Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic - General Discussion Thread

[Parkscope Joe]

you’d swear this was the first time this happened.

You'd think but I guess we have to this whole "BUT THE GUESTS" song and dance every time. You're a preview audience you know what you signed up for, somehow folks can figure this out for other things yet theme parks are special?

 

[Speed]

Can someone summarize what the system requires? Very confused.

I first at thought you need everybody's tickets linked, but it appears you don't need to as the app will ask how many in your party?

Sunday you needed everyone linked, yesterday went back to the old system where you just select your party size

 

[Clive]

As someone who has been the victim of the Rise of the Resistance virtual queue nightmare more than once, I'm sympathetic to the folks who tried and failed to get on Ministry. With that said, we are still in "free" previews, no? Getting on the ride should be seen as a bonus, not an expectation, especially since people reading here should be well aware of the ride's problems.

Now, as @Tbad556 suggested, when it comes time for paid previews that approach the price of a regular ticket? That's when I think you have more of a right to be angry there isn't more of a stable plan, if there isn't one.

 

[Frank Drackman]

As someone who has been the victim of the Rise of the Resistance virtual queue nightmare more than once, I'm sympathetic to the folks who tried and failed to get on Ministry. With that said, we are still in "free" previews, no? Getting on the ride should be seen as a bonus, not an expectation, especially since people reading here should be well aware of the ride's problems.

Now, as @Tbad556 suggested, when it comes time for paid previews that approach the price of a regular ticket? That's when I think you have more of a right to be angry there isn't more of a stable plan, if there isn't one.

but we have folks who have paid for a ticket, they are going soon and they are trying to plan their best strategy for winning the lottery. Yet they are asking folks that only know that UNI has tested MoM's Vurtual Line twice. Once, each ticket needed to be scanned into the park, if they wanted to be in the same group, they had to figure out how to be under one travel planner's account (which tends to mean working with guest services).

Then on day two, a person w/ an account that was in Epic could enter the # in the party then chose a time. This method would allow a party of four four chances to try for a window.

I do not think anyone knows what Thursday will look like, maybe tomorrow will lend a clue..... to me, it just seems folks are seeking answers that do not exist at the moment.

 

[Alicia]

Here are the official instructions, which are linked to an email sent to all people who paid for previews: Universal Orlando

Note they do not say if and for what this’ll be used for, just linked instructions if you click on official app from the epic info page in email.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

Here are the official instructions, which are linked to an email sent to all people who paid for previews: Universal Orlando

Note they do not say if and for what this’ll be used for, just linked instructions if you click on official app from the epic info page in email.

View attachment 26030
View attachment 26031

The Good: I’m glad they’re at least warning people and providing some steps on how to do this.

The Bad: I wish they were more blunt re: needing to do this for Ministry. This looks like the kind of email I’d easily ignore.

The Ugly: What if there’s still a chance Ministry isn’t the only thing getting Virtual Line…

 

[Jake S]

my concern is that Universal has a long track record of having a crappy mobile app experience, including the management of virtual queues. i have very little faith they’re going to suddenly change all that by may 22.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

my concern is that Universal has a long track record of having a crappy mobile app experience, including the management of virtual queues. i have very little faith they’re going to suddenly change all that by may 22.

And it won’t be happening in a vacuum.

As insane as it sounds out loud, Disney’s VQ is nearly six years old and Orlando visitors are somewhat familiar with it. It is annoying and unforgiving but also precise (opening at xx:xx:00 on the dot) and “fair”. If the story in May is late drops, loading screens, and error messages, that’s a really bad look. Let’s hope one month cleans that up.

 

[fryoj]

Major rides break down on regular park, full price days, and they don't do more than put a sign up at the entrance. I don't think Uni will bat an eye at saying "Sorry, BatM is closed. The Moose out front should have told you" on a preview day or even after May 22nd.

 

[Rhian]

There's an argument to be made on both sides though I have some sympathy for paying guests at the price point, especially if they come on a day where the park isn't fully functioning, HP aside (which is still happening here and there); I've been there when most of the rides were down for most of the day if not the entire time but at least it didn't cost me anything.

That said, they do have "technical rehearsal" signs around the park mentioning that some things in the park may not be available. It's not perfect but there is some warning about what you might of might not experience while there.

 

[Lucky Planet]

There's an argument to be made on both sides though I have some sympathy for paying guests at the price point, especially if they come on a day where the park isn't fully functioning, HP aside (which is still happening here and there); I've been there when most of the rides were down for most of the day if not the entire time but at least it didn't cost me anything.

That said, they do have "technical rehearsal" signs around the park mentioning that some things in the park may not be available. It's not perfect but there is some warning about what you might of might not experience while there.

not knowing if this ride or monsters was operational would keep me from getting a ticket, sure the rest of the area is beautiful and there are more lands,
but I honestly don't care as much about Mario or dragons and I'm not as interested in those rides, not interested in stardust that much, sure, I would love to visit everything,
but the Potter ride and the monsters ride were really the only things I would be paying a ticket for,
and yeah sure the park is just opening, sure sure there will be problems and that's fine, but it would keep me from visiting right away, it's not like I could come back the next day or something ( if I don't have an annual pass)

 

[TheCodeMan95]

It does run the risk of a single party being able to get multiple return times for the whole party so I'm sure the procedure will change. I think they should use the extended queue outside the Floo network to hand out return time tickets through a physical line. That would be a more fair option in my opinion. First come, first serve.

This sounds good on paper, until the line for return times stretches out of Wizarding Paris

my concern is that Universal has a long track record of having a crappy mobile app experience, including the management of virtual queues. i have very little faith they’re going to suddenly change all that by may 22.

This is honestly my biggest concern. Not HOW to get the virtual queue time - but if the app will actually function. Can't tell you how many times the app has crashed while I'm trying to do a mobile order!

EDIT: So we need to set up our Travel Party for this? This has been my "Travel Party" for 2 years:

 

[darkridelover]

On Monday Travel Party was no required but that could change today. So it's a wait an see.

BIG TIP: It will give you 4 return time options. Do NOT pick the first one. Pick the last one. The reason is everyone is going to pick the first one and only a handful of people will get them the rest get a message saying that time slot is no longer available and by the time you back out and retry, all of the time slots may be gone.

 

[GAcoaster]

Here are the official instructions, which are linked to an email sent to all people who paid for previews: Universal Orlando

Note they do not say if and for what this’ll be used for, just linked instructions if you click on official app from the epic info page in email.

View attachment 26030
View attachment 26031

I would add to all that, make sure push notifications are enabled for the Universal App. A friend lost out on the drop because it prompted him to enable notifications when he went to reserve. By the time he was done the first time drop had filled up.

 

[kristenabelle]

This sounds good on paper, until the line for return times stretches out of Wizarding Paris


This is honestly my biggest concern. Not HOW to get the virtual queue time - but if the app will actually function. Can't tell you how many times the app has crashed while I'm trying to do a mobile order!

EDIT: So we need to set up our Travel Party for this? This has been my "Travel Party" for 2 years:

View attachment 26033View attachment 26034

Yeah I've got quite a few nulls too. My party is set for our December trip (I guess? Looks like it was automatic since I bought tix) but I'll be solo in September. Dunno how that'll work. Still, a lot can happen between now and then, so I'm not worried. But I do hope VQ is more streamlined for preview folks.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

How do you delete people from your travel party. When the app updated it gave me 21 members instead of 5, probably adding a member from every ticket bought, even if expired for years.
None are null, just many family members have multiple entries.

 

[Alicia]

How do you delete people from your travel party. When the app updated it gave me 21 members instead of 5, probably adding a member from every ticket bought, even if expired for years.
None are null, just many family members have multiple entries.

Like deleting old passes from the wallet, I do think the only way is to call guest services. And they’re inundated with backlogs right now, so I don’t want to bother them just to clean up my drop down list filled with nulls.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Like deleting old passes from the wallet, I do think the only way is to call guest services. And they’re inundated with backlogs right now, so I don’t want to bother them just to clean up my drop down list filled with nulls.

"Hi Guest Services, can you delete the nulls from my Travel Party? My trip is in 5 months.
Also how many Goldfish are on top of the mac n cheese cone?"

 

[UniversalRBLX]

So it looks like Virtual Line was updated today to randomized drops instead of select time periods. I'm sorry, but that is poor guest experience. Having people on their phones all day is not the solution.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but a 7AM drop doesn't sound too bad now.

 

[Jake S]