I've been doing GA for many many concerts and I'm familiar with this procedure. Lining up early always brought me into the front of stage area. Last tour, it was ok to arrive in the early afternoon. It's always nice to hand around, talk with fans, share the excitement. When the gates are opening, things tend to get a little rough, but OF COURSE you have to run, no one just "walks" in. That's part of the excitement of being at a big concert. This system is best, IMO. Everyone can decide whether they want to come early or not. With this stage, I'm sure you'll still have a good view if you're several rows back. I think it would be best to be standing at the catwalk, outside the circle, because you have the best view from there. On the other hand, being in the circle means you get a wristband and can be relaxed. If it's too tight for you, you can go back and have space to move around. I don't see many problems with that system. The only thing that could go wrong is keeping the line(s) organised during the day. I've seen some really nasty scenes outside of stadiums. However, if everyone behaves and security know how to do their jobs, it should all work. For the Vertigo shows, at least the ones I attended, there were always more than 1 line, there were always more than 1 gates.
It looks like I am in the minority, but I liked the lottery. Even though I did arrive early during Vertigo. I had no problem with the lottery because it kept things from getting aggressive when going into the venue. As much as I love U2 I am not one to get violent and trip over people to get in the front of the stage. I love going early because I get a chance to meet alot of people who love U2 music and it is all a great experience. I understand that the "first come first served" policy looks like the fairest way to go but I feel that it can result in a very hostile atmosphere. There will always be the idiots who want to cheat, and I do think that most people are reasonable and won't freak out, but there are always exceptions. The lottery system gave entering the venue an air of excitement if you were lucky to get into the circle. It was fun to watch people reactions!!! I feel that if you get there early enough you will get a decent view. I hope that when I go, things will run smoothly. It sucks to stand in line all day and see arguments and fights.