When trying to purchase tickets for a popular event on Ticketmaster, you may encounter a virtual “waiting room” before you can access the ticket purchasing page. This is Ticketmaster’s way of managing high demand and preventing their website from crashing due to too many people accessing it at once.
You may be tempted to continuously refresh or reopen the waiting room page in hopes of moving through the queue faster. However, this is not an effective strategy and may even work against you.
Does refreshing the page help you get through the waiting room faster?
No, refreshing the Ticketmaster waiting room page does not help you get through the queue faster. Ticketmaster specifically designs the waiting room to prevent people from queue jumping by refreshing.
Your place in line is assigned when you initially join the waiting room. This spot is tied to your device’s IP address and cookies. Refreshing or reopening the page resets the cookies, which resets your place in line to the back of the queue.
So refreshing can actually move you further back in line rather than forward. That’s why constantly refreshing the waiting room is an ineffective tactic that will likely slow you down.
Does reopening the waiting room in another browser help?
Similarly, reopening the waiting room page in a different browser or incognito window does not allow you to get through the line faster. This is because your spot in line is tied to your IP address, not just the specific browser or device.
Ticketmaster tracks and saves your IP address once you join the waiting room. So opening a new window gives you a new browser session but the same IP address. You will still have the same spot in line.
Trying to access the waiting room from entirely different devices like your phone, computer, tablet, etc can also be ineffective. Ticketmaster often limits line positions to 4 per IP address. So you would be queued separately on each device, not moved forward.
Will switching internet connections help?
The only way to effectively reset your spot in the Ticketmaster waiting room line is to access it from an entirely different IP address. This could mean connecting to a different wifi network, restarting your router to change your home IP, using a VPN to mask your IP, or accessing the waiting room from another physical location.
However, there is no guarantee this will move you forward in line. It could just place you further back if you get unlucky with IP address assignment. And constantly switching networks or locations is inconvenient and probably not worthwhile.
Ticketmaster does actively try to detect and stop suspicious IP switching activities too. So excessive changes could get your account flagged, though the specifics of their fraud prevention methods are not publicly known.
What is the best way to get through the waiting room quickly?
While there are no foolproof tricks to instantly move through the waiting room, here are some best practices:
- Join the waiting room as early as possible, right when tickets go on sale.
- Use a strong, stable internet connection to prevent disruptions.
- Only open one browser window with one waiting room tab.
- Avoid refreshing the page or opening new windows.
- If you get disconnected, rejoin the waiting room immediately.
- Stay engaged in the waiting room tab so you can access tickets right away.
Keep in mind that popular events will almost always have very long waits. The waiting room is unavoidable in those cases. Just stay patient, avoid refreshing, and hope to get lucky with your spot in line.
Can you use multiple devices to get through faster?
You can try using multiple devices simultaneously to see if one gets lucky with a faster line position. However, each device will get its own separate spot based on its IP address.
As mentioned above, Ticketmaster often limits line spots to 4 per IP. So you could have a phone, tablet, and computer all running the waiting room, but they will not necessarily all be queued together. One device could get through quickly while others remain stuck.
Using multiple devices on the same wifi network also carries some risk. Ticketmaster may detect duplicate IP addresses and cancel any duplicate spots in line. Different wifi networks can mitigate this, but there’s extra hassle switching networks.
In most cases, your best bet is to just use one device and refrain from refreshing. Having multiple windows open won’t improve your odds.
What happens if you lose internet connection?
If you temporarily lose your internet connection while waiting in the Ticketmaster queue, try to reconnect as quickly as possible. You may be able to retain your place in line if you can reconnect fast enough.
However, if the disconnect lasts for an extended time, Ticketmaster will likely remove you from line and you’ll have to start over. Use a wired connection if possible for maximum stability.
If you are disconnected or kicked out of line, immediately rejoin the waiting room from the same device and network. You may potentially be placed back into your previous position, though likely further back. It’s better than starting completely fresh.
Can you use auto-refresh extensions or scripts?
Some browser extensions or scripts claim to automate refreshing the Ticketmaster waiting room to improve your place in line. However, as explained above, refreshing never actually moves you forward so these tools are ineffective.
In fact, constantly refreshing with extensions will very likely get your account flagged for suspicious activity. Your line position could be reset or your account temporarily blocked as a result. Definitely not worthwhile.
Should you keep the waiting room tab open?
Yes, it’s important to keep the browser tab with the active waiting room open at all times. Never close or navigate away from this tab.
Closing the tab runs the risk of losing your place in line entirely. The waiting room uses your browser session to track your spot. Ending the session forcibly boots you from the queue.
You also need to be ready to access the ticket purchasing page the moment you are let through the waiting room. Having the tab open and in focus ensures you don’t miss your access window while away from your device.
Don’t worry about your computer resources either. The waiting room page is very lightweight and keeping it open in the background won’t slow down other tasks.
Is there a time limit in the waiting room?
There is no definite time limit for waiting in the Ticketmaster queue, however you run the risk of being timed out if you remain inactive for too long. This is another reason to keep the tab open and in focus.
Being idle for 10-15+ minutes could potentially reset your position. Even interacting with other browser tabs may signal inactivity to Ticketmaster’s servers after an extended period.
As long as you keep the waiting room tab open and check back every few minutes, you should avoid being marked inactive and removed from line.
Can you improve your chances by using a VPN?
A VPN, or virtual private network, can mask your real IP address and assign you a different one from their servers, often in another geographic location. In theory, connecting to a VPN before joining the waiting room could potentially help by giving you a “new” IP and randomized position in line.
However, there are risks trying to circumvent Ticketmaster with a VPN. They may detect you are connecting through a VPN and boot you from line or ban your account. Not worth the hassle for minimal benefit.
You are best off using a regular, consistent IP address from your own stable network connection. Randomly switching IPs could set off red flags and do more harm than good in most cases.
Conclusion
In summary, there are no proven tricks to jump ahead in the Ticketmaster virtual waiting room. Refreshing the page, opening new windows/devices, using auto-refresh tools, or switching networks is ineffective and could hurt your place in line.
Your best bet is joining early, staying engaged on one device, avoiding refreshes, and using a fast stable connection. With high demand events, patience and luck are needed. But resist the urge to refresh or you’ll likely lose your spot.