Epic Universe Team Members Reveal the ULTIMATE Virtual Queue Hack

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Epic Universe lately, and we’re not done yet!

Portal Entrance into Ministry of Magic

Research is important, people, and we’re doing everything we can so you can have the best trip possible once you visit Epic Universe. Part of that research includes chatting with Epic Universe Team Members to find out the ins and outs of the park and what tips you need to know. And, we think we may have stumbled upon the best ones yet — at least when it comes to one of the most popular rides in the park.

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry is arguably the most popular ride in all of Epic Universe (but don’t get us wrong, they’re all worth checking out at least once, if not again and again and again). But, because of its popularity, Universal is using a Virtual Line to help avoid having a several-hour-long queue. This means parkgoers have three daily chances to try to get a spot in the Virtual Line — at 11 AM, 3 PM, and 6 PM (there is also currently a “ghost drop” at 10:45 AM if the ride will be open at park open).

Additionally, we’re expecting that when Epic Universe officially opens and park hours are likely 9 AM to 9 PM, there will probably be an additional Virtual Line drop at 9 AM — but this has not been confirmed yet!

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

But, if you’ve ever tried to snag a virtual queue spot at Universal or Disney World, you likely know it can be finicky. We asked a Team Member if there was a trick to securing a Virtual Line return time, and they told us that you want to AVOID the in-park WiFi at all costs, as it tends to have a slower connection. If everyone in the park is trying to use the WiFi on the same app at the same time, it would make sense that things would slow down.

Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry

Instead, make sure you’re using your cellular data network, because it will likely be faster.

Virtual queue sign in Epic Universe (the 12 PM time has since been changed to 11 AM)

Another Team Member gave us some tips on joining the queue, too. He said that once you get past the first screen in the Universal Orlando app, don’t sit and mull the times over — just click on any available time and move on to the next screen. Apparently, a lot of people get caught up discussing which time would be best, but during that time, all the options may be snatched up. Make sure you have a plan with your group before the time comes!

Higgledy!

Keep in mind that these Virtual Line drops don’t tend to happen on the minute exactly like they do at Disney World — we’ve seen the button wait to turn blue until a minute or so after it’s supposed to. You shouldn’t give up trying for a spot until around five minutes after the drop time.

From what we’ve seen, there are quite a few drops that Universal doesn’t advertise throughout the day. We’ve lucked out by getting one at 4:42 PM for a 4:45 PM return time just by keeping an eye on the page.

There is a Single Rider line at Battle at the Ministry, so it’s a good idea to consider that if you’re not able to snag a Virtual Queue spot!

Single Rider Line

You also might want to keep in mind that the ride may experience a delayed opening, which is something that can happen to any ride, but especially for rides with complex tech like this one.

But, a delayed ride opening doesn’t always mean that the 11 AM drop won’t happen. Even if an Epic Universe Team Member says it won’t happen, it might still be happening — so keep an eye on the app.

Battle at the Ministry

Check out some more of our BEST tips for getting a spot in the Virtual Line for Battle at the Ministry below:

You need strong service. While the Team Member told us not to use the WiFi, we’ve done it both ways, and it doesn’t seem to matter — as long as you are in an area with good connectivity. Find that area BEFORE drop time. There is a bad connection in most ride queues and restaurants.
You are looking for the VL button to turn from grey, saying “VL Unavailable” to blue on the Battle at the Ministry attraction page in the app. If it is before the park opens, that button may not be there at all. It will show up when the VL is ready.
One recommendation is to go to the map page, filter to Epic Universe, and pull up the list. Then tap into Battle at the Ministry and go back to the list and back to the page. Keep going back and forth, back and forth, to refresh. BUT, we discovered that staying on the page, the button will just turn blue when it’s ready without the refresh.
It can be a difference if moments when the button turns blue for different people, and it has nothing to do with your methods. Sometimes, it will turn blue a second later than others, and that second is all you need to not get a time slot.
As soon as you see blue – tap, but stay ready to keep moving fast.

Once you’re in the Virtual Line screen on the app:

You will see the party number at the top and the time slots at the bottom.
There may be one time slot, there may be six. Our tip is to go for one in the middle since most people will be working from the first time or from the last time, so hopefully you have a higher chance of getting one in the middle.
When you tap a time, you will rarely get a message that says you’re in, and in that case, GREAT! But most of the time, you’ll get a message that VL slots are unavailable and to choose another slot. Move fast! Keep tapping all of the time slots until they disappear completely, and when they do, change your party size to refresh the page. Eventually, you’ll see that they are all gone, and that’s when you can give up…for now.
As we said, keep checking for additional times throughout the day — you never know what will pop up!

We’ll be bringing you EVERYTHING you need to know about Epic Universe as we explore this new theme park. In the meantime, stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Universal news and more!