Utah used TicketSignup’s Virtual Queuing to transform how guests experienced their haunted trail. With over 4,000 attendees per night during the busy weekends in October, lines were a challenge. The haunt built a midway area called The Graveyard with food, beverages, music, and games for attendees to enjoy instead of standing in line waiting.
When guests arrived, staff scanned their tickets using the Ticket App.
- General Admission ticket holders were automatically added to a virtual queue and received a text message showing their place in line, with a unique link to seamlessly upgrade and skip the line.
- VIP ticket holders skipped the line entirely, receiving a text that they could head to the trail with their QR code ready to scan.
Guests spent their wait time enjoying the midway, purchasing food and drinks, and upgrading tickets directly from their phones. Once their turn arrived, they received another text: “It’s your turn to head to the haunted trail. Have your QR code ready to scan.” Staff scanned their QR codes a second time at the trail, automatically moving them out of the virtual queue.
The result? Happier customers (and lots of 5 star reviews).
In addition, the Haunted Forest made over $12,000 in ticket upgrades that people did from their own phones. Additional money from concession sales increased the revenue per ticket significantly.
How Virtual Queuing Works
Virtual Queuing integrates TicketSignup’s Ticket App with the virtual queuing platform Waitwhile, creating a seamless experience for both staff and attendees. The diagram below shows how it works:
- Attendees Buy Tickets
Guests purchase General Admission or VIP tickets. Haunted Forest uses TicketSignup’s calendar-based ticketing so that guests choose a date and arrival time. - Main Gate Check-In
Staff use the Ticket App to scan tickets at the entrance.- General Admission attendees are automatically added to the Waitwhile queue as “Waiting.”
- VIP attendees are added as “Serving,” skipping the queue.
- Automated Text Notifications
Waitwhile sends texts to attendees with their queue status and a link to upgrade to VIP. Events have full control over the content, as well as the option to include unique Upgrade links for fast upgrades.- Example for GA tickets: “You’re #6 in line at Haunted Forest. You can upgrade to VIP and skip the wait: [unique upgrade link].”
- Example for VIP tickets: “It’s your turn to head to the trail! Have your QR code ready.”
- Guests Enjoy the Midway
Instead of standing in line, attendees enjoy (and spend money on) food, games, and entertainment while they wait. - Queue Automation with the Ticket App
- One team member monitors the queue in Waitwhile and moves groups from “Waiting” to “Serving.”
- Staff at the attraction entrance scan the same QR codes attendees used at the main gate. The Ticket App shows the attendee’s Waitwhile status so staff instantly see whether it’s the guest’s turn to enter.
- When checked in at the trail, the guest’s status automatically moves from “Serving” to “Complete,” removing them from the virtual queue.
- Optional VIP Upgrades: Guests can upgrade directly from their unique link in the text, paying only the difference between their original ticket and VIP. The Ticket App and Waitwhile update their status on the queue automatically.
Everything runs from the Ticket App. Staff simply scan, and the integration handles the rest. The process is fast, intuitive, and requires minimal training. Perfect for busy, high volume events like haunts, hayrides, photos with Santa, and other agritourism events.
Easy Setup
There are three steps to getting started with TicketSignup’s Virtual Queuing.
- Create a Waitwhile Account. Waitwhile offers event-specific pricing, ideal for seasonal operations. For farms running events year round, the subscription pricing might make sense. Note that with TicketSignup’s self-serve Ticket Upgrades, your event can earn more than the cost of a Waitwhile subscription.
- Enable the Integration. Add your Waitwhile API key in your TicketSignup dashboard (Event >>Waitwhile).
- Configure Queues. Map ticket types and actions that start and end the waiting list. For example, General Admission to “Waiting” and VIP to “Serving.”
Want to learn more or need help configuring your virtual queue? Schedule a call.
Transform Waiting into Revenue
With Virtual Queuing, TicketSignup helps events eliminate long lines, boost on-site sales, and deliver a smoother, more enjoyable guest experience. From haunted attractions and pumpkin patches to hayrides and Santa experiences, Virtual Queuing gives your guests more time to have fun, and your event more ways to grow revenue.