I attended the reopening day at Universal Orlando—here are 7 notable changes at the theme park.

Editor's note: As the travel sector reopens after COVID-19 closures, TPG advises consulting your doctor, adhering to health guidelines, and checking local travel restrictions before making your next booking. We’re here to assist you, whether your journey is next month or next year.

After 80 days of closure due to COVID-19 concerns, the Universal Orlando theme park complex welcomed guests back on June 3, initially for annual passholders and those staying at Universal resorts.

When the reopening was revealed, my interest soared. I was eager to witness how the first major U.S. theme park to reopen would adapt to this new world of social distancing. Would the Wizarding World of Harry Potter retain its magical charm with face masks now required alongside optional robes, cloaks, and wands? Would typically impatient park-goers adhere to the new regulations? Would my mask fly off during a roller coaster ride? And—would a day at the park still be enjoyable?

Initially, I had purchased a $178 Universal park ticket, booked a flight from Atlanta to Orlando using Delta SkyMiles, and arranged a night at the new Universal's Endless Summer Resort - Surfside Inn for the official reopening on June 5. However, upon learning on June 2 that guests at Universal resort hotels could access the soft opening on June 3, I quickly adjusted my plans and took off a few hours later on a new Delta flight.

Spoiler alert: The experience at the theme park and resort hotel was just as uniquely different as you might expect, filled with both tension and excitement in equal measure.

CHECK OUT THIS INSIDE LOOK AT DISNEY WORLD'S REOPENING DAY.

Universal is taking this seriously.

From my check-in at Universal's Surfside Inn and Suites to the bustling CityWalk dining and shopping area, and right through the park entrance, it was clear that Universal is committed to redefining the park experience.

There is plenty of signage outlining the new mask and social distancing protocols, and Universal staff members are diligently reminding guests of these rules while keeping an eye out for any violations. You'll find visual markers for social distancing at every ride, food stand, gift shop, restaurant, and anywhere else guests might line up.

From the resort hotel to the park entrance

The social distancing measures commenced at the on-site hotel. Only one family is allowed in the elevator at a time, with floor markers in place, and the resort bus line extended down the sidewalk as guests kept their distance. I was in line at 7:15 a.m. at Surfside Inn and Suites, anticipating the five-minute bus ride to the parks to ensure I made it in time for the 8 a.m. early park access granted to Orlando resort hotel guests.

The buses didn’t arrive until 7:30 a.m.—all four pulled in simultaneously, which was fortunate since only about 18 people were allowed on each of the initial buses I saw loading.

Key takeaway: If you plan to rely on the resort buses, it’s wise to get in line early or choose one of the nearby Universal resorts, like Universal Loews Royal Pacific, which is just a short walk to the parks.

Upon reaching Universal's main transportation hub, where the parking garages meet the bus terminal, a temperature check was set up at the top of the escalator. Everyone from the Orlando resort hotels had already undergone a temperature check (and wore wristbands confirming they were under 100.4 degrees), making this second check for wristband-wearing guests arriving from the resorts seem redundant... and somewhat problematic.

The extra temperature checks went from confusing to hazardous as more buses unloaded and the top of the escalator became overcrowded. I was just a moment away from shouting for someone to hit the emergency stop button when security personnel noticed the issue and moved the barriers to create more space. Although the immediate safety concern was averted by the guards, any social distancing that had been maintained up to that point was effectively erased—a recurring theme throughout the day.

After that, security was efficient, with staff sanitizing the bins after they passed through the machines, and I arrived at the entrance to Universal Studios by 7:50 a.m., fully prepared for a day of fun.

Early Park Access

Despite the many changes at Universal, guests at Orlando resort hotels still enjoy one hour of early access before the regular opening times for either Islands of Adventure or Universal Studios. The specific park that will open early is announced a few days prior.

I expected a massive crowd ready to rush into the theme park the moment it reopened after months of closure, but to my surprise, at 7:50 a.m., just 10 minutes before opening, I found myself among the first group of people waiting to enter Universal Studios.

Enthusiastic team members greeted everyone as they returned, reminding us to keep our distance, and right on schedule, the theme park was officially open again.

After arriving at our designated turnstiles to scan our tickets (and showing ID to confirm it matched the ticket and hotel room key), I followed TouringPlans' recommendation and made a beeline for Diagon Alley and the Escape from Gringotts ride.

On my way, I noticed that some areas of Universal Studios were roped off, requiring guests to stay on the main path straight to Revenge of the Mummy. While this might be standard procedure for early park access, access to Hollywood, KidsZone, Simpson's Springfield, and the World Expo areas was restricted.

I’ll discuss the overall ride experience at Universal shortly, but regarding early park access, the unfortunate news (for me) was that Escape from Gringotts broke down. Even though I was among the first in line, it took up most of the early access hour to finally enjoy this attraction.

Masks required

Next up, let’s talk about the masks.

Everyone aged 3 and older must wear a face mask. The only exceptions are while on a water ride, eating, drinking, or if there’s a medical reason. Throughout the day in the Orlando heat, I encountered every conceivable style, color, and design of mask.

By noon, I realized I had made a poor choice in the mask comfort category. While my KN95 mask was excellent at filtering out germs, by lunchtime, the elastic loops around my ears had irritated my skin. As of this writing, that area is still sore and rubbed raw.

If you think you can sneak in a few moments without your mask, think again. At least on the first day, team members were vigilant, consistently reminding guests—kindly but firmly—that masks must cover both mouth and nose at all times. Before any ride departed, there was another reminder to keep masks on throughout the experience.

This presented a challenge for several rides that required glasses for 3D and 4D effects, as the glasses fogged up immediately with a mask on. On my first ride of the day, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, this became an issue right away. I knew before the ride even started that it wouldn’t work; you had to choose between bending the rules and pulling your mask down slightly or experiencing the ride with foggy glasses.

I really tested the mask on Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (which is an exceptional theme park ride worth every moment). Even at roller coaster speeds, the mask didn't noticeably affect the experience, aside from muffling a few excited screams and cheers from fellow guests. Pro tip: Make sure the mask fits snugly before you take off.

I looked closely and didn’t spot a single guest all day who seemed to intentionally go without a mask. There are scattered claims in dedicated online theme park communities that guests who refused to wear masks were given wristbands and had their own ride vehicles, but I didn’t witness any incidents myself.

As for how challenging it was to wear a mask all day in the Orlando heat—I got lucky. June 3 was a mild, mostly cloudy day in Orlando. After a few hours, the mask became nearly unnoticeable, except for the irritation from the elastic loops. However, I can imagine that on a hot midsummer afternoon in Florida, the experience could be significantly different, especially for young children.

Virtual Lines

To manage crowding at many attractions, Universal has significantly enhanced its virtual line system available through the Universal app. While this feature isn't new, it has been greatly expanded since the pre-coronavirus days.

The idea is excellent, but the implementation was at times confusing and frustrating. Here’s how it played out on reopening day:

• Guests can hold a maximum of two virtual line passes at any given time. Once you use one, you can select another. You can also secure passes for your entire party, which suggests that each person could have two different virtual line passes that encompass everyone else, creating a solid family strategy.
• Attractions may operate with only a standby line, a combination of standby and virtual line passes, or solely virtual line passes.
• Rides can switch between using and not using the virtual line system. On day one, Revenge of the Mummy started with virtual passes, but by lunchtime, it switched to standby only for the remainder of the day. Other rides toggled between the two throughout the day.
• Virtual line passes are valid for specific 30-minute windows, and the two passes cannot overlap.
• Virtual line passes became available in the app just before the official park opening at 9 a.m. I was refreshing the app right before 9 a.m. and managed to snag a virtual pass for Hagrid's Motorbike from 9:30-10:00 a.m.—a major win!
• The app seems to geofence anyone outside the park from obtaining virtual line passes.
• Virtual line passes are released at various times throughout the day, seemingly at random.

Overall, this process was not clearly communicated to guests, leaving many unaware that they couldn’t simply walk up to a ride and get in line.

By around 10:30 a.m., it seemed that most virtual passes for Hagrid's Motorbike had been snatched up, and there was a steady crowd of park guests at the entrance each time I walked by, with team members trying to explain the system to increasingly frustrated visitors. I observed this same scene at Harry Potter's Forbidden Journey, Escape from Gringotts, and Skull Island: Reign of Kong, where confused guests were trying to figure out how to get in line.

By approximately 12:30 p.m., I struggled to find any additional virtual passes available for the remainder of the afternoon.

Whenever times did show up, I was met with an error message indicating that something had gone wrong.

I was fortunate to secure a pass in the morning for all the rides I wanted to experience, except for Kong, which never became available again that day. I probably checked every 10 to 15 minutes and had to rely on my portable charger to keep my phone powered up.

Determining what you will—or won’t—get to ride right now feels like a gamble since you can’t plan in advance or know which attractions will require a virtual pass versus allowing a traditional line.

It's important to note that there are no single rider lines available for any attraction. Overall, I had decent luck riding attractions during the morning hours, but I did witness more than a few confused and dissatisfied guests.

The Ride Experience

At Universal, the ride experience typically begins with the locker procedure. In contrast to Disney World, Universal enforces a strict no-bag policy on most thrill rides. Locker banks are conveniently located near the ride entrances. The need for social distancing adds a new layer to this process, as multiple team members manage the access to each locker bank.

I quickly wished I hadn't brought my small backpack filled with sunscreen, a water bottle, and a battery pack. The new chains and ropes formed locker queues right next to the virtual pass and standby lines, making it challenging to figure out where to walk at times.

Once in the actual ride line, social distancing was rigorously enforced, and queues that appeared relatively empty often looked much longer than they truly were. It was a very light crowd day due to a soft opening, but I foresee challenges with maintaining adequate space for queuing unless park capacity is significantly restricted.

Many rides allowed guests to sit in every other row or only permitted members of the same party to occupy a vehicle. On rides like Men In Black Alien Attack, Escape from Gringotts, Hagrid's Motorbike, Harry Potter's Forbidden Journey, Transformers 3D, and the Simpsons rides, I often found myself as the sole occupant of a ride vehicle designed for up to eight people.

As part of the boarding process, a team member applied hand sanitizer directly to my hands before I entered the ride vehicle, in addition to spacing out the riders.

Despite the limited capacity, I never waited longer than 15 minutes for a ride with a virtual pass. Even during those waits, I walked through large, empty areas that would typically be crowded. From what I could see, Express Pass lines were still functioning, although I didn't have one for this trip.

However, Universal struggled to accurately predict wait times today. Jurassic Park had a posted wait of 35 minutes, but I was on in just 17; Men in Black was posted at 20 minutes, and I waited only 8; the Simpsons ride showed a wait of 20 minutes, but I ended up waiting 25; and for Transformers, which had a 25-minute posted wait, I basically walked right on.

Masks were not required on water rides like Jurassic Park. Although there was a mention of some special effects being turned off, in my experience, all the rides maintained their usual fog and water effects.

All attractions were operational today, except for high-touch play areas for kids like Curious George Goes to Town and Camp Jurassic. Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges were out of service for part of the day. While characters made appearances, they were kept on stage or behind barriers to maintain distance, preventing close encounters. Most regular parades and shows were not taking place.

Mobile food ordering

Universal has also expanded mobile food and beverage ordering to reduce person-to-person contact. Unfortunately, the implementation wasn't seamless today.

In the Universal app, you can easily see which restaurants in both parks and CityWalk are set up for mobile ordering, allowing you to choose your food and make payments directly.

After getting off Hagrid's Motorbike, I treated myself to a famous butterbeer by placing a mobile order at the popular Three Broomsticks restaurant in Hogsmeade.

The ordering and payment process was straightforward, but upon arriving at the restaurant, I found myself waiting for a table as if I hadn’t placed an order in advance.

After waiting 30 minutes, I was ready to leave when the server finally noticed me, prepared the butterbeer herself, and refunded my $8. She mentioned that they were struggling with the mobile ordering system since it was new to them.

Lines at restaurants offering mobile ordering often extended out the door, as every other table has been marked as unavailable, making it a slow process to seat and serve even a limited number of guests.

There were no specific mobile order pick-up lines, except at a few quick-service food stands. While it might improve over time, mobile ordering seemed largely ineffective for table service restaurants, as servers still needed to come to your table, note your order number, and interact with you.

Final thoughts

Universal Orlando has officially reopened, attractions are operational, and guests are enjoying themselves. However, there are still improvements needed to enhance the new normal experience.

The virtual line system must become more transparent and better communicated to all visitors. It’s challenging to spend $178 per person on tickets (not to mention additional travel and accommodation costs) without a clear understanding of whether you'll be able to ride Hagrid's Motorbike or other popular attractions. While some issues will likely be resolved, I anticipate that as park attendance rises, the strain on all processes will increase.

The social distancing measures are strict and well-implemented in ride queues, around lockers, and in dining areas. However, while moving through the park, people often do not maintain the six-foot distance, raising questions about the effectiveness of such rigorous guidelines only in the waiting areas.

As I embarked on my eight-hour adventure at Universal Orlando, I recognized the monumental challenge the theme park faced. In such a vast entertainment environment, how do you adhere to CDC guidelines, ensure the safety of guests, and create a sense of security that encourages demand to return? My overall impression was that Universal handled the situation as well as could be expected and will likely resolve any minor issues in the coming days and weeks.

Throughout my day in the park, I felt a sense of safety and managed to have some fun along the way.

Photos by the author unless otherwise noted