Registration Portal Virtual Lobby FAQ

7/24/24 – Registration Portal Virtual Lobby FAQ

It’s been a while since our last registration experience using the Virtual Lobby! We anticipate the Lobby activating for Early Fall resident registration on Tuesday, 7/30 at 10 a.m., so we’ve freshened up the Frequently Asked Questions guide from earlier this year to help prepare you for registration morning. Please review the details below to know what to expect if/when the Virtual Lobby is activated.

Entering the Virtual Lobby

When is the Lobby active?

The Virtual Lobby is activated when inbound traffic on our Registration Portal reaches peak levels. Our Lobby ensures that registration volume does not exceed the Portal’s ability to provide a fast and efficient registration experience.

The Portal will be monitored the hour before registration starts, and the Lobby will be activated if traffic reaches its peak—depending on traffic behavior, this may be before, at or after registration starts.

How do I enter the Lobby?

On the morning of registration (if/when inbound site traffic reaches its peak), the Virtual Lobby will be activated on our Registration Portal. Visitors accessing our Portal while the Lobby is active will be automatically redirected to the Lobby queue.

NOTE: If you are accessing the Portal before registration starts, we recommend refreshing your page regularly so that you are redirected to the Lobby queue if the Lobby is activated during your session. This action will ensure you are assigned a random place in line once registration opens.

How do I join the Lobby after registration opens?

If you visit the Registration Portal after 10 a.m. and registration traffic is at its peak, you will be redirected to the Virtual Lobby window and automatically assigned the next available number at the end of the line.

When it’s Your Turn

What happens when it’s my turn?

Your wait in the Virtual Lobby will be relatively short, so we recommend you keep your page open while you wait. When it’s your turn to register, the Registration Portal will automatically open for you.

If your Lobby page is not open when it’s your turn to register, when you return to the page a popup will notify you that it’s your turn, and confirm that you want to proceed.

When it’s my turn, how long do I have to complete my registration?

Once it is your turn you can browse and register at your own pace. There’s no time limit while you are actively using the Registration Portal and completing your transactions.

Once it’s my turn, if I leave the registration site and come back, will I have to wait again?

No. Your Virtual Lobby number is device-specific. This means, once the Lobby assigns your number, you may leave the Registration Portal and return without needing to wait in line again.

Other Questions and Answers

Why am I waiting?

Rest assured that your wait will be short. Our Virtual Lobby ensures that registration volume does not exceed the Registration Portal’s ability to provide a fast and efficient registration experience.

Can I lose my place in line?

No. Once you have entered the Virtual Lobby, you retain your place in line, even if your phone goes to sleep, you lose your internet connection, or you close the Lobby page. When you return to the page, you will see your updated progress in the line. If you return and receive a time out message, just refresh your browser and/or double-check your internet connectivity.

What happens if I try to access the registration site from multiple devices and/or internet browsers?

Virtual Lobby numbers are device/browser-specific. As such, each device or internet browser used to access the Registration Portal receives its own Lobby number.

Note: Once released from the Lobby to begin registration, a Household can only maintain one active session at a time. Subsequent logins using the same Household on an alternate device or browser will be presented with a Login Warning giving the new session the option to “Continue with Login” to override the previous session. If continued, any items in the cart from the previous session will transfer to the new session, and the previous session will be ended and logged out. We advise against using multiple devices/browsers for the same Household to avoid confusion while completing your registration.

If I had logged into my Household account before entering the Lobby, will I still be logged in after I leave the Lobby?

Yes. The Registration Portal will retain your page and login status while you are in the Virtual Lobby. Your Household will log out only if you access the Portal from a secondary device or browser that was released from the Lobby prior to your current session.

Does one Household have to log out of the Registration Portal before a new Household can exit the Virtual Lobby and enter the Portal?

No. The Virtual Lobby is managed solely by metering the inbound site traffic to ensure the number of new users accessing the Registration Portal remains within the Portal’s performance thresholds. Long-running, abandoned, or logged-out sessions do not impact the rate at which new customers are released from the Lobby.