Will Epic Universe be the first theme park with 100% virtual queues?
Ah, Universal… while some may consider it the lesser step-child of theme parks (when compared with Walt Disney World anyway) Universal Orlando is actually responsible for a fair bit of innovation in the attraction world. An easy example is “The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman” ride at Islands of Adventure. It may seem dated now, but when this ride opened it was heralded as a technological masterpiece. Never before had we seen such a seamless combination of ride systems creating a totally immersive experience. This tactic of combining a moving ride vehicle, physical effects, and screens has now been replicated world-wide.
Universal has been a leader in operational logistics as well. Universal was the first Orlando theme park to use single rider lines to reduce wait times, and let’s not forget that “Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon” was the first time this city has seen virtual queues.
And then there’s Volcano Bay. The world’s first water park with a completely virtual queue system.
And this makes me wonder…. what if Volcano Bay was a giant test? What if Epic Universe is going to be the first theme park with 100% virtual queues? I know. I know. This would be a giant undertaking. Can Universal really pull that off? What would a park like that even look like?
Volcano Bay’s Tapu-Tapu
To answer these questions, let’s take a closer look at Volcano Bay’s virtual queue system, the Tapu-Tapu. Upon entering the park, each guest receives a wearable wrist-watch type band. When you want to experience an attraction, you have to physically visit the entrance and tap the console. Once you do this, you have begun “waiting” in line. Your wrist band will display your wait time on its screen and continue to count down for you as your wait progresses.
Can you wait in line for multiple attractions at the same time? No. So, what do you do while you’re waiting in a virtual queue if you can’t ride the other attractions?
Good question! While you’re waiting in line, you can enjoy other areas of the park. You can shop or eat lunch (which, of course, theme parks love because now you’re spending money when you would have otherwise been trapped in line). Additionally, Volcano Bay has several “free access” areas that you can enjoy at any time during your day – whether you’re waiting in a line or not. These areas, like giant pools, lazy rivers, or interactive play zones, have a few common characteristics. They can hold a large amount of people, and the experience is non-linear. You don’t need to join a lazy river at a specific point in order to have a great time. By the same token, it doesn’t matter when or for how long you jump into a pool – it’s a similar experience either way.
The other allowance Volcano Bay makes is that, if a ride has a low enough wait time, it switches to “Ride Now” status. This means that anyone can now enjoy the attraction-regardless of other queues they may be waiting in. However, once a large enough line forms for the “Ride Now” attraction, its status will change and the Tapu-Tapu system will once again be in effect.
OK – That’s how a water park virtual queue system works, and you have to admit Universal’s experienced a fair amount of success. Volcano Bay has been open for almost three years (May 2017), and the park is still utilizing the Tapu-Tapu wrist bands. When the park first opened, there were hiccups, of course (unmanageable wait times for Krakatau – the park’s only signature attraction). Since then, however, these issues have mostly been remedied.
Applications for Traditional Theme Parks (Epic Universe?)
Now, the big question… Can Universal take this same concept and adapt it for a more traditional theme park setting?
I believe that the answer is yes. Now, I realize there are recent examples of virtual queues that may give you a bit of pause and anxiety when considering an entire park free of ropes and stanchions. I would argue that the major problem in these examples is a lack of options. You have one virtual queue for a popular attraction, and, of course, everyone wants to get into that one, single queue line.
Let’s take, for example, Rise of the Resistance at Walt Disney World. Chances are you’ve heard all the horror stories of people getting up at 3:00am, getting to the park two hours before rope drop, opening their phones at the right moment to join the virtual queue only to find out that all the “boarding passes” were distributed in a matter of 3.75 seconds.
This is an extreme example, but it illustrates a valid concern when considering an entire theme park full of virtual queues. But the problem here is that you have one queue for one, insanely popular attraction. Every single person in the park is there to ride that ONE RIDE. Adding to that complication, there’s no opportunity cost to join that one queue as no other ride in the park uses it. You can join the virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance and then stand in the physical queue for Slinky Dog Dash. You don’t need to choose.
In a park where all queues are virtual, guests will need to make choices. Assuming that Epic Universe will open with at least one major attraction in every “land,” I believe there will be enough intrigue to disburse crowds accordingly (thus avoiding the Krakatau dilemma), giving everyone the chance to see the attractions that are important to them.
Now, another consideration is what to do with the guests that are “waiting” (but not really waiting) in line. This is the part that’s really exciting to me. If Universal really is going to tackle a virtual queueing theme park, it’s going to have to create multiple large, interactive, and highly themed areas to keep these guests entertained while they await their turn – making theming an even larger, more prominent, and more necessary part of the theme parks then ever before. Now, I have no way of knowing what these areas would be. Maybe there would be a walking tour of Frankenstein’s Castle, or a massive mock-up of a “level” from Super Mario in Nintendoland. Of course, with consideration for the bottom line, I’m sure that these areas will include lots of unique shopping and dining venues.
These areas are obviously going to be more complicated to create than Volcano Bay’s “free access” alternatives. You can’t just throw everyone in a pool in a traditional theme park, but the relative ease of beginning this practice in a water park is exactly why I believe it was a practice run. Volcano Bay was the proving ground, and Epic Universe will be the crowning achievement.
Look, I don’t have any sources on this inside. These theories are purely a result of my own observations and thoughts. I have no proof, but I don’t think these theories are entirely unfounded. If done correctly, Universal can totally pull this off. And what if they do? If they successfully open a theme park with all virtual queueing and guests are leaving happy… I think the step-child might start getting some more attention…
