Universal has been testing the patented technology that would allow them to restrict access to portals within Epic Universe to specific guests. Many believe these face scanners testing at the entrances to worlds within the park are related to the so-called “open hub” concept, but there could be other uses for the technology as well.

Let’s go over everything we know about it so far, as well as recent fireworks tests and construction around Epic Universe, in today’s news update. See the video version of this story below for additional visuals.

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Portal Face Scanner Testing

Recently, photos were shared of new photo validation scanners being tested at one of the portals at Universal Epic Universe. “Photo validation” being what Universal Orlando calls the facial recognition software they use for their theme parks’ turnstiles and Express lanes access.

The new face scanners appear to only be testing on select days, and usually briefly in the late afternoon. These scanners are being set up, the tests happen for only a brief period of time, and then they are removed without a trace. Tests are happening at multiple portals, like the Dark Universe portal pictured below, and the Super Nintendo World portal.

Photo validation testing has started at Epic Universe for each portal. We may be one step closer to having an open hub in Celestial Park soon. Just look at those stanchions!
🤩🤩🤩

📸 Photo Credit: Florida_Coasters_1 on IG pic.twitter.com/N8ivA2TqIq

— YoBentley (@Bentleys_Enigma) April 14, 2026

We had seen pavement work happening at some of the portal entries a little over a month ago, but we’re not sure if the work was related to this photo validation testing.

But it’s worth keeping in mind that the connections needed for these scanners have always been here.

Every portal into the worlds of Epic Universe has had these several connections for credential scanners since the park first opened. They have always been there.

This is just the first time anyone has seen the actual scanners connected to the sockets on the ground before.

Universal calls their Photo Validation process “Effortless Entry,” because when it is working correctly, you do not need to scan your ticket.

According to a patent filed by the company for the technology, guests do not need to stop, or scan a ticket, to enter a secured area. They simply keep on walking, and the system recognizes them from the database as someone who has access or not.

The patent’s illustration, (above,) showed how the technology could be used to restrict certain areas of a theme park to only guests with the right kind of ticket on file.

So why is Universal testing the technology in the portals now?

Super Nintendo World portal is currently testing facial recognition. Doesn't appear to change guest ops of entering. The land exit around the gift shop is unchanged and this is purely for the escalator/elevator entrance. This is gonna be the most bottleneck of the 4 due to this… pic.twitter.com/v6DElCSg5B

— RockNstardust🎸✨ (@CoasterK24) April 22, 2026

The official website for their Photo Validation system includes a list of the ways they intend to use it, including, of course, the theme park entry turnstiles, which have been in use for two and half years now.

They also list Universal Express lane validation, which was in testing for months, but recently moved into general use now.

As for Epic Universe, they show the ride lockers utilizing facial recognition, which the park opened with, as well as one curious possible use that has not yet been in practice, Virtual Line entry for entire worlds.

The official website says:

“Effortless Entry to Your Favorite Epic Universe Worlds”
“To keep your passage easy, you can use Photo Validation for Effortless Entry whenever Virtual Line return times are being used.”

While Virtual Line was used briefly for the Ministry of Magic ride, it was never used for entire portals, but it sounds like they are prepared to do so, if they need to.

We already know they have the app is set up for it, because in the weeks leading up to the park’s grand opening, a Virtual Line icon could be seen next to each of the world’s main pages in the app, just in case they needed it, but they never did.

Currently the park’s overall capacity is still being limited, which does lead to tickets selling out during peak times of year, so they haven’t needed to use Virtual Line return times for portals just yet.

In recent Comcast earnings calls, executives have said they plan to increase the park’s capacity throughout 2026, reaching its full capacity by the end of the year.

If the park’s capacity is increased, it may pave the way for opening up annual pass upgrades. It has been reported that the company has proposed multiple methods to offer an annual pass option for Epic Universe, which guest surveys suggest could include a price tag doubling the cost of a current pass, or requiring a two to four-year contract commitment for access.

If annual pass members are allowed entry into Epic Universe, it could cause some of the worlds of the park to reach capacity on busy days, and this would trigger Virtual Line reservations to open up. Guests would then need to make a reservation from the times available to visit these lands later in the day.

And they’re just now testing the technology that would facilitate it.

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Open Hub Speculation

One of the earliest rumors for Epic Universe, which started floating around a full year before it was even announced, was the so-called “open hub” concept.

The rumor stated that it was being designed around allowing anyone within the central areas of the park, for dining, shopping, and entertainment, but would only allow guests with valid theme park admission to enter the various theme park lands and ride the rides.

When Epic Universe officially opened in May of last year, the company stated in a Frequently Asked Questions page that a theme park ticket would be required to enter Celestial Park, the name of the park’s central hub.

With testing happening for facial scanners at the portal entrances, many are wondering if we could still see some form of open hub actually happen in the future?

Perhaps instead of allowing entry by anyone all day, another use for the technology, and for the originally intended layout of the park, is to allow anyone to visit, but only after a certain time.

The full service dining locations, Atlantic and Blue Dragon are not filling reservations at Epic Universe, and the park’s capacity limitation is likely hurting overall dining sales, despite only the ride capacity being the issue. The park has more than enough dining options to serve more than they’re letting in.

Allowing the general public to enter the Celestial Park area of Epic Universe after 6PM, perhaps with a dining reservation, while restricting access to the rides and lands to paying visitors only, could be a way to get more diners without compromising on extended ride wait times for everyone else.

Although not advertised or guaranteed, parking at Epic Universe is already (usually) free after 6PM, same as it is for CityWalk, so in theory if they were to open the central areas of the park to anyone at this time, they wouldn’t have to pay for parking to visit.

But even with access to Celestial Park, these guests would still not have access to the two rides in this area. Both Constellation Carousel and Stardust Racers have the same ground connections for scanners that could be found within the portals to also restrict access.

Maybe someday they could offer a la carte tickets for single use rides to non-paying guests too. They already are offering single-use Express passes purchasable through the app, (but more on that later).

And yes, if the open hub after 6PM concept comes to fruition, perhaps we could see non-paying guests being allowed to stay for the possible new fireworks show we believe may be debuting this year.

That would help sell snacks near the fountain area, as well as give business to the nearby CelesTiki and Bar Zenith, which tend to be quiet after dark.

Some have theorized the technology they’re testing could be for restricting access to specific portals for things like corporate buyouts or after hours events. This could require special credentials to continue riding rides after a certain time, while the hub offerings remain open later to all guests for dining and shopping.

If annual passes don’t become available any time soon, an open hub after 6PM would be a good way to get locals in the door and spending, without clogging up attraction queues. I’m sure plenty of passholders would jump at the chance for a Pizza Moon dinner or lounging around the Cosmos Fountain with a drink after work. Something to tide us over until we can pay for a real pass later.

The technology needed for a potential open hub may still be in early testing, and we’re not even sure if anything will come from it, or if it’ll just be used for portal virtual line entry, corporate events, or after hours tickets. We will just have to wait and see.

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New Fireworks Testing

For now, what we have been seeing is all new fireworks testing overnight.

The footage in the video below, taken by Adventuring with Annie about a week ago shows new pyro tests at the sides of the park.

In the footage we can see bursts of pyro being launched on both the left and right side of Epic Universe.

While we had seen the new main fireworks launchpad constructed in the center of the pond behind the park, complete with safety bunker for launching and all, the secondary pyro launch sites were not set up yet, until now.

Permits had called for secondary launch sites to be installed atop buildings in both The Wizarding World and Dark Universe areas of the park, and with this new test we can see that they have.

In fact, in recent aerial photography by Bioreconstruct, we can see this pyro launch site installed on top of the structure for the Ministry of Magic ride.

And there is its launch site control bunker right there next to it, installed strikingly close by.

Bio recently shared an on-the-ground look at the other launch site over the Monsters Unchained building as well.

The secondary pyro sites are just one element that needed to be completed for a whole new nighttime show, which has been rumored to be coming to Epic Universe some time this year.

Another major element of a possible new show involves major upgrades to the large fountain near the back of the park.

As we can see in these recent on the ground views from Bioreconstruct, the Cosmos Fountain is still drained while work continues on adding new special effects lighting and more.

Lighting is also being worked on all throughout Celestial Park, with some areas already seeing the in-ground LED lights replaced.

In some areas though, like the courtyard in front of Constellation Carousel, all of these ground lights have been covered with temporary casings with screws until the lights inside could be replaced.

The ground lighting work is taking place in tandem with a tremendous amount of concrete replacement work happening across the park.

See our recent article for more details and speculation on a possible new nighttime show, which we believe could be named “Celestial Goodnight” based on trademarks.

There has still not been any official announcement for a new show, and Universal has not announced a reopening date for the fountain, but pyro tests for secondary launchpads are a very good sign of progress.

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Park Expansions & Permits

Work is continuing on the underground utilities and foundation prep for a multi-use events building near the front of Epic Universe.

Known as Project 915, this is what the guest-facing work walls look for the future location of the multi-purpose events space.

Plans show this two-story structure as having a theater-like facade facing the park.

Currently, most prep work is happening at the back of the future building’s footprint, which will be a catering kitchen for the events space according to permit information.

Universal recently trademarked the term “Major Lolli,” for use in theme parks, “namely, live appearances by costumed characters.”

Major Lolli was announced after the park opened as a friend of Captain Cacao, an original character created for Epic Universe’s candy shop, located at the front of Celestial Park.

The initials “M.L.” had been seen on a set of doors in the store since the park first started accepting guests, just below Captain Cacao’s door, but it wouldn’t be until an official blog post months later that we would learn ML stands for Major Lolli.

Many fans of Captain Cacao had hoped to see a meet and greet walk around character for the popular plush bear, but so far one has not materialized at the park.

Perhaps the new trademark for Major Lolli is a sign for meet and greets, or some other kid-friendly experiences to be added to Celestial Park in the future?

As for new rides coming to Epic Universe, the permits for a massive 150,000 square foot new attraction planned for The Wizarding World have been issued.

Permits for the foundation and site plans have finally been paid by Universal and accepted by the county, so have been issued and are ready to build.

Universal has submitted an application for a third permit related to the project, this one for a building shell, but so far no visible work has started.

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Single Ride Express Pass

Universal Orlando has debuted a new type of Express pass that can be purchased through the app for a one-time use on one ride.

Named Universal Express Now, these à la carte Express passes can only be purchased while you are actually inside of Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, or Epic Universe, and so far we have seen several available for sale daily in Epic Universe.

Universal Express Now pass options have been available for Yoshi’s Adventure for $19.99 and Mario Kart for $24.99, for example.

When you go to purchase them you can only select the next available time, or refresh throughout the day for more times.

The only other attraction we have seen so far at Epic Universe is Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, which is also set at $24.99.

It is still early, since this new type of Express pass was only launched a week ago, so pricing and details may change moving forward. Learn more about this system in our recent story.

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West Parcel Land Update

Looking outside of the park, we have gotten our first official comment on the work happening west of Epic Universe, located off of Universal Blvd.

A spokesperson for Universal Orlando said:

“The work recently conducted on our property along Universal Boulevard was part of land maintenance and nothing more.”

Orlando Business Journal was first to get this comment, but it doesn’t line up with the planned work happening on the ground.

Work happening now, according to permits, is to prepare a 87.2 acre parcel owned by the company for future use.

Current aerial views from Bioreconstruct show the approximately 175,000 cubic yards of clean fill material that is being brought into the property now, just as we described from permits in our last update on the project.

The Orlando Business Journal interviewed a real estate developer for I-Drive, who said he has heard rumors that Universal is looking to use the land for a new development similar to CityWalk at Universal’s main campus.

Despite all the recent news coming from Epic Universe, we have no official word from Universal on most of these stories. It seems the company is testing more than just Photo Validation scanners for the Epic Universe complex. But things like single use express, a new nighttime show, and a potential open hub or virtual line option may only be some of the possible changes and offerings coming down the pipeline, and soon.

That’s all for now, but stay tuned for more details on the demolition of Lost Continent at Islands of Adventure. See the video version of this story for additional visuals. Big thanks to Bioreconstruct for sharing all of the aerial photos and more seen in this story.

Subscribe to the news feed or enter your email address below to never miss an update. Permit Images: Orange County Government Permitting Office | Aerial Photos: Bioreconstruct | Graphics & Original Photos: Alicia Stella | Other Images as Captioned

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