Common Orlando has up to date its official web site with new language indicating that its Digital Line system might be utilized for entry into the portals of Epic Universe. This covers the newest change, together with our commentary concerning the chance of a VQ being deployed for accessing the worlds/lands of the brand new park–and never simply rides–in heavy crowds.
Notice that this differs from the spectacularly terrible Digital Line system already in place for Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry. That attraction is utilizing a digital queue as a result of it’s stricken by unreliability and downtime woes. Due to that, we’ve suggested that a very powerful Epic Universe planning put up you possibly can learn is our VL information: Be part of the Digital Line for Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry.
Common’s Digital Line system is worse than even Walt Disney World’s first era of Digital Queue. There are already horror tales concerning the VL for Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry, and people will solely get worse. It’s a easy numbers recreation. On a very good day, we’d hazard a guess that fewer than one-third of all visitors are experiencing Battle on the Ministry.
That is nonetheless throughout previews, when park capability is capped fairly low. That means that later this 12 months, it might be ~15% of visitors experiencing Harry Potter and the Battle on the Ministry on an everyday day if uptime doesn’t enhance. For all of those causes, the experience is at present utilizing a digital queue and is tough to entry.
As a lot as we dislike digital queues–and that is an particularly terrible implementation of 1–it’s additionally a essential evil at this level. Some days, Battle on the Ministry has considerably delayed openings, is down for hours on finish, and closes early. Permitting individuals to queue up in a bodily line would give them a alternative, positive, however it could waste numerous hours of their time and wait occasions could be unattainable to measure and put up.
That particular Digital Line is likely one of the causes for our current article discussing Why You Ought to Skip Epic Universe, or reasonably, why you would possibly wish to wait to go to Epic Universe till this vacation season, winter or someday in 2026. A few the largest causes for ready principally revolve round unpredictability.
This comes into play with crowds, which largely have been manageable and are anticipated to stay that approach all through a lot of the summer season season resulting from a combination of low attendance caps and delicate demand. It additionally pertains to experience reliability and breakdowns, as a number of points of interest have had prolonged downtime each day at Epic Universe.
As we additionally identified, these are interconnected points. There have already been some actually tough days at Epic Universe. A number of headliners taking place has a cascading impact even throughout previews, inflicting congestion in eating places with lengthy delays for cell orders, and spiking the wait occasions of the rides which are open.
Remember the fact that that is throughout days when attendance is closely capped. Epic Universe’s estimated full capability is round 40,000. Primarily based on leaked knowledge that paints an incomplete image, we’d estimate that Common Orlando is at present releasing 15,000 to twenty,000 tickets every day.
Suffice to say, you’re not going to wish to be in Epic Universe the primary time there’s an operational meltdown with the park working at or nearer full capability. It’s going to be a nightmare. Enter the opportunity of Digital Strains for lands/portals/worlds in Epic Universe.
This was first hinted at when Epic Universe was first added to the Common Orlando Resort app again in February. For a couple of hours after the UOR app replace, there have been Digital Line icons for every of the lands in Epic Universe. That was rapidly eliminated, nevertheless it nonetheless led to fan debate. Did Common get forward of itself in revealing a crowd management failsafe? Or was it a mistake?
It was unclear to us. On the one hand, Common isn’t any stranger to utilizing Digital Strains to enter its lands. Each variations of Tremendous Nintendo World, in Hollywood and Osaka, have timed entry programs which were and will be deployed in heavier attendance to handle entry. Previous to that, Common Studios Japan additionally used a timed entry system for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I ‘fondly’ keep in mind racing to kiosks to seize slips for returning ~5 years after that land opened.
However, there was additionally a Digital Line icon for Celestial Park again when that app replace was made. That is the central hub of Epic Universe, and it makes zero sense for that land to require a digital queue. It might be the equal of a VQ for Fundamental Avenue at Magic Kingdom or World Celebration at EPCOT. (Not an ideal comparability, however shut sufficient.) Have been it not for that VL icon over Celestial Park, we in all probability would’ve written this text again then. However its inclusion solid doubt on the entire thing.
Quick-forward to Might 2025, and new wording on the Digital Line web page of the Common Orlando web site as soon as once more raises the specter of Digital Strains getting used for accessing the 4 particular person lands:
What Experiences Are Utilizing Digital Line Now?
Digital Line return occasions could also be used for varied experiences, together with choose points of interest and leisure all through Common Orlando Resort in addition to world entry at Common Epic Universe. You should definitely test our App for essentially the most up-to-date particulars!
Whether or not Epic Universe will use Digital Strains to enter lands and when it’ll occur are the massive questions. As you possibly can see from the quote above, Digital Strains “could” be used for world entry at Epic Universe. It’s removed from a positive factor.
Followers would possibly assume that if opening day comes and goes with out VLs to limit entry, it received’t occur. The worst of the storm has handed. I’d disagree. It’s my understanding that the capability caps proceed after Epic Universe opens, with the park progressively scaling as much as full capability. That won’t occur within the first month of operations.
After the primary month, ticket availability remains to be okay, so even when 30,000 to 40,000 tickets can be found for buy, it doesn’t imply Common is promoting that many. Maybe ticket gross sales will choose up because of optimistic phrase of mouth from previews or media occasions, however Common nonetheless faces headwinds with their preliminary rocky rollout of restrictive trip packages, financial uncertainty, slowing worldwide journey, and many others.
Additionally, optimistic phrase of mouth will not be assured–this final weekend has caused the next quantity of destructive reviews with preview tickets now accessible to most people. If that turns into a pattern, Common would possibly discover the wow-factor of its new park overshadowed by the yikes-factor of its operations.
Truthfully, the near-term ache of soppy bookings and combined evaluations may be a silver lining in the long run.
In idea, this might kick the can down the street till October earlier than Epic Universe sees its first heavy attendance days and particular person land capability is examined. The potential mitigating issue for October or past is experience reliability and downtime–these rising pains aren’t going to exist perpetually, so is ~5 months sufficient runway for the park’s points of interest to be operating easily, for essentially the most half?
After all, there might be conditions necessitating Digital Strains for the lands earlier than then even with capability caps if there’s a confluence of unhealthy circumstances–pretty excessive attendance, extreme breakdowns, and many others. But when these items simply occurs on a random day, will operations be able to deploy a Digital Line to handle congestion?
There’s additionally the query of when Common Orlando will supply Annual Passes for Epic Universe?
The earlier these come, the upper the chance of Digital Strains for lands. My guess is that Common desires to attend till someday in 2026 earlier than providing AP add-ons to Epic Universe. Nonetheless, I may see a state of affairs the place summer season is underperforming expectations, and Common strikes sooner on APs to seize income sooner reasonably than later. This might end in virtually fast crowd points, necessitating Digital Strains.
One other concern is the likelihood that Digital Strains beget extra Digital Strains. If Tremendous Nintendo World entry is restricted, that pushes visitors to the opposite portals, growing their crowds and elevating the chance of one other ‘closed to capability’ state of affairs. This park goes to have points with crowds naturally flowing to Celestial Park, and a Digital Line used for entry to at least one land could solely serve to make issues worse within the different lands. As we mentioned above, the entire points with Epic Universe create a cascading impact.
Finally, all of those are open questions with unknown solutions. It doesn’t matter what Common’s present plan is for Digital Strains are Epic Universe, it’s nonetheless noteworthy that they’ve constructed on this possibility, presumably as a fail-safe. Hopefully, it’s by no means wanted! That there are not any ‘meltdown’ days when the park begins hitting increased attendance limits, and that Epic Universe is ready to “outrun” its rising pains earlier than the everyday late 12 months crowds arrive.
My view is that it’s in all probability about 50/50 as as to whether Epic Universe has to make use of Digital Strains for the lands at this level. If it does occur, the almost certainly candidates are Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic and Tremendous Nintendo World, each of that are excessive demand and will have points with congestion. I wouldn’t anticipate points with Practice Your Dragon – Isle of Berk or Darkish Universe, and clearly not with Celestial Park.
If Epic Universe does find yourself utilizing Digital Strains for the lands with regularity, the silver lining is that Comcast will in all probability inexperienced mild park growth sooner reasonably than later. There are many growth pads, and likewise methods to attach the lands ought to the present portal system create extreme congestion. It’ll be an fascinating saga to observe–hopefully all for nothing, very like the digital queue for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that was used for like a grand whole of two hours, ever.
Want journey planning suggestions and complete recommendation on your go to to Central Florida? Make certain to learn our Common Orlando Planning Information for every part about Islands of Journey and Common Studios Florida. Additionally take a look at our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Information for every part about these parks, resorts, eating places, and a lot extra.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider Epic Universe doubtlessly utilizing Digital Strains to regulate crowds in Tremendous Nintendo World, Ministry of Magic, or the opposite lands? Involved about unreliable rides, extreme congestion, or anything mentioned right here? Assume any digital queues for Epic Universe will likely be short-lived, or may they nonetheless be utilized in 2026 resulting from capability and different points? Assume Epic Universe will likely be a 3rd gate that’s a worthy addition to Common Orlando Resort…and doubtlessly on par with Disney’s greatest lands? Any questions? We love listening to from readers, so please share another ideas or questions you might have within the feedback under!
