Universal Orlando Resort’s Epic Universe finally opens to the general public this week and, after waiting years, fans certainly seem excited. Of course, that means big crowds and long lines for attractions, which are never fun. And it appears the long lines have already started. That assertion is based on a claim that a guest shared on social media.
With this section of the Universal park now open for guest previews, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry -- which I'd argue is the best Epic Universe attraction -- is available to enjoy. However, the attraction recently shifted from a virtual queue system to a traditional standby line. This was all but certainly going to lead to a massive lineup, but I’m not sure anybody was quite expecting a five-hour wait. X user @bioreconstruct shared this message on social media:
Very unfair @UniversalORL Once past the Battle at Ministry sign guests are told to choose left line or right line.TM says "doesn't matter".Right line is eventually to be Express. Directly to Floo.Left line is full queue, including the outdoor berm. An additional 40 minutes. pic.twitter.com/FVZlR7fm9fMay 17, 2025
Bioreconstruct has been covering the development of Epic Universe from the air but, on this day, they were on the ground and waited over five hours in line. To be sure that the 300-minute wait time wasn’t an overestimate of the queue. In fact, it was a slight underestimation. Bio said…
5h10 to ride this morning. From rope drop at the world's door to append resort guests already in queue. Through all the streets. Through the entire indoor/outdoor queue of Le Cirque Arcanus. The entire indoor/outdoor Floo queue. The full courtroom queue, with elf.
It seems at least the first show of Le Cirque Arcanus was cancelled for the day, as the space was used for the overflow queue for Battle at the Ministry. Spending five hours in line for a single ride is pretty wild. That’s almost half the day that Epic Universe is open right now.
Given that I was able to preview Epic Universe and thinks Battle at the Ministry is the best the park has to offer, I get why people are willing to wait in a line that long. That doesn't mean I would be able to do it, though
And, as many guests pointed out, if this is what happens with previews, where one assumes the park is not running at full capacity, then what is going to happen later this week when opening day actually happens? Fans had many questions, including…
- 5 hours? Imagine full blown opening day crowds. - @ShadowDragons77
- I'm scared for opening day..this is insane - @sillycatsrappin
- Is the closing time (8pm tomorrow) the time the queue lines are closed? Even with a 2hrs+ queue?Do you think the single rider line is also at least 2 hours? - @KingRCT3
- Are there bathrooms in line? Cuz if not… this is a problem. - @StayYoungTravel
300-minute wait times are not unheard of in the theme park world. Many of Disney World’s longest wait times hit that point, and that's usually the case when you have a brand-new ride, just like Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. However, it’s been a while since we’ve seen an attraction hit wait durations like this because many new rides have used a virtual queue system, which keeps the actual in-line time to a minimum.
Epic Universe was using a virtual queue system previously. However, due to the fact that it was only offered at unannounced times, it wasn’t very popular. This would seem to be the alternative. Having now experienced both a virtual and standby queue, Epic Universe can at least make the best call possible on how to handle what will clearly be an incredibly popular attraction.
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